Page 4 of Hex Appeal

"Yes, Headmistress.We secured full funding for the enhanced protection wards."Malachai handed her the formal documentation, which she merely glanced at before nodding in approval.

"Excellent.And I assume you've reviewed Trustee Thorncraft's new hire?"There was something in her tone that made Malachai look up sharply.

"New hire?I wasn't aware—" The woman seemed to know everything that happened at Grimm Mawr before it even occurred, her raven familiar gathering intel from every corner of the school.

"Of course you weren't."The Headmistress's mouth thinned into a disapproving line."Thorncraft took it upon himself to hire a new Hexes and Curses instructor while you were away.Highly irregular, but the Board backed him."

Malachai carefully maintained his neutral expression, though his tie tightened slightly in disapproval."May I ask who—"

"A Professor Frostwind.Supposedly a progressive thinker with 'innovative ideas about defensive magic education.'"Edgar the raven let out a soft caw that sounded suspiciously like skepticism."Thorncraft claims she'll 'modernize our outdated curriculum.'His words, not mine."

Something cold settled in Malachai's stomach that had nothing to do with last night's cherry bombs."I see."

"I thought you might."Headmistress Raven's piercing gaze seemed to see right through him."The start-of-term assembly begins in twenty minutes.I expect you'll want to meet our newest faculty member before you welcome her officially."

As she turned to leave, Edgar fluttered briefly from her shoulder, landing on Malachai's desk.The raven cocked its head, eyeing the charm bracelet still tangled with Malachai's watch chain.With an almost human-like chuckle, the bird returned to Headmistress Raven.

"Oh, and Malachai?"The Headmistress paused at the door, the ghost of a smile playing at her lips."You might want to straighten your tie.It appears to be...crooked."

The door closed behind her with a soft click that somehow managed to sound amused.

Malachai stared at the charm bracelet, a sinking feeling in his chest.Brilliant, trouble-making witch with revolutionary ideas about magical education...it couldn't possibly be...

But when had his life ever been that simple?

His tie, seemingly of its own accord, tightened to a point just short of strangulation.

Chapter 2

Ceries's hair flashedpanic purple as she upended her third dresser drawer.The charm bracelet had to be here somewhere.Seven years of protective spells, good luck charms, and one particularly feisty shield charm that liked to pick fights with aggressive magic—all gone.

"Have you checked under the bed?"her mirror suggested helpfully."Or maybe someone else's bed?"

"Not.Helping."Ceries slammed the drawer shut and dove for her purse, which skittered sideways like a startled cat.It had developed attitude problems ever since she'd enchanted it to be bigger on the inside.

"I'm just saying," the mirror continued, "your purse told me he was cute.And organized.Do you know how rare that combination is?Like finding a unicorn that does taxes."

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