Page 41 of Wicked Heirs

He was using pyrokinesis and fucking with my candle!

One of the flames caught my rainbow maxi dress and tried to tear through it and turn it into kindling.

Blue light infiltrated my vision, and then the burning was gone, the candle snuffing out too.

I looked to see Xavier standing there, shaking his head at Talon, a fierce reprimanding glare fixed on him.

With a burst of vampire speed, he was gone back to his desk, like he’d never been there.

“What happened?” Professor Targus cried as she reached me.

“I… something interfered with my spell.”

“Something? Were you not focused?”

I considered her question and the implications of revealing the truth.

The lie would be worse and make me look like I had zero control, even at this most basic level.

I couldn’t allow that.

My mom and the dean who was supporting her by allowing me here to learn would see me as a lost cause.

The truth it was.

Besides, I didn’t owe Talon Creed anything. Quite the opposite.

“Talon intervened with pyrokinesis,” I told her.

She looked out at him for a moment, then back to me with a kind smile. “Head back to your chambers and sort yourself out,” she said, eyeing my partially scorched dress. “I’ll send you the rest of the class notes that you’ll miss. Try to relax and take some time for yourself, Miss Rose, this will be dealt with.”

I thanked her, then grabbed my messenger bag off the floor and headed down the gangway out of class, feeling a whole lot of eyes on me.

I ignored Talon, but as I passed by Xavier, I leaned in and whispered, “Thank you.”

The last thing I saw was him smiling sweetly before I pushed open the door and headed out.

I’d spentthe rest of the day in my suite—orchambersas they called it here in this hoity-toity institution.

And, no, I hadn’t been crying my eyes out over what had happened in class, or cowering from everyone, unable to face them either.

That was what a weak person would have done.

And I wasn’t weak.

Despite my issues with my magic, I wasn’t.

I’d lived in the human world and defended myself and fought for what I’d wanted without the use of any powers at all. Not onlyhad I survived, but I’d been building a life for myself. One that it had turned out had been a waste because I couldn’t go back to it now, but still. The point was there, nonetheless.

I’d stayed in my suite and missed my last class to knuckle down and work through my grimoire.

It had become painfully apparent to me that being at a disadvantage in the magical regard was no longer an option if I was going to not only survive here, but thrive.

Talon and Orpheus had made themselves into my enemies.

Along with Isabella and her friends too now because of her unfounded jealousy over that video.

One bad decision and you were tarred as a leper around here apparently.

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