After Brandt’s little “chats” with my professors, classes are marginally less torturous over the next few weeks. When I finally find Ramsey in the library again, we ignore the dragon in the room and pretend like nothing happened on Samhain. Milo acts as a buffer for our awkwardness, and eventually Milo grows on Ramsey enough that his dragon stops growling every time I bring him with.
I give the Heirs a wide berth. Well, as much as I can now that Carrick has me drilling with Luther on Tuesdays and Thursdays ever since I got my shit rocked and need to “go back to the fundamentals”. I can tell it irritates him when I don’t react to his goading, even when he makes me repeat every move again andagain because I get something different wrong each time. It’s kind of become a game to see who irritates who more. Although, there are a few times I nearly lose it afterwards, when all my pent up frustration at being his punching bag bubbles over. But then the lights usually start flickering, and I remember to calm down real fucking quick.
Killian crashes my library time with Ramsey at least a few times a week, always trying to stir up shit. But unlike Luther, when I ignore him, he just redoubles his efforts to wear me down. Thane and Roth, though, they just… watch me. Thane looks like he’s always on the verge of actually saying something, but Roth’s predatory glare keeps me away.
What takes me by surprise though, is when Tori and Evie and Brynne kind of… adopt me? I’d honestly assumed that they wouldn’t want to touch me with a ten-foot pole after the disaster that was Samhain, but instead they make even more of an effort to get me out of my dorm. Like tricking me into going to dinner with them in the Student Union after studying too late. Or “accidentally” ordering extra coffee in the morning. But I don’t mind it. Because when I’m with them, or Ramsey and Milo, the Legacies and their minions back off at least temporarily.
Ramsey—well, that’s self-explanatory.
Milo likes to play pranks whenever he sees someone sniffing around us. It turns out that there are more than a few ghosts and spirits that hang around campus—something about magic having seeped into the very stones that attracts them—who share his passion for fucking with people. There are times, though, when we’ll be hanging out and his eyes start tracking something in the distance, or he’ll flinch like something just spooked him. He plays it off as nothing when I ask him about it, so eventually I stop asking.
And the Hektreia sisters, they’ve basically got diplomatic immunity. No one wants to cross them and risk their mother,Vivica—the head witch in charge—hearing about it. So that’s how I spend most of November—either in the library with Ramsey, between classes with Milo, or with Tori, Evie, and Brynne dragging me with them.
By the time the end of term exams are held, I’m actually kind of enjoying myself.
“Well done, Nyx,” Brandt congratulates me during our last mentoring session before the school closes for Winter break. “I never had any doubts.” I scoff, but hide my grin with the hot toddy he poured me in celebration.
“I’m surprised the professors graded me fairly. Thanks again for that, by the way.”
“I haven’t the foggiest what you’re referring to,” he winks. “Aside from Wielding and Divination, which are obviously challenging given you’ve yet to experience your epiphaneia, you were among the top students this term. As such, I want you to know that I’ll be making a recommendation that you be reassessed at the beginning of next term to place you in the appropriate classes.”
“Is that like the “gifted and talented” kids? You know they all end up with massive amounts of anxiety, right?”
“On the contrary, I doubt they’ll be able to keep you occupied for long. You’ve only just scratched the surface of what it means to be a part of this world.”
“Yippee,” I deadpan, and he chuckles.
“Take the opportunity to relax over the break. Try doing something fun, which I know is a foreign concept for you.”
You don’t know how right you are, bucko.
Back at the dorms, post-exam celebrations are in full swing in the common room before everyone fucks off for Winter break. Brynne catches me trying to sneak past the revelers and pulls me into the throng of students gathered around a table full of drinks. Tori and Evie join us a short while later, and time beginsto blur with drink after drink. As the party simmers, I float in the tipsy-drunk phase where things are funnier, people aren’t so awful, and the prospect of spending Winter break on campus is possibly even exciting. The skies have threatened to dump snow on us the last week or so, and when I glance at the courtyard, it seems I’m finally getting my wish as soft flurries begin to drift past.
When a weight settles beside me, I don’t realize it’s Killian until he’s already resting his arm on the couch behind me.
“Hey pretty girl,” he smiles, eyes bright and cheeks reddened from the cold. It’s criminal how hot he is, truly.
I lean back into his very muscular arm and turn to face him. “Hi pretty boy.”
“You having fun tonight? How’d your finals go?”
“It’s been fun, actually. Aced my exams. And soon I’m going to call it a night and sleep in for the first time in weeks. So things are looking up for your favorite powerless witch,” I say sarcastically.
“Killian!” Tori half shouts as she stumbles back to our little seating area, folding into an armchair and immediately closing her eyes. “Don’t be a dick to my friend.”
“My dear, sweet Victoria, you wound me.” He sighs, chuckling she starts snoring lightly. “Seems like I’ve got some catching up to do here. Big man—grab me a fifth?” I follow his gaze and realize Luther’s been standing there the whole time we’ve been talking. My eyes go up, and up and up from where I sit on the couch.
“You’re so tall,” I blurt out.
He crooks his eyebrow. “You’re just noticing this now?”
I roll my eyes as he hands Killian a bottle, coming close enough to smell his cologne.
“You smell good.” He freezes, looking down at me like I’ve just spoken an alien language or something. Killian nearly chokes on the pull he’s chugging and wipes his mouth.
“He does smell good, doesn’t he?” he grins waggling his eyebrows. “He gets it specially made?—”
“Oh shut up. No I mean—I just remembered you smelled like that when you took me to the Medical Center and that’s the only thing that kept me from throwing up after I got knocked out. Did I ever thank you for that by the way?”
