Page 71 of Savage Hope

She offers little more than a hum before she continues around the mats. When I turn my attention back to the dominating wolf that has consumed my morning, I find the smile on his face still burning bright.

“If anyone acknowledges that you took me down, I’ll deny it,” he states, his grin infectious as I nod, his palm still pressed against mine.

“Of course you will,” I murmur a second before he yanks me close, pulling me into a half hug before he steps back and releases my hand.

“I just don’t want a bad rep. Not when I have a fight this weekend,” he adds, and my brows furrow in confusion.

“A fight?”

“Yeah, down at The Aurum,” he explains, glancing around the open space, but when he turns back to me, he must notice the confusion on my face. “You’ve heard of the golden ring, right?”

My eyebrows rise, a slight wince crinkling the corners of my eyes as I shake my head. “Florentine, remember?”

“Right, shit, I forgot about that. Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” I insist, but he doesn’t acknowledge my words as he plants his hands on his hips, raking his eyes over me from head to toe three times before he settles on my face again.

“You’re going to be there, right?”

“Be where?”

I can’t focus on anything when he’s looking at me like that.

“At the golden ring.”

“Are we going to acknowledge the fact that I don’t really have a clue what you’re talking about?” I ask, and he rolls his eyes dramatically.

“What don’t you know?”

The sound of Bryony’s voice cuts through the air and I bristle. If either of them notice, none of them say a word.

“Perfect, your friend can be your chaperone,” he explains, brushing a loose hair over my shoulder with a wink before he takes a step back and turns to Bryony. “I want Polaris at The Aurum, Friday night. I’m sure you know the drill.” She nods, not questioning him further as the bell rings through the air, drawing an end to the class. “Excellent. Don’t be late,” he orders, wagging a finger at Bryony, who nods in understanding before he turns his attention back to me. “For all of my help today,maybe you could repay the favor and bring back the black hair for then too.”

Without another word, he’s gone, taking my fluttering heartbeat with him.

“What on Earth was that?” Bryony asks, nudging her arm against mine, and I shake my head.

“Your guess is as good as mine.”

Nerves ripplethrough me as I rock back on my heels, staring at the door before me like it’s going to speak. I wonder if it could talk, what it would share.

I’m not the first to have a class on the other side of the threshold, I’m not the first to require knowledge on the sigil that binds my magic, and I certainly won’t be the last. That being said, I still need to head in there and seek it. There’s an invisible vice over me, holding me back from God only knows what, and if I want any chance of following through on my word to myself, then there’s promise in those walls that is unattainable anywhere else.

The bell rings and students move around me, carrying on down the hallway or breaking away into the room in front of me.

Terence and Sian appear from my right, ignoring my presence as they slip into the room, and I somehow muster the strength to scurry in after them. There’s no magic that washes over me as I step inside, no sudden epiphany, nothing. Just the view of a classroom, styled like all the rest, only this one has duck-egg-blue walls and beechwood furnishings outlining the space, but there are no desks or chairs. There’s simply an aubergine-colored square rug in the center.

A dainty woman floats around the edges of the room, lighting candles and burning what looks like sage as she goes, while familiar students gather on the large rug, sitting cross-legged. I hover around the outskirts, everyone else from Florentine’s with me.

Pressing my lips together, I peer to my left and see Sian standing with her head down, arms folded over her chest, and her gaze downcast. Terence is right beside her, and as the door clicks shut, B’s absence is noticeable.

I consider keeping my mouth shut, but apparently, that’s impossible as I take a small step toward my old…friend? Acquaintance?

“Go away, P,” Sian mutters without lifting her head, and my nostrils flare, irritation itching under my skin.

“It’s Polaris,” I snap, the snarl to my tone making her gaze dart to mine, even with her head still tilted down. “Have you seen Benjamin?” I ask, getting straight to the point of why I was inching toward her to begin with.

“Why would I have seen him?” she grunts, frowning at me.

---