building.
Huh?
Still I followed, and I realized he knew I was there for him when I saw he was waiting for me with a curious look.
I held my hands up in surrender as I threw up a barrier to keep anyone from listening in on us. “I didn’t want to shout your name and have people wonder why I wanted to speak with you.”
“I figured as much, Ms. Vale,” he accepted. “You’re not one to stab someone in the back, but punch them in the nose, and there isn’t a single thing I can think of that I’ve done that could raise your ire.”
I was about to agree, but then he winced. Oh, that couldn’t be good. Something to address later. “I realized we might have a—well, we’re going to have a problem with physics, worse than geometry, and maybe it’s best we discuss it up front.”
He simply raised an eyebrow at that, biting back a smile when I didn’t give him anything, but simply stared back. “How so, Ms. Vale?”
“Your word of honor that you will keep to the rules of the school and not make any assumptions into what this might implicate me in?”
He rolled his eyes at me. “I already know you’re rescuing the hobgoblins. Anyone with a brain knows that.”
“Yes, but this would give them the proof it was me,” I sighed, nodding when his eyes went wide.
“Wait, don’t tell me yet.” He cleared his throat. “Collins and I were pulled into a ‘meeting’ recently. It wasn’t a formal hearing or recorded, but merely a conversation, we were told.”
I swallowed loudly, understanding what he was telling me. “I’m so sorry. I never thought they would go to these extremes.”
“Neither did I,” he whispered, looking scared. “What are you asking me for, Ms. Vale?”
I sighed. Heavily. “I don’t want a free pass, as we both like being fair, but can I get like extra credit for using portals on the fly to save the hobgoblins, or just something? I placed out of runes, but can’t skip the class, as that would piss off too many, but I put in the work. I can’t do the work of this as my magic just jumps over it all. I’m doing tons of other work and—I have no idea, Professor.”
He mulled over my rant for a moment and nodded. “Yes, as long as you pass the written tests and apply yourself as you did last year to learn the theories behind it, I’m not going to dock you for your magic being advanced. I know I had trouble comprehending you truly were that strong, but after White verifying how she’s seen it firsthand working with you, and your honor is tested, I agree.”
“Thank you.”
“I would ask something just as odd,” he hedged. “We can call it extra credit if you’d like.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “You can ask.”
He flinched, probably realizing how shady he was sounding. “I’m worried about my mate getting caught in the crossfire of all of this, Ms. Vale. She didn’t sign up for this, and I love her dearly. I agree what the councils are doing is wrong, but I won’t pay the price of losing my mate to protect your secrets, even if you are the last fairy. I’m sorry. I love her too much, and she’s needed in this world too.”
I actually smiled when tears formed in his eyes. “I would never ask that, Professor Richardson. Never. I just asked that people come talk to me, or us, instead of betraying what we’re trying to do, and do the right thing. You did.”
He quickly wiped his eyes. “You act as if this is a simple matter that can easily be handled now that I told you the truth, Ms. Vale.”
“It is and can be,” I chuckled, smiling at him. I nodded when he opened his mouth to argue. “Have you seen Craftsman worry about his mom? Not in a while, right? Actually, I don’t think at all since you found out because we hid her away before you knew.” I had to think about that one, and I wasn’t sure what came first. “She’s safe.”
“You can’t seriously be suggesting I stash my mate at a safe house for the foreseeable future until—I don’t even know how this all gets resolved and—”
“No, that’s not what I’m suggesting,” I cut in when he started to sound too agitated and falling over the edge. “I’m saying we got this. And I don’t mean just the twenty-year-old