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Ashton is a star student. Of course he is. And history seems to be his specialty. Again, not a surprise. He’s sitting in the first row, while this time I managed to sit somewhere at the back, keeping some distance between me and him.
“The Lilitu can also be said to be demons,” the teacher is saying, drawing columns on the blackboard. “Werewolves and vampires are often interchangeable terms—”
“We aren’t interchangeable,” a student protests, and I vaguely recognize him as a buddy of Jason’s.
“—and as for the fae,” the teacher goes on, “their connection to the spirits of the dead and spirits of nature is undeniable.”
“So what are you saying,” another student says, “that we’re all the same? The four magical races?”
“Originally perhaps. But with the demonblood, the distinction became more definitive as the magic settled into defined patterns according to the demon who influenced each bloodline.”
This is so interesting, but my gaze and my attention keep returning to Ashton who is now busy scribbling notes in his notebook. Why, if as the teacher put it,“he knows it all already?”And why am I staring at him, unable to look away?
By the time the class ends, I’m ready to call it a day, but he has other ideas. He saunters over to me as I throw my books into my backpack and plants himself right in front of me.
“No,” I say, “no joined projects. In fact, no groups at all. Got it?”
He stares at me as if I’ve grown two heads. “Groups?”
“Oh.”Christ. “It’s just that Jason and Sindri… Never mind.”
He’s still standing there, a tall and broad-shouldered wall of a boy, a confused expression on his handsome face. “Jason and Sindri what?”
“Nothing. Just… classwork. So what did you want to talk to me about?”
“Well…” He chuckles softly, rubs at his mouth. Is he… nervous? No way. “Various things, really.”
“Start with one.”
“Okay, uh…” He nods. “I wanted to ask if I can help you with your research. You know, since research is my area of expertise, and this is a burning topic for us. For me. Quite literally.”
Right…“How can you help me?”
“Well, for starters, have you been to the library?”
“No, I—”
“I’ll show you where it is,” he says.
“Ash… I can find the library.” I heft my backpack onto my shoulder. “Look, I know these surges hurt you and I’m sorry, but I need some time—”
“We don’t have much time.”
I give him a suspicious look. “What do you mean?”
“The influence of the moon on elemental magic is huge. It’s what causes the transformations, right? The shifting.”
“Like… werewolves shifting with the full moon?”
“Well, yeah, that’s part of it. The full moon is in two days.”
Oh no.
“And some of us are more susceptible to that magic. Jason for instance. And maybe Sindri. As far as we know, the fae asshole has never shifted before but having them shift in the Academy would be a disaster.”
“But then how does Jason deal with it every month? Doesn’t he shift?”
“He’s been suppressing it with a spell. All the werewolves in the cities are. A demonblood spell, which may be too weak now to contain the shift.”
