Page 78 of Group Studies
I opened the bag, finding it fuller than usual. Peeking inside, I pulled out a small potion bottle and the most phallic-looking plastic device I’d ever seen.
I put a crumbled cookie in my mouth and read the note on the bottle. “Dip Me.”
The scent of junipers and roses filled my nose upon lifting the cork. That narrowed it down to some sort of connection potion, though it didn’t help me figure out what to dip. I looked at the phallic thing, but there wasn’t enough potion to cover it. I carefully set it down on the table in front of the couch.
Light reflected off the crystal hanging on my neck, catching my eye. I probably should’ve taken it off in the shower, but my mind had been elsewhere. The opening of the potion bottle was just big enough to fit the pendant. I awkwardly dipped it in before holding it away from me to dry.
Like a lot of potions, the moisture evaporated as magic mixed with the physical.
Eyeing the swinging crystal, I pulled out bits of crushed chocolate chip cookies and shoved them into my mouth. The pendant began glowing softly. I wrapped my fingers around its unnaturally warm surface.
Aphy, Professor Garnet’s clear voice rang in my mind. Can’t talk now, wait up for me, if you can.
I squeezed the crystal, my libido and heart calming at the sound of his voice. “I will.”
A stack of books for my classes appeared in my tower. Distracting myself from waiting, I dug into them. When my class reading didn’t hold my interest, I cracked open my door to see if I could sneak out to see Abe.
An MA agent I didn’t know raised an eyebrow. “Do you need something?”
I shook my head and closed my door.
If Abe needed me, she could come to me. Alerting the MA to my need to get back to her office wasn’t high on my list.
I tried to remember how long until Nitis had my supplies. It was still three days. Today felt like an entire week. After a bit more reading and pacing, I decided to try and sleep. Still unsure what the second object was for, I brought it with me and shoved it into a drawer.
My bed felt too big. I couldn’t hear the sounds of anyone else breathing, or giggling or turning pages, or any of the noises I was accustomed to. I got back up and sent Roisin a series of pictures of my tower. She returned them with a selfie. In the background, Mercedes sat in her pimped-out corner, giving us the finger.
I managed to fall into a restless doze when the heat from the crystal made me shoot up with excitement.
Aphy.
My core tingled at the sound of the professor’s deep voice. I stretched, lust kissing my joints.
The clouds cleared out. The massive windows above me showed a sea of oddly colored stars through the barrier.
“Professor,” I said. “A communication charm? I thought these had gone extinct with phones.”
Oh, they had. I sourced some of my supplies from Beryl to make it.
“Oh wow, the professors use Beryl too?”
You’ve figured out only a few of the staff are here by choice?
“Ah, yes,” I fingered the crystal.
Some of those serving their time are making themselves better, but many are preparing for when they earn their freedom.
Professor Garnet wanted his job here. He’d even gotten special permission to take online classes to further his human academic degrees in addition to his magical education. But the Institute was also his way of avoiding the outside world which hurt him. Because the people who should’ve taken care of him passed him around and abused him. He was a self-proclaimed power addict except he was the only man in my life to refuse to complete a transfer. He told me he wasn’t a good person, but all I saw was a loyal friend who genuinely wanted to help the people around him.
I sighed. He was Saffron’s polar opposite. The mage everyone told me was a good person yet hadn’t done a single good thing in my time here.
“Right. So, what’s the point of Aptitudes if no one actually gets better, whatever that even means.”
Professor Garnet didn’t answer, and for a moment, I thought the charm had stopped working. I rolled it across my upper chest.
Aphy, look to your left, I think, out the window.
Directly across from me was the gothic castle’s other tall spire the professor’s figure waved at me, silhouetted by the lights of the room behind him. I squirmed happily.