Page 66 of House of Vampires and Flame

Bea’s dormitory was on the third floor. Her small window had a painting of two butterflies chasing each other.

She was like a geek witch. It was a surprise that she had befriended Dixie. Maybe the shifter beta bought some spells from Bea.

I took a tiny rock from the pocket of my light jacket and threw it at Bea’s window; it hit the frame. I waited for two seconds, and when she didn’t show up, I threw another one that hit the center of the glass.

The window flew open before I could throw a third rock. Bea poked her blue head out and gazed down at me.

I grinned at her and waved for her to come down.

“It’s dangerous for you to roam the campus!” she whispered loudly.

“Don’t worry, little Bea,” I said. “It’s high noon.” I squinted at the sun in the sky. “The vampires are slumbering like babies. Anyway, didn’t you see me coming in your tealeaves?”

She sighed, withdrew her head, her blue hair flapping in the wind, and closed the window.

I edged toward the crimson dwarf burning shrubs and studied the spells coating them while waiting for Bea. The plants and flowers breathed heavily, weighed down by the spells. I nodded at the magic twirling around me. I had to free the bushes, as I didn’t like them being enslaved.

I placed a hand on the bushes and sucked in a breath. A flux of red mist flowed toward me, sinking into me. As my body started to absorb the spells, the dwarf burning bushes turned brighter.

“There, better,” I purred, my smile dropping quickly as I sensed a powerful presence stalking toward me. I’d been so absorbed in eating the repulsion spells latching onto the bushes that I hadn’t detected the prince heir of the House of Mages earlier.

“What are you doing here?” Cade demanded.

“Waiting for a friend, sir.” I wheeled toward him. “And you?”

“This is my house!”

“Of course. Congratulations, sir!”

He glared at me. “How the hell did you get past the wards set up by my top mages?”

“Maybe they’re getting lazy and sloppy?” I suggested. “It happens to the best of us.”

He stalked closer, a calculating light glinting in his turquoise eyes. At least he didn’t emit menacing vibes like the other princes, but it didn’t mean I should let my guard down. I hunched to make myself even smaller and to show him that I wasn’t much of a threat, ready to duck or charge him if he decided to pounce on me.

He frowned at me. “Why are you so tense, Little Bob?”

“Uh, toothache,” I said, pressing my left cheek.

“So, you understand advanced spells,” he asked.

“A little, sir,” I said humbly.

“Where did you learn to master the spells? You aren’t even a student here.”

“I’m self-taught, sir. I don’t have money for school.”

He studied me. “Your techniques are quite unusual, unlike anything I’ve seen.”

“I ate it.” I winced. “The repulsion spell didn’t taste good, but that was the sacrifice I was willing to make for the sake of healthy bushes. Plants just don’t like spells on them, especially offensive spell. Perhaps your mages can install wooden fences and latch spells onto them instead?”

“That’ll be an extra cost! Do you know how much raw materials cost these days?”

“But they say you’re loaded,” I said.

“Who said it? Who dares to stick their nose into my finances?” He waved a hand to express his ire. “Now, you’d better come clean if you want to get out of here in one piece.”

I blinked. “What do you mean come clean, sir? I’m not doing drugs, but I heard fae students are doing it plenty.”

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