“Impressive.”
Grayson hasn’t been so relaxed in ages. He and Knox stand chatting like friends off to the side while they watch the younger students use magic that Nix can feel through his bond with Grayson.
“Most of the teachers here are gross.” She pulls a tin of mints from her pocket and offers Nix one. He declines, as the strong mint can dull his sense of smell, and that feeling he needs his wits about him hasn’t gone away.
“Who else is cool?”
“Back when I had general ed courses, our Earth master was really nice. And a few others who are long gone now. The new headmaster is a bozo.”
“Zoe, we’re impressing our guest with shields, not hot air. Go. Lily, practice with Zoe, please.”
“Sorry, professor. But tell me I’m not wrong.” The young woman looks shamefaced—not because she’d just called the head of the school a dickhead, but because her crush caught her doing it.
Knox snorts in what Nix thinks looks like agreement. “My apologies, Nix.” His face turns serious again as he turns his attention back to Grayson.”You’ll remember what I said?”
“Sure will. I appreciate the heads-up and the advice, Professor.”
“Hmm. You have my number as well,” Knox murmurs. His eyes turn back to his students, but his fingers move at his side in a complicated weave.
Nix has several questions—like why Grayson might need a heads-up, or why he has his professor’s number. His instincts ping hard.
“Do you mind if we head out to our next class? Professor Bixby isn’t—”
“As understanding as I am about your tardiness. Tomorrow, fifteen minutes early, please. I have a few things to show you.” His tone brooks no argument. “It was nice to meet you, Nix. Grayson seems much more settled when you’re here—stronger, too.”
“Thank you for having me, Professor.” Nix offers him a small wave. “Bye!”
Grayson pries open the door, and they’re down the stairs into the main foyer and through to the other side on foot as the tone rings for a change in classes. In moments, the halls and lobby areoverrun with students dodging each other, and the din of teens’ voices rings in Nix’s sensitive ears.
“They’re so loud!” Nix almost yells over the noise.
“Right? My wolf hates class change. Come on, Bixby is a buzzkill, and I’ve been performing so shitty lately, I was sure he was going to demote me back with the first-years.”
The Water classroom is located at the back of the school, and when Grayson opens the door, the wide-open space reveals a large pool of water. Turquoise blue and glowing with light, there’s even a waterfall along the back wall that seems to flow from nowhere. There are drifts of snow on platforms around the room and storm clouds in the rafters, as there had been in Ignatius’s office.
“Is thatsnow?” Nix is surprised to see that’s not all. There are glass tunnels that funnel up into the rafters. It’s a mirror image of the Air classroom, but instead of a dry breeze, the air is humid.
“Precipitation is largely dependent on water, Mr. Rhodes,” a nasally voice states flatly from behind them. Bixby is short, round, and vaguely reminiscent of a toad. He even has a large, warty nose that takes up most of his face, and a high forehead covered by a few strands of lank grey hair.
“Professor Bixby, this is my soulmate, Nix Rhodes.”
“Thank you for having me today. I won’t be in the way,” Nix says with a smile, but this time, Professor Bixby doesn’t return the favor.
Grayson’s scent turns burnt, and his nostrils flare at the blatant rudeness.
“This is amagicalclassroom, Pearce. Not a place for spectators. You will remain focused, or you’ll be excused. And Mr. Rhodes, you will remain behind the blue line. We wouldn’t want you to get hurt.” Bixby turns on his heel, his rubber-soled boots making a squeaking noise as he walks away.
They’re so noisy that Nix wonders if the older man had been lying in wait for Grayson behind the door.
“Was that a threat?” Grayson whispers. “That slimy toad. I’m going to—”
Nix barely gets a hold of his mate’s sleeve. “Just let him go, Gray. He’s pompous, but he’s just feeling territorial.”
“I don’t like it, and I’m going on record saying that if he so much as gets a drop of water on you, I will melt him like the Wicked Witch of the West.”
Nix lets the image of Professor Bixby screeching“I’m melllllllllllllllllllllllllting!”as he coalesces into a puddle of goo entertain him for a moment too long. He’s just about to reward his mate with a kiss—Grayson’s creative, protective declaration has definitely earned it—when the classroom door bursts open.
Six students tumble in, their loud voices and unchecked exuberance bouncing off the surface of the water and echoing through the humid space.
