I didn’t feel inside.
“Does she have to be in my private session?” Rage asked the master, his voice low.
The teacher’s mouth pulled into a frown. “The high mage was the one who ordered me to work with her, but you’re right. I’m sure she can join someone else's private hour. I’ll speak to the headmistress at once.”
Rage waved off the professor quickly, his eyes narrowing at the mention of this being reported to his mother. “Nah, it’s fine. Don’t bother my mother with this. I’ll need a moving target for practice, and this will be a trial by fire for her.”
“Ha-ha.” I crossed my arms, giving Rage a scowl.
“You’re sure?” Master Carn wrinkled his nose as if the idea of me studying with Rage was disgusting.
Rage nodded. “If she gets in the way of my progress, I’ll speak to my mother myself.”
Ouch.
Snitches get stitches, buddy.
“Very well,” Master Carn said. Looking at me, he pointed at the door. “Go to the library and get the text An Intro to Fire Elements and return promptly.”
“The library?” It could be on the other side of campus for all I knew. “Could you tell me where—?”
He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Just sit down,” he snapped and rolled his eyes. “In the interest of time, I’ll get it. But you will get the remainder of your other books on your own time.” He walked to the door with an air of superiority. “Be right back.”
As soon as the door closed, I stepped closer to Rage, determined to go into full-on detective mode.
“So … were you at the party last night?” If my mate was a friend of the Midnight brothers, then maybe I could get some names from him.
He crossed his arms, his expression giving away no emotion. “Obviously, it was at my house.”
“Riiight.” He wasn’t giving me any help. “Were many of your friends there? Like friends who might know about a secret garden in your woods?”
He stiffened. “What?”
My heart pounded, climbing up into my throat. “I mean, you know … what friends of yours were there?”
Rage furrowed his brow, looking at me like I was an alien. “All of them. Pretty sure the entire student population was there, all fifteen of us plus some guards I grew up with. Why?”
“Hmm.” Really not helpful. “Can I get a list of your closest friends? Ones who—”
“Umm, no, psycho stalker,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m not giving you a list of names.”
“Why not?”
“Let me guess, you hooked up with someone, and you’re trying to find out who it is now? They said they were my friend?”
I felt like I’d been punched in the gut. “Yeah… how did you…?”
Rage chuckled, but the sound held no mirth. “You and every girl in school. It’s common after the masquerade party for people to try and find out who they got together with, but it’s against the rules. It’s why we have it masquerade-style. And it’s why the Samhain party will stay fun too.”
My throat went dry. “You do a party like that for Halloween?”
He nodded. “In the past, it’s been a regular costume ball, but we’re thinking about making our Samhain masquerade-style too.”
That was months away, but it gave me something to hold on to, a date to put in my calendar when I could walk up to my fated mate and punch him in the face.
“You totally should!” I blurted out too eagerly.
“Yeah?” He drew back, his expression suddenly serious. “You really wanna see this guy that bad again?”
My body gravitated closer to him, and my gaze dropped to his lips. It wouldn’t be Rage, right? He’s not that good of a liar.
“Rage?” My voice was small.
He swallowed hard, and I fought the urge to reach up and trace his jawline. “Yeah?”
“Where were you last night when that fight broke out downstairs?”
Something flared in his eyes, a flash of yellow, then it was gone. He cleared his throat, heat pinking his cheeks. The silence stretched, growing awkward before he muttered, “Hooking up with a redheaded chick. But some hothead ruined that, and the party broke up.”
My heart plummeted into my stomach, and I took a step back. I hated Rage, so why did I want it to be him?
“Right.”
Before I could further my interrogation, Master Carn was back. He dropped a five-billion-page book onto the desk in the corner and glared at me. “Read the entire thing three times … and then, maybe I’ll let you try fire magic.”
I eyed the four-inch-thick spine. “That’ll take