Page 18 of Heartflame

“Then tell me,” I said, rolling onto my side to face him properly. “Tell me why you’re so determined to push me away. Tell me why you’d rather spend your Saturday nights doing homework than actually having a fucking life.”

He was quiet for a long moment, his green eyes fixed on some point in the middle distance. I could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his hands were clenched into fists on his thighs. But just when I thought he was going to give up and let me in, he forced himself to his feet.

“Someone like you could never understand me,” he growled, stomping his way back toward the athletic building. “Now leave me the fuck alone.”

“What about the assignment?” I called after him.

He didn’t look back. Instead, he raised a middle finger into the air and kept on walking. I couldn’t help but smile.

Goddamn he was cute.

Chapter 9

Quill

The moment Professor Blackwood’s office hours began, I was there, pounding on her door. She called me in immediately, which wasn’t surprising. Professor Blackwood had always been fond of me. I’d maintained a nearly perfect score in all of her classes, never missed an assignment, and made a point of engaging thoughtfully in lectures. It was a good strategy, but it was also genuine. I respected her.

“Quill,” she greeted me, gesturing to the chair across from her desk. “I assume this is about your group assignment?”

“It is,” I said, settling into the seat. My heart was already racing. I’d rehearsed this a dozen times. “I need to request a new partner. Aeron and I aren’t compatible. Our working styles clash, and I don’t think we’re going to produce quality work together.”

She leaned back in her chair, fingers steepled beneath her chin. For a long moment, she simply studied me, and I felt the weight of her gaze. It was sharp and assessing as always. Professor Blackwood didn’t miss much.

“Next time you rehearse a lie,” she said finally. “You should work on keeping calm. All the words came out right, but it sounds rushed and desperate.”

My stomach sank. She knew. Of course she knew. Why did I think I was going to pull one over on the most powerful witch at the college?

“However,” she continued, and something in her tone shifted, “I might be willing to work with you. But I’d need a favor. In confidence.”

I leaned forward slightly. “What kind of favor?”

“I need you to keep working with him,” she began, holding up her hand before I could retort. “And I want you to keep an eye on him. That shouldn’t be difficult considering how attached he seems to be to you.”

“That’s one way to say it…” I grumbled.

“You are a great student, Quill. One of my finest,” she said, leaning back in her chair with a sigh. “I’m usually not one to ask students for favors, but there’s something going on with Mr. Pyre that I don’t quite trust.”

“I don’t trust him either,” I replied. “He’s a dickhead—” I froze, feeling embarrassment flush across my face. “I’m sorry, professor. I didn’t mean to⁠—”

“Oh please,” she laughed, giving me a dismissive wave. “I spend all day trying not to curse in front of students. Don’t worry about it.”

I relaxed slightly at her reassurance, though the tension in my shoulders didn’t fully ease. Professor Blackwood had always been more human than most of the faculty, more willing to acknowledge the messy reality of student life. It was strange considering she had a reputation for being one of the most difficult professors on campus. Maybe it was just me she was so nice to.

“So what exactly do you want me to watch for?” I asked, trying to steer us back to safer ground. “Is there something specific?”

She was quiet for a moment, her dark eyes fixed on something beyond the window of her office. When she spoke again, her voice had dropped lower, and her words were more carefully chosen.

“You know that Mr. Pyre is the grandson of Elder Thaddeus Pyre, yes?”

“Of course,” I nodded. “Aeron won’t let anyone forget that.”

“How much do you recall of your magical history lessons?” she asked, leaning forward. “About the Elder Council and its operations, specifically.”

“Some of it?” It wasn’t my favorite subject, that was for sure. But I’d passed with high marks. It was a gen-ed course though, so it had been a couple of years since I’d taken it.

“The Elder Council has never been under the control of one person before,” she said, her voice low. “I’m not saying I distrust Elder Thaddeus, but he does hold a lot of power right now. And I’m concerned that Mr. Pyre isn’t here to be the poster boy for Widdershins security as he claims.”

I furrowed my brows, trying to piece together what she was saying. “Why do you think he’s here, then?”