Page 24 of The Spell Caster

“Really? They always do that,” I said. “I’m fine. I just pulled in too much magic.”

I had been talking to Costi, but Calamus answered. “You’re having backlash? Why don’t you invoke your familiar and cast something?”

“I’m having an issue with that. I can’t seem to invoke,” I explained, feeling irritated.

“Of course. You must have burned out your magic after that giant spell.”

“No, I… I’ve never been able to invoke.”

Calamus’s brows lifted. “Not at all? How were you able to cast? I’ve never heard of that happening.”

I shrugged, uncomfortable. “Something’s wrong. I… haven’t been able to figure it out yet.”

“I’ll look into it for you,” he said. “I have connections with the Arcaenum and the library. I’ll find someone who can help.”

“Really? You don’t have to go to any trouble—”

“It’s no trouble, Layla.” Calamus smiled warmly.

“Grey,” Costi barked, causing me to jump. “We should get back to it.”

“Of course,” Calamus said, his expression frozen into politeness. He clasped his hands together.

I caught Costi’s icy gray glare with a questioning gaze. He exhaled and ran a hand over the back of his neck. “You okay?”

My lips parted. I wasn’t okay. I wanted him to walk me back to my apartment and hug me again like he did at the hotel. “I’ll… go rest soon.”

He nodded once, his mouth set tightly. He made no move to leave.

Calamus hesitated. “It was really a pleasure to meet you, Layla. I’ll get in touch soon. I’d like to ask you more about the trouble you’re having. Maybe we—”

He cut off as Costi’s eyes snapped to him. My breath caught at the dark, angry look. Fate, Costi did not like this spell caster.

“I suppose we’ll leave you to it,” Calamus said with a strained smile.

With a final glance at me, Costi turned to follow him through the training arena.

Chapter 6

LAYLA

As soon as Costi and Calamus were gone, my new coven descended on me with three identical feral grins. I backed up, hitting the target on the wall.

“You’ve been holding out on us, Screwup.” Datura bounced on her toes, her curls tumbling everywhere. “You cast a mysterious super spell.”

Oliver rubbed his hands together. “And you have a hot older brother who’s paired with the Mountain Circle’s favorite golden-boy spell caster.”

My mouth fell open as horror seized me. “I’m not related to Costi!” My face flamed at my outburst as confusion began to creep in.

“Oh. Ohhhh. Costi, is it?” Oliver chuckled.

Sativa laughed out loud. “That wasn’t an angry sibling thing. That was pure possessive frustration. Our Layla has that poor guardian strung out.”

I wished for fate to immediately turn me into compost and save me from whatever this was. “It’s nothing like that,” I said, waving my hands in denial. It wasn’t, right? Of course it wasn’t. “We’ve been friends since I was three years old. We just got attacked. We almost died. He’s worried.”

Sativa raised her eyebrows. “So, you don’t mind if I go for him, then?”

Absolutely not happening. I choked, unable to form words while my covenmates laughed uproariously at my expression, drawing annoyed looks from the witches in the practice space next to us.

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