Page 49 of Shadowed Whispers

He hisses through his teeth, his eyes going wide. I look at Dorian, but his face remains exactly the same.

“Well, the bonds you make now can carry into your adult life.” He uses a very informal tone, almost prying. “How will you know that if you befriend one person they can change your life if you don’t take the chance to say hello?”

“Do you even know the odds of that happening?” I scoff at him.

His lip twitches subtly. “That’s your homework.” He claps his hands, startling me. “Socialize.”

“I work at a bar,” I blurt out. Over my dead body. I won’t, under any circumstances, accept socializing as homework. No way, no how.

“Perfect!” He’s way too excited about that. “The Grotto?”

I give him a nod and find myself fidgeting. Locking my legs and arms, I go for my very best customer service smile. “Yeah.” I try to mimic his smile to make him feel like it’s somehow contagious. Whether or not it’s working is beyond me. “I work for Andy.”

“Amazing woman. I bet she’s looking out for you, isn’t she?” There’s a strange edge to his voice. “She’s always looking out for those who don’t have anyone.”

Excuse me?

“Frankie started a bar fight during her last shift.” Dorian’s monotone voice breaks through my mask, and I whip my head around to glare at him. He isn’t even looking at me, but at his nails. “Someone spilled their beer on her.”

If looks could kill, Dorian would be in flames right about now.

“Well, that is quite the show of anger.” Professor Blackwood’s voice is full of concern, but it’s fake. I bet it’s the same concern he uses on all his students because he is paid to pretend to care. It’s a tone I’ve heard and known about my entire life. “We may have to work on your self-control.”

Color me surprised.

“Yes,” Dorian drones on. “She will.”

“Oh no, Dorian.” Professor Blackwood’s furry eyebrows sink low over his eyes. “You are going to shadow her and make sure that Ms. Vale stays out of trouble. With her potential, she needs to stay on track.”

“I don’t need a babysitter,” I blurt out.

“No,” Dorian states, but there is a tic in his right cheek. He’s pissed over this new development. “Besides, she said she doesn’t need a babysitter.”

“I’m sure it won’t be too much of a hassle. Just check in on her daily. You two can have lunch together in the library,” Professor Blackwood presses.

I can feel stress begin to rise inside me, and I have to grit my teeth. “I’m sure Dorian has better things to do.”

“I do.”

“Is there a problem?” The professor appears concerned. He isn’t. I don’t know what bullshit he is pulling, but I’m about to snap on him. “Do you have a boyfriend? Maybe two?”

Red rushes to my cheeks, and I avert my eyes, giving myself away. Dammit, work on your poker face, Frankie. “No,” I grind out, but this time, Dorian is looking at me.

“Then it’s settled.” He beams at me all over again. “I have certain expectations for my students, Ms. Vale, and unfortunately, you are already behind all of your peers.”

“What?” I sit on the edge of my seat. “That’s bullshit. I haven’t failed a single class, and while I’m not a straight A honor roll kind of student, I’m not failing.”

“But you are, Francesca.” The professor says my name as though he’s my father. It sends a strange chill up and down my back—a forewarning. Either he is always this creepy, or he is reserving it just for me. “Socializing and networking are just as important to your development as math or science. I’d like you to find a date to the eclipse party.”

I rub my temples. This guy is giving me a headache. “I don’t do dances.”

“You will if you want me to pass you for graduation.” The professor’s tone changes… darkens. “I have to sign off on your graduation, and from where I’m sitting, it isn’t going to happen.” He snaps his fingers. “Better yet, join a club or a committee. That is your homework for our next session.”

This is my hell. “My other advisor didn’t tell me I needed any of this.”

“Well, that is up to each advisor,” he says with faux seriousness. “Like I said earlier, I expect a lot from my students, Frankie, more than they often expect from themselves. You’ll find my methods are... rigorous, but they reveal your true capacity. Are you prepared to be pushed beyond what you thought possible?”

Pushed? No. I’m comfortable right where I am.

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