AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Seemingly satisfied, they both stroll out of the room and close the door behind them, the silencing spell breaking the moment they pass through the threshold. Their muffled banter fades slowly as they make their way to their rooms.
Some of the tension eases in my chest and a wave of relief washes over me. I have help now. At least with part of my worries, and I know Carter and Harper will do anything to keep me safe, just as I do for them.
I push my weary bones to stand, about to stagger over to the bathroom for a much needed relaxing bath, when my pocket buzzes. I frown as I stick my hand into the jacket pocket and fish out my cell phone. Who the hell could be calling me right now? I nearly throw it onto the bed, convinced it must be a telemarketer when the name that flashes on the screen sends a chill up my spine.
“Hello?” I answer, doing my best to sound busy in hopes that it might rush her off the phone faster.
“When were you going to tell me that you got paired up with the Prince boy?” Glenda hisses, not wasting any time before ripping into me. Well, at least that gives me a gauge on how fast information will get to her.
“I didn’t think it was that big of a deal to warrant a call,” I say with a hint of irritation in my tone despite the panic coursing through my veins. “Besides, it’s not like I chose to be partnered with him.”
“And how did that happen?” she grinds out, the thwack of something slamming echoes in the background.
“We got paired off based on our level of power, Glenda.”
“Was the stone made to rank only?” she snaps, her voice cracking like a whip even through the phone speaker.
“Yes of course I made sure the professor knew to only check the rank,” I huff out on a breath of annoyance, kicking myself for not worrying about that sooner. If I hadn’t been so distracted with needing to search the library for a book on realms, maybe I would’ve thought to ask.
“Good, we don’t need an outsider getting into Hart coven business,” Glenda says, but I hear the meaning behind those words. She doesn’t want the other elders to know how much power I hold. “You were first though?”
“Of course,” I sigh, showing my boredom with the conversation.
“Good, now have you tried to get the pairings changed so you can be with your third?” Glenda says, redirecting the conversation back to the whole reason for her call.
“I did, but the professor wasn’t willing to change them, and I didn’t want to draw too much attention to the reason why I want them changed,” I explain, hoping she sees logic and doesn’t press any further.
“Very well,” she grumbles. She’s obviously not happy but she’s also not vowing to scorch every student alive until Landon changes the pairs, so that’s always a plus. “We can make the best out of a bad situation, though, by showing the Prince boy up every chance you get.”
“It’s like you don’t even know me grandmother,” I drawl, holding up my free hand to inspect the sharp points of my stiletto nails. “I already plan on destroying him.”
My mind immediately flashes to picture what he whispered to me yesterday, of my nails raking down the hard flesh of his muscled back. I swallow thickly and let my hand fall to my side, counting my blessings that Glenda can’t see me right now.
“No showing off though,” she snaps. “We don’t need his meddling family knowing our secret.”
“No we don’t,” I breathe. My mind catches on her wording, and I tuck that information into my back pocket. She’s up to something, I just don’t know exactly what yet.
“Good, well I hope you’ll tell me these things next time rather than me having to hear it from someone else. We are family after all,” Glenda says, her tone softening slightly, but I don’t buy it in the slightest. If she cared about family she wouldn’t have tried to send Carter away after my mother left.
“Of course,” I murmur, not wanting to let on that I’m on to her.
The line clicks and she ends the call just as abruptly as she started it. Despite the shred of relief I feel at having that one worry lifted from my chest, she’s now left me with a dozen new ones in her wake. I let the phone drop to the bed and trudge to the bathroom, needing the bath now more than ever.
What I wouldn’t give for one damn day of peace.
Chapter Fourteen
Aria
“There’sonlysomuchthat we can learn from inside the classroom, so for the next week we’re going to build our skills outside,” Professor Pierce explains from his place at the top of the stairs leading to the academy. The rest of us are gathered on the cobblestone pathway in front of him, restlessly waiting for him to send us off.
I cross my arms over my chest to hide the way my hands shake, the buildup of magic nearly bursting to get out. The last few days have been a struggle, and despite how often I’ve been using my powers, the energy seems to refill immediately, leaving me no moment of reprieve from the constant pressure. It never used to be like this. It’s almost like it’s gotten even stronger since coming here, but I have no idea how that could be though.
Landon’s gaze seems to shift to me, as if he senses the power nearing its breaking point. A crease forms between his brows as he looks away, doing his best to not draw any unwanted attention to me.
“I’ve blocked off areas for each pair to work in,” Landon explains before he murmurs a few words under his breath. Papers float before us and I hesitantly grasp one from the air, not wanting to lose my grip on the magic at the tips of my fingers. “You’ll each need to clear the area before you begin practicing.”
In the last few days Professor Pierce has shown us how to both clear an area as well as an illusion spell so that one student projects a transparent version of a monster while the other performs the entrapment spells on it. I have a feeling he might’ve rushed through some of the explanation in an attempt to get us out here because of me.
