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My mind would not stop conjuring the image of her crawling backward toward me. My demon would not stop altering that image. I was practically in a confused daze as I exited the library thinking:Who the hell is she and what in the hell possessed her to just… fondle me… a statue… anything like that?My inner demon had all sorts of thoughts attempting to answer that question for me. It wasn’t like I was separate from the demon and gargoyle sides of me, but I used them as my good and evil scale, and right now, since my gargoyle was all about more touching from that woman, this year was feeling like the perfect year for me to be a bit… wicked.
CHAPTER3
Eleanor
“No,no, no. You do not understand.” I was attempting to remain calm and not get animated though my body was experiencing a whole new level of anxiety as I attempted to explain why I should absolutely NOT be in an advanced placement class.
“Your father provided documentation that places you in the advanced course, not the beginner. I’m sorry, but you have that credit on your incoming transcript, so you have to take the advanced class.” The advisor was speaking to the paper and not me, so I focused and tried to cast in the seconds it took for his head to lift and his eyes to meet mine. He simply did some sort of hand motion and said, “Do not try that again. It is grounds for academic probation.”
I gulped. It was a spell to erase that nonsense my father had sent them. Transcript for Defense Against the Dark Arts? When the hell did he teach me defensive tactics? He wrote multiple books on the topic, but I never learned any of it. I was struggling with what I did learn. It was so much easier to cast spells, use my magic back in the mortal realm. I didn’t know why. Had assumed the exact opposite would be true, but here I was, getting a scolding and a warning for the second time since arriving.
I nodded and said, “I’m sorry. I just—”
“If you feel you are not up to par, then get a tutor. Review this document and sign here.” The paper appeared on the counter in front of me. I didn’t need to read it. I knew I would need the tutor. I scribbled my name and the document disappeared. “You have the reading list. I suggest you get started.”
I mumbled and grumbled all the way back to my room. I barely acknowledged the students also climbing or descending the stairs, heading down their passageways toward the rooms. I just remained focused on my feet, the next step in front of me, and eventually, the long passageway to the end of the hall where my room door was wide open. My roommate was here!
I stepped into the space hoping to present a better attitude, but found a beautiful blonde haired beauty moving my stuff.
“Excuse me?” I was a barely contained bundle of aggravation at this point. Nothing was turning out the way I had planned since finding out I was accepted to this prestigious academy.
“Oh, hi. I’m—”
“Moving my things?” I asked with more disdain than I had planned. The fact that she practically oozed perfection from head to toe only fueled my anger more. I wasn’t sure why other than the fact that she was clothed in my family’s newest competition for magical boutique garments. I tried to rationalize that as I looked her over and allowed my day of frustration to unload on my roommate!
“I need—”
“You need to put that down. You need to leave everything of mine right where I placed it. You need—” She looked confused and then like she felt sorry for me. I understood why a moment later.
“Darling, what is going on there? I’m so sorry for her behavior.” My father’s voice came through as my new roommate looked from me to the bed where she apparently had placed something rather than removed it.
She looked at me, shook her head, and as she passed, she said, “This is going to be a very long year together.”
I closed my eyes and let out a sigh. As I looked around, I realized she hadn’t even brought her stuff in.
“I sent this so we could communicate. Maxime was kind enough to bring it inside rather than leave me in the mail room since she was coming to your shared room.” My father left no room for me to explain. “Why in the world would you be so rude to your roommate? Especially Maxine Mayhem. Do you have any idea how powerful her family is? What it took for me to ensure you would be roomed with someone—”
I sighed. I shook my head and could no longer hold the tears back. I picked up my father’s communication device and moved to my closet where I placed it and shut the door to the sound of his warnings and disapproval of my behavior. I moved to my bed, dropped face first onto the mattress and pillows and began sobbing as quietly as I could. Maybe this was all wrong for a good reason. Maybe I didn’t really belong here after all. My mother had a very good life as a plain human with an office and a job and… I sniffed. That wasn’t the life for me, but maybe this wasn’t going to be the answer I had hoped for either. I looked over to her desk and the only thing she had brought into the room other than the communication globe my father had sent, three letters addressed to her. She had simply brought up the mail. When I looked at my desk, I knew there was no room for what essentially was the size of a large fortune telling ball.
Maxine Mayhem returned and began unpacking her things in an orderly and silent fashion. She did not acknowledge me or my tears and for that, at least, I was grateful.
CHAPTER4
Brazrothan
I lookedat my tutoring schedule once more and then at the door. This Eleanor Easternwind should have already arrived. As a freshman in an advanced placement Defense Against the Dark Arts class, I was surprised she wanted to be tutored. Maybe that was a mistake, except I knew she had to sign that form on site after speaking to an academic advisor.
I considered the last name and the textbook in my hand and wondered if she needed more practical application rather than knowledge. Before I could stand, the door to the private room in the library opened and the beauty who backed into my horns stepped inside. She was breathing heavy, as though she had ran to this meeting, and the disheveled look of her had my entire core growing warm from the sight of pink cheeks, messy hair, and…
“I’m sorry I’m late.” She leaned forward and placed her hands on her knees as she caught her breath. “I had to run. We can’t use the mirrors to make the travel less. I’m all the way—”
I could feel the gruffness of my voice before I said the first word, so I cleared my throat in an attempted to tamp down that desire. The sound caught her attention and the immediate worry evident from her frowning lips and scrunched brow had me speaking in a tone I was unaware I had. Gently, softly, I said. “Have a seat. We’ll spend this session getting to know more about what aspects of defensive arts you need help with.”
She gulped, nodded, and then moved to the seat across from me. She opened the flap on the shoulder bag and said, “At least this still works the way it is supposed to.”
She reached in and pulled out a copy of the same book I had in front of me.
I looked at the book her father had written and asked, “Are you having trouble with your magic?”
