So no small feat, but I was now getting two course credits which no freshman had ever gotten for therarefreshman independent study.
And then there was Intro to Familiars I which was… Complicated. The whole class was built around getting to know and working withyour familiarbetter. How to train your familiar to interact with other familiars for projects later.
Except I didn’t have a familiar. So that complicated things.
ExceptI could have taught the damn class given my magic and abilities. So that really made things complicated. And it was a requirement to graduate.
I couldn’t do the normal midterm or even final, and no one made note or cared about that when I was accepted into Morrigan, but with all the hype around me now? Oh yeah, everyone wanted an opinion and to have a say in the situation. The school board had started a fuss that I hadn’t even known about until the fuss about me being the head of the Millen family now.
They wanted to see how that played out and with the public saying loudly that I had been treated unfairly all around—especially at Morrigan—they backed off. Other faculty and administration hadn’t and were doing everything from demanding to test me themselves to devising supplementary tests or exams I should have to take to even stay given I was a failure.
For not having a familiar of course.
Which they knew when I was accepted.
Assholes. Seriously, just… Ass. Holes.
Big fat hairy assholes as I said to Kelton when I received the last notice from some pompous administrator demanding I submit to some testing behind the headmaster’s fucking back. It was beyond ridiculous and I was over it.
Kelton had taken it seriously but also laughed at my choice of words.
Yeah, funny later, but right then it was sexism and seriously bullshit that a warlock who was like eighty thought he had theright to demand he could use his magic on me to basically get all my secrets. Use my education to get anything and everything from me that had nothing to do with school.
Even I wasn’t dense enough to think it was anything but that.
I’d given it directly to Jasmine and said I was done but to work with Kerwynn since it was obviously not with his knowledge. She agreed and went to battle.
Good because I couldn’t handle it anymore.Everythingwas a fucking fight and I was exhausted. Constantly.
I wanted to build a damn nap time in my schedule it got so bad sometimes.
Wyatt swung by our table right as I sat down with Winter and a few of his friends with several people who screamed faculty or administration… And it was clear there were two sides among them.
“Ms. Millen, I apologize for interrupting yourpersonaltime,” he started, his jaw adjusting. “But the decision has been reached about your midterm and I was informed it was best that I tell you right away.”
“I appreciate that, Professor Wyatt, but my attorney has been handling matters directly with Headmaster Kerwynn after the unreasonable, unprofessional, andunethicaldemands I received from several unrelated parties trying to use this situation and influence a young witch as they wanted,” I said firmly, snitching to those there.
He nodded. “Yes, the headmaster has been informed and agrees to this course of action. He will be informing your attorney directly and you can discuss it with her if you accept this—”
“Exception,” someone snapped. “We’re making anexceptionfor you, Ms. Millen, and it would do you well to remember that.”
I met his gaze head-on. “You’re not actually, Mr… It honestly doesn’t matter.” People gasped or coughed that I dismissed himso easily. “I am not the idiot people paint witches or my parents especially painted me. I did my homework before agreeing to attend Morrigan when I received my acceptance.”
“I don’t even know—” he started to bristle.
“This school has had thirty-two magics without familiarson recordsince its inception,” I continued. I gave people a moment with that, the whispers in the cafeteria starting immediately. “I believe seventeen were because they lost their familiars tragically, but I don’t specifically remember. But this institution has ahistoryof excelling in working with people in my position.
“It’s also not as rare as people try to make me feel or chastise me for. The High Council knows the circumstances and I’m comfortable with my position and relationship with the gods. So this is between my teacher, who has been instrumental in making sure I am receiving the education I was promised by coming here, and me, and it’s our free time. Thank you.”
And then to the shock of everyone there—even Wyatt—I dismissed the man and focused back on him, a few with him chuckling. So clearly, they were on his side.
He tried to cover a smirk and cleared his throat. “Given the council has pushed for our society to return to our roots and do better by our familiars—made their own push to have them at court, the university has decided to follow their wise lead.”
I nodded. “Quinn has been doing great in class even when petty students have intentionally tried to poke him with their larger familiars as a way to get back at you for their lack of studying or perceived slights. Really pathetic attempts against the genius young professor who teaches them, but at least people now understand he’s an amazing familiar.”
Wyatt seemed a bit stunned at what I’d said and simply blinked at me for several long moments.
“I understand now what Ms. Anderson says about your bluntness and our society not ruining you yet, Ms. Millen,” someone else muttered.
