Compounding Traumas (Artemis University #6) - Erin R Flynn Page 0,89

The shifters are the biggest if they all combine but they don’t. Though some of their groups are incredibly sexist.

White: For now with the assignment, you will bring it to Professor Pillay tomorrow and say you think something is off with the ingredients. She would be the right resource since you will see her before McGrath and you’ve worked with her more so it make sense while leaving me out of it. She will undoubtedly know what’s wrong or something is wrong and bring it to mine or McGrath’s attention.

Geiger: Good. That will make someone as distrusting as Tamsin leery of the new teacher and give her every excuse to avoid being alone with him. It explains lots and has nothing to do with his telepathy blocking charm. Is there anything else we can do about that long-term?

I let out a slow breath and decided to go with my lie as I hurried to the cafeteria. It was better to get it out over text instead of saying it since White could see past my aura dulling rune.

Tamsin: I need someone to help me distract McGrath and then I have a fairy rune I can use to nullify the magic in the charm without him being able to sense it. It has to be someone he wouldn’t ever think of working with me.

Mel: Larson. I’ll talk with Larson. It only makes sense given Larson wants to outline how much magic you’ll be using to come up with your diet plan and energy usage. McGrath will want access to Larson too which means he’ll jump at the chance to not only speak with him but speak with him about you.

White: Good. I will warn Edelman, Craftsman, and Dr. Salzman not to say a word about you to McGrath and we will fill them in later when we can. That should be enough for now as we don’t know what other charms or powers the man has given he’s working with the council.

That was smart and we all said as much.

I tucked my phone away when we finished up and I reached the cafeteria, my mind racing with the development. This was all so fucked up. How could grown men really sit in judgment of others and call themselves honorable with straight faces and order someone to do this to a young woman? All so they could control her and take what she had?

How could they not expect people to fight back against that?

I really didn’t know but I certainly fucking would.

19

Mel and I were tense during lunch, leaving Izzy to glance between us as if trying to figure out what was going on now. I caught her gaze and gave a slight shake of my head to warn her to stay out of it. Luckily, she was good at leaving things be when she knew it wasn’t because we didn’t trust or love her, but it was over her level of badass.

Or so she referred to it. She was still new to all of this and having to fight the bad guys. She was getting better at physical training and combat, but she was still a behind-the-scenes addition to the team. Though according to Zack, she had great aim when he took her to the shooting range. I hated guns, so I didn’t like the idea of her using one, and I really loathed the idea of her ever carrying one.

But she didn’t. She said she knew she was cannon fodder as a witch who didn’t have the juice as I did, so if it could level the playing field a bit then she was for it.

That made me change my tune. She was her own woman, and if she wanted to learn guns instead of swords to protect herself, then that was her choice, and we supported each other in this makeshift family we had.

Hudson walked by and energy danced all over my body, tanking my mood even worse. Between that, and my next class being Runes 201, I was surprised storm clouds weren’t forming over my head. For real. There was a serious difference between catching glances of Craftsman in public areas, or even see him in a meeting, and being stuck in a lecture with him where he was the teacher.

“You can do this,” Mel whispered gently when lunch was wrapping up.

I glanced at her and let her see in my eyes that I wasn’t sure I could. Then I swallowed everything I was feeling down and headed