Page 52 of Just One Bite
The professor greets the class, and I try my best to pay attention while Parker’scalloused fingers linger in my hair. Every time he brushes the skin on the back of my neck, I have to refocus.
“Everyone, take a look at your table. We have the supplies set up that we will be going over step-by-step. Your table mate will also be your partner for the semester. Go ahead and mingle with them for a minute.”
Parker lightly bites my shoulder.
“Hi, partner.”
I’m not sure Parker is my type. I haven’t put much thought into what my type is, but the only person I’ve ever dated was serious, calculated, and possibly even more ambitious than me. And that’s saying something.
I think Parker is ambitious too, but in a different way. You don’t become captain of the top Rage team without the skill or drive. I know that after observing Doxlothia. It’s not about money, though that’s important. Everyone here is the best of the best or wants to be. It’s all about talent, strength, and status.
“Will you take this seriously?”
“Oh, I live seriously. I know a lot more about potions than you. I’ll be a great teacher. Can you handle that? Someone telling you what to do?”
My cheeks warm. His eyes rake over me, slowly, deliberately.This is all part of an act, Olivia. Get it together.You can’t let a flirty man get under your skin this easily. It’s embarrassing.
“I won’t take orders from you.”
“You sure?”
He’s looking at my lips, and I shift my attention to the veins in his forearms. Again.
“Now, your first assignment and the elixir we will be constructing is Nexum Adoratia.”
The students groan, and I scribble it in my notebook. I know a handful of the most common elixirs, but they’re all medical related.
“I know, I know, but it’s the base level elixir for a number of others we’re going to cover this semester and the number one most asked about. I like to knock it out quickly. We’ll be running through as many social potions and elixirs as we can, and then we’ll move on to medical.”
“What does it do?” I ask Parker.
“It basically just makes you more open. It gives you that feeling when youdrink alcohol and the wall comes down and you suddenly don’t care what people think of you.”
“You’ve had it before?”
“Oh, yeah, I made one with my friends when I was like fifteen. Some people call it a love potion because of how many people have fallen in love because they were under the influence of it.”
The groans of protest make sense.
“Will you try it?” Parker bats his lashes at me. “Open yourself up a little?”
I’m glad the elixir takes weeks to cure.
“Don’t hold your breath.”
The professor explains the ingredients one by one. And then it’s time for the demonstration. We’re allowed to work among ourselves or follow along.
“Okay, so we’re using the wolfstone cauldron, do you know why?” Parker says.
“Are you going to tell me?”
He places a hand on top of mine, guiding it into the cauldron. With two fingers, he presses mine into the stone. Liquid heat runs through me and up to my ears. His fingers curl into mine, and the pads of my fingers run over the rough, cool surface.
“Feel that?” he asks.
I nod and untuck my hair from behind my ear in case my flush is obvious.
“It’s thicker, and the little indentations in the stone make it a good heat conductor. You need really high heat to make Nexum Adoratia.”
