Page 77 of Bonds of Magic
What a lie that had been. Or even if it hadn’t been a lie, even if he’d meant it at the time, it was only because he was thinking with his cock, and not his brain. Maybe he’d thought if he gave into me once, I’d stop throwing myself at him and go away.
Everything seemed plausible and sounded horrible, and the raft of tears in my chest was lodged in my throat now, but I didnotwant to cry in front of Noah.
I scrambled out of bed, not saying anything more. I pulled myself together, zipping my jeans, looking for my coat.
“Cory,” Noah said gently, but I didn’t look at him. I didn’t need salt rubbed in the wound.
“Don’t worry. I’m going. I won’t bother you again.”
“Cory, don’t do anything rash. I’m trying to keep you safe, remember? Give me a minute to get dressed, and I can walk you back to—”
“Just stop, okay?” I pulled my coat on. I still couldn’t bring myself to look at him. “You don’t actually want me. I’m just a burden you have to carry. Well, it’s fine, I get it. I’ll stop bothering you.”
“Cory.”
He said my name a third time, but I walked to the door.
“You don’t have to worry about our lessons anymore either,” I said. “I learned what I needed to. You can tell the dean you did your job. I can manage on my own from now on.”
I slammed the door shut and stalked off into the woods. I didn’t even remember that I wasn’t supposed to be out there alone until I was halfway back to the manor. But I wasn’t scared. I was too angry, too humiliated, to be scared.
I almost wished something would attack me, so I could fight back. So I’d have someone else to turn my anger on. Anyone but myself.
Stupid, stupid, stupid, chanted the voice in the back of my mind as I reached the manor.When are you going to learn? No one actuallywantsyou. They just use you. That’s all you’re good for.
I slipped inside silently, and was grateful no one was around to see me enter. I didn’t want to explain why I was breaking the rules.
And I really didn’t want to explain the tears rolling down my cheeks.
14
NOAH
That night after my disastrous lesson with Cory, I sat in my car, staring at the massive wooden lodge that made up the bulk of Angler’s Rest. It was built from large logs, carefully treated to look rough-hewn, and a steep, wood-shingled roof jutted five feet past the walls in every direction, the deep eaves preventing snow from building up against the building. Angler’s Rest was a fishing resort and casino, and the fanciest place in this part of Wisconsin. Even Vesperwood didn’t have a paved drive.
It was a random Wednesday evening in March, but the parking lot was full. A few cars would be for customers staying in the Swiss-chalet-style cabins that overlooked Lake Superior. The main lodge had a restaurant, bar, and more hotel rooms. But most of the cars belonged to gamblers who were here for the slot machines and table games. The food at Angler’s Rest wasn’tthatgood.
I’d already eaten dinner. Just a sandwich back at my cabin, nothing fancy. I was out of mustard and the roast beef was onthe edge of going off, but it was better than risking the refectory. I didn’t want to be near Cory any more than necessary.
All through Combat today, he’d glared like he wanted my head on a spike. Like he might grab one of the broadswords that hung on the wall and take a good chop at my neck.
I tried to remind myself that was what I wanted. It was better for him to hate me than to think anything could happen between us again. But it still hurt, so I’d avoided the refectory at all costs. Faculty and students took their meals at the same time, and it was bad enough seeing him in class. I didn’t need more contact.
The front entrance to Angler’s Rest was framed by eight huge log pillars, funneling visitors towards the door. They were meant to give the place a woodsy vibe, to make it feel connected to nature. But the wood had come from elsewhere. Any trees that size in Wisconsin were protected now, old-growth forests being so rare.
The casino was an assault on the senses. It sat to the left of the front entrance, and the sounds of slot machines and kinetic music mixed with flashing lights, sparkles, and the scent of too many people in sweat-damp winter coats. Overheated air pumped through the entrance, and a server crossed in front of me with a tray full of drinks from the bar, all of them virulent shades of green, blue, and pink.
All the dealers and servers in the casino looked busy, so I turned right, heading into the restaurant and bar instead. This area was dimmer, and much quieter. Piped in music played slow jazz. One table was occupied by two women sipping martinis, and an old guy in camo sat at the far end of the bar, peeling the label off his bottle of Bud.
The bartender, a beefy blond with tattoos up his arms, caught my eye as I walked up. “Hey man, what can I get you?”
“Whisky. Whatever’s your cheapest.” I didn’t bother to scan the bottles behind the bar. “And some information, I hope.”
I slid onto a stool and put a twenty down on the polished wood bar for the whisky. Then I added two more twenties next to the first. The bartender’s eyes shot up as he set my glass down, but he pocketed the extra forty quickly enough.
“Information, huh?” The bartender’s nametag said Law. He didn’t sound worried—not yet—but he was wary. Smart guy. Wary kept you alive when strangers came calling. “What kind of information?”
“I’m looking for someone,” I said. “Trying to track him down. I think he might come here sometimes.”
