Page 19 of Monster's Baby

I thought I was the only one to notice Rhiannon’s subtle change in expression, but Una immediately halted her show of enthusiasm.

She whispered in Rhiannon’s ear, so quiet that the rest of the table couldn’t hear her over the noisy cafeteria.

After a few more whispered exchanges, Una nodded in satisfaction.“I promise,” she said, crossing her heart.“You’re like my sister.”

So,I thought, interested in this development,Rhiannon has a crush!But will she act on it?

I caught Aiden’s eye as he led the others over to us and scooted closer to Clarissa to make room for him beside me.

He kissed the top of my head as he sat down.“Everyone, these are my new roommates, David and Pierre.Pierre is an exchange student this year from Academie Bellamie.He’s to study something or other that Blackthorn is well known for.”

Pierre cut him off with a laugh.“Mon ami, I am here to study the aquatic culture of the northern Irish Sea.Do not presume that Blackthorn is better than Bellamie for anything.”

“Those are fighting words, Pierre,” Una said coquettishly.“I can prove to you that Blackthorn is better than Bellamie in many ways.”She did something with her arms that pressed her breasts together, creating a deep cleavage.

“Unlikely,” Pierre said with a snort, barely glancing at her.

Half the table’s jaws dropped.

Bruce recovered first.“I was present for the inception of Blackthorn, and I attended Bellamie.Come eat with me, and we will talk.”

Pierre’s eyebrows rose.“Time traveler?”He rounded the table to join Bruce.

I stared at Una, who looked crushed.She kept her eyes trained on the French boy, and I wondered what she was thinking.

David quietly sat next to Rhiannon, barely saying a word to her beyond a morning greeting.

“Are you ready for today’s classes?”Hazel asked in general, drawing my attention.“I’m looking forward to helping out in the first year Herbology classes.”

“Do you have any class thatisn’tHerbology?”I teased.

She stuck her tongue out at me.“Sure I do.I have Charms and Potions with you in the afternoon.”

I nodded my understanding.“Of course you do.But Potions is practically Herbology,” I said.

Hazel gasped dramatically.“You take that back!”

Aiden chuckled into his pancakes, and I nudged him with my elbow.“Back me up, love.You know that Potions is just Herbology with frills.”

Aiden shook his head.“You got yourself into this mess, you get yourself out.”His eyes twinkled with amusement.

I huffed in partial annoyance and turned back to Hazel.“In Potions, you have to know all the plants and their properties before you can use them properly.”

“Herbology is more than just knowing the properties of plants.It’s how to grow them best, where they’re located in the world, how to harvest them without damaging them, how to prepare them properly without damaging their properties.Potions ingredients are prepared for you in advance,” she countered.

I waved my hand.“Ingredients are prepared for us in school.It won’t be like that in the real world.If I want to make a potion at home, I need to know all that stuff from Herbologyas well ashow to incorporate the ingredients properly.”

“Which is generally why a herbologist works with potion makers in the real world,” Hazel said triumphantly.“The only person here who thinks you have to know everything about everything isyou.”

I opened and closed my mouth a couple times.“Really?”I asked quietly.

Hazel’s expression softened.“It’s not an insult, babe.I admire how much you want to learn.But yes, in the real world, potion makers rely on herbologists for their ingredients.”

“That seems like a waste of time, waiting for the herbologist to prepare the ingredients.”

“It’s the opposite!”Hazel insisted.“The potion maker is busy making the potion, and they don’t have to waste time preparing the ingredients properly.”

“I hadn’t thought of it like that,” I said quietly.“I’m sorry.I see the difference now.”

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