Page 96 of The Demon's Spell
Talia blinked away the tears. “You’ll what?”
Chloe lifted her head, confident in her decision. “I’m on my parents’ insurance. I’ll tell them it’s for me, and I’ll get you the pill.”
Talia looked skeptical. “You’d really do that for me?”
“Yes,” Chloe said firmly. “I protect my people. Believe me, these priestesses don’t want to cross me.”
Grant hesitated. “That’s really generous of you.”
“It’s the right thing to do,” Chloe replied.
“Come on,” I told Grant and Talia. “Let’s go somewhere private.”
I led Talia and Grant back to our dorm, while Chloe headed to the health center on campus. I did my best to reassure them both, but I truthfully didn’t know what to say in this situation. All I could do was be there for them, no matter what happened.
I must’ve been helping, though, because they both seemed to calm down by the time Chloe returned with a pill and a bottle of water. Talia seemed much more relaxed after she took the pill, but she asked Grant to stay with her. They curled up in bed together. I didn’t think either of them would make it to class today.
I got ready for the day, then left as fast as I could to give them space. I swung by the campus post office to get my mail before heading to class. Professor Clarke handed back our essay results in Criminal Justice, and I was disappointed to see the grade I got. I had worked really hard on that essay, and I knew I deserved an A. Professor Clarke had nearly failed me, all because I was a Curse Breaker.
Verla was passing through the hall when I left class. She noticed the paper in my hand and asked, “Research?”
I shook my head. “It’s my Criminal Justice essay. I almost failed.”
She knitted her eyebrows. “Can I see?”
We stopped in the hall while she skimmed my paper. “You definitely deserve a better score. I’ll speak with your professor.”
“What good is it going to do?” I asked. “We have more important things to worry about anyway.”
“This is important,” Verla insisted. “Discrimination is a weapon the priestesses are using to divide the coven. Jonathan and I are proposing new policies for this kind of thing within the school, but the school board is dragging their feet implementing them.”
“While you’re advocating for your students, can we please update the school to ADA standards?” I asked. “Lydia’s in a wheelchair. She can’t even get to her dorm room anymore.”
“We had an elevator installed years ago, but it broke down,” Verla said. “Updating it could interfere with our space-bending spells. We have dorm rooms on the first floor for students who need them. We’ve done our best to accommodate.”
She was trying to help, but she didn’t get it. The school could do better. They just didn’t want to.
I gritted my teeth. “How’s the school handling the Waning? Half of the students in my Enchanting class are failing because they haven’t had enough magic all semester to complete the assignments.”
“We’re instructing professors to change their grading structure, at least for the time being.” She glanced up and down the hall, then lowered her voice. “Have the priestesses found any more Wands?”
“They only have the Alchemy Wand, and we’ve hit a dead-end with the others. At this point, I’m not sure the Wands are our best option.”
“Stay hopeful, Nadine,” Verla encouraged. “I’m keeping a close watch on Professor Leto, so if he happens to find a Wand, we’ll know. We can’t let the priestesses get their hands on them.”
I agreed wholeheartedly, but if we didn’t find the other Wands at all, none of it mattered. Eventually, our magic would disappear completely.
I wasn’t going to let that happen.
At dialysis that evening, I decided to go over my notes I kept in my journal. But when I lifted my palm to conjure it, nothing happened.
“The Waning?” someone asked. I turned to see Onyx wearing scrubs, prepping a dialysis machine.
“Yes, unfortunately,” I said. “I’m getting sick of it.”
“I thought so. I know that look.”
I tiled my head. “I didn’t know you worked at the dialysis center.”