Page 81 of Devious Knight

“I agree. How about we get ready and head out in an hour?”

“Sure.”

I’ll take the break on the weekend to strengthen my mind and file last night’s encounter under the rug of never agains.

I need to be stronger the next time I see Kade. If I’m not, he’ll take me down that crazy rabbit hole he spoke of.

That’s one place I don’t want to go with him.

It’s six in the morning and, dare I say it, I’m feeling a little better than I did yesterday.

Usually on a Sunday I sleep in until ten and take things easy. Today I decided to head to the library to work on the premise and drawings for my sculpture.

I’ve been here for nearly two hours, looking through the art history section and doing some sketches I’m super proud of.

The plan is to get as much work done as I can today so I’ll be able to focus better next week.

Spending the day with Mackenzie yesterday put me back on track. By the time I went to bed my mind was clearer. I woke up a few hours ago with several ideas in my mind about my sculpture. I realized that my mind was blocked because I kept comparing every idea to the old one.

My mom used to say that sometimes all we need is a little break to give our souls a rest when we’re troubled. It seems that was what I needed to move forward. Resting certainly did the trick.

This week has to be different for me. And I want to be in top form when I meet the new lord chancellor.

I’m aware that he’ll be coming into Raventhorn not knowing much about me except that I’m currently on probation and doing compensation service for setting fire to another student’s property.

I can’t believe I’m thinking those things in relation to myself.

Kade pushed me over the precipice of sanity, then I tainted my perfect student status all by myself.

Now I have to convince the new lord chancellor that I’m not a troublemaker or unfit for his recommendation. What a horrid position to be in.

Bless Chancellor Potalov. He wrote me a supporting letter of recommendation for the new chancellor. I was so grateful to him because he didn’t have to do that for me.

I saw him a few days after the incident. I expected him to be disappointed in me, but all he did was give me a look of sympathy and said he hoped I’d managed to sort out my disagreement with Kade. I simply smiled and agreed.

I walk down the Renaissance art aisle and scan the books on Michelangelo. I’m looking for a book on his sculpture, La Pietà. I like reading details about sculptures like that. It gives me ideas on the style and materials I want to use when I’m sculpting.

Last time I went with The Lady of Shalott as my inspiration. This time I’ve drawn ideas from something older, mixed with mythology.

I’m going to create and sculpt a water goddess rising from the sea with a spear in her hand.

The idea came to me when I was thinking about that painting in the conference hall of the angels and demons. I was also reading about the Nordic legend of the beautiful selkie seal woman. It’s a folktale from the Faroe Islands. My father took me to see the gorgeous statue of her a few years ago.

I knew I had to come up with an idea that outdid my previous one. So far, so good. And if I’m being honest, this one might be better. I guess it will all depend on what Christian Degas thinks.

I scan the books on Michelangelo and find three about his sculptures that look interesting.

I pick them up and start paging through the biggest one on my way back to my cubicle.

I don’t have to read that much before I’m smiling. The book has all the details I was hoping to find, from the type of marble used to create the sculpture to what the weather was like on the day it was cut.

“Raventhorn, I love you. You have the very best library in this world.” I chuckle to myself.

“And yet the girl wants to leave,” comes that deep baritone voice I’ve been trying to put out of my mind.

When I heard it on Friday night at the sex club, it pierced through the layers of my skin and traveled straight to my core. That alluring, menacing voice does the same thing again now.

I stop midstride and gaze at the villainous man before me who has managed to turn my world inside out.

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