Professor Towers had given her the opportunity to become her assistant for the class. The extra credits she earned would allow her to replace one of her magical studies with another cooking class next semester, so she considered it well worth her time.
“Where is your shadow today?”
Starla grinned as Professor Towers walked over to join her. “My mate is at practice since they have a game tomorrow.”
All of her professors had been very accommodating once they discovered she and Remy were having some scenting issues. Separation issues could be a problem for all new mates, but it was almost impossible to keep a couple that was scenting apart.
It had been rough at first, but over the past month, Remy had slowly been getting better. Even so, he’d rearranged his schedule so he could be in several of her classes with her. That had worked for most of their magical courses, but there was nothing he could do about her cooking classes. The culinary school was a specialtyprogram, and one strictly run by human faculty. There was no way for Remy to sneak in, but he still took it upon himself to walk her to class and pick her up.
He had earned himself quite the reputation of a doting boyfriend amongst her peers. Human females, and even some males, swooned over his good looks and obvious devotion. She was envied, but she also got her own fair share of attention. She didn’t care about that, though.
Remy was her mate.
Despite that, the attention she was given didn’t help with his scenting issues. If anything, it made him even more possessive. She didn’t mind. Being away from him was hard on her as well. The more time they spent together, the more she seemed to crave him. She liked having all of his attention on her, but they both knew they couldn’t continue to hide away from the rest of the world.
“So, what are the plans for all of these?” Starla asked, extending her arm out in a sweeping gesture.
“I think we can leave the flowers and vegetables where they are since we only used varieties native to this realm today, but some of the seeds for these trees are from the Fae and Fairy Realms, so they can’t stay here out in the main greenhouse. We should move the trees into the forest area on sublevel three so they can flourish.”
The greenhouse was a large space that was magically enhanced to hide just how massive it actually was. To the outside world, it looked like there was an impressive selection of flowers, vegetables, and a small selection of fruit trees, but beyond the magical wards was another world.
There were several different sublevels below ground that contained diverse climates and landscapes. Each level had its own ecosystem, making it a self-contained domain. Some levels were replicas of places in the different realms, while a few areaswere purely magical creations. All of the areas were used by the Magical Combat class to test their survival skills and magical abilities. Other classes were held in each section as well, allowing the students to practice magic freely without worry they might harm innocent bystanders.
Starla bent down to touch one of the saplings. “You are right, all of the new trees deserve a proper home.”
“We have to be careful. Some of the students in the Magical Combat class this afternoon had a little magical mishap. They used some spells that messed with the weather system in the forest area. I told the professor that I would fix it when I head down there, but I’m not sure just how bad the damage is,” Professor Towers said as they began loading the saplings onto the cart they would take with them to the lower level.
“That sounds interesting. I’ve altered the weather before, but I’ve never set up a system that runs like a program,” Starla admitted.
“Then, this will be good practice. We can use a spell that makes it rain for a few hours each night. That is enough to give the vegetation what it needs to grow and flourish. You can either try the spell or use your own magic to set up a similar system.”
“Sounds like fun.”
As Starla leaned over, the necklace she was wearing spilled out of the open neckline of the oversized blue button-down shirt that she had borrowed from her mate. She liked wearing his clothes since it made her feel close to him, though most of them were way too big for her. The shirt fit her more like a dress, and she wore it with a pair of gray leggings and matching ankle boots. The amulet dangled from her neck, gleaming in the soft sunlight spilling through the tempered glass of the greenhouse.
“Oh, what a lovely amulet! Was that a gift from your mate?”
“No, a friend gave it to me.”
“Must be a very good friend.”
Cocking her head to the side, she asked, “Why do you say that?”
“It’s a very old, valuable piece.”
“Really?” Starla straightened before lifting the amulet to look at it. She hadn’t worn the necklace since that first night Jessica had given it to her. She had almost forgotten about it completely until she saw it that morning and decided to put it on. “If it’s valuable, why would someone get rid of it?”
“Old amulets like this sometimes go missing. Or the previous owner could have passed on or sold it. It would be a shame to let a piece like this go to waste. You should bring it to class next week when we are back in the classroom, and we can try imbuing a spell into it. You obviously don’t need a love charm,” Professor Towers teased.
Starla laughed. “No, I think I have that covered already.”
“You sure do.” Professor Towers chuckled. “Then, we should try something useful like a focus spell to help you study or a protection charm.”
That sparked her interest. “That sounds like a great idea. Thanks!”
Before they could finish moving all of the tree saplings, a staff member hurried into the greenhouse. “Aurelia! Your daughter’s school has been trying to reach you. Amy had an accident during soccer practice. She’s waiting for you in the nurse’s office at the middle school.”
Since the greenhouse was filled with such strong magic, cell phones didn’t work in the building. Starla reached out to rub Professor Towers’ shoulder in sympathy.
