Page 32 of Misfit Monsters
“It’s all right,” the siren calls. “Periwinkle’s session is finished.”
I let the door drift closed behind me, resisting the urge tohug myself. Why is Jonah keeping an eye on me? He defended me during the meeting—is he worried he made the wrong decision?
Nervous words tumble out of me. “It’s only been a couple of sessions. I haven’t made much progress yet. But we’re going to try new approaches next time.”
Jonah offers a small, crooked smile. “You don’t need to justify anything to me. I know it can take a while to get a handle on supernatural powers.”
I cock my head. “Why were you worrying about how I’m doing, then?”
Jonah rakes his hand through his thick black hair, looking twice as awkward as before. I find myself wanting him to smile properly—wide and relaxed, so it shines through his whole face.
He would look awfully handsome like that.
Okay, I probably shouldn't be thinking of the teachers here—let alone the administrative staff, let alone asorcerer—that way.
But it's true.
"I wasn't worried," he says. "Not that you were making trouble. It was more that I wanted to be sure you're okay."
I blink at him. "Why wouldn't I be?"
I got to stay here at the academy, to keep trying... What else could I have asked for?
Jonah appears to grapple with his words for a moment. "You aren't like most of the students I compel here, Peri. You'd obviously have come to the school of your own accord if you'd known about it. You're always trying to help everyone... It must have felt awful when I pushed my sorcery on you. I'm sorry about that. I wish I never needed to use it at all."
"Oh." Anything else I might have said snags in my throat. His guilt over the situation and his concern for mewaft off him like an over-salted stew, not totally palatable but oddly hearty at the same time.
Who knew that sorcerers might regret using their powers—that any of them would care how they affect the shadowkind they manipulate?
But then, Jonah's not at all like the only other sorcerer I've known.
I recover my tongue. "Thank you—for speaking up for me. For saying I should stay. I'm sure everything will go much better once I’m totally used to this place."
Jonah's shoulders ease down. A relaxed smile almost like I imagined touches his lips.
He really is enjoyable to look at.
"I'm sure it will too,” he says. “I know some of the other students can be harsh, but— stick with the ones you can make friends with like Fen and don't let the others get under your skin."
I nod emphatically. "I'm not. They're just... scared, and angry, about a lot of things that mostly have nothing to do with me."
"I'd bet that's true about an awful lot of people. Peri—even whatever you experienced with the hunters?—"
My stance stiffens automatically.
Jonah cuts himself off and shakes his head. "I don't want to bring back bad memories. But if you need to talk to someone—I grew up with beings who'd been through a lot of trauma at the hands of humans. Sometimes they come by the school. I could arrange a visit sooner."
My mind has stuck on one of the first things he mentioned. "You grew up with shadowkind?"
A short laugh escapes him. "It's not obvious? Yeah, I was basically raised by a few of them who had a little family together. My birth parents—I get my knack for magic from them—I lost them when I was little. The beings whoadopted me wanted to make sure I didn't grow up seeing the shadowkind the way most sorcerers do. You could say it worked out."
It must have. My impressions of him rearrange themselves, and suddenly it's hard to find him frightening at all.
He only used his magic on me to bring me to a place where I could get help. He obviously doesn't want to hurt me.
A smile of my own curves my lips. "I think so. I guess... I could talk to you too, couldn’t I? If I thought I needed to. Since you know a lot about shadowkind who’ve been through… difficult situations. And you’re right here.”
Jonah pauses for long enough that I start to think I’ve said something wrong. Then he beams back at me with a wash of happiness that’s all plum-sweet. “I am. That would be totally okay. I’d always be happy to talk.”
