Nick turned to leave, ignoring the strident voice behind him.
“You! Shifter! You have not been dismissed. Come back here now.”
Shifter? She really went there?
His blood boiled. He was not less. Hell, even Shawna had more decorum than the raving lunatic behind him.
Inside, his dragon was frantic, and it was all Nick could do to prevent himself from shifting on the spot. Doing so would only lend credence to the provost’s wild claims. Scales the colour of dried blood covered his arms and he imagined his face. Especially after several witch students took one look at him and ran in the other direction.
“Sir!” a voice called behind him. “Please, Sir. Wait.”
He didn’t wait, time was of the essence, but he did slow his pace. The scent of canine wafted toward him, yet it wasn't a dog. It wasn't a cat either, but it was a large carnivore. Not bear, nor wolf. Nothing he was familiar with.
The provost’s familiar drew alongside him.
“Look, just watch your back with her. She’s a raving bitch. Get on her wrong side and you’re there for life. I can’t defy her, she’s made sure of that, but I’ll help you wherever I can. I see it as my job to clear up the fucking catastrophes that she makes. I’m Simon, by the way,” he said.
Nick picked up his pace again, now that the man had caught up. It wasn’t far from the admin office to the provost’s office, but he hadn’t wanted to take a direct route. Nick was counting on the madwoman making a beeline for the arena where they’d fought Bestia so recently. There were only two phones on the entire campus, cell phone reception not making it past the wards around the college, although with them weakened at that point in time, it might have been possible. He didn’t want to risk his future on a maybe.
Sure enough, when they arrived at the office, the provost was nowhere in sight, but Deirdre, the receptionist was at the table.
“Nick!” she said with a smile. “What a pleasant surprise. The provost is waiting for you in the admin building, however. I wouldn’t be late if I were you, she’s a stickler for punctuality.”
He got straight to the point. “Deirdre, I need you to trust me. I need you to put through a call to Councillor Argrum, and I need to talk to him right now.”
“Nick, you know I can’t make personal calls on the academy lines.”
“Please, Deirdre, don’t make me do this formally, because we’ll both regret it, I need to prevent something from happening in a few minutes. Something that is not only against shifter rights, but witches rights. It’s against the fucking law, and it’s going to hurt Melody.”
Deirdre bit her lip, indecisive.
Nick looked at Simon, but the shifter flushed and lowered his head. “She’s put geasen on me, I can’t go against her wishes. If you hadn’t said you were about to prevent it, I could have given authority.”
Of course she’d used fucking geasen. Nick wanted to vomit. “You can’t tell Melody about that. She’ll do something stupid and I won’t hold her responsible.”
“My lips are sealed, Sir,” Simon said.
The receptionist looked between the two of them. “Nick, you know I want to help you, but my hands are tied. I don’t have tenure in this position, she can sack me with a click of her fingers and there’s nothing I can do about it. The provost’s powers are absolute.”
Nick groaned. He really hadn’t wanted to pull this shit.
“Deirdre, by the power vested in me as heir-apparent to the dragon kingdom, as the official ambassador between the witch and shifter councils, I claim diplomatic immunity and order you to place the call.”
The political ramifications of this were immense, and it would bring a larger spotlight to bear not only on the academy, but on Melody and himself. He hadn’t wanted Melody to meet his father until after they were bonded, but if this played out the way he suspected, then his father would be here sooner rather than later.
“Oh, goddess,” Deirdre whispered. “This is going to turn into something huge, isn’t it?”
Her fingers flew across the numbers, the receiver clutched against her ear.
“Hello? I’m placing a call from the shifter ambassador to the witch council. It is a time sensitive matter and must be dealt with urgently. The ambassador wishes to speak to Councillor Argrum.”
She paused a moment, listening. “Yes, we’ll hold, but please hurry.”
Deirdre passed the handset to Nick.
“Nick? Is that you?” The councillor’s voice was on the line only moments later.
“Councillor Argrum, I don’t have time for a full explanation, I can only tell you that the new provost is about to order me to challenge Melody and force her to bond me. Of course she can’t make us, but I have a good feeling she’ll use whatever leverage she can, including Melody’s ability to remain at the academy. I am formally requesting your cloaked presence, ready to intervene.”
“Nick, this is highly unusual,” Councillor Argrum replied.
“Sir, in your time here, did you find me hysterical? Unstable? Mentally deficient?” Nick pushed.
“No, of course not. You’re … Wait, she’s saying that? The accords, fuck me, the accords. What do they say?”
“That she has the right to take whatever means necessary to ensure that I am bonded and subdued,” Nick replied. “For the greater good, in the absence of mental capacity, I am to be bonded to help settle my beast and control my shift. Sir, she means to have me bonded by force. Knowing what you know about Melody, tell me how this would not cause her further mental anguish.”
“It would likely destroy her,” came the reply. “Where is this travesty to take place?”
“At the arena.”
“At the …? Fucking hell. Does she even know what took place there? Of all the idiotic …”
There were noises in the background. “No, not now, it will have to wait,” the councillor said to someone beside him. “I have urgent
