Page 36 of Group Studies

Unless sex counted, I came up with squat. Maybe I could give the Professor a plant? Did Beryl say he collected dildos? What would Ashe want? Jesus, what would I get Saffron? I didn’t even know the names of his friends to be able to ask them for advice.

I pulled my attention back to the lecture, honestly excited for the short stories Doctor Roy assigned us to read – even better, he’d made them available to download onto our phones.

I’d packed up already, so when the foghorn barked twice, I bolted out of class before anyone could bother me.

That did, however, mean I was quite early to Abe’s class. I hesitated inside the door when I noticed Ram was the only other student here.

“Oh, wonderful, Aphrodite,” Abe said, turning to me. “Perfect. We’re working in pairs today and since Ram’s unfortunate tragedy, he’s fallen behind; you’ll be the perfect team.”

I squeezed the strap on my bookbag and looked at Abe. She had to know my history with Ram. I’d missed her classes three days in a row because of it.

“Ah,” I said.

“Eloquent as always,” Abe snapped. Her thin lips turned up at the corners. “I’ve set up double stations. As you’re early, you can help Ram with his internal structures.”

“In or out, please,” a new voice said behind me.

I swallowed and dragged my feet past my usual table in the front left and into the dead center of the room with Ram. When I got close enough, the big mage took hold of my bookbag, pulling it off my back.

“Thank you for doing this, Lover,” Ram said, much too close.

I cringed and moved the stool as far as it could get while still being able to reach the rune supplies in its center.

Ram picked up a piece of paper. “My internal structure.”

He scooted his stool closer to mine. I scooted mine back, snatching the paper he handed me.

Runes were built in a series of layers. Layer one was usually simple and bonded magic to whatever surface it was being used on. Layer two channeled the magic into a structure and layer three added in details. You could add as many layers as needed to get the results you wanted.

I studied the rune on the paper. “You’ve not completed your first layer, and this particular rune only uses 45-degree angles. Did you use a protractor to measure? They both look too narrow.”

“I don’t know how to use a protractor,” Ram said. He picked up the clear half circle. “Why don’t you show me.”

I stared dumbly at the protractor before glancing at Abe. She stood next to the door, pointing her advanced alchemy students to their assigned partners. Tanwyn appeared in the doorway. Abe actually cackled as she pointed toward the workstation in the front where Ghalen already sat.

Tension crackled between the two bitter rivals as they glared at each other. Eventually, Tanwyn straightened his shoulders. The tattoos along his rolled-up forearms rippled. He elegantly made his way to Ghalen’s side, obviously trying to be the better mage.

I took a deep breath. Fine. This was Abe’s game; I could play.

“Ah, sure,” I said, turning back to Ram. “I can show you how a protractor works. Let’s go over the parts to get you started.” I looked at his empty hands. “Do you want to write this down?”

Ram smiled.

“Alrighty-then, that’s okay,” I said in my best overly cheery voice. “I’ll take a video of the instructions and put them on your Mêler.”

I got out my phone and leaned it up against a stack of books. I hit the red record button and held up the protractor. “The dot in the middle is called the origin, and the lines on either side of it are the baselines.”

Ram stood from his stool and leaned in, brushing my elbow. He pointed at what I’d obviously just pointed at. “Those bits?”

“Yup,” I said tightly. “And the little lines at the top are your scales.”

Ram tilted and steadied himself with his hand on my back.

I shrugged him off. “Don’t touch me.”

Ram held his hands out in front of him. “I lost my balance.”

I pointed to his stool, and he dutifully sat.