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He placed the stone in the middle of the circle and intoned over it, “Verto permute meo potestate.”
Smoke wisped over the stone before it was engulfed in flames. The fire spread lightning-fast to the edge of the paper, turning it to ash.
It flared once and died, leaving a deep-hued amethyst on the table.
I stared at it with tears of frustration burning my eyes.
It wasn’t fair. I’d been trying for hours. Scratch that. I’d spent days perfecting my circles, reciting my Latin, and trying out all manner of aids.
But Deus had come in and accomplished it in five minutes.
Alarms blared. Freaking great. We’d set something on fire in the library.
“Crap. We need to go.” Deus gathered my notes and shoved them into my hands.
Then he grabbed my arm and bolted. I tripped, found my footing, and ran after him through the nearest door and out onto the lawn. It was a cold October night, and goosebumps instantly erupted all over my skin.
Deus didn’t stop running until we’d cleared the side of the lake and had stumbled into the woods. Most of the leaves had fallen, leaving the trees looking spindly and naked. We looked at each other in the bright moonlight and burst out laughing.
“I forgot we’re not allowed to do alchemy in the library,” Deus admitted, hand scrubbing across his jaw.
“Then I guess it’s good I spent all afternoon failing,” I said, trying to ignore the stab of disappointment that came with my admission.
Apparently, I wasn’t very good at pretending I was fine.
“Seta, one C isn’t a big deal.” Deus put a hand on my shoulder, sending his soothing warmth spreading through me. “No one cares.”
“I care,” I whispered, past the lump forming in my throat. “My parents will care.”
Deus leaned on a tree and pulled me against his chest. “Are your parents the overbearing type?”
“Yes, and no.” I blew out a long sigh. How was I supposed to explain things to him without revealing too much?
“My mom… well, I could flunk out of Slaymore, for all she cares, as long as I come home with a mate.” And as long as that mate came with allies for the Bering Clan.
I felt Deus’ muscles tense, but his thumb continued rubbing soft circles on the side of my arm. “A mate, huh?”
“I don’t even call home because I know she will grill me about potential mates.” Taking a deep breath, I drew his smoky, calming scent into my lungs.
Deus’ breathing remained steady as he listened, and somehow, I ended up pouring out far more than I’d intended to say.
“I came here to get my degree in Marine Mythology, study under Professor Mackenzie, and then use my experience here to return home to create magic-safe environments for the Bering paranormals. After that, I dreamed of spending my time studying lesser-known ocean-dwelling shifters. That’s always been my plan, but my clan—er, my mom and dad—are only going to pay for undergrad. So if I want to get an advanced degree, I have to get a scholarship. And if I want a scholarship, I have to get perfect grades.”
The overwhelming weight of it all closed my throat, and I slid down the tree. Deus followed me down until we were sitting half sprawled on the ground.
He was silent, gently rocking me back and forth, making sure I knew I wasn’t alone. I focused on swallowing until I was sure I could talk again without crying.
“So your parents see you as a tool to be used?” he asked at last.
“They aren’t that bad. But yeah, they kind of do. Dad thinks four years is more than enough time to experience the human world and create alliances. Mom thinks a strong mate bonding could accomplish the same thing, but faster,” I replied.
Dad had never been up on land at all. He hadn’t even ventured out of the Deep since before I was born.
And Mom was from a long line of kraken females who’d been mated not for love, but to create alliances between clans. She was amazing, but her worth had always been tied to what she brought to her mate and clan.
We were silent for a while longer. I continued to breathe in his scent, letting it slow my pulse and ease my anxiety. The moon rose overhead, outshining the stars and scattering its light across the forest floor.
“You know who’s an alchemy genius?” Deus said.
