“Well, you stupid girl,” said Mrs Hardinger. “What on earth did you expect to happen if you stood behind a door. Seriously.”
The older witch made her way towards Melody, stopping just outside her ward and raising an eyebrow while eyeing off the cranky young woman behind her.
“Don’t tell me, you were victim number one, and you want reparations?” Mrs Hardinger flapped a hand and shooed the girl away. “Go find a spot to sit on, before you get hit by something else.”
Melody lowered her ward and Mrs Hardinger stepped forward as though it had been her intent to pause at the threshold all along.
“Good morning, how are you feeling?” she asked, solicitously.
“Like I must have fallen asleep in class?” she half asked, looking at the students milling around the other end.
Mrs Hardinger looked behind her curiously and then nodded. “Well, yes, not the most pleasant way to wake up I suppose. Sorry about that. We had to move classes in here today, because the other gym has been turned into a makeshift hospital for the shifters. You, madam,” she said, pointing a finger at Melody. “Have been excused from classes today. You can come to my apartment and clean up, but then you’re to be interviewed by Councillor Argrum.”
Of course. Anything to do with her aunt meant that Melody was either a suspect or a source of information. She had a sudden awful feeling that she’d never be free of the stigma that was Bestia.
There was a flare of magic, and then an opaque ward replaced the one that Melody had let subside. Mrs Hardinger passed a sweater to Melody and another to Nick who was sitting shirtless in some boxers.
“When you’ve finished your breakfast, put those on, here’s the key to the teacher’s accommodation. My apartment is the only one on the ground floor, that’s the smaller key. Head in there and clean up. Toby fetched clothes for all of you, so you’ve got something to wear. You two are the last up, in fact.”
“Oh goddess,” Melody said with a start. “Just how late in the day is it?”
Mrs Hardinger laughed. “It’s only just after eight, Melody. Don’t stress. Now, if you don’t need anything else, I need to go teach this class. Nick, put that sweater on before they start ogling you again, you too Melody. It’s not just the women eyeing off Nick, you’re getting your fair share of leering as well. Good, now, if you don’t need anything else, I’ve got to go teach that lot a thing or two about beasts they’ll never manage to claim,” she said, with a roll of her eyes.
The older witch was always so down to earth. It was comforting. Melody always knew where she stood with her. There were no games or maneuvering, the counsellor always said what she meant and meant what she said.
It made her wish that they were somehow related.
“Come on you two,” Mrs Hardinger said as she walked away. “You’re not excused from classes, at least not this one when I’m always short of shifters to volunteer.”
Oz and Ryan grumpily followed along behind her, casting woeful looks at Melody. She wanted to hug them both, take them with her, but she had no say over anything to do with them. They weren’t bonded. For the first time, Melody actually wanted to bond a shifter. Not because she had to, but because she desired to.
The whispers and stares continued as Nick and Melody finished eating, stuffing their feet into their shoes, and grabbing their soiled garments from the floor. The others hadn’t left any of their clothing behind, so Melody was reluctant to either.
“Nick, baby, why don’t you come and be my partner?” Shawna called from the class as they walked past.
“Because you’re a stuck up bitch who has taken six years to graduate and is no more mature than when she arrived,” Nick said without rancour. The very cool and calm way he delivered the words only underlining them.
“Mrs Hardinger,” Shawna protested.
The teacher held up her hands. “Don’t look at me.”
“Melody, really? You might have been able to say Ryan wasn’t yours, but Nick is. Aren’t you going to discipline him?”
Melody looked from Nick to Shawna and back again, tired of this song and dance. “I thought he was being polite,” she told the stunned witch. “Just be thankful I didn’t answer your question, because I wouldn’t have held back.”
Someone snickered, but Melody couldn’t laugh. She was just over it all.
“Mrs Hardinger!” Shawna protested again.
The woman chuckled. “They’re not exactly wrong, Shawna.” She turned away from the sputtering witch. “Now, class, we’ve wasted enough time, if the shifters would oblige us, it’s time we learned about coat care and grooming. There’s only so much your shifter can achieve in their beast form…”
Her voice was cut off as Nick closed the door behind Melody.
“Trent’s right, you know,” Nick said to her thoughtfully as he walked alongside her.
She looked at him questioningly. Trent? Or the kitsune?
“Mrs Hardinger is influencing you. You’re stronger, more confident.”
Melody shook her head. “No, I wasn’t a total pushover back at the compound, I just knew which battles to pick. I always stood up for the shifters when I could. I think witches are lucky to have the opportunity to bond with shifters, and that society has forgotten that.”
Nick threw an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to his side. They walked the short distance to the teacher’s accommodation like that. They got some odd looks walking into the building, but no student said anything to them, and thankfully they didn’t encounter any staff in the lobby as they headed straight to Mrs Hardinger’s apartment.
Toby looked up from a sheaf of papers when they arrived.
“Good, you’re here. Nick, you can take the shower in my room, here’s a towel for you. Melody, you can use Janet’s. Here are a couple for you. I don’t know if you do the hair thing,
