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4
Raven
Spellcasting was goingto be interesting. I fidgeted in the seat, trying not to recall the accident I'd had last time I was here. At least there was no risk of me setting myself on fire.
As the class took their seats around me, I kept glancing toward the door, hoping to see the twins. I kept telling myself it was because we were a group and our grades were connected but I knew that was a lie.
I'd thought about them more often than I wanted to admit over the last few days. Including one very delicious dream I was grateful Luka had not walked in on.
I frowned. Luka hadn't been in any of my dreams since my confinement.
"Class, take your seats. Notebooks away. It's another practical day," Professor Halifax called.
My grip tightened around the backpack in my lap. How was I going to get through this? I glanced around again, desperately looking for my partners. Their usual place was empty.
Footsteps and chatter floated around me as everyone moved into their groups. My pulse raced as I considered the fact that I could be thrown into another group. Or worse, stuck with the teacher.
"Ms. Winters."
I looked over at my professor. She was in red today. A tight Chinese inspired dress with a slit that was scandalously high on her thigh. Her dark hair was pulled into a bun with a pair of chopsticks sticking out of it. It was an unusual outfit for her. "Yes, Professor?"
"Your partners had a family emergency and will return soon. In the meantime, I suggest you spend your time in the library researching any solutions to your current problem."
My throat bobbed. I guess she knew there wasn't any magic for me to use. Both embarrassed and relieved, I ignored the heat in my cheeks and grabbed my backpack. Alone time in the library was a gift right now. Time to sort out my thoughts and maybe even find some answers. "Thanks."
She nodded, then turned away from me. "Today we're focusing on summoning spells. Each of you will demonstrate your progress by the end of the week. Pass or fail on this."
Blowing out a relieved breath, I pushed open the door and stepped into the empty hallway. All the classroom doors were closed. Everyone else was where they were supposed to be. Their magic in tact. Even Ben.
I forced my feet to move one in front of the other down the hall toward the library.
I'd only been there a handful of times, but it was a large room with lots of private corners. I could easily hide out in there for the whole period without having to speak to anyone.
I walked through the wooden door into the dark, musty smelling library. The few windows in the large irregularly shaped room were stained glass and caked in ages of grime. I often wondered what they'd look like if someone cleaned them. Maybe they liked it dark.
Rows of tables were lit with individual orange lamps and several corners were set with squishy chairs or benches. The library was filled with books as high as the ceiling and the rows of books around the space created lots of nooks and crannies. There wasn't any actual order to the organization. Some of the shelves were spaced wide with dead ends created by walls or more shelves. When you found these enclaves, it gave the impression of a private room. That's what I was looking for today.
I wandered, ducking into corners and checking spaces. I didn't have it memorized yet, so it was always a bit of a guessing game to find a place to sit and set up camp.
Turning a promising corner, I realized I wasn't the first to arrive. A couple of students were already occupying the space, clothing littering the floor as they rolled around. I nearly yelped in surprised and embarrassment heated my face.
Quietly, I backed away, not wanting them to see me. If it was awkward for me to see them, I could only imagine how much worse it would be for them to get caught.
Using a bit more caution as I turned every corner, I peeked first before entering. The next few were open on both ends, then I found another one where a student was taking a nap.
I backed away, wondering if I should just grab a chair in a corner. Then I realized the napping student was familiar. I turned back and moved a little closer.
His sweater was thrown over his head, but I had almost memorized the taught muscles in his body, which were not well hidden by the tight white tee-shirt he had on. "Luka?"
The incubus shifted, moving the sweater away from his face. At first, he looked irritated, but his expression softened almost instantly. He sat up, setting his sweater down. "Kitten."
I sat down on the ground next to him, feeling eased just by being in his presence. Luka always had a way of comforting me and getting me to express how I really felt in my dreams with him. Until just now, I didn't realize that same feeling carried over to real life.
My shoulders dropped as everything swirling around in my head seemed to weigh even more heavily on me. I leaned on his shoulder and he put his arm around me.
"Hey, it's okay," he said. "Tell me everything."
So I did. I spilled it all. The thief, Ben rushing in then rejecting me, my magic not working, my worry that I'd never get it back. I told him how scared I was that I'd be kicked out and how empty I felt inside without my magic.
