“My word, you go to the darkest options fast,” she whispered.
“Professor, I like you, but you’re not paying attention to what really goes on in this world if you don’t.” I shook my head when she flinched and looked miffed. “White did. She yelled at me for letting the other headmasters and schools find out that I could make those as it was another reason I was a target.”
She pressed her lips in a thin line and nodded. “I’ll speak with her on that then. I admit that my family kept me sheltered from much and are good people, so I didn’t experience the horrors most elite women do.” She went back to packing. “Fine, yes, I’ll allow other options for your assignments, but I would like another half of a page to a page as to what drew you to that advancement or your interest in it.”
“As long as I don’t have to give specifics or intents of how to use it.”
“Not at all. I find your mind fascinating and the way you see our world. Call it professional curiosity as I’ve never spent time with an unknown, nor a young witch of your power. Plus, now you’re training with Nathan Larson, who’s a legend, and I find myself jealous I’m not ever invited into the fun club. Melody isn’t much younger than I. Pillay is involved all the time.”
I ignored the comment about my being a witch. “Only on the extra seminar and co-op stuff, which I’m not,” I defended. “And it’s not a club, Campbell. It’s dangerous. White signed up knowing it might cost her life to fight with us. Are you willing to go that far? Because we are. It’s not a club, but a war we’re fighting.”
She blinked at me as if I was going too far. There was no good way to say that, and I appreciated she was at least being polite as she couldn’t seem to make her mouth work.
“Talk to White, but you’re more than welcome to help Pillay or the hobgoblins or HAVEN or whatever you want. The super inner circle is locked to people only willing to take this all the way.” I sighed when she tried to say something again. “Councilman Ainsworth is one of the top dogs of the supe black market. He is a murderer who wants me to drain my magic and steal all I have. This is war.”
There wasn’t anything else to say and I had to get to class, so I left her to settle with that. I kinda thought she was a bit dense to not have realized it was so serious already. I mean, she had been right there when one of Ainsworth’s aides attacked me and tried to rip my mental shields down to find out what species I was so they could control me.
Did she think things got better after that?
I mulled that over as I hurried to my next class. Campbell might be the type of person who preferred her head in the sand and only saw what she wanted to. She saw Craftsman’s last name and his prestigious family, but no matter how many times even I’d heard him talk about the shit of his family… She never seemed to get there was bad to them or being among the ultimate, top-powered elite.
Every protection and warning rune and charm I possessed flared or reacted as I walked into Potions 101, to the point I almost turned tail and raced right back out and found my security. They were dull responses though, so I continued, flipping on my telepathy and keeping alert while ready to book it. I felt a strange sort of excitement I hadn’t in a while, not since Mel and I had stopped giving ourselves assignments.
There was a predator in the room, full of glee at being able to trap prey.
And there was someone who was wearing a telepathy blocking charm. I didn’t need two guesses that it was the same person.
The thing that did shock me was Instructor McGrath wore the charm. I didn’t know much about him, just the quick background Mel had given me about all my teachers so I was prepared. He was a warlock, new to Artemis, but had a few years’ experience teaching under his belt.
He was also a plant of the council who they had ordered to seduce me as they firmly believed the rumors I was a huge slut after having lived with humans for so long. Instructor McGrath was more than willing as he was a colossal pervert that loved co-eds and making them submissive to his authority.
I had a problem with Professor Nelson playing with students and not making the lines clearer, but they were adults and needed to be smarter.
This guy was a fucking predator who liked to entrap people and threaten them with exposing what they’d done. He’d taped people—and looked forward to doing the same to me—and all kinds of despicable things. He was also to get access to everything of mine for the council, but he wasn’t planning on giving everything to them as he was selfish and knew without a doubt he could bend me to his will.
I was a stupid redheaded slut that was full of bluster and won the lottery with fairy grandparents to have too much power that I didn’t understand. I needed a firm hand and better guidance, the right spoiling and seduction, and I’d enjoy every second of it and give him the keys to everything.
First, he’d get me away from White by teaching me all the stuff she’d never let me near. Second, he’d break Darby and me up by catching the vampire in some compromising position he’d fake with magic I wouldn’t understand.
