“They seem to like each other,” I whispered to Kian, who nodded in agreement.
“That’s the most expressive I’ve seen him. Lachlan said he’s stern. Wakes up every hour to check the dorm, which is interesting. I don’t think it’s healthy, not getting a full night’s rest.”
I pressed a hand to my mouth to stifle a giggle and leaned closer. “How’ve you been?”
His Adam’s apple bobbed as redness spread up his neck. “Um, good. I mean, I’ve just been studying. And spending time with Lachlan. I know your mates were keeping you safe after everything with the zombie incident. I don’t blame them for that. You need to be kept as safe as possible.”
“Kian, you’re my mate too.” I placed my hand on his arm, and he froze.
He expelled a long breath as his head bobbed up and down. “I’ve missed having you around the dorm. I get why Rowan wants you staying with him, though. He can protect you better than I could.”
“I think you could protect me more than you think. Besides, you come by every evening.” The pull of our magic tugged at my chest, and that feeling hadn’t faded since I’d met him. “Kian, I—”
Smack!
My shadow slipped past my tie and hit Kian’s face, knocking his glasses onto the table in front of him.
I let out a horrified gasp as I scrambled to grab his frames and place them back on his face. “Oh, Kalista, I am so,sosorry! I still haven’t figured out how to control it.”
The laugh that burst from his chest sent a rush of happiness through me, and he reached up to touch my fingers that held his glasses on his face. “If it hit my actual eyeball, maybe it would’ve hurt. Or even my nose, but really I think it would depend on the strength behind the hit. And you didn’t hit me all that hard, or well, the tendril didn’t… But I’m not hurt or anything.”
There was a crack in the left lens that seemed to skew his green eye with the reflection of the fluorescent lighting. “You may not be, but I broke your lens.”
He waved a hand over the crack. Blue light emitted from it until the glass sealed itself. “Nothing that can’t be fixed.”
Watching Kian do magic was mesmerizing, and his energy made the nervous energy in my body calm. “You’re really good with your magic.”
His face reddened even more than it already was as he shuffled his brown hair with his hand.
I let go of his glasses, that were now safely back on his face.
“So, um, what’re your plans after this class?”
“I have a session with Rhett.” My heart pounded against my chest.
Rhett was yet another potential mate I hadn’t seen a lot of lately. He was either avoiding me or busy, and with the way he acted when I was around, I was betting it was the former.
“Welcome to Fundamentals of Magical Abilities,” a man with graying hair said as he strolled across the room until he stood in front of the board, and I turned from Kian to give the professor my attention. “I’m Barlowe, and I’ll be teaching you this term.”
Kian shifted his body until his shoulder was firmly against mine, and I couldn’t believe the overwhelming amount of peace that rushed through me. There was no way the Fates wouldn’t mate us.
“All supernaturals have one thing in common that separates us from the humans. Any guesses?” Barlowe raised a brow.
A girl a few seats over raised her hand. “We can tap into our magical energies.”
His brown eyes lit up as he nodded. “Yes. That’s correct. Today’s lesson is more about laying a foundation for the rest of the term. What I would like to do first is to open the class to questions.”
“How do you feel about the hierarchy when abilities come into play? Natural selection is very real in Kalista,” Samson said, and everyone snapped their gazes in his direction.
Barlowe spread his lips into a thin line and rubbed his balding head. “Cookie-cutter wise, the hierarchy makes sense. The normal power levels and powers of certain supernaturals in the hierarchy are rated correctly. But no one person is cookie-cutter. I’ve known banshees that were stronger than fae. It truly depends. That’s why I like Fate Hollow.”
Samson nodded, his eyes sweeping over the rest of the class. It was almost as if he were gaging their reactions.
“What about the war?” Nate asked, and my body stiffened.
Kian’s hand threaded through mine as my pulse picked up. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, squeezing his hand.
“What about it?” Barlowe’s voice cut through the air like a blade, and my eyes shot open.
