“Excellent. I’d rather not execute my most loyal arch-demon.”
54
Raven
It seemed like only yesterday when the security mage transported me from the market to Starfall Academy after warning me the alternative was a spell in the magical penitentiary.
The granite facade of Starfall Academy looked the same as it had then: unwelcoming. And yet Montgomery was now long gone. Relieved of his position following unpleasant revelations of misconduct in a position of authority.
I chewed my lip as I stood facing the main entrance. After missing so much school, I wasn’t sure if I had a place any longer. Alaric seemed unconcerned. He’d gone back to his apartment to fetch his belongings and move them into the vampire dorm.
“We don’t have to stick around,” Zane reminded me, picking up on my anxiety.
“I can’t quit school,” I repeated for the millionth time. “If I don’t graduate, my future prospects will suck.”
“They already suck, as you so eloquently put it,” Kenji piped up. “Unless you plan on resurrecting corpses for a living.”
“I’m good at making scented candles,” I huffed. “Maybe I’ll open a candle store in Thornville. Lots of tourists visit there.”
“They visit for the sex club.”
“Sex tourists like candles too.”I’d have a go at designing some sex-odor-neutralizing phallic candles. Or candles that looked like petals. Sexy feminine petals.
A familiar witch scurried toward the library, a stack of books in her arms.
“Glynda!”
She stumbled, dropping her books with a curse. “Raven?”
“Where have you been? Farris refused to tell me anything other than you were safe.” I ran over and flung my arms around her. “Oh my goddess, I was so worried about you!”
“Never mind me! How are you?” She scanned me from head to toe. “The stories online have been wild! Did you know Alaric’s dad was dead?”
I cleared my throat. “Um…about that…”
Glynda’s eyes turned into saucers as I filled her in on everything she’d missed.
We’d taken our catch-up conversation to the vampire dorm because I didn’t want anyone overhearing. Maverick had lit a fire before disappearing to talk with Miss Windborne, who was now the principal of Starfall Academy. Since Montgomery’s unceremonious departure, Maverick was once again the head PT instructor, much to our relief.
“I can’t believe you brought Alaric back from the dead,” she marveled. “Although I’m not sure he deserved a second chance.”
Her lips flattened as she stared past me, and I had a sneaking suspicion she wasn’t referring to my storm mage.
“So, are you going to tell me what you’ve been up to since we last spoke?” I leaned forward and waited for her to spill the tea.
My bestie’s cheeks flushed an adorable shade of fuchsia.
“Nothing interesting,” she hedged. “Got kidnapped to the fae realm and then came back to school. That’s pretty much it.”
“Sounds like just another Tuesday in my world,” I joked. Only she didn’t even crack a smile.
I reached out and took her hand in mine, searching for the right words.
“Um…you can tell me if Farris did something bad,” I said. “I know he’s a big cheese in the fae realm, but if he hurt you, I’ll kill the bastard.”
“Raven, he’s—”
“Oh, hey, Glyn,” Alaric said with a yawn as he appeared in the doorway, shirtless with a pair of sweatpants hanging low on his hips. I may have drooled a bit before my brow scrunched with concern.
