“Participation is a part of your grade, Ms. Vale,” he ground out.
“Doc, I did all the runes for the full year flawlessly for your boss. I can show you how they work anytime you need me to.” I bit back a smirk at the implication he couldn’t do them himself when clearly he could.
He was quiet a full minute, the whole class seeming to wait with bated breath to see how he would react. “Stay after class, Ms. Vale. There seems to be much we need to discuss.”
I swallowed a snort. Yeah, that wasn’t happening. He’d done enough to force me to be around him. He had started this and picked on the fact I wasn’t paying attention in front of all these people. He could have simply ignored it and been kind.
For someone who claimed he still cared for me, he didn’t seem to want anything other than to make my life harder. I bit my tongue hard enough that it hurt to fight tears when I realized that.
He waited a few more moments for me to respond, but when I kept ignoring him, he went back to his lecture.
Five minutes before the bell rang, I seriously considered using a shadow rune and barrier to hide myself and silence my presence and slip out of class… But we weren’t actually supposed to use our conduits outside of class, the practice rooms, or supervision until junior year after we passed some certification, and there was a list of rules.
Yes, I was in class, but even I knew that was pushing the line, and I could get in valid trouble, which I didn’t need right then. I got in enough bullshit trouble that I tried to limit how much I deserved.
He wrapped up about thirty seconds before class ended. I was up and out of my seat as everyone else packed it in.
“Ms. Vale,” he called after me as I reached the door the same time the bell rang.
I ignored him and kept going. Ray was waiting outside and didn’t say a word, probably smelling my upset or any number or indicators I was about to lose my shit. I mumbled a thanks after we reached my dorm and I headed inside. Once inside, I dumped my bag on the floor and crawled in bed, snuggling in the bedding even and pulling it over my head.
And then I silently cried, letting everything out I’d been holding in for the past hour and a half. I don’t know how long I went on, but I heard a key in the door and tried to get myself together so Izzy didn’t call Mel and start shit.
“I’m not sure if she’s here or how—”
“She’s inside, Ms. Kincaid,” Dean White assured her.
Oh shit.
“No she’s not,” I grumbled once they were in the room and the door was closed behind them. “She’s taking a time out and unavailable.” I bit back a growl when my covers were yanked back, reminding myself that it was a dean of my school doing it and not someone I could smack.
Even if she deserved it.
“Oh dear,” she sighed, taking in my state. “Well, this explains the over-the-top and rebellious outburst I had a report about from an explosive Craftsman.”
I mopped up my face as I swung my legs over to sit. “He shouldn’t have busted me in front of everyone that I was off in my head. That was a dick move, even if we weren’t a thing, and he was using his position to try and force me to give him time to win me back. My whole life is precarious, and he says he cares, and yet he does shit like that.”
“Yes, which he realized was a massive mistake and part of why he was so upset,” she murmured as she pulled out my desk chair and sat down. “But what was the rest of what he said? I know him to be incredibly accurate, though I’m having trouble accepting you said all you did.”
I sighed and went into my idea about how to use Craftsman’s blunder and give idiots something to talk about or openings to try something. It was easier for us to handle threats if we gave them openings instead of never knowing where all of the problems could come from.
I shrugged after explaining where my head was. “Basically, I took the opening. He set me up perfectly, and his utter disbelief and serious anger sold it. Yeah, I shit all over him and his perfect Dr. Craftsman image, but he honestly deserved that for the dick moves he’s been pulling.”
“The hobgoblins are going to have a field day with him when they return back to campus,” Izzy said, beaming as if she was ready to grab popcorn and enjoy the show.
That actually perked me up some. They were going to freeze him out and make his life miserable. Nice.
“Your plan has merit and is smart, given the opportunity presented itself,” Dean White agreed. “I’ll speak with Craftsman so he gets off his warpath, and Edelman, so he knows this is a bit of trying to pacify the elites. The rest, I will speak with Geiger on as I think we need to keep the circle small on that. He’s currently digging into McGrath’s past and investigating what you learned.”
“What’s up with Instructor McGrath?” Izzy asked, glancing between us.
Dean White’s eyes flashed shock. “You didn’t warn Ms. Kincaid?”
“We don’t include Izzy in a lot as she gets dragged into the fighting and dirty stuff then.”
“Agreed, but that sort of filthy scum won’t be
