Page 6 of Bonds of Magic
I was right. My stomach dropped. I felt sick.
“Isaac, no,” I said, at the same time that Cory said, “What?”
He looked confused. I couldn’t blame him. But I wanted him to stay that way.
“I can’t,” I told Isaac.
“You can.”
“I can’t. Notdon’t wantto. I physicallycan’t. You of all people should know that.”
“What I know is that I’ve had enough of your childishness. The situation is far too serious for it to continue. You will teach Cory and teach him well.”
“But how?”
“You will find a way, and you will do everything in your power to ensure that he has the strength and skills he needs for what’s to come.”
“And how are we going to explain this to anyone who notices the lessons? I’m not Sebastian. I can’t say I’m catching him up on what he missed.”
“Then you’ll say you’re helping him with his combat skills.”
Isaac’s eyes pinned me down. I wanted to squirm, but it wouldn’t do any good. When Isaac made a decision, he was unmovable.I could complain for the rest of the night, raise objection after objection, and I’d get nowhere.
I risked a glance at Cory. Teaching him what he needed to know would ask things of me I wasn’t prepared to give. And I still didn’t trust myself in the same room with him. My body would betray me.
But there was no way out.
Cory looked exhausted. The blood had dried and cracked over his face like peeling paint. He’d lost a friend, almost been kidnapped, seen Seb on the brink of death. He had to be falling apart inside. He needed to be in bed, as soon as he got cleaned up.
And I wasn’t making things any easier by stalling.
“Fine,” I said, with a heavy heart. “I’ll fucking do it.”
Cory darted a wounded glance at me, and I suppressed a shudder. What a mess.
“Cory,” Isaac said, “I trust I don’t need to tell you that nothing you heard here tonight leaves this room. It could jeopardize not only your safety, but that of your friends and everyone at Vesperwood.”
“But you were talking about people who work here,” he said. “Isn’t Sheridan the name of one of the professors? I swear I heard Felix talking about—”
“Best to forget what you heard tonight,” Isaac interrupted smoothly. “Trust that Professor Braverman and I will keep you safe.”
Cory nodded uncertainly. “Yes. Um, Sir.”
I couldn’t help feeling some misgivings myself. Could I keep him safe? I’d do my best.
I could only hope it would be enough.
2
CORY
“What on earth happened to you out there?”
I was pretty sure the question was rhetorical, since Cinda turned away before I could answer, pulling a drawer of salves out of an apothecary cabinet and riffling through it with her fingers.
Which was just as well, since I didn’t know what I would say, even if I were capable of speaking, which I wasn’t sure I was. My throat was killing me. Being strangled, as it turned out, was not pleasant. Zero stars, would not recommend.
Add in the fact that I’d basically sobbed my body in half in the dean’s office, and my throat felt incredibly raw. God, to think Noah was there to see all of that. That he knew how weak I was, how little I was able to help Erika or Professor Romero.
