AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“He can say whatever he wants,” I say. “But he never hurts you again. We stick together, right?”
Darwin’s eyes, only slightly tarnished, slide to mine. “Yes.”
I climb up off the floor and into his lap. “Say it like you mean it. We stick together. He never hurts you again. My Da never hurts me again. We’re done being our fathers’ punching bags.”
He runs his forefinger down my nose. “My teddy bear, so fierce.”
“Too right, mate. You’re with me on this? We’ll get your grades up, I promise. But he doesn’t take his disappointment or whatever out on you.”
“He undoubtedly will, Teddy.”
I slide my arms around his neck. “He’ll have to go through me first.”
Darwin draws me in tightly against his chest. “Teddy.”
We cuddle together in silence for several minutes. Holding each other. Breathing together. Silently reassuring each other that we’re safe, that we don’t have to be afraid anymore.
Chapter33
The Acta Capricornis
Darwin clears his throat and presses a kiss to my forehead. “So this is what you and Gabe really get up to on these legendary study dates, hmm?”
I glance at Gabe, who has sat quietly, letting Darwin and me comfort each other. He grins. “There is a lot of snuggling with the studying.”
“Best part about study dates,” I say.
“Absolutely,” Gabe says. “But maybe we should do some actual studying?”
Reluctantly, I shift on Darwin’s lap and reach for what I was working on before I got the notification that my last midterm grade had posted. I drag the pile of papers over. “Doctor Prince gave me a list of Arcana to read before we try to restore the wild magic. She said to focus on this one.” I underline theActa Capricorniswith my finger.
“Mmm, I’ve never heard of it.” Gabe pulls my laptop in front of him and taps away. “That’s weird. It’s not in the Special Collections catalog.”
Darwin leans around me and reads Doctor Prince’s neat script. “I’ve never heard of it, either.”
“She said Bevvy has one of only a handful of surviving copies,” I tell the boys. “Is there, like, a special collection within Special Collections?”
“We’ll have to ask Miss Moss.”
“Who also hates me.”
Gabe chuckles. “She doesn’t hate you. She resents anyone who has access to Special Collections when she doesn’t.”
“She doesn’t have access?”
“Have you ever seen her in here?”
“No,” I admit.
“I haven’t asked her or anything, but I’ve never seen her in here,” Gabe says. “And I’ve seen books reshelving themselves. There could be an invisible librarian, but I think it’s more likely that the Special Collections books are enchanted to return to their spots. Either way, I don’t think Miss Moss comes in here.”
“No wonder she hates everyone who has access.”
“Mmm-hmm.” Gabe taps a little more on my laptop.
“Who else hates you?” Darwin asks, wrapping his arms around my waist and giving me a little squeeze.
“Your buddy, Loyal.”
