Stabbing a piece of broccoli now, she says, “Thanks for your concern, but you don’t have to worry. As I already told the Dean, I’ll be more careful to minimize any accidents that could happen.”
Despite the force that she stabs her vegetables her tone is almost meek. Completely at odds with her defiance and glaring eyes. Though after a moment her shoulders hitch in and she bends her head down to take her bite but keeps her head there.
I glance over at Ruleten’s girlfriend and she also has a submissive form with her eyes glued to her lap. I wonder what must have changed from the infirmary to here to make both of these girls have defiance etched onto their skin bow.
Jullia – that’s her name, Jullia Waterstone – had been spewing profanities at me with abandon for what I had done. Yet now she looks like she’d rather hide in a hole.
Good.
Ruleten better keep her in her place because the next time I won’t be so lenient.
“House President,” Ruleten cautiously murmurs, gaining my focus. “Was there something you needed?”
Peering over at her, I realize she’s stopped eating. So much fire and blaze and it’s all doused now.
“Yes,” I clip. “You. I have house things I need to speak with you about. Now.”
I turn and leave, giving Asher Ruleten no choice but to follow. Despite her not having enough power to do so, I do feel her eyes on my back. The little poison drop following me with her gaze.
It takes me ten minutes to get back to the Stone House manor. While there are dormitories for the students of Syngenia, there are also societies who have their own manors. There’s Stone House, which I am president of, Blood House, Breath House, Bone House, and Wood House.
Blood and Wood are female run, with Stone, Breath, and Bone male run. My house being one of the strongest both in physical power, but also ability wise and of course, mental wise. Each house plays off of the five different races of witches. They nearly don’t exist anymore, but they used to over a thousand years ago.
The War of Gods five thousand years ago was the beginning of their near extinction. One of the six beings of moral, they had been even more influential and powerful than the other five combined. It was even spoken about after the war to group them with the celestials. But that was a long time ago.
Walking into one of the smaller foyers, I wait for Ruleten. He’s a decent enough male with powerful earth elemental magic and a type of healing magic you wouldn’t assume a vampyr would have. He’s never caused problems within the house and has actually helped more than once in the three years he’s been here.
His cautious footsteps echo down the hall and I finally take a seat in one of the plush reading chairs before the fireplace. It’s still too warm to have one lit, but sometimes the house does what it wants. Enchanted by powerful magic from when Syngenia was first created as a school.
“House President,” he greets as he enters.
Then he waits just inside the doorway for me. I wave him in immediately and he goes to take a seat across from me.
“If this is about Jullia I want to – “
I hold up my hand and he shuts his mouth. “I’m sure you’ll communicate efficiently what actions would be best for her regarding certain company in the future. This is not about her. It’s about her roommate.”
A tinge of anger spirals for a second before he hides it. I doubt anyone likes being told to put their woman on a leash, especially when Asher is so down bad for the mage, but I will not tolerate her actions a second time.
“You want to speak about Mavyn?” he asks, covering up that anger.
I nod. “I want you to tell me everything you know about her.”
His muscles tense but nothing else.
“I don’t know all that much.”
“Tell me what you do know, then.”
His slight hesitation makes me curious about what he’s going to say. What secrets she’s divulged to him.
“Well. . . I met her Friday when everyone was moving in. I wasn’t supposed to be back until Sunday but Jullia told me herroommate for the year was going to be a newly turned vampire. First looking at her she looked horrible. Like someone who was half-starved and hadn’t slept for weeks.”
He clears his throat and adjusts his position in the chair.
“I told her I needed her to make a blood oath if she didn’t want me dragging her into the sun. She didn’t seem to care and agreed immediately. Just from that alone it didn’t seem like she would have hurt Jullia even if she was provoked. She just looked exhausted. But we did the oath, I cemented it with the rune, and then she basically slept all weekend.”
“What did it taste like?” He gives me a puzzled look so I spell it out for him. “Her blood. When you tasted it, what was it like?”
