tell if Cam’s just being friendly, or if he’s genuinely flirting with me for himself, or for Asher, or… for all three.
Now that sends a shiver down my spine. Two of them, their mouths and hands on me…
I sit down quickly before I can think more about that and do something stupid like blush.
“Morning, Sin,” Cam whispers, bumping me lightly with his shoulder.
“What’s going on?” I murmur.
“Convocation,” Asher explains. “It’s the formal opening of the semester. The dean gives a talk, mentions some recent achievements by students, and we learn about any big changes over the summer.”
“Settle down, everyone, settle down,” Dean Hardwick says. In spite of myself, I find myself thinking that he has a rather nice voice. Not sexy or anything, God knows he’s old enough to be my dad, but soothing. “Welcome, everyone. To our returning students, welcome back for another school year, and a special welcome to our new first years.”
Cam pokes me in the side, and I bite back a grin at his infectious excitement.
“For those of you who may not be aware of our school’s history, here at Griffin Academy, lovingly referred to as the Academy of Unpredictable Magic, we work to help you take your special and unique magical abilities and curate them into something that will carry you far in life. To make your magic a tool that you will use, not a tool that will use you.”
Holy shit. That sounds ominous. I look around and see that some other students are shifting a little uncomfortably in their seats—probably other first years. Dmitri just looks pissed, more so than usual. But there’s something else in his expression too… sadness, maybe?
“Some of you may be feeling rather lost right now,” Dean Hardwick continues, his voice softening. “Perhaps even betrayed. But no matter what, you have a home and a family here. I encourage older students to welcome your new classmates and help them feel at home.”
Cam nudges me and winks. On my other side, Asher gently squeezes my hand for a second before letting go. My chest warms, the anxiety that’s been squeezing my heart ever since I found out I’m an Unpredictable easing up a little. These two have certainly made me feel at home, whether as a friend or as possibly something more, I’m still not sure. But at least I know they’ve got my back.
The other part of what Dean Hardwick said takes me by surprise though—lost? Betrayed? What’s he talking about?
“This prestigious academy has a long history of helping those with Unpredictable magic find their home in the magical community. We’ve had students go on to be valued members of their communities, including local Circuits and border patrol.”
Border patrol basically means you’re in charge of making sure the illusions that hide our magical communities from prying eyes hold. It’s an exhausting but respected job, given its importance.
“Is it just me?” I whisper, glancing between the two men on either side of me. “Or does he make it sound like parents wouldn’t want to send their kids here?”
Cam pulls a face. “Well…”
“Some people are proud of having an Unpredictable kid,” Asher whispers. “My parents are. So are the Marquets.”
The Marquets. Right—Alyssa’s family. I’m a little annoyed I know that.
Asher keeps his green eyes trained on the dean, speaking low under his breath so we won’t get busted for talking during an assembly. “Unpredictable magic is extremely powerful, so it can be great to have someone like that in the family.”
“But other people… don’t see it that way,” Cam says, the light in his eyes dimming. He glances over at Dmitri, and I know without him saying anything that Dmitri’s family is one of the ones who sees Unpredictables as freaks.
No wonder their friend is so pissed all the time. Mom loved me unconditionally, and I know Maddy would never reject me as a freak, and I’d certainly never reject her. But even now, my dad’s decision to walk out on us years ago still hurts, and I know it hurt Mom and Maddy even worse than me—for better or worse, I transferred a lot of my pain into anger. And the idea of Mom ever rejecting me… it makes me want to throw up.
Hell, I’d be a little mad at the world too if my loved ones thought I was a freak.
Dean Hardwick keeps droning on. It’s all well-intentioned stuff, but honestly, I’d rather just get right to my classes. I want to get this brace off, see what I