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“Where else would I be?”
“I don’t know. I thought you gave up or something. This is a complicated matter, after all.”
Gunther’s words were light, but each one brushed over her like a sharp point. She opened her mouth to protest—but Henry beat her to it.
“She didn’t give up. She did something.”
“Oh?” Gunther mused, glancing at Henry in disbelief.
“Hmm.”
The man was…confusing. Mystifying. Irritating. She waited for the underlying insult. So did Gunther. When none came, Gunther proceeded to tour the room.
“Potions?” he asked, lips pursing. “Magical traps, I see. Your forte. Your only forte.”
Don’t hit him. Don’t hit him.
“Hmm.” A pause. “Any further comments?”
“Keep up the good work, I guess,” Gunther granted, shrugging. That should have been the end of it, but a gleam entered his features and had dread spreading in her belly. “Oh, and Jack says hi. Lynus too, and Eric. I can’t keep up with who you’re sleeping with these days considering how eagerly you spread your—”
Bang went her hand, faster than her mind and magic combined as it made contact with Gunther’s nose and sent him crashing to the ground. Perhaps there had been magic involved there, too, as she didn’t think she wasthatstrong. But then again, maybe it was just the adrenaline of her fury swimming in her senses.
“Tell them I said hi. And tell yourself that it’s not for you to keep up. You’re an even bigger jerk than I thought. I’m glad Em’s off your hands.”
Magic surged, not hers but Gunther’s. She blocked it before it could reach her, then stumbled back when another force—Henry’s—surrounded her to block the red hue from reaching her. Immediately, she dropped her energy and let the red hue fade. Stupefaction filled her as she gazed at Henry before Gunther marched forward, his face scrunched into an ugly sneer.
“You’re such a—”
“Look who’s talking,” she countered, already knowing what his words would be. “You—”
“That’s enough. Both of you.”
Thunder boomed in Henry’s voice, shutting them up. She whirled on him. “Your brother—”
“I said that’s enough,” he practically roared, voice carried on by magic. There was a charged pause, then, “You can leave now.”
It felt like a slap, albeit a non-physical one. Gunther smiled smugly while Henry didn’t even bother looking at her, his gaze fixed on Gunther. Pearl wanted to fight, but she knew this wasn’t the place.
Without a word, she turned and left.
The most reasonable thing to do was tell John that she was quitting the task and they could find someone else—or shove it up their asses. But Pearl wasn’t reasonable, especially when it involved her smarting ego. The need to prove herself became even stronger, fueling her through the hours as she made potion after potion.
All of them failed to capture the essence she wanted, so she tried again and again until her fingers were numb and her body screamed for rest. To ease that demand, she opted for a scalding hot shower, one that dug into her muscles and made her want to crawl into bed after. The knock on the door interrupted that moment of solitude, forcing her to step out. She opened it with a smirk…and that smirk dropped into wariness when she saw who was standing on the other side.
Henry’s focus strayed to her hair, which she had been rubbing vigorously with a towel before she opened the door. When he didn’t speak right away, she found herself straightening in determination.
“I’m not backing out. It’s a waste of what I’ve done, and believe it or not, I’m a very practical person.”
“I figured you wouldn’t.”
His voice was like steel, just as determined. Anxiety rose, clamping down on her throat.
“You can’t kick me out and put a smear on my record. I won’t let your family smear my name, either. Or my family’s.” At his continuous silence, panic began to seize her. “It’s not right. It’s an abuse of power and I won’t stand for it. I will fight you tooth and nail until all your resources are wasted. Your brother—”
“What my brother said was uncalled for.”
Her tirade had been smothered in so much indignation and negative emotions that it took her a while to process what he said. Shock waylaid her system and had her mind turning blank for a second. She recovered but continued eying him warily.
