Page 71 of Class Studies
“So, who might you be?” Alrick’s cold voice sent a chill up my spine.
I pulled my attention away from the ball. My heart thudded in my chest.
“A nobody.” I turned to Alrick. “I’m just.” I grimaced. “I’m trying to fix you, I promise.”
Alrick cracked his neck. “Fix me?”
He clicked his tongue against his teeth and drew a rune in the air. Blazing heat engulfed my rear.
I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to breathe. My fingers twitched. I didn’t have to take this anymore, except that I did. My only ally in this room wasn’t near, and if anyone saw my strange magic, the administration would hear about it. I had no doubt.
Alrick’s rims swirled with power. He grinned like a madman already drawing a second rune. Ice cold rolled across my neck, and I gasped at the contrasting extremes.
Suddenly, both the heat and the cold stopped.
Alrick jabbed my chest with his finger. “I fucking own you.”
He plucked my cards from my hand and added them to his own.
I narrowed my eyes. “You don’t.”
“Oh, I think I do.” Alrick smacked my butt, and I clenched my fists so I couldn’t make a Bead of Will. “See, you’ve been tasked with ‘fixing’ me, and the administration is bending over backward to keep me happy, so I don’t tell everyone everything. If they let you do black magic, why not let everyone? It’s the start of a fucking tsunami I’ll happily surf.”
He looked at my item. “Useless. Just. Like. You.”
Instead of backing down, I glared at him and brought my right hand up, finger and thumb pinched like I was forming a Bead of Will.
Alrick’s grin faltered. He backed away without taking his eyes off me until he bumped into another student. Only then did he turn and engage them, flashing his hand of three cards.
I wobbled, my legs shaking so bad I struggled to stand. But I didn’t know if it was from fear or anger.
“Take a seat,” Tederwinkle said.
I whipped around, following the sound of his voice behind me. Whatever task he’d given, Ashe kept my Gentle Giant’s attention on the far side of the room.
I gritted my teeth.
Instead of sitting, I gripped the back of the nearest chair to me and stood straighter. “He took my cards. How’s that playing the game?”
“It’s not.” Tederwinkle shrugged. “But life doesn’t have rules like a card game.”
I furrowed my eyebrows.
Tederwinkle chuckled. “Unrelated, I couldn’t help but overhear Ashe attempting to find a location for some magical workings earlier today.”
I scowled and turned to look for Ashe.
Tederwinkle waved to keep my attention. “Focus on me. I promised your bodyguard I’d personally keep an eye on you. So I’m here.”
I clenched my fists. If he was personally keeping an eye on me, he just watched Alrick break the rules consequence-free. I let out a strangled grunt and bit my lower lip, more than done with the double standards of this place. But pointing them out wouldn’t get me anything.
I gestured for him to continue.
His shoulders hunched. “I eavesdropped this morning. You must forgive me, but habits die hard, as I’m sure you know.”
I narrowed my eyes.
He held his hands out, palms up. “I could not fathom why a recently fired MA Officer would need the space.” He swiped his arm toward me. “I’ve made assumptions and taken the liberty of reserving the alchemy lab for you. Alchemist Blickenstaff and I go way back.”