I’m not exactly sure where the practice takes place, and I end up heading toward the main lobby, thinking if I can get outside I’ll be able to figure it out.
“Miss Blake.” Professor Messor steps out of her office. “Perfect timing. I was just about to summon you.”
“Oh?” I stop in my tracks. “What is it, Professor? Am I in trouble?” I ask, looking apprehensively at Cass. Had Professor Messor seen her harassing those students?
“On the contrary.” She smiles. “I wanted to talk to you about your scythe.”
A jolt of excitement rockets through me, and I stand up straighter. “Am I getting one now?” I ask, trying not to sound too eager.
“Not quite.” She gives me a wry look. “Though there is no doubt you have a natural aptitude for the weapon, you must still earn the right to use it. I want you to complete six hours of weapons training first.”
My whole face lights up. Hell, yes! “Of course,” I say, remembering Horace’s words from earlier. “I want to learn the right way.” I have my whole afterlife ahead of me to learn how to fight properly.
And I don’t want to die…like Maxon’s father.
“Good. I have spoken to Professor Dalmatius about this, and he has found a student willing to train you. I believe you are acquainted with Blaze Fieri?”
My jaw drops. “Blaze? Are you serious?” An image of him waggling his eyebrows and smirking seductively at me rises to my mind, unbidden, and I remember what Maxon and Kaia have said about him.
“Why yes, of course.” Professor Messor raises her eyebrows. “Unless you have a problem with Mr. Fieri?”
“Er, well…” I trail off, trying to figure out how to explain this as delicately as possible. “It’s just…he doesn’t seem like a very serious student to me. I can’t help but wonder if he’d be a good teacher or not.”
To my surprise, Professor Messor gives me a faintly amused smile. “It is true that Mr. Fieri takes a cavalier approach to textbook learning, but he is quite passionate about the physical aspects of reaper training—”
“—I bet,” I mutter.
“—and he is the most accomplished fighter in your year. He’s agreed to meet with you after dinner every night this week. Half an hour of training every evening, and you’ll be getting your scythe in two weeks. Professor Dal has agreed to temporarily postpone your evening sessions with him until this is finished.”
“Oh.” I snap my mouth shut—that was the exact question I was about to ask next. “Do you really think half an hour for two weeks is enough? What about an hour?”
She chuckles. “For someone who didn’t want to train with Mr. Fieri, you’re awfully eager now.”
“Yeah, well if I don’t have to go to lessons with Professor Dal then I want to maximize my evenings as much as possible.”
“Well, you’ll have to ask Mr. Fieri, but if he’s willing I don’t see why you can’t go for a full hour. Just be careful not to burn yourself out—you still have to keep up with your classes and homework,” she says sternly.
“Yes Headmistress,” I say earnestly.
Satisfied, Professor Messor goes back into her office. I turn to Cass, bouncing on the balls of my feet, hardly able to contain myself. “Did you hear that? I’m going to get my scythe soon!”
“’Course I heard it. I’ve been hovering right next to you the whole time,” Cass teases. “Though I can’t blame you for forgetting about me with that news. Pretty exciting stuff, and you get to spend your evenings getting sweaty with that hottie,” she says with a wink.
“You’re incorrigible,” I say as we begin walking down the hall, a grin tugging at my lips. “It really does feel like this is where I’m meant to be,” I say, fighting the urge to skip. “I can’t believe how comfortable I am after being here for such a short time. This is nothing like how school was back in the human world.”
“Yeah, I like it here, too.” Cass flips over in the air, regarding me from an upside-down position as she floats along. “I think I’m going to spend tomorrow charging so I can hug you again. And maybe Blaze, too, after you’re done with him.” She wiggles her eyebrows and I laugh again.
“Blake!” Celeste’s voice rings out, and Cass and I exchange exasperated looks. We both turn to see her coming into the lobby, a furious glare on her face.
“Hello, Celeste,” I say pleasantly as she marches up to me. I refuse to let her rankle me when I’m in such a good mood. “What can I do for you this fine day?”
Her eyes spark fire as she stops in front of me, so close we’re almost nose to nose. “You can explain to me,” she snarls, poking her finger into my chest, “why you and Maxon visited that disgusting brothel together.”
“I—what?” I goggle at her, my brain going completely blank. This wasnotwhat I was expecting. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Don’t lie to me!” Celeste shouts, and out of the corner of my eye, I can see a crowd start to gather in the hall around us. “Someone told me they saw you two coming out of Madame Sabine’s together! What were you two doing together!?”
That someone clearly needs to get their eyes checked.“I’ve never set foot in Madam Sabine’s,” I say calmly. “And as far as I know, neither did Maxon. We went to the inn and had lunch. There were a bajillion witnesses.”
