Page 141 of Gift from the Tree

“I know you can’t control it, Willow, so it doesn’t bother me. Eventually, we’ll feel you the same way, so there’s no reason to get upset over it,” Corentin remarks, and I mumble I agree.

“It’s unavoidable.” Is all Caspian grunts, and I guess she’s fine to accept that for right now.

For the remainder of lunch, we sit around and discuss our mornings as Willow bounces around to each of us. The only one she doesn’t sit beside or on their lap is Caspian, but I see tendrils of shadows dancing around her wrist, ankles, and in her hair every few moments, so that’s their way of getting each other’s fix of one another, I guess.

With about fifteen minutes left in break, Willow stands up, stretching her arms over her head. “Would you all like to walk to the training yard? I could use a few minutes in the sun.”

We all follow her out of the office and stand back, grinning as she tilts her head up and smiles. “I love the weather here. The spring in the nonmagical realm was nice, but there’s so much pollen, you spend your days covered in yellow dust and sneezing nonstop. Then when summer rolls around, it’s so hot, it’s hard to breathe.”

Every time she tells us about the nonmagical realm, it sounds more and more like a prison. I haven’t heard one positive thing about the place.

As we approach the training yard, Willow’s gaze immediately finds Oakly, who’s standing surrounded by her Nexus, and she waves her hand in the air calling out to her, starting to head in that direction, so we all follow right behind her.

“Hey, how was your lunch?” Willow asks the group.

“They’re all insisting on staying for my class. Tell them that’s ridiculous, and your Nexus isn’t staying,” Oakly replies instead of commenting about her lunch. Willow glances back at us as we all stand there with our arms crossed.

Draken’s in the class with her, I instruct it, and I already know Caspian’s going to hide in the shadows, watching. Corentin locked his office up and called all the light in the room to him when we left, so I also know he’s called an end to his working day and is staying.

“I don’t think that’s true. Two of them are in the class with us. The other two don’t look like they are leaving,” Willow tells Oakly, although she looks way happier about that fact than Oakly does.

“Fine, let’s go get dressed,” Oakly grumbles, linking her arm into Willow’s, dragging her away.

“I don’t think it’s a crazy request. We’ve been having to take turns seeing her today. Now all of us are free, so we should stay,” Nikoli whines to the rest of his Nexus.

“It’s because you told her we were staying to watch how she did, not because we wanted to be near her,” Jamie argues.

“I didn’t even say that. Ry did,” Nikoli complains. And they all fall into a small spat as me and my brothers sit there, laughing at them. Honestly, we barely fare any better with Willow. She’s quick to call us on our shit, but after the big talk we had as a group, it’s going a lot better for all of us.

A loud shriek from the changing rooms has all of us turning and getting into position instinctively. The doors burst open to a half dressed first-year girl screaming. “Someone get in here. They’re going to kill each other.”

We all take off sprinting, me and Ry passing everyone in our haste to get to the changing rooms. The girl jumps out of the way as we barge through the doors then freeze at the sight in front of us.

Oakly has one girl in a chokehold, screaming, “If you ever touch my best friend again, I’ll cut your fucking hands off.”

Ry immediately pushes past me to get Oakly off the girl. Frantically looking around, I see legs lying out on the ground from the other side of the lockers, so I haul ass around the corner, halting as I take in the sight of Willow.

“If. You. Ever. Talk. About. My. Nexus. Again. I. Will. Fucking. End. You.”

Each word is delivered with a punch to Gima’s face. Blood’s pouring from the girl’s mouth and nose, splattering everywhere with each solid punch Willow lands. Her eyes are hooded, arms lying limply, the fight drained out of her. Willow’s voice is dead serious as she grabs a Gima by her collar and lifts her face close to hers.

When I see blood dripping from Willow’s lip, I’m on her in a second, pulling her off the girl and into my arms.

“Everyone but you two out. Right fucking now,” Ry shouts at the rest of the locker room as he points to the girl Oakly had in a chokehold and a blubbering Gima.

“I’ll have you expelled for this, you crazy bitch. Corentin will never let this go,” Gima mumbles.

“Tillman, put me down.” Willow begins thrashing in my arms, ready to go for Gima again.

I tighten my hold on her, whispering in her ear, “It’s okay, Will, she’s not worth it and you already got the best of her.”

“I don’t give a fuck. Stupid stalker bitch doesn’t know when enough is enough,” she yells, her fight slowly draining out the longer I hold her.

“What’s going on in here?” Corentin asks, eyes instantly searching for Willow.

“Oh, Corentin, thank Elementra—”

“Take one more step toward him, and it’ll be your last.” Willow’s tone is so low and menacing the entire room freezes and stares at her as she stares Gima down.

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