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My last test of the year is actually tomorrow, at the graduation ceremony where Mr. Harris and the other elders are coming, like they always do, apparently. Regardless of if they have a child graduating. It’s their way of showing support for the members moving into full adulthood.
I was all set to stay hidden in my room, locked away until it’s over, but Fielder has firmly told me he wants me there when he walks across the stage. He wants to introduce me to the other elders and let them get a look at me, to help them decide to give me a shot at joining their coven, of gaining that safety.
Hardin sighs, runs his hands down my arms to lace his fingers with mine, the metal of his rings warm against my skin. “I know. But we’re going to be with you the whole way. We’re going to stand at your side and show every last one of them you are strong and you are worthy.”
I shake my head as he gently urges me to follow him down the hall full of happy, excited chatter. Most of these students are done, nothing to look forward to but getting the fuck out of here for the summer or for the rest of their lives. They don’t have the weight of this judgment coming.
“Why is it up to them to decide if I’m worthy?” I ask as he pushes out into the quad. “I have the number one requirement for joining their…club. Shouldn’t that be enough?”
He grins over his shoulder at me. “You’d think so, right?” Normally, Hardin’s smile is enough to make me feel all warm and fuzzy, but right now, all I feel is resentment for the hoops I’m going to have to jump through in order to just exist in this new world.
I catch sight of warm brown skin and short dark hair and know Cohen is watching us. He might even be able to hear us, hear our conversation. He probably can.
I wish I knew more about what he’s capable of, about what I could be capable of if given the chance.
I expect Hardin to lead me toward Proctor, but he heads toward Hawthorn and the gym and we take a long winding path. “Hardin?”
He hums and glances over his shoulder at me. “Where are we going?”
“To the dorm, love.”
I tug him to a stop on the bridge that crosses the stream that runs through the campus and turn him to look at me. “Is there a reason we’re taking the long way there?”
He sighs and pulls me closer, bending to kiss my jaw, before sliding up to my lips. The metal of his lip ring presses against my flesh. His tongue tickles against the seam of my mouth and I give him entrance, but I don’t let him kiss me for long, pulling my head back even as my fingers curl into his jacket. “Tell me.”
He sighs again, cups the back of my head and presses his forehead to mine. “Robert Harris is here.”
My whole body tenses and he shushes me as he runs his hands up and down my back, like I’m a horse that might bolt or something. “It’s going to be okay, love.”
“Why is he heretoday? I thought- Fielder said he wasn’t coming until just before the ceremony tomorrow.”
Hardin nods. “I know. We thought that was the case, but he’s come early. Fielder is trying to get him to go to town for dinner to keep him occupied and off campus for the evening. I volunteered to steer you clear of the dorms until we get the all clear.”
Now our meandering path makes sense. North toward Hawthorn and the cemetery, far away from the parking lots and the path that leads to town. He’s taking me to a part of campus that we have little to no chance of running into Mr. Harris.
I nod and motion for him to continue walking. Hardin keeps hold of my hand and leads me around Hawthorn and then up to the bleachers. We sit on the very top one, looking over the field, me cradled between his thighs, leaning against his chest.
We’re sit in silence, just the feeling of being close is enough for us. Hardin kisses any part of me can reach every so often, and I stroke my hand lazily over his bare forearms, enjoying the tight cords of muscles under his skin.
My mind wanders back to Cohen and to everything he told me in that cave. I’ve been so busy that I’ve hardly thought about it and now that my last test is finished, my brain is rushing to obsess over everything he told me.
What I really need to do is talk to someone about it. I need to work it out verbally, but Cohen put that stupid spell on me, so I can’t do that. Unless I wanted to seek him out, which I really freaking don’t. Not right now, at least.
But maybe I can try to have a conversation that doesn’t directly relate to the conversation with Cohen, but might give me more insight.
“Tell me about growing up as part of the coven,” I say, fingers toying with his, running the pads over his rings.
“Why do you want to know about that, love?”
I lift a shoulder as much as I can while leaning against his chest. “I didn’t get the chance to. I’m curious. Tell me what it was like.”
His lips press into the side of my head. “Hard. Wonderful. Powerful.” I wait, knowing if I do, he’ll explain. “Being told that you’re going to have unimaginable power at a young age can do wonders for a lad’s confidence. When we learned we would have enough power to rival the elders, we knew what was coming and what was going to be expected of us.”
“I bet all of you were little hellions.”
He chuckles. “Yeah, we were. But they were quick to rein us in, put us under their thumb, start us training as soon as they could.”
“What was that like? The training.”
