Page 130 of Cathmoir's Sons

“Which magi doallthe time,” Lords drawls.

“With defenseless animals!” Ed, just Ed interposes.

“Koalas,” a classmate in the seat in front of me mutters.

“And otters and baby pandas,” I whisper back.

“If anything, magi are more able to adapt to the current cycle of global changes,” Professor Lessarn says. “So we should be slower to act and risk unbalancing the Earth’s natural cycle.”

“Leaving non-magical communities to do what, fend for themselves in the face of floods swallowing coastal communities and droughts devastating farmland?” Professor Blink asks. “That’s surely a complete abrogation of our duty as citizens of the world. We can educate?—”

“You only care about farmers so they can raise more animals for you to slaughter,” Ed, just Ed spits. He’s never going to let the haruspex get a complete sentence in. “Murderer! Murderer!”

Lords flicks spittle off his sleeve. “You’ve had your shots, right? Look, this is more than natural changes. There are largerforces who feed off human misery. That’s what we discovered, and defeated, at Jedburgh Abbey. If we leave them to control our world, we’ll descend into another Dark Age. I, for one, have no interest in returning to the Burning Times.”

Lessarn clears her throat with a hard click. “Jedburgh Abbey was an outrageous display of magickal might that risked exposure of the Unseen World. To say nothing about potentially triggering the next ice age.”

The Capricorn raises his eyebrows at the California professor. “You’re lucky you weren’t among those that Bromios and his allies targeted. You might not think my magickal might so outrageous in the face of him burning your heart out inside your chest.”

Lessarn humphs.

“Yes, well,” Professor Blink says. “We’re all very grateful for what Mr. Lords and his allies did at Jedburgh Abbey and very sorry for those who lost their lives in that valiant defense of our world. Let’s open the floor to questions, shall we? Um, Sondra, do you have a question?”

My classmate, a Fire Mage with a mop of brown curls, flashes a wicked grin. “Yes, Professor. My question is for Ed. Ed, what about those koalas?”

My classmates’ laughter almost drowns out Ed’s roar.

Chapter 37

Mincing Mysteries

RHODES

Luca’s bare shoulders shake under my arm as he finishes telling me about the free-for-all in his Winter Study class. Evan was supposed to meet us for lunch directly after class, but he ended up helping the crows restrain the animal-rights activist and escort him off campus.

Fortunately, what I’ve made for lunch today isn’t as at risk of being overcooked as what I made the last time he came for lunch. The cottage pie—inspired by all the time I’ve been spending with Teddy and her husbands—is sitting in the middle of the table as we wait for Evan, filling the kitchen with its warm fragrance.

Luca bumps the side of his face against mine. Probably scent-marking me.

“How did your meeting go?” he asks.

“No problems.” I didn’t anticipate any. Just box-ticking as I completed the process of withdrawing from Bevington. “Dean Quinn made an appearance, which I didn’t expect. She’s evidently trying to find a way for me to graduate, but I don’t haveenough credits. How the fuck did Law get enough to graduate early?”

“He’s a deranged overachiever,” Luca responds. “He’s been afraid since we were freshman that the war with the Mirk would pull him away from Bevvy early, so he took an extra class every semester. He also took two Winter Study classes every year. I think he had enough credits by the end of junior year, actually. Fucking nutjob.”

“That is deranged,” I agree.

“Doesn’t hurt that he’s had the bare minimum of a social life while he waited for Kellan,” Luca says, dipping his finger into the browned mashed potatoes topping the pie. I’d slap his hand away if I wasn’t entranced by the way he scoops up a fluffy fingerful and pops it into his mouth.

I run my hand up the back of his neck and fist it in his hair. “Aww, did dating me dent your academic performance, kit?”

Luca arches his neck, pressing his head back into my hand. “You are the single biggest distraction I’ve ever met. And you love it.”

I do. I love knowing how much I mean to Luca. And to Caileán.

“We’re a family, aren’t we?” I ask softly, shifting from teasing to something more tender. “The four of us. I didn’t expect to ever feel that way. I thought even if we managed to work something out, that I’d always be on the outside. You and Law and Caileán all being fae, I figured I’d always be the odd human out. But I don’t feel that way. The villa, that’sourhome. Caileán’s pregnant withourkid. We’re hunting Ulune’s Daughtertogether. I want it always to be this way. The four of us together. I want you three involved in every aspect of my life, and I want to be involved in every aspect of yours. I know that’ll get harder once I’m not at Bevvy anymore, but I’ll put in the work to make it happen.”

Luca butts his face against mine again. “We’ll make it work. And I’ve never wanted anything other than the four of us to be a family. I know I wasn’t as enthusiastic as Law about Caileán’s pregnancy but it was just shock. I’m excited for our kits, too.”

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