Page 22 of The Cursed Fae

“Rules for Cohabitation,” she read out loud, amusement creeping into her tone. “Number one: You must set your alarm for 6:00 a.m., no earlier. Do not hit Snooze, it is annoying. Number two: Lights off at 10:00 p.m. All lights. If you need to study, go to the library. Number three: In the morning, you may not use the bathroom before I do. If you need to use the facility before I shower, you will use the communal bathroom on this floor.” Astrid glanced up from the stationary. “There are twenty rules on here. Is she serious?”

I shook my head in disbelief. “You know her better than I do, but I'm going to say yes, she is.”

“Maybe someone will switch rooms with you?” Astrid suggested.

“Not if they see that list.”

“Touché.” She tossed the stationery on top of my comforter and then linked her arm through mine. “Come on, let's go eat. Morgan's going to meet us in the dining hall.”

My Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule was two morning classes—European Human History and 18th Century Literature—and two afternoon classes, one of which was my private lesson with Laz.

The first of my afternoon classes was Professor Hayes's Magical Theory and Unexplained Phenomenon. Morgan escorted me to the classroom, but I refused her offer to make introductions. While it was nice of the chancellor to assign me a guide, I felt like a child being shuttled from place to place. It was degrading.

Professor Hayes was a young instructor, not much older than his students. He told me to take any open seat I liked and promised to get me a copy of his class notes from the previous week's lessons. Of course the only open seat was next to Ewan Wynn of all people.

The previous day, I'd found him attractive. Hearing the vampire rumors definitely changed my opinion. Vampires were dangerous, deadly. Anyone associated with the bloodsuckers couldn't be much better.

Ewan had a sketchpad out and a pencil in hand when I slid into the desk beside him. I tried to peek at his drawing, but he shifted to block my view. The girl in front of me turned around.

“Hi. I'm Jamila. Is it true you're sleeping in Missy's old bed?” she asked, leaning closer.

I glanced to my left and right to see how big of an audience I had. The girls sitting on either side of Jamila were watching me expectantly.

“I'm rooming with Tina Keene,” I said carefully.

“Was all Missy's stuff still there?” Jamila pressed.

I hesitated. “Uh, no. Not when I arrived.”

Beside me, Ewan snickered, but he didn't look up from his drawing.

Jamila flipped her hair over one shoulder. “Have you seen her ghost yet? Gran told me the gift runs in your family.”

It took concentration to keep my expression from showing the shock I felt. There was no way I was telling anyone about Missy's visit, though Jamila's nosy questions gave me an idea. If Ewan had something to do with her death, Missy would know it. All I had to do was ask the spirit. How did one summon a spirit?

As I opened my mouth to reply with a non-answer, Professor Hayes began class with a lively debate about the spells most likely used on ships entering the Bermuda Triangle.

Saved by the bell.

The class discussion was fascinating, and I listened with rapt attention. Some students believed there had once been an island there, inhabited by fae, that sank into the ocean. Their fae souls were trapped in the area until they could collect enough human souls to pass on, so they lured in naïve victims who dared venture too close to the watery graves. Others believed there still was an island of cannibal fae there who masked their existence with magic and enticed unwitting sailors to their shores using song, and then invited them to dinner.

The fact these conversations were even happening in an open forum took some getting used to. I'd always stuck to the edge of the crowd in human schools, always aware of every word that came out of my mouth. Speaking openly about fae and magic was freeing, like a weight lifted inside me.

Laz met me outside the classroom so we could walk to the astrology attic together, which provided the perfect excuse to ignore Ewan when he tried to catch my eye in the hallway. Honestly, Laz's gesture was thoughtful. Unlike Morgan, he wasn't obligated to show me around.

There was an edge to Laz's greeting, though. He wasn't the charming chancellor's son today. Instead, his mood was stormy and grew steadily darker the longer we worked on my magic skills together. Nothing I did or said improved his attitude, either. If anything, I seemed to drive him deeper into the depths of his despair.

“You need to slow down,” he snapped when a candlestick I'd beckoned nearly hit him in the back of the head. “When you summon something heavy you don't want it flying at your face.”

“Sorry.” I wrinkled my nose. “I don't know how to slow down.”

Laz sighed as if I were a major annoyance. “You need to levitate something through the air to control the speed.”

“A certain someone hasn't taught me how to do that yet,” I retorted, matching his tone. “So I'm doing it the only way I know how, with raw power.”

He took a deep breath. “Right. Sorry. I know I'm being an asshole. That probably doesn't make you feel better, but I am genuinely sorry.”

“No, not really.” I sank down on a pile of cushions. “Were you close to Missy too?”

---