Page 15 of Class Studies
I rocked in his grip and grinned. Even if it wasn’t considered one of the best traits of my soul beast, it was what made me, me, and I loved it.
The professor captured my lips again. He explored every bit of my mouth with his tongue before enticing my own into a dance. His stiff dick pressed into my stomach a few times. I thought he’d forget his own rules for a moment, but he didn’t. He released my hands and stepped back.
I panted, heat and need still pumping my blood.
“I’ve not come up with anything to deal with Bernadette,” he said as if that hadn’t been one of the hottest kisses of my life.
I look up at his flushed face and kiss swollen lips in disbelief. He really was cutting himself off.
“Right, Alchemist Blickenstaff,” he amended as if using Abe’s first name was what confused me. “I suggest you let her make the next move. Information is power. Remember that.” He pulled out his phone. “You have about twenty more minutes in here.”
My magic strained for completion, making it hard to think. “You could at least help yourself out?”
The professor frowned. “I won’t. I need to prove to myself I have control. This isn’t about you, Aphy. It would be much easier if it were. I need to find my balance.”
I tugged on my braid, taking a calming breath. I only trickled a little power into him. I could control this, anything for the professor.
His eyes softened. “I can set something up with Saffron if you can’t focus. I know it’s hard to resist the pull, but you’ve done it before. Several times now, in fact. You’re stronger than you think.”
I bristled. “Strong or not, don’t pass me off to Saffron. He’s not an extension of you.”
Professor Garnet’s jaw dropped. “I don’t—”
“I don’t want to hear it,” I cut him off, anger replacing my horniness. “He’s messed up right now. The last thing he needs is me making it worse.” I angrily picked up a book. “Let’s just read.”
Professor Garnet took a breath to speak again, but I glared at him.
Instead of speaking, he found the book he put down.
A few sentences into my reading, a passage triggered a thought I’d had before our extracurricular activities distracted me. “When I transfer, the only thing affecting free will is our need for completion?”
He nodded. “It is. What are you thinking?”
I toed the mesh on the floor. The noise made a kid below us look up. I flushed. Though I doubted they could see more than colors moving around, anyone could have heard us.
“Aphy, focus,” Professor Garnet said. “Why did you ask about your transfer?”
“What if I have two different types of magic in me?” I fingered my socket. “Or the magic I do have is, well, less specific somehow. It’s not Internal, External, or Stolen. My rims are crystal, and the Beads of Will I make are in the shape of a crystal.” I reached up and pulled the necklace Professor Garnet gave me out from under my shirt. “Why did you give this to me?”
“So, we could talk,” Professor Garnet answered. “And because the crystal reminded me of your eyes.”
Joy bubbled out of my stomach despite our little spat, and I let it come out in a wiggle. “I have an idea about what makes me different.” I poked my hip. “I think I need to dissect my socket.”
Professor Garnet’s eyes flew wide.
I charged on. “I think Damon knew something about me no one else did.”
“Aphy, no,” he almost yelled before lowering his voice. “I will put up with many things, but it’s a miracle you lived through the technology in your socket fusing with your magic. I won’t let you mess with something which might kill you.”
My joy vanished as my blood chilled. “It’s what makes me different. You don’t know if it would kill me. You don’t even know if it was a miracle or not.” I narrowed my eyes. “No one knows. Damon died. He didn’t leave a single note about me. No one he was in contact with even knew I existed.” I sliced my hand through the air. “I need to figure out what my magic is in order to find it in others.”
“Aphy.” He held his hands out in front of him, white lines appearing at the edges of his lips. “Magic, as a human energy source, is fundamentally flawed. Think about the raw chemical reactions in your body during a transfer. It’s a circle which can never be completed with soulless technology. Your socket can’t have anything to do with your magic.”
I gripped my braid, hating how logical his argument was.
“Whatever you’re thinking, there has to be another way to figure it out,” he added, dropping his hands and softly stepping toward me.
I shook my head, begging him with my eyes to understand. “It’s my only clue.” I stepped away from him and toward the nearest bookshelf. “Is there anything in here on magic and technology mixing?”