Fortune Academy: Year Three - J.R. Thorn Page 0,57

poured me a glass of water. “They’re both such broody assholes. I could see it.”

I sighed. “Yeah, but that’s not the kind of betrayal I’m talking about. They can fuck each other all they want. They’re both still my Virtues and they share me, I can share them too, but they did something else, something horrible.”

She froze until water spilled out onto the countertop. She cursed and got a towel. “I was joking, Lils.”

I smirked, amused by her reaction. “I know.”

She dabbed up the rest of the water before tossing the towel into the sink. “Okay, we’ll address the bromance love later… What kind of betrayal are we talking about?”

“They knew about Cole,” I said, then proceeded to tell her everything. Calamity could have been dealt with already but no, my dumbass Virtues had to go and take matters into their own hands.

“Well, in their defense, I’m not a big fan of you tracking down a rage demon either, much less mating with one,” she said with a shrug. “Maybe they were just trying to help.”

I crossed my arms and glowered. “You don’t get to take their side. You’re my best friend.”

She chuckled. “Of course.” She poured a new glass and handed it to me before sitting down. “So, are you really mad at them for trying to keep you away from a demon? Maybe it’s just Cole’s rage effects working through the mate-circle and getting to you.”

I sighed as I coddled the glass between my knees. The water began to boil and I frowned. “If that’s all this is, then maybe there’s something you can do.” I set the glass on the table and faced my best friend. “You’re a Light Mage now. Can’t you… I don’t know, give me good vibes, or something?”

“Like an attitude adjustment spell?” she asked.

“Yeah, sure. As long as it’s temporary, I mean.”

She smirked. “I doubt any spell I cast on you would last for very long, but we have class in a couple of hours, so it would be a good test.”

I groaned. She was right. I hated teaching, but working as a co-mentor for Monster Studies was my only chance to get on the Dean’s good side and hope I might come across the vampire from Olivia’s visions.

“Okay, fine,” I said. “Let’s do it.”

Olivia shook her hands, sending her bracelets jingling together before she ran her fingers over mine. She whispered a spell, repeating it over and over again until her entire body emanated with golden light.

Comforting warmth funneled into me and banished the scalding burn of Cole’s presence. The lingering rage that seemed to get worse by the second faded into the background, not completely gone, but dulled.

Olivia scrunched her brows and continued her chant until my shoulders relaxed and the weight of all my grief, all my rage and burning vengeance diminished into a tiny little ball that I was able to tuck in the back of my mind.

Releasing a long breath, I smiled. “Well, I’ll be damned. That worked.” I finally felt like I didn’t have the weight of the entire universe on my shoulders.

Olivia grinned. “Yeah, I think so.” She tried to pull away but the transfer of energies only glued us together as her golden light continued to pour into me.

“Uh, Olivia?” I asked, concern creeping into my voice. “You can stop now.”

She pulled again, then yanked until I tumbled into her, our hands still locked together. “I’m trying,” she ground out as she struggled to get off of me.

I cursed and urged my powers to block the spell rolling over me like a truck, but it wouldn’t stop.

A sense of giddiness overwhelmed me and I started to chuckle.

Then I felt… pretty amazing.

Like, seriously amazing.

“Don’t let any more in, Lily!” Olivia cried when my innocent chuckles turned into manic laughter.

A hum sounded in my ears like a bee had gotten trapped inside my brain and I only laughed harder. “It tickles!” Olivia growled with frustration, but I’d forgotten what had gotten her so worked up in the first place. I swung her hands back and forth as a huge smile spread across my face. “Oh come on, Miss Pouty. Have fun with me!”

Olivia glanced at my necklace and tried to grab for it, but our hands were secured together, so she dove in and bit down like she was bobbing for Blood Stones. Her teeth closed around the gem and a shot of heat blasted through both of us, frizzing my hair and sending me flying against