Page 39 of Wings of Ashes
16
CHAPTER
As if Nix needed another reason for Professor Thierry to judge her.
“Never look an incubus in the eyes.”
Nix would try to be less reckless next time. In fact, during the class, she ignored all of Bael’s little whispers to her, not daring to look his way and be caught in his hypnotic gaze again.
“You know,” Bael muttered. “I don’t need to look in your eyes to get into your mind. I just need you to fall asleep.”
“How is it that you were mad at me when youthoughtI was mesmerizing you because of the messed-up mind control part, yet you think it’s fine to mind fuck me?” she asked him sternly, still facing the front of the classroom and watching Professor Thierry write some notes on his board.
Bael let out a noise. Even though she did not look at him, she knew he was smirking. “Baby, I can only project some fantasies in your mind,” he said. “Your brain is the one that decides to believe it because itwantsto believe it.”
“That cannot be true.”
“Why don’t you ask the professor?”
Nix ignored him.
“Hey, Professor Stone,” Bael called out from the back of the classroom, interrupting Professor Thierry’s teaching.
“Thierry,” the professor corrected, grating his last name at him. Was “stone” meant to be derogatory because he was a gargoyle shifter?
“When do we learn about incubi in this class?”
“I realize you would love hearing about your own species, Baelfire—”
Nix’s eyes widened at Professor Thierry’s use of Bael’s first name. Did they know each other outside of the classroom?
“—but not all of my students wish to learn about Hell’s creatures when there are more important facts for them to know.”
“Why? About half of them are going to end up down below anyway. Might serve them well to learn about us sex demons.”
“Professor!” a female student squealed in distress from the second row of desks. “He just implied most of us are going to Hell.”
“I said, ‘half,’” Bael corrected her. “And I’m sure the professor knows exactly who I am talking about.”
“Baelfire, do not interrupt my class again. I am sure you can seduce the cygnus shifter outside of my classroom later.”
“Um,no,” Nix replied. “No seducing will be happening later.”
“Can you explain to her that incubi cannot really perform mind control?” Bael asked him, having to speak loudly over the many rows of desks between them. “Only grow a fantasy that the subject wants too.”
Nix’s cheeks burned with embarrassment.
“I specifically just told you to not interrupt my class again,” Thierry told him. “Do so again, and you and the swan shifter will be dismissed early.”
“That sounds lovely,” Bael said and stood from his seat. He nodded to Nix. “Ready to go?”
Nix shook her head and looked to Professor Thierry, who glared at her.Her. Why not at Bael?
“Go,” Professor Thierry told her.
Nix started, “I don’t want to leave—”
“You’ve caused enough of a distraction. Both of you, exit my classroom.” Professor Thierry’s silver eyes flashed as he waved his hand for them to leave. “Now.”
