“Thank you Professor,” Melody said, rising when he did. She took his hand when he offered it, clasping it between her own. “We really do appreciate you taking the risk to warn us.”
“I have another purpose here, one that will mask our discussion. Mrs Hardinger said that you would need new wards. The provost needs to recover before she puts the next layer of wards around the academy, so I will not be needed to help with that for a few days. Thus I have the energy to spare to cast some more around your cottage. Specifically ones repelling hexes.”
“I thought they had already been done?” Melody asked.
“No, the other wards were more focussed on curses and direct attacks. I didn’t have the energy at the time to focus on hexes, although I know your dragons have put up some simpler ones.”
Nick huffed at the insult.
The professor laughed. “Boy, you may be older than my great-grandfather, but you haven’t spent your entire life studying this field. You’ve studied everything. I have a specific knowledge of my craft and there are few who could outspell me in creating wards. It’s why I was recruited for this position. I didn’t apply to Adolphus. Augusta came to me and asked.”
That was surprising to learn.
“I will bid you all good night, and the goddess’ blessing be upon you.”
He gave another short bow and left, Dean closing the door behind him.
Melody felt the surge of his magic as cast the wards, tracking it as the professor moved around the cottage. She wasn’t sure if it was all in her mind, but she did feel safer even as he was casting them. Could that kind of thing be felt?
“Who’s tutoring tonight?” Melody asked.
“Justin and I, supposedly,” Nick answered, a frown on his face.
Justin hadn’t been back to the cottage since she had forced his shift, hanging around with Shawna again, although he didn’t let any of them drape themselves across him. The bitchy women weren’t quite sure what to do with him. He didn’t participate or socialise, he just sat grumpily in their midst, studiously ignoring Melody and the others. She knew it affected them. Now that she’d bonded to Nick, she could feel how much it hurt him.
He was such an ass. First he’d betrayed her with Jaynie, and no matter what his excuse, that was what he’d done. Now he was throwing a tantrum because she’d refused to be a doormat. He could sit and sulk all he wanted. If he wanted her to bond him, he had some serious grovelling to do, and the longer he waited, the more he hurt Nick and the others, the more she would make him beg.
“I can help,” Trent offered.
“As long as it’s you and not the asshole,” Melody warned him. “I don’t have the energy to deal with any more of his rubbish tonight.”
Trent bobbed his head eagerly.
Suck up, a cool voice said in her head.
Nick had opened the group link again.
No, I just listen to what she needs, rather than assuming you know better, Trent replied.
Oh? So you’ve finally grown a spine? Think you’re ready to challenge me, pup? The kitsune replied with a snarl.
I’ve always had a spine, but I bend like a reed and move where I need to. I’m not an inflexible asshole like you. I don’t barrel through the world like a boulder running downhill, I flow through it like a river.
Eroding our will to live with boredom while you’re at it.
Shaping things carefully and gradually. Be warned, kitsune, even a river can flood.
Is that supposed to be a threat? The cool voice had turned to ice.
Enough, snapped Melody. I agree with Trent. You’re walking over everyone, and it stops tonight, or I’ll find a way to cast you back out of Trent’s body. He’ll still have his fox.
The silence was deafening.
Melody looked at the other shifters, all of them wincing. “What’s going on? You think it can’t be done?” she asked aloud.
“I cut you out, Melody. I could feel the tirade coming. He’s pissed as fuck, which means not only is it possible, but that it’s a real threat to him. Good call. I didn’t want to leave Trent alone to deal with that, so I’ve left the link open, but you don’t need to be distracted.”
“What about you? You’re supposed to be tutoring me, how are you going to concentrate?”
“I can lower the volume, he won’t bother me, and if the others want out, they just have to ask.”
“I’m loving it,” Dean said with a malicious grin. “He’s quite imaginative at swearing. I don’t think some of the things he’s suggesting are physically possible, but they sound like fun. Is it wrong that I want to eat popcorn while I listen?”
Asher snickered. “You’re right. That’s exactly what this needs. Come on, let’s go see what the dining room has, we might be able to sweet talk the dinner ladies.”
Nick nodded. “Oz and Ryan are on their way over, you can all swap notes.”
“And Justin?” Melody asked hopefully.
He shook his head. “No, he’s busy.”
Busy.
Right.
She was calling that a lie. The question was, was it Nick’s or Justin’s?
31. Nick
The attack shouldn’t have surprised them as much as it did.
The others had allowed him his time with Melody, and he had lain beside her in the dark, watching as she slept, his dragon’s vision allowing him to see her in the infrared range. From the cool blue spot at the tip of her nose, to the heated red spots near her tear glands. Turning it off, he’d allowed his normal shifter senses to improve the little light there was, revelling in her nearness.
She would probably have been disturbed, knowing that he was watching her like this, but he couldn’t help it. Nearly a thousand years he had waited, and finally here he was, with a bond. It was equal parts pain and triumph. Dragons had long been able to control their shifts if they wanted to,
