Page 52 of A Touch of Darkness

“What?” Nicole rebuts. “You’re totally hot, Sylvie. You just need to get out of your shell a bit. We can go to the Quill, mingle, and I’m sure there will be a hot barista dude or book lover perusing the shelves. Wham, bam, thank you ma’am. You’re no longer a virgin, and the Society doesn’t have control over you.” She beams with pride over figuring it all out.

Rebecca clearly isn’t so sure. Her brows furrow as she looks from Nicole to me. “Yeah, but what happens to Lara then? There’s no way they’ll be like, ‘Okay, Sylvie. You ruined our plans that have been in place for thousands of years by losing your virginity, but here’s your sister!’” She shrugs. “It can’t be that easy.”

Before I can respond, my phone buzzes on the desk. I glance at the screen and freeze.

Lucian: You weren’t in any classes today.

The message is simple,but it sends a ripple of warmth through me. How does he know I wasn’t in any classes? Did he check the attendance records? The thought is both unsettling and strangely comforting.

Nicole peers over my shoulder, raising an eyebrow. “Is that the hot professor?”

“Yeah,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper.

“What does he want?” Rebecca asks.

“To make sure I’m okay, I guess,” I murmur, setting the phone down. My thoughts drift back to the kiss, to the way his touch lingered like a promise.

Nicole snaps her fingers in front of my face. “Earth to Sylvie. Focus.”

She holds one finger in the air like she just had a brilliant idea, and Rebecca and I both wait for the undoubtedly wonderful plan to come out of her mouth.

“You could screw the professor. He clearly cares about you. Inviting you over, checking in on you via text, wanting to help you in any way he can…” She clasps her hands together and pretends to swoon, batting her lashes.

The memory of the kiss comes back. The way his lips felt against mine. The way he practically claimed ownership of me in those quick, few moments.

I guess there could be worse ideas…

Luckily, Mr. Fallon agreed to allow me to switch a few of my classes even though the semester is already underway. I spoke to him candidly and explained that I found out that Blackthorne is more than meets the eye. He did question how I found out, but since I’m apparently supernatural myself, it wasn’t too big of a deal.

I told him I’m not ready to fully switch my major from psychology, but that I think I’d benefit from at least a couple of spellwork classes, or a beginner’s guide to witchcraft. I wasn’t sure what the actual names were for anything, but he helped me choose a few that should be a good fit. I was able to get into two after submitting a request to the professors. My first is Spellcraft Fundamentals, and the other I was able to get into is Elemental Magic: Theory and Practice.

I thought I’d be super nervous about starting the two classes, but I think I’m more excited than anything. Excited to startlearning more about who I am, what I can do, and what I need to do to be strong enough to get my sister back.

Thinking of Lara brings her voice back into my mind, as it’s done a few times in the past few days.

You are right where you need to be, Sylv.

I hear her voice, and it helps me to know she’s still out there. I haven’t fully lost her. I have time—I just don’t know how much.

When I open the classroom door, I’m struck by the mingling scents of herbs and something electric—like the air before a thunderstorm. The space is warm, brighter than I expected, with shelves of spell books lining the walls and a handful of students chatting at wooden desks. Above us, large Gothic windows let in streams of morning sunlight, catching dust particles in the air.

I swallow hard, suddenly acutely aware that I’m the new kid here. There goes the wholenot being nervousthing.

I spot a couple other students who look just as hesitant as I feel. Probably the other latecomers Mr. Fallon spoke of.

A tall womanstands at the front of the classroom, arms folded lightly, an air of quiet confidence radiating from her. A silver streak cuts through her dark hair, and her eyes sparkle with an almost otherworldly energy.

“Good morning, students” she begins, voice carrying easily to the back of the room. “For those who are new, I’m Professor Ambrose. If you’re here, I assume you’re ready to learn the fundamentals of spellcraft and the responsibilities that come with it.”

My stomach flutters. I slip into a seat near the front, placing my notebook on the desk. Professor Ambrose acknowledges me with a small smile before scanning the other new students.

“Welcome, all. Let’s do a quick rundown since you’ve joined us after the first week. In this course, we’ll cover basic spellworktheory, safety protocols—because yes, you can accidentally set something on fire if you’re careless—and fundamental incantations for practical everyday use. We’ll also explore the influence of intention, emotional control, and ethics. If you’re looking for ways to hex your ex, this is not the class for you,” she adds with a sly grin, and a few students chuckle.

She gestures to the first row. “Those of you who’ve been here from day one, please pair up with a newcomer for today’s practice session. We’ll be working on energy manipulation and simple shielding incantations. After we tire ourselves out a bit, we have a new chapter to discuss.”

I feel a light tap on my shoulder. I turn to see a friendly-looking girl about my age with light brown hair. “I’m Marisol. Need a partner?”

“Yeah,” I say, relieved. “I’m Sylvie—just started…obviously.” I chuckle nervously.

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