Page 31 of Monster's Delight

“Okay, so what about the rest of the questions? Did they go all right?”

“I don’t know. If I messed up something as simple as mending versus healing, what else did I mix up?” I almost wailed.

“You could go and talk to your professor, ask him if you can make it up somehow?”

“Great idea.” I got to my feet, but was stopped from walking away by a small green hand on my wrist.

“Not now. Get your lunch. Calm your mind before our midterm this afternoon, and then go talk to your professorafterclass,” Hazel said.

I was about to protest, but I could see the wisdom in her words. “You’re right.”

“Good.” She released my wrist and patted the back of my hand. “Go.”

I made my way to the kitchen part of the mess to collect my lunch, avoiding the table that contained Aiden and his friends. After our run-in in the middle of the night in late September, he hadn’t approached me; not in classes, the mess, or the hallways. I, in turn, had given him a wide berth.

There were multiple times during the weeks that had followedthe incidentwhen I had felt his eyes on me, but every time I turned to look, he’d been focused on something else.

I could feel his gaze now, burning into my back. It made me wish I’d worn something more seductive than my exam sweatpants and a t-shirt.

Not that it mattered when I wore a silk and lace negligee. Maybe I’m just not his type.

But he’d made it quite clear that he was interested in me when we had met in Wellspring.

This is too confusing.

I sighed. I didn’t pretend to understand the way that men’s minds worked. I resolved to ignore the situation, first to focus on my midterm next period, and second to have fun at the Halloween masquerade dance happening tonight. Curfews had been lifted for one night only, and the Olympic-sized swimming pool had been off limits for the past couple days while they temporarily re-made the space into a ballroom. I was going with my friends, and we were looking forward to dancing the night away.

By the time I finished eating, my brain was in full midterm-focus mode, and I was ready to ace my Charms and Potions exam.

The nervous energy in the classroom was practically tangible as I took my seat. I could feel Hazel vibrating beside me and put my hand on her leg to stop it from bouncing.

“Sorry,” she whispered.

“You’ll be fine,” I told her bracingly. “You’ve got this.”

The tests were passed out facedown and then Professor Wainwright performed the usual spell to prevent cheating. I breathed a sigh of relief as it took hold, blocking out everyone around me. I knew they were there, but it was as if I couldn’t see them or feel them, which really helped my concentration.

I took a deep breath and turned my paper over.

Piece of cake,I thought, reading the first few questions.

Describe the variations of the rejuvenation potion and its corresponding charm.

Enumerate the properties of mint and which branch of magic must avoid the herb at all costs.

List the common ingredients for growth and shrinking potions.

Every question covered a different aspect of the classes we’d had over the past two months, and I was confident in my answers. Hopefully Hazel would remember enough from our study sessions together that she wouldn’t have any trouble either.

Taking a deep breath, I settled into answering the test questions.

The three hours passed quickly, but I had enough time to reread my answers, adding extra notes as they came to me. The professor lifted the anti-cheating charm and collected the tests. With a wave of her hand, the papers flew in organized chaos to pile neatly on her desk at the front of the room.

“Enjoy your weekend, and especially the masquerade this evening!” she said in parting. “We will get back to work on Wednesday, so be prepared for your lab with the discussion questions answeredin advance.”

“Yes, Professor Wainwright,” everyone droned.

“As if she would say anything else,” I murmured in an undertone to Hazel. “What do they expect from the second half of the term?”

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