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Chapter Thirty-Seven
Claire
Bishop’s Glen Witch Academy was located in a small, glamoured village. The perpetual glamours ensured no wandering human would ever find it by accident.
I hadn’t attended Bishop’s Glen as a student. There had been the temptation to hide back at that Academy where I’d first hidden not long after I’d presented for Jack.
I’d chosen Bishop’s Glen for one major reason. It required a plane trip to get to it. Any other method of travel would take weeks.
Choosing Bishop’s Glen did us both a favor. It removed any guilt from him. My traveling to Bishop’s Glen would be enough signal to let him know I didn’t expect him to follow. I’d relinquished him of any responsibility in the matter.
It did me the favor of providing me a safe place to get away from any reminder of Jack’s rejection.
Maggie had been the biggest reason I’d contemplated sucking it up and staying. But when she’d seen me after the altercation with Sven, even she had thought it best that I remove myself from Mystic Springs. And besides, she had reminded me we were witches. We knew how to communicate with one another as if we were in the same room.
I missed Mystic Springs. I missed the Gazette. I missed my family. I even missed Carlton.
But most of all, I missed Jack.
In the end, I had to give Jack credit. He had given me — completely by accident — the courage to move out of my comfort zone and try something new.
“Miss Landon?” The timid voice pulled me from my thoughts. Looking up, I saw Jess Harlow. Jess was a prodigy among witches. Most witches and warlocks didn’t attend witch Academy until after graduating from either a human high school or a specialized witch school.
Jess, however, had proven adept at both human studies and magic when she was only 14. While she excelled at her studies, she was struggling with the social aspect of the Academy. She was surrounded by older witches and warlocks who were discovering sex and dating. Some were even finding their mates.
Just the other day, a witch student had gone into heat, sending all the young warlocks into a frenzy. It had taken the staff and a good deal of magic to put the whole thing to an end. The witch in heat was sent to a local heat lodge post haste.
I’d been in the room when the incident took place. I could still see Jess’s horrified face, uncertain as the fury erupted all around her. The older witches had either smirked or tried to calm the heat-frenzied witch. Jess had never witnessed a heat, being too young to experience her own and, likely, somewhat sheltered at home.
“Hi, Jess.” I pushed away from my desk, doing my best to ensure my body language didn’t seem dismissive. “What’s on your mind today?”
She shifted from one foot to the other as if she were marching to a beat that only she could hear. She looked around the room, avoiding eye contact.
“What happened the other day?” she began.
Ah. It appeared that I might be the one to give this young witch the magical birds and bees talk. I sarcastically sent up a silent thanks to her parents.
It could be good practice. Someday, I would be talking to my child about the same thing. The thought was a sobering one.
“When Kayla went into heat. Why don’t you sit down?”
I gestured toward the other seat in my office, unsure if I should come around to her side of the desk or keep to mine. I wanted to be as open with her as possible.
“What do you know about heats, Jess?” I didn’t bother asking what her parents had told her about the subject. I suspected they had told her little. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be here.
“Honestly, nothing.” Her eyes shifted to some invisible spot over my shoulder. “My parents didn’t like to talk about things like that. Though I know that’s why they would disappear now and then. I’ve got siblings, after all. Another one on the way.”
She shrugged. “I guess it’s uncomfortable to talk to me at times. I’m smart about some things like physics and magic. But I’m not that good with things like…that.”
I nodded, pretending that I knew where this was going and what I should be saying. I didn’t want to say anything to scare the poor girl. It seemed impossible that I’d been only two years older than her when Sven had snatched me off the street and forced me into my first heat. Begrudgingly, it made me a little more appreciative of Jack. Shaking the thought away, I figured it was best to take the direct route with Jess.
“Why don’t you ask me the exact questions you want answered? I promise I’ll do my best to answer each one. No judgment.”
She sighed. Squaring her shoulders, she opened her mouth, shut it, and then began again.
“I feel things.” She shifted in her seat. She twisted her fingers into the fabric of the skirt she was wearing. Jess dressed casually, but I could tell she was doing her best to stay trendy. It was as if she was afraid of trying too hard and not trying hard enough. “I feel certain things when I look at this one boy in class.”
I didn’t bother to ask who the boy was because I already knew. Most everyone knew Jess was lost over Kaden Long. He was handsome, charming, and damned quick-witted. Smart enough at 19 to disarm some of the most talented witches and warlocks on campus, including his instructors.
