Geiger: Agreed. Do nothing for the moment.
Tamsin: There’s more to this. He’s entrapped women and students before. He’s a total perv predator and was excited at the chance at someone with a huge estate like me. He’s got a detailed plan where I’m a mouse in his maze. He’s going to show Craftsman neglected me as he knows there’s issues there, so does the council. He’s also going to cut me off from White’s influence so I rely on him.
White: That’s nonsensical. Why would you choose an instructor over the tutelage of a dean?
Tamsin: He’s going to offer to teach me the bad stuff he thinks you wouldn’t ever teach a young witch as he and the council are fairly convinced I really am one. He tampered with my first assignment in an attempt to make it seem I’m so lacking that I can’t even handle the basics and need his expertise if you’re all so busy and would neglect me when I’m so special.
Mel: We’ve seen predators use that ploy over and over again. It’s effective, normally on girls younger than you. He’s not looked into your background enough to realize you would see right through that.
Tamsin: I got the feeling his sexism blinded him pretty hard to my having that much rational thought. Also he agrees with the council I’m UNDOUBTEDLY a huge slut given I’ve lived so long around humans so I’d be easy to seduce if given the slightest attention. Oh, once he frames Darby for cheating on me with magic. Because I’ve been stupid enough to fall for any of that.
Zack: Seriously, do they think women are completely brainless? Wolves do not treat their women like this!
White: Yes.
Mel: Yes, but dragons don’t either. They’re sexist in leadership and councils, yes, but nowhere to this extent. It’s vampires and warlocks that are so bad and hold the society back because they are the two largest groups. The shifters are the biggest if they all combine but they don’t. Though some of their groups are incredibly sexist.
White: For now with the assignment, you will bring it to Professor Pillay tomorrow and say you think something is off with the ingredients. She would be the right resource since you will see her before McGrath and you’ve worked with her more so it make sense while leaving me out of it. She will undoubtedly know what’s wrong or something is wrong and bring it to mine or McGrath’s attention.
Geiger: Good. That will make someone as distrusting as Tamsin leery of the new teacher and give her every excuse to avoid being alone with him. It explains lots and has nothing to do with his telepathy blocking charm. Is there anything else we can do about that long-term?
I let out a slow breath and decided to go with my lie as I hurried to the cafeteria. It was better to get it out over text instead of saying it since White could see past my aura dulling rune.
Tamsin: I need someone to help me distract McGrath and then I have a fairy rune I can use to nullify the magic in the charm without him being able to sense it. It has to be someone he wouldn’t ever think of working with me.
Mel: Larson. I’ll talk with Larson. It only makes sense given Larson wants to outline how much magic you’ll be using to come up with your diet plan and energy usage. McGrath will want access to Larson too which means he’ll jump at the chance to not only speak with him but speak with him about you.
White: Good. I will warn Edelman, Craftsman, and Dr. Salzman not to say a word about you to McGrath and we will fill them in later when we can. That should be enough for now as we don’t know what other charms or powers the man has given he’s working with the council.
That was smart and we all said as much.
I tucked my phone away when we finished up and I reached the cafeteria, my mind racing with the development. This was all so fucked up. How could grown men really sit in judgment of others and call themselves honorable with straight faces and order someone to do this to a young woman? All so they could control her and take what she had?
How could they not expect people to fight back against that?
I really didn’t know but I certainly fucking would.
19
Mel and I were tense during lunch, leaving Izzy to glance between us as if trying to figure out what was going on now. I caught her gaze and gave a slight shake of my head to warn her to stay out of it. Luckily, she was good at leaving things be when she knew it wasn’t because we didn’t trust or love her, but it was over her level of badass.
Or so she referred to it. She was still new to all of this and having to fight the bad guys. She was getting better at physical training and combat, but she was still a behind-the-scenes addition to the team. Though according to Zack, she had great aim when he took her to the shooting range. I hated guns, so I didn’t like the idea of her using one, and I really loathed the idea of her ever carrying one.
But she didn’t. She said she knew she was cannon fodder as a witch who didn’t have the juice as I did, so if it could level the playing field a bit then she was for it.
That made me change my tune. She was her own woman, and if she wanted to learn guns instead
