Page 37 of Veiled

HUNTER- Who was mouthing off? I’ll kill them.??

RYDER- Noted. First class and these fucking kids couldn’t infuse a cup with water from a fucking sink. I need a drink already.

ZANE-?? I agree with Hunter, and I’m teaching a freshman class to help out a new instructor, and they can’t fight worth a damn. I don’t know what they are teaching in these secondary schools, but I second the drink comment.

HUDSON- You are all distracting. By the way, send dick pics, thanks. ??

I switched my phone to silent as Professor Logan greeted the entire class, gaze lingering a little on me and Remi. “Hello again, students, let's just jump right into it. This term we will be delving a little deeper into our magical history. Now, we all have learned the basic governmental bodies, how they came together, and how they control the magical population by making sure everyone adheres to certain protocols around humans. Also, on why we focus so strongly on a curriculum that includes heavy defensive and offensive magic; for example, career choices and protection of our people and our counsel from outside forces. But does anyone wonder beyond the simple history of actual magic and instead the source of magic?” His voice wrapped around the classroom like a lullaby and an energy drink at the same time, and we were woven into his words. Someone had responded with what we were taught that the earth and elements were the source of magic and only a few were able to manipulate it. It was all pretty basic information, and I was just enjoying the relaxing atmosphere of the classroom, basking in my afterglow, until I looked at Remi, who was hyper focused and tense. I frowned and tuned back to what was going on.

“...entities, who are pure magic mating with humans,” Logan completed his statement. Wait, what? Remi scoffed, and various students raised their hands.

“Professor, do you mean like Gods?” a short girl with glasses asked from the back of the room.

Logan smiled. “No, no, a lot purer, Megan, born from the earth itself, pure energy, and magic from the elements themselves.”

Remi didn’t bother to raise her hand. “Professor, if that were true, wouldn’t that be the same thing as being born from the Goddess Gaia? Therefore, the derivative of magic would indeed be from the Gods bestowed upon certain families and therefore passed through their lines until it was diluted enough to just be magic and not Godlike powers. It doesn’t seem logical for anyone to be born from energy,” she said with disdain and menace in her voice. What was up with her? This was interesting; the possibilities of the routes of our magic. It's one thing Kalen never really went into detail about during our long conversations.

Professor Logan stared at her for a minute before responding, “That would make sense, yes, but this is why this class is complex history! We need to look at this from all angles and delve into the most outlandish of theories. As often, this is where those who study history find more than mystery, they find the truth,” he finished, his eyes gleaming.

I must have tuned out most of what was going on earlier because before I knew it, he was dismissing the class but not before assigning a ten-page single spaced essay on the possibilities of various origins of magic and why they could be important, due Friday. I could’ve been imagining it, but he stared directly at Remi when assigning the assignment, her jaw ticking as she refused to break eye contact. He then turned and gave the class a warm smile and said his goodbyes.

We stepped out of the classroom and headed into the bathroom in between this room and our next room. I grabbed her by the arm and had her face me. She looked furious. I just couldn't figure out why. “Hey, Remi, Mimi, what was that about?”

She looked at me, her eyes blazing, something flickered in her eyes and they briefly… changed colors? She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she opened her eyes again and they were back to normal. It must have been a trick of the light, the bathroom did look like a replica of the girl’s bathroom on the third floor in Hogwarts. I have expected Moaning Myrtle to pop up.Seriously, too many freaking movies.

“Nothing, really, except I hate when people try to teach and present myths and old bedtime stories as truth. The way he got excited about it, as if it was true, just upset me that's all. He was overly excited about teaching fairy tales for a history teacher.” She tried to smile but it fell flat. “I’m okay, and I'll do the damn paper and reference Walt Disney and Tinkerbell as my sources, that will piss him off and I'll feel a little vindicated.” I laughed, and I used the bathroom. I laughed again when Remi came out putting chafing cream in her bag like I had just done. Anyone who says having a butt this plump and thighs like this, and not needing chafing cream, were filthy liars.

I washed my hands and turned to Remi. “Hey,” I said, “the class itself is interesting. It's cool to see how he weaves myths and tries to tie it to history. It may not be ideal, and it may not be rooted in truth, but it helps us think and really come up with our own theories. Yeah, he may have seemed a bit over the top, but just enjoy the class at face value and don’t put too much stock into it. It’s not worth it. Just take it all out during training,” I finish with a laugh and she gives me a real smile, finally, as we head out of the bathroom and start to walk to our next class.

She bumps my shoulder when we’re outside. “So Mimi? Is that my new name? I like it.” She pressed a kiss to my lips, briefly caressing my tongue before biting my lip with a smile. God, being the same height had its benefits.

“Ugh, the fucking hot girls always end up together. I wanted a crack at the new girl. That ass is fucking amazing. God, she must be so hot in bed.”

“I don’t know, I did some asking around. I heard she lives off campus with her stepbrother and the other professors. They probably pass her around.”

I froze and had a quiet fury in my veins and turned around to see some of the boys that we saw at breakfast.

There was a difference between lewd, whispered wishes that women were pretty much trained to ignore, and then there were guys like this. Comments that could implicate the guys in anything untoward, degrading shit that was impossible to ignore, and anything hateful towards same-sex couples, that shit does fly with me. Of course, the moment the comment was made, Zane was walking by. He turned, pissed as fuck. Knowing him, his would fucking kill a student. Can’t have that, so I stepped up to the group of guys.

Unfortunately for them, Xena chose that moment to materialize out of nowhere and stalk towards them too. The fear in their eyes sent an unfamiliar thrill of excitement down my spine.

“Who said that?” I said quietly.

The rest of the hall seemed to get quiet as they looked on, walking to class. A cocky, redheaded 20-something-year-old, with no hair on his chest, but at least a decent physique, stepped forward. He would have been cute, if he wasn’t a pig.

“Relax, Hudson, is it? Think of it as a compliment. I’m quite the catch,” he laughed.

I scoffed. “I’ll take that with a grain of salt. You seem to know my name already. Wonderful, saves me the trouble, but like I asked, who the fuck are you?”

“I’m Justin, you may recognize me from this morning. We’re at the top here. You’ll do well to remember that.” He sneered, then tried to grab my hand and I leaned back, a snarl on my face. He laughed. “Anyways, what’s up, baby? Did you want to stop being a dyke and be with a real man?” He laughed and his friends followed. They expected a reaction. That’s okay. They will get one. Just not one they expected.

“Dyke, real clever.” From the corner of my eye, I noticed a massive snake making its way towards the group. In a second, it had wrapped around his legs and knocked him down, fangs drawn, hissing menacingly. Xena started circling the group. I smiled as his face turned red and fear leaked into his eyes. It was intoxicating.

I stepped forward and leaned against the red brick wall in the hallways. “So, I take it you’re a senior then. Cool. You realize that means you’ll be in my combat classes? Let’s make a little wager.” I looked at Zane and he nodded his head, a tenuous control over his emotions. He knew I could defend myself. I needed him to take a deep breath and just hang back and let me handle it.

“We fight. You win, you can have me, anyway you want me.” My tone laced with heat. “I win, and you become my bitch.”

Justin looked up at me and scoffed. “Yeah, as if this frigid bitch could ever beat me in anything other than a dick sucking competition.” Zane growled at bitch. I laughed.

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