Page 44 of Spelling Disaster

Something about the situation isn’t right. Something about the darkness of the shadow and the way my body automatically reacts has me catching my breath.

I hide them in my lap even though it does no good. The sensation persists.

ChapterFourteen

It’s hard to hold a wand with my hands.

Even harder to execute the simple spells the professor requires.

Blaire keeps staring at me, wanting to know what the hell is wrong as I fumble in a way I never have before.

The shadow.

I watch out the window like a hawk stalking prey, except in this case, I’m not the predator. Not even close.

There’s something out there, and a sinking sensation in my gut tells me it’s been here the whole time, I’ve just been too distracted to notice. Whether it really is the Horned God or not is impossible to say without seeing him. I try tuning into my intuition and come up with zilch.

“Miss Williams! You need to focus,” the professor admonishes when I drop my wand for the hundredth time.

My mind is a blur of everything that’s happened and the anxiety caused by my tingling hands. The shadow doesn’t return but now I know I’m not making things up or seeing things out of fear.

Torn between worry for what it means, wondering about the shadow, and the strangeness of this agreement with Theo, it’s a wonder I even manage to answer the ten questions on our random pop quiz on crystal usages.

Class ends, and Theo is outside the door waiting for me. He looks up from his feet, his face lighting and his lips spreading in a slow grin designed to melt hearts.

My stomach flips at the sight of him and Blaire is suddenly there beside me. She stares him up and down appraisingly.

“Ah, Blaire, this is Theo. Theo, this is my roommate and friend, Blaire,” I say in introduction.

From the way she’s always spoken about him, I know they’re not actually acquainted.

“Actually, I think we have Latin together. I know I’ve seen you before.” He smiles at her outfit. “You stand out.” He’s charming. Polite. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet such a talented witch. Transformation magic is something special.”

His charms work on everyone, I see. Blaire, who is always so self-composed, now has twin dots of rose on her cheeks. “We have several classes together, actually. Not just Latin.” Her voice comes out breathless. “Yasmine is a great girl, Theo. You should be forever grateful she’s looked your way.”

“I know.” He doesn’t pause for even a moment before saying, “You have nothing to worry about. I’m sure this seems a little fast, but I like Yas, too. I want her to be happy. I know I’m the guy who can make her happy.”

If he’d so much as followed the statement with a wink, he wouldn’t have sold it with quite the same level of success.

As it is, he looks honest. As though he really is interested in me, for some reason, enough to sell it to Blaire, and me, and anyone else who walks by and sees us.

Damn me.

Damn him because when he looks at me, when he smiles, even I believe him and I know the deal between us. I know exactly what’s going on between us and I’m falling under his spell regardless.

“How about you join us for lunch? It will give us a chance to hang out and get a little more comfortable with each other,” Theo offers.

It’s an olive branch and we all understand it. Blaire only takes a moment to consider before saying yes.

Until she meets my eyes and I shake my head. “We can’t, I’m sorry.” I wiggle my eyebrows to try and remind Blaire what we have to do over lunch. When she fails to pick up the hint, I say, “Blaire and I have something planned. A surprise. For you, actually.”

Theo blinks at me. “I love surprises.”

“This is going to be a good one.” Feeling bold, I loop my arm through his and bump against him suggestively. “I hope you’ll like it.”

“I’m sure I will. I’ll see you later.” He leans over, whispering the statement in my ear, and I shiver.

Together, I stand alongside Blaire as Theo says his goodbyes and heads back down the hallway.

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