four spoiled girls who can probably call their rich parents and have them put pressure on the school to get me suspended?
Ha. Yeah. Not risking that.
At least my new room is nice. Cozy. Safe. Dmitri has upgraded from ignoring me to sniping back and forth with me, but even that feels like it’s starting to soften a bit. Like we’re settling into a rhythm of sorts, throwing rolled up balls of paper at each other, grousing at each other in the morning before we’ve both had our coffee, taunting each other about who could take who in a fight—none of it really backed by malice.
It’s done nothing to get rid of the heat I feel when I look at him. Or when I look at Cam or Asher, for that matter. Asher is incredibly sweet and helps me with my homework, and we’ll sit on the couch together at night and watch movies on his laptop. Cam makes me go running with him every morning, up through the woods, and always insists on carrying my meal tray when we go to dinner.
I’m not sure what to do about the attraction I feel. I don’t want to jinx things or ruin them by making a move on any of the guys. Especially when Dmitri’s only just decided that my presence isn’t a total waste of space, even if he still spends most of his time giving me shit. And especially when… well… it’s not like I have a favorite.
And I’m not going to trick them into thinking we could have some kind of serious romantic relationship when that’s the last thing I can afford. We’re friends—for once, I have actual friends—and that’s new enough, thanks. I don’t need to add romance into the mix and make a mess of this whole thing. I’m not pushing my luck.
So I try to keep myself distracted from fantasizing about my roommates by throwing myself headfirst into my training.
A week after I manifest my second power, Professor Tamlin, Dean Hardwick, and Nathan Perkins, my Practical Magic professor, call me into the dean’s office to have a talk.
I settle into the plush chair in front of Hardwick’s desk, trying to surreptitiously wipe my sweaty palms on my pants. Being stuck alone in a room with a bunch of very intimidating magic users who all have the ability to flunk me has my heart racing.
Roman’s there too, and he’s got an almost protective expression on his face as the other professors question me about my new magic. I get the sense that maybe he came to the meeting to look out for me, which I both love and hate.
But fortunately, everyone’s surprisingly kind.
They explain that this isn’t all that unusual, but it does mean I’ve likely got a lot of magic contained inside me. They’re not sure how many abilities I’m going to manifest in total, but they urge me in serious tones to keep a close eye on myself and take note of any changes or odd feelings.
You’re very powerful, is the general consensus.
I actually don’t get the feeling they’re scared of me, which is what I honestly expected. Instead, it feels more like they’re all… happy for me. Something like pride gleams in Roman’s cobalt eyes as the other professors explain how well I’m doing in class.
“Just don’t push yourself too hard,” Tamlin advises me. “That’s all we’re saying. But we’re very excited to watch your progress, Elliot.”
I can’t remember the last time people talked about me, to me, like that. Not since before Mom died. Maybe even earlier than that. Mom loved me and was proud of me, but it’s not like I was making the honor roll or anything. And now… now my professors are smiling at me like I’m something special, and it overwhelms me.
It’s almost enough to make me forget my suspicions about the school, my worries that something odd is going on here beneath the surface.
That is, until another student gets hurt a few weeks after midterms.
I’m not the one who finds him this time. I don’t know his name, but I recognize him when I see them floating him out on a stretcher—he’s another third year, graduating soon.
“He’s okay. Or he’s going to be,” Asher tells me in a low murmur as we watch him drift away down the corridor. Even with his brace on, keeping him from reading minds, my roommate is good at reading people.