Page 18 of A Dusk Of Stars

“I’ll see you in class, Shapeshifting Studies, right?”

He doesn’t even know which class he’s teaching.

“And until then, why don’t you enjoy this little present I brought for you tonight?” And with a snap of his fingers, servers appear with trolleys stacked with champagne bottles.

Must be fancy champagne, at least judging by the reactions.

The Pied Piper won’t forget aboutme, right?

“Well,” she says as she stands up again just as a server places a glass in front of me, “this seems to be as good a moment as any to raise our glasses to another year at Grimm Academy.”

She nods for the performers to come in.

Goddamnit.

I can feel him looking at me, but I don’t even want to throw a glance in the asshole’s direction. And I’m not touching the drink.

“What, you don’t like champagne?” I hear him say with feigned innocence in his voice.

I don’t say anything, choosing to ignore him.

“You know,” he says with such smugness in his voice, “I’mstarting to really look forward to working alongside you, Little Miss Archivist.”

I grab the glass to try to contain my anger. I hold it in my hand so tight, I feel it’s going to break. It’s through gritted teeth that I say, “I assure you, you won’t have anything to do with me whatsoever.”

The anger makes my vision blur for a second, after which there’s that presence inside me again, turning the volume on all my senses up.

This time, the presence speaks.

Get him,it tells me, in an old female growl that sends shivers down my spine.

Then there’s this intense warmth spreading through my body, and the sound of glass breaking, and the smile sliding off Bane’s face.

I shock myself so much that I just keep sitting there in dumbstruck silence.

The very next moment, someone is coming over to tell Bane the Pied Piper wants him to sit next to her, and I’m snapping out of the blur of anger only to find Lorcan leaning in his chair to stare at me intently.

The performers are already starting to come out, but now my mind is buzzing relentlessly.

What just happened? What was that voice? Why do I feel so much anger all of a sudden?

It all goes by in a blur, making me crave going to my room to rest, but as soon as the Pied Piper gets tired of the whole parade and ends the Opening Ceremony, Lorcan appears next to me.

I watch him rummage through his pocket to produce the keys, the device we use only when we want to summon all faculty members for an urgent meeting. it’s in a pissed-off voice that he tells me, “You’re coming withme, Miss Novak.”

Chapter 6

It’s in a haze that I follow Lorcan into the Lounge, hoping until the very last moment that I’ve imagined this all happening. Then I see most of the faculty already gathered there, so intrigued that they’re all standing around the table, waiting in silence.

I spot Bane leaning against the table with his arms folded, dead serious and with his eyes narrowed at me.

“What’s this all about?” Serra asks as the two of us come to stand before them.

“Miss Novak’s lies,” Lorcan says as he turns to stare at me, folding his arms. “O’Connor,” he addresses one of the shifter professors, but he doesn’t take his eyes off me. “Smell her,” he orders.

O’Connor frowns and I hear myself say, “Hey,” but he does as he’s told.

His frown growing deeper, he takes a few steps backwards, coming to whisper something in Serra’s ear. There’s a flash of surprise in her eyes.

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