Page 61 of The Spell Caster

It was true, I had caught a bit of a crush, but it couldn’t go anywhere. It couldn’t. The sooner I got that through my head, the better. The space was good for us.

Calamus had offered to escort me to the Arcaenum meeting, which he apparently attended regularly as a guest. We both wore our formal red spell caster robes. His eyes had lit up when I walked outside to meet him.

Calamus is kind, intelligent, and good-looking as a bonus, I told myself, trying to listen to what he was saying as we walked. He likes me. He would be a good match. He would—

My feet, my breath, and my thoughts all came to a screeching halt when Costi’s storm-cloud gaze slammed into mine from where he was waiting in front of the meeting hall. My body rebooted itself with a fluttering of my heart. With one look, all the distance I’d been forging, all the sensible things I’d repeated to myself—all of it—collapsed.

Costi’s eyes raked over me before flicking to Calamus, and I wondered if he was over being angry.

“Looking nice and healthy, Grey,” Costi called out, glaring at the spell caster.

Yikes. He was very much not over it.

Calamus gave him a thin smile as we approached. “To what do we owe the pleasure?”

“It’s a Council meeting. I’m here to meet the Council.”

“It’s a closed session,” Calamus said.

Costi smirked humorlessly. “Door looks open to me.”

Calamus held up an arm, blocking the entrance. “I’m sorry, Blackthorn, but you aren’t invited. The guardians already have a delegate.”

Costi tilted his head. “You gonna remove me, Grey? Physically?”

Calamus snatched back his arm. “You’re threatening me now?”

“Maybe we should tone it down just a bit,” I said.

Both men ignored me.

“You can take it however you want,” Costi said to Calamus. “I’m coming with Layla.”

Calamus clenched his fists. “Your behavior is out of control. It’s clear the interventions aren’t working with you. I’m having you removed as my guardian.”

“Suits me just fine,” Costi growled. “Try not to piss off an angel with a laser stick next time. The other guardians aren’t as fast as me.”

“This is outrageous!” Calamus fumed. He turned to me. “Layla, you can’t seriously—”

“Finish that sentence, Grey. I dare you.” Costi’s teeth flashed in a terrifying half grin.

“Cut it out!” I pushed myself between them before they came to blows. Not that Calamus would survive the first punch.

I whirled around and marched inside. They could stand out here comparing sizes all day if they wanted to.

The Arcaenum chamber was an auditorium set up with folding chairs in concentric semicircles around a central speaking platform. A few councilors and other witches who were probably delegates or guests milled around a refreshment table, chatting. I threw myself into a chair in the back row next to the wall.

Costi and Calamus were close behind, apparently having decided not to throw down for now. Calamus folded himself elegantly into the seat next to me, and Costi kicked back against the wall on my other side.

Just great.

“You’ve been avoiding me.” Costi leaned down to murmur into my ear, making me shiver. “You hanging out with him now?”

“You were busy,” I whispered. “I was trying to—” I glanced to my other side and noticed Calamus looking overly interested. “Can we talk later?”

Costi made a deep noise that could have been agreement.

“Good morning, everyone,” Councilor Grey said over the crowd, causing the assembled witches to start taking their seats. Between the thirteen councilors and dozens of delegates representing all sorts of interests, the hall was full. I saw Councilor Rhodes’s poof of white hair.

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