“Oh, and let’s not forget the part where you wrote about giving Professor Taylor the ultimate Ice Chair Prank—freezing him so thoroughly that his gluteal thermodynamics would be severely disrupted, leaving him dependent on a thawing assistant before he could stand again.”
Andrew laughed as Isla’s giggle joined his. He loosened his hold around her waist just long enough to slip on his coat and pick her bag up off the floor.
“Well,” he said, taking her hand and guiding her toward the door, “I couldn’t exactly share all my thoughts back then. I think if I had, you would have chewed me out just as spectacularly as you did Professor Taylor. But let’s just say I had a fair bit of fun making him regret his words. But now that you’re my girl, I am more than happy to openly defend you to the likes of him.”
She smiled, tilting her head. “I like the sound of that. As long as I can do the same.”
“What, call me your guy and defend me from anyone that’s a daft apeth?”
“Yes.”
He pressed a gentle kiss to the back of her hand. “I’d be honored if you did.”
Chapter Forty-One
My girl.”Andrew’s words echoed in her mind as they made their way back to her apartment, where they had decided to share an evening meal. The snow crunched under their footsteps, and Isla’s thoughts swirled. Things with Andrew had moved quickly, but it felt natural—unexpected, yet right. The passages in his journal had shown her how deeply he valued her, how much he admired her mind as an equal.
Her gaze drifted to the Sigil mark on her arm, hidden beneath her watch. She was Fated. Was Andrew definitelyherFated partner, or was there someone else she was meant to be with? What if being with him meant missing the person she was truly destined for?
She looked at him again—dark hair, glasses speckled with snow, his slender frame walking beside her. Not a large man in stature, but his presence was vast, his mind brilliant, his power in the Aetheric Arts undeniable. She had resisted reading more of his journal, keeping her promise, yet fragments of his words lingered in her mind from previous conversations:“Sometimes I can sense memories through moisture. I can see the past lingering in the air—a reflective resonance ... My memories are not only of this life...some connections, aren’t entirely new ... I’ve known them before—knownpeople I care aboutbefore.”
Could Andrew remember her from another life? Were they absolutely Fated across multiple lifetimes as well as this one? Afew weeks ago, she would have run from such thoughts. In the past, the idea of opening herself to someone had not been her cup of tea. The thought of being in love—or of a Fated connection—would have thrown a spanner in her carefully curated plan to remain self-reliant, to need no one, to prove she belonged.
Now, her arm looped through his, she felt herself changing course, like a ship adjusting its sails. She often made very specific life plans, and new ideas could feel like rocks scraping along the hull, pushing her off course—but sometimes, with a brave turn, a ship could find a far better harbor. Andrew didn’t seek to steer her or suppress her. His recent journal entries showed he wanted her to thrive, to grow, to embrace her strength. She could be independent—and still have someone cheering her on.
She studied his face again. She didn’t know if they were Fated Aetherians—but she could admit she hoped they were.
“You’re thinking awfully hard about something over there, Professor,” Andrew said as he pushed open the apartment door. The old wooden door groaned on its hinges, its paint peeling at the edges, and the small frosted window set into it cast a soft, pale light across the stone threshold.
Isla flushed, grateful that he couldn’t read her thoughts or emotions. He might not be thinking of her on such a deep level at all. What if she had misread him or he changed his mind? How she wished she could just read all his journal entries at once.
“I’m thinking about shepherd’s pie ... shepherd’s pie sounds absolutely delightful this evening, don’t you think?” she said, trying to sound casual.
Andrew’s blue eyes sparkled down at her as he stood on the first step, disbelief flickering across his face. “Uh-huh.”
They climbed the narrow staircase together, bumping shoulders as they laughed over the antics of one of his students. Isla’s laughter rang out, light and carefree, echoing off the old walls.
“Seriously, he wrote, ‘If the trajectory of a paper airplane does not account for wind speed and direction, it may inadvertently crash into the nearest unsuspecting colleague’s tea.’”
Lifting out her key, Isla unlocked the door to her apartment.
“Sometimes, being a professor can show you a whole spectrum of minds and personalities that you could never predict,” she replied, shaking her head with a smile.
Pushing the door wide, she felt the smile fall from her face. The room was in chaos—drawers yanked open, papers scattered across the floor, her belongings tossed. The warm, cozy evening Isla had anticipated vanished in a heartbeat, replaced by a sharp, chilling sense of danger.
Isla felt Andrew’s hands at her waist as he pulled her back, closing the door behind them with a firm click. A faint shimmer of Aetheric energy danced along the edges of the lock and hinges, the metal glinting momentarily before freezing in place.
“If they’re still in there, they won’t be able to follow us,” he said, his grip on her hand steady as he guided her down the hall.
With a swift motion, he lifted his free hand and his palm glowed white as a swirling mist formed, glistening. He threw it over his shoulder. Isla turned as it shot forward down the corridor like a living ribbon, moving fast.
“What’s the mist for?” Isla asked, her voice tight with both curiosity and lingering fear.
Andrew glanced at her, the intensity of his thoughts flickering across his expression. “Oh, it’s a signal,” he said. “Edmund and I agreed on it. It will race around campus and find him, sending an SOS message to meet us at my apartment.”
“You guys have a secret code?”
“Well ...” A faint smile tugged at his lips, though his eyes stayed sharp, scanning the hallway. “We thought it would be a good idea if we could communicate from a distance, in case any of us needed backup.”
