I whisper a spell, silencing Vale before he can say anything else. He won’t notice until he tries to answer. I smile to myself as the teacher looks around us. “Now tell me, what do we call children that are born of both races?”
Vale goes to answer, and I hear him cough, splutter, and I imagine swear in his head. I answer instead. “Well, we call them halflings or half-breeds, but they’re extremely rare, right? Some might even prophesy that they are more powerful, with a mix of two races and two powers given to them.”
“That is correct, Miss Daygan. There were many reported half-breeds between our races, but many didn’t survive. Or they’re too powerful and simply burned out their lives with their power when they used too much. Limits on our powers are there for a reason, a safety net for us in case we take it too far. Half-breeds have been known not to have this limit, and they are capable of pure chaos.”
I catalogue what she says, being that I’m a half-breed too, and I won’t find many people willing to teach me about what it means.
I feel fingers tap against my spine, and I turn my head back. Vale’s eyes are burning with anger, and he points at his mouth. I slowly do a zip-it sign and wink before turning back. For the next half an hour, I answer every question Tutor Sona asks until the board is filled with pretty much only my answers and not those of a very angry dragon behind me, who I can feel shaking with annoyance. Maz is holding in a laugh, and I can’t stop smiling.
“Finally, before our lesson ends, going forward from everything we have learned here, how do we plan to remake our world when the war is over? Some of us say that we may look to the gods and the goddesses that all of our races once bowed to. Our goddess, the three-faced goddess, was the first witch, and we all believe she will guide us in the darkness. They say that she found our small and desolate world on the brink of war and that she made a home for us many centuries ago.”
The pen behind her begins to draw the three-faced goddess. I watch and listen carefully. Most of the information about the three-faced goddess is hidden away.
“They say she has three faces that change depending on what she sees in a soul. Her magical items flicker alongside each face and help her pass judgment. The face most witches fear is anger. It is the face of fury, hate and war. The second face is one of love and passion and desire.” I feel Vale’s eyes on me. I glance back at him before quickly looking forward. “What is the third face?”
I clear my throat. “It is one of power and magic. The very thing that’s in her veins and that we use for spells and potions, for hexes. She blessed our two races with this gift. Our ancestors,” I answer.
“Correct, Miss Juniper Daygan. It is said that she used all of her magical items to make this world for us, to make it special and controlled. The enchantress ruined that. There once was peace and beauty within this world, and now there is not. That is why you all are here, making the greatest sacrifice of all, to stop this war and to stop her.”
The room is so silent. “Why do you think the enchantress began the war?” I ask.
Whispers echo around the room, every person staring at me. Maz extends his leg, gently resting it against my foot under the table. If Tutor Sona is thrown by the question, she doesn’t show it. “That’s the question, isn’t it, Juniper? The very one that I donot have the answer to. No one does. Maybe it was power she craved? Maybe she wanted this world rewritten in her image and not the goddess’s? We are not allowed to speak of it, but the enchantress herself walked these very halls. She was trained here as a witch, but not for war. Just simply trained as we witches used to be. People used to come here, the smarter of our races, to meet other people, to become our leaders. But that did not happen with the enchantress. Even the greatest and the smartest of our kind can be turned so easily.”
Tutor Sona catches sight of the clock and sighs. “Now, class is over and I’m not impressed.” She looks around. “Why is Miss Daygan answering all the questions when many of you could put your hands up and answer too? She’ll be the only one at the top of the leaderboard at this rate. I would expect more of you to answer. There’ll be a test tomorrow on everything you’ve learned. Now leave. I have another class.”
I whisper a spell, unlocking the silence on Vale, and to my surprise, he doesn’t make an outburst. He’s calm, collected, but I can see the storm in his eyes as he walks past me. “Can I have the room a minute for my bonded? She needs a second.”
“Oh, of course. Is that—what do you want, Miss Juniper Daygan?” Tutor Sona looks at me, concern in her eyes.
“Yeah, I’m just not feeling very well. My bonded picked up on it,” I mutter.
“Oh, okay. No, I completely understand. That’s good that your bonded is so attuned to you already. My next class is in another room, so it is no trouble.” She begins to pack her things up and leave.
Maz laughs low as he passes me. “Good luck. I’m not protecting you from this.”
“Do you want me to stay?” Kane asks, shaking his head at Maz.
“No, I’ve got this. I’ll meet you at training class,” I tell him and Black, who looks hesitant to leave me alone with Vale. Kane tugs him along.
I keep my eyes on Vale as the whole class leaves. When the teacher’s out of the door, he storms right up to me. “Fuck you, little witch. What was that spell?”
“I’m competitive too. I learned from our personal history that you always like to answer the questions first and make me look bad. I like being top of the class, so I made sure I won.” I smirk.
Vale steps closer. “Playing dirty? I could chain you to this desk for the rest of the day and win all the other classes.”
I grin. “I’d get out. It sucks, doesn’t it? Knowing I’m better than you in class. That your rival won this round.”
“Uh uh uh.” He pins me against the desk with his huge, powerful body. My eyes widen because I don’t expect it. Not as he leans over me, not as my body presses into his and his scent of fire engulfs me. My breath hitches as he leans closer. “Not so confident now, are you? You won, did you? I think we are playing a different game, witch. I intend to win.” His eyes trace over my face for a minute. “Tell me the spell.”
“Do you think seducing me is going to make me tell you the spell?” I laugh, but it’s hollow. My heart is racing so fast, and I can’t focus on anything but him, the draw to be nearer, to see what his soft lips taste like. Would he push me away? Would he still claim to hate me?
Vale somehow gets closer, sinking his hand around my neck and adding pressure. I gasp, and his eyes light up. “Yes. I’ll have you on your knees, witch. Begging me.”
“I’ll tell you the spell if you get on your knees and crawl, bonded,” I breathe out. “And I want you to beg.”
His eyes flicker with something for a moment, and he shakes his head, letting my neck go. Did he remember something about us? “I would never fall to my knees for anyone but my mate.”
“Shame.” Something in my chest hurts at his admittance. We are both breathing heavily, standing so close as the door opens.
