Fae wine stolen from Dad’s stash.
That stuff could knock even a troll out.
The following morning, my head pounding with a horrific hangover, I realized I could barely feel the witch.
And so, here I was, staring into the bear shifter’s cabin like a creepy stalker.
Thunder cracked over my head as my emotions ran wild. Had the fae taken her to the Autumn Court? Did she not realize classes restarted in less than three days?
If the conversation I’d overheard between my father and Rink was true, we’d all be on lockdown any day now. And if my little witch wasn’t back on campus by then, she’d be in deep shit.
I was so lost in my thoughts on my walk back to the main campus that I nearly slammed into Glynda, the witch’s friend.
“Hey, do you know where…”
“Fuck off, Alaric.” The witch eviscerated me with a look that could strip the skin off a basilisk. My mouth fell open as she stormed past me, heading toward the library.
What the fuck? Glynda had always treated me with a healthy degree of caution. Like the rest of the students in this shitty place, she knew who my father was and also what powers I possessed.
While I wasn’t a vindictive psychopath like my dear father, I didn’t suffer fools gladly. If someone pissed me off, I exacted a punishment to fit the crime.
I tore after her, cursing the shitty weather as wet snow slapped into my face.
“Hey!”
She disappeared inside the library without stopping. By the time I’d caught up with her, she was busy removing her coat and laying out an iPad on a scuffed table by the stacks. Presumably she wanted to get on top of this semester’s workload already. Unlike Demelza and her entitled friends, Glynda worked hard since she couldn’t rely on her family to support her.
“Look, do you know where the witch is?” I rubbed my chest, trying to ease the hollow feeling where the mate bond normally hummed.
“You’ll need to be more specific,” Glynda snapped before stomping over to the stacks. “There are fifty-seven witches in this academy.”
For fuck’s sake.Why was she being a bitch? I’d never been mean to her. Not that I remembered anyway.
“You know who I mean,” I huffed when she slammed three books down on the table.
An Encyclopedia of Fae Royalty; Mate Bonds: A Magical’s Guide;andRed Flag Mates: How to Heal the Emotional Wound.
My eyebrows shot up. “Interesting reading material there.”
The witch’s eyes narrowed in annoyance. “I don’t know where she is right now, so please leave me alone.”
The way she phrased her reply was too precise to be accidental; Glynda was the sort of morally upstanding witch who couldn’t lie to save her life.
“Okay, so you don’t know exactly where she isright this minute,but I’d hazard a guess that you know the general area where shecouldbe.”
“Ugh, please go away, Alaric. I have enough to deal with right now without making you feel better for being a complete asshole to my friend.”
Is that what Raven thought of me? That I was an asshole?
I suppose she had a point. My heart pinched in my chest, but I quickly steeled my resolve. Raven might not like me, but one day she’d understand. Maintaining distance between us was for her own good.
But I still needed to know where she’d gone. If she died, it would cause me horrific pain, and I couldn’t deal with that.
At least that’s what I told myself.
Since the witch was being surprisingly uncooperative, I snatched up her iPad and held it out of reach. “Just tell me, Glynda, and then I’ll go.”
“You’re a dickhead,” she hissed. “No wonder Raven hates you!”
