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Skye nods. “You're our favorite.”

Okay.

That's—

Unexpected.

I've never been that teacher.

You know the one.

The teacher students visit after graduation.

The one they confide in.

The one whose classroom they hang around after the bell just because they like being there.

I've always been the easy teacher.

There's a difference.

Or at least I thought there was. Something warm settles in my chest.

“Well,” I say, suddenly fascinated by the clipboard in my hand. “You're still both serving detention.”

“We know.”

“And Randall?”

“Still pink,” Evangeline says cheerfully.

I bite the inside of my cheek.

“Good.”

“Professor Daniels!”

“What? I'm human.”

“Witch,” Skye corrects.

“Whatever.”

They laugh. And, Goddess help me, I do too.

Maybe I'm not completely screwing up this teaching thing after all.

After all, the Royal Academy's Annual All Hallows' Festival & Masquerade is apparently a very big deal.

A very big deal.

I've attended before, obviously. I've even chaperoned.

But there's a tremendous difference between showing up in a costume, making sure teenagers don't sneak alcohol into the punch, and actually organizing the damn thing.

The Festival takes over almost the entire Academy grounds.

There are enchanted carnival games outside, food stalls, fortune-telling booths, magical demonstrations, a haunted maze through the east gardens, and a costume parade before everyone moves inside for the Masquerade.