Page 4 of Witchful Thinking

Diana closed her eyes briefly."Rest, Miss Troudecru.The confusion spell is still affecting you."

"Not confused 'bout him being hot," the girl muttered before drifting back to sleep."Even Nurse Maelstrom was checking him out."

"I was not—" Diana began indignantly, then stopped herself.

Six weeks of Alarick Blackthorn invading her space.Six weeks of teenage girls inventing injuries.Six weeks of trying not to notice the way his magic complemented hers so effortlessly.

And perhaps most worryingly, six weeks of pretending she didn't see the way he looked at her when he thought she wasn't paying attention—a look that suggested his interest might extend beyond the proper calibration of healing wards.

Grimm Mawr's summer program had just become significantly more complicated.

Chapter 2

Diana arrived at thetemporary medical station at precisely seven o'clock, determined to get a head start before Alarick appeared.She needed time to assess the space without his distracting presence—and by distracting, she meant irritating.Obviously.

The makeshift infirmary was smaller than her regular space, but workable.Alarick had already installed cabinets and a treatment counter.The walls were painted in the same soothing pale blue as her regular infirmary, which she grudgingly admitted showed attention to detail.For someone who once accidentally turned himself purple with an experimental ward, he occasionally demonstrated surprising thoughtfulness.

She began unpacking healing supplies, arranging everything according to her system that made perfect sense to her and absolutely no one else.

"You're here early."

Diana nearly dropped a vial of hiccuping solution, which would have been a disaster of epic proportions.The last time someone broke one, the entire east wing couldn't stop hiccuping for three days.Professor Shadowfyre's lecture on "The Subtle Art of Silencing Spells" had been particularly ironic.

Alarick stood in the doorway, carrying a toolbox and wearing a faded t-shirt that hugged his shoulders in a way that would have been distracting if she were the type to notice such things.Which she wasn't.At all.Not even slightly.

"So are you," she replied, not looking up—a heroic feat of willpower.

"Thought I'd get the major warding in place before students start arriving."He rolled up his sleeves—the man apparently had a pathological aversion to proper sleeve length."Need help with those supplies?"

"I'm perfectly capable of arranging my own healing station."Diana placed a jar of burn salve with unnecessary force.

"Never suggested otherwise."He began tracing ward patterns along the walls, his magic leaving faint blue outlines that pulsed like heartbeats."Just offering an extra pair of hands."

"Your hands have their own job to do."

His chuckle made her spine tingle in a way she resolutely ignored."Fair enough.By the way, I added stabilizing fields for your sensitive healing arrangements."He gestured to barely visible runes etched into the counter edges.

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