Compounding Traumas (Artemis University Book 6)

by Erin R Flynn

  He was also a plant of the council who they had ordered to seduce me as they firmly believed the rumors I was a huge slut after having lived with humans for so long. Instructor McGrath was more than willing as he was a colossal pervert that loved co-eds and making them submissive to his authority.

  I had a problem with Professor Nelson playing with students and not making the lines clearer, but they were adults and needed to be smarter.

  This guy was a fucking predator who liked to entrap people and threaten them with exposing what they’d done. He’d taped people—and looked forward to doing the same to me—and all kinds of despicable things. He was also to get access to everything of mine for the council, but he wasn’t planning on giving everything to them as he was selfish and knew without a doubt he could bend me to his will.

  I was a stupid redheaded slut that was full of bluster and won the lottery with fairy grandparents to have too much power that I didn’t understand. I needed a firm hand and better guidance, the right spoiling and seduction, and I’d enjoy every second of it and give him the keys to everything.

  First, he’d get me away from White by teaching me all the stuff she’d never let me near. Second, he’d break Darby and me up by catching the vampire in some compromising position he’d fake with magic I wouldn’t understand. I’d be so devastated that I would be broken and weak and completely open to his training to become his submissive.

  And then he’d have everything he could ever want.

  The kicker of all of this? The seriously shocking part to me, way beyond finding a man who was a sick fuck or the council would send someone to do something so underhanded?

  I could read his thoughts with the telepathy blocking charm. That wasn’t supposed to be possible. So… What. The. Actual. Fuck?

  I was more powerful than the person who made the charm? Did they not normally work on fairies who were telepaths, and I was simply too young and weak after having my magic curbed for years that they did work on me before? Was Instructor McGrath a weaker warlock than the others I’d been around who worked those charms? Did that matter?

  My mind reeled with questions, but I only had one answer I knew for sure: I couldn’t tell anyone about this development. Not even White. This was one of those secrets only I should ever know. No one else needed to know I was so powerful, telepathy charms didn’t work on me anymore.

  Because I had the feeling that that made me scary powerful, and most people feared anything that was scary. Even if it wasn’t bad scary.

  But McGrath posed a serious problem, and there wouldn’t be an easy solution or answer on how to handle him. Luckily, I wouldn’t need to right away as the bell rang. For the moment, most knew I was fairly standoffish and kept to myself, so any chance he took to try and form an attachment or bond with me, I could easily rebuff.

  Even if I would want to slice off his balls and shove them up his ass.

  The most insulting part of his whole plan? The man was gross. I wasn’t even trying to be rude or judgmental on his looks. He wasn’t the best looking, anyone could see that. I wouldn’t normally judge based on physical appearance, simply that I wasn’t attracted to him and he wasn’t my type.

  No, it was his whole package and… There are some men you look at or are near and you can feel the slime, sexism, and creep factor on them.

  That was Instructor McGrath. So there wasn’t a chance in fucking hell I would go near that man or be alone in a room with him for any reason. And I had a hard time thinking any woman had without major alarm bells going off, so I wanted to know how many he’d done stuff to with magic that he then recorded and threatened with.

  And then I’d clip his balls and shove them up his ass.

  I debated what to do and how to handle telling people as he went over the syllabus. He then handed out the packets with ingredients for our first assignments, and I heard from his mind that mine was fucked with. He wasn’t paying me any particular attention, but planned to make me need to come to him like a mouse in his maze.

  Right, cute. A few simple comments about White not doing all she should by me, and Craftsman wasn’t as smart as everyone thought if he couldn’t teach me the basics to help me with anything besides runes, and I’d want to spend time with McGrath and absorb his vast knowledge. It also gave me the perfect reason to see the charm around his neck when he leaned over to hand it to me.

  The charm that was on the metal chain.

  Metal I could break when I was upset. I made sure I was upset and snapped a link of the chain, mentally smirking when I saw it fall to the ground as he rounded to walk down the next row. He was trying to be cool by wearing a dress shirt without a tie and a few buttons open, with too-tight fitted slacks as opposed to more professional attire like others.

  I swallowed loudly, knowing my favorite look was Craftsman’s with the nice jeans, dress shirt, and tie. It was such a sexy look… And I had to see it on the asshole during my last class of the day.

  I really, really was going to hate Tuesdays and Thursdays. Between the evil, complicated math, a fucking creep council spy, and my ex-lover teaching runes I already knew…Yeah, I just hated those days this year.

  The moment the bell rang to end class, I had my phone in my hand, everything already packed up to go, and I was out the door. I pulled up a text message and addressed it to Mel, Dean White, Zack, Ray, and Geiger. That seemed the essential group who needed to know on this one, and if they thought we needed to add others, then I would trust their judgement.

  Tamsin: We have a serious fucking problem. Instructor McGrath is a council plant. He’s here to seduce me to get everything they want, but he’s planning on keeping most of me and what I have for himself AS HIS SUBMISSIVE. He was wearing a telepathy blocking charm that I broke a link of the chain on so it fell off. That will only work today. We need a longer term plan. Fast.

  I started thinking there might be a way to fib there was a fairy rune I could put on the charm if someone helped me distract him. Ray’s text came in immediately and before I could work out any flaws in my idea.

  Ray: The plan is easy. Let the fae dogs eat him and find a new potions teacher. See? Easy plan.

  Mel: I was just typing out the same plan.

  Zack: That sounds like something they’d be ready for and their backup plan if he can’t seduce Tamsin, idiots.

  White: I second that. Though I would have left off the name-calling as I wanted to call the fae dogs as well. That seems a reasonable response to such a disgusting situation, but I agree the council is smart and their plans are normally layered.

  Geiger: Agreed. Do nothing for the moment.

  Tamsin: There’s more to this. He’s entrapped women and students before. He’s a total perv predator and was excited at the chance at someone with a huge estate like me. He’s got a detailed plan where I’m a mouse in his maze. He’s going to show Craftsman neglected me as he knows there’s issues there, so does the council. He’s also going to cut me off from White’s influence so I rely on him.

  White: That’s nonsensical. Why would you choose an instructor over the tutelage of a dean?

  Tamsin: He’s going to offer to teach me the bad stuff he thinks you wouldn’t ever teach a young witch as he and the council are fairly convinced I really am one. He tampered with my first assignment in an attempt to make it seem I’m so lacking that I can’t even handle the basics and need his expertise if you’re all so busy and would neglect me when I’m so special.

  Mel: We’ve seen predators use that ploy over and over again. It’s effective, normally on girls younger than you. He’s not looked into your background enough to realize you would see right through that.

  Tamsin: I got the feeling his sexism blinded him pretty hard to my having that much rational thought. Also he agrees with the council I’m UNDOUBTEDLY a huge slut given I’ve lived so long around humans so I’d be easy to seduce if given the slightest attention. Oh, once he frames Darby for cheating on me with magic. Because I’ve been stupid enough to fall f
or any of that.

  Zack: Seriously, do they think women are completely brainless? Wolves do not treat their women like this!

  White: Yes.

  Mel: Yes, but dragons don’t either. They’re sexist in leadership and councils, yes, but nowhere to this extent. It’s vampires and warlocks that are so bad and hold the society back because they are the two largest groups. The shifters are the biggest if they all combine but they don’t. Though some of their groups are incredibly sexist.

  White: For now with the assignment, you will bring it to Professor Pillay tomorrow and say you think something is off with the ingredients. She would be the right resource since you will see her before McGrath and you’ve worked with her more so it make sense while leaving me out of it. She will undoubtedly know what’s wrong or something is wrong and bring it to mine or McGrath’s attention.

  Geiger: Good. That will make someone as distrusting as Tamsin leery of the new teacher and give her every excuse to avoid being alone with him. It explains lots and has nothing to do with his telepathy blocking charm. Is there anything else we can do about that long-term?

  I let out a slow breath and decided to go with my lie as I hurried to the cafeteria. It was better to get it out over text instead of saying it since White could see past my aura dulling rune.

  Tamsin: I need someone to help me distract McGrath and then I have a fairy rune I can use to nullify the magic in the charm without him being able to sense it. It has to be someone he wouldn’t ever think of working with me.

  Mel: Larson. I’ll talk with Larson. It only makes sense given Larson wants to outline how much magic you’ll be using to come up with your diet plan and energy usage. McGrath will want access to Larson too which means he’ll jump at the chance to not only speak with him but speak with him about you.

  White: Good. I will warn Edelman, Craftsman, and Dr. Salzman not to say a word about you to McGrath and we will fill them in later when we can. That should be enough for now as we don’t know what other charms or powers the man has given he’s working with the council.

  That was smart and we all said as much.

  I tucked my phone away when we finished up and I reached the cafeteria, my mind racing with the development. This was all so fucked up. How could grown men really sit in judgment of others and call themselves honorable with straight faces and order someone to do this to a young woman? All so they could control her and take what she had?

  How could they not expect people to fight back against that?

  I really didn’t know but I certainly fucking would.

  19

  Mel and I were tense during lunch, leaving Izzy to glance between us as if trying to figure out what was going on now. I caught her gaze and gave a slight shake of my head to warn her to stay out of it. Luckily, she was good at leaving things be when she knew it wasn’t because we didn’t trust or love her, but it was over her level of badass.

  Or so she referred to it. She was still new to all of this and having to fight the bad guys. She was getting better at physical training and combat, but she was still a behind-the-scenes addition to the team. Though according to Zack, she had great aim when he took her to the shooting range. I hated guns, so I didn’t like the idea of her using one, and I really loathed the idea of her ever carrying one.

  But she didn’t. She said she knew she was cannon fodder as a witch who didn’t have the juice as I did, so if it could level the playing field a bit then she was for it.

  That made me change my tune. She was her own woman, and if she wanted to learn guns instead of swords to protect herself, then that was her choice, and we supported each other in this makeshift family we had.

  Hudson walked by and energy danced all over my body, tanking my mood even worse. Between that, and my next class being Runes 201, I was surprised storm clouds weren’t forming over my head. For real. There was a serious difference between catching glances of Craftsman in public areas, or even see him in a meeting, and being stuck in a lecture with him where he was the teacher.

  “You can do this,” Mel whispered gently when lunch was wrapping up.

  I glanced at her and let her see in my eyes that I wasn’t sure I could. Then I swallowed everything I was feeling down and headed to class.

  He was already there writing on the chalkboard… The one I’d goofed around at writing runes on with Izzy while he’d watched us with amusement. I glanced at the desk we’d messed around on more times than I could count and had had sex on. Next, I looked at my old seat and memories assaulted me.

  I shut it all down and pushed it out as I hurried to a seat on the far side in the very back by the windows. Maybe if I was in the corner furthest from his view, then I wouldn’t feel his eyes on me, and the windows would give me a distraction.

  The bell rang and he gave his intro, my heart aching to hear his accent and smooth voice in such a familiar way instead of simply in my dreams. It killed me to know how many were falling for his voice as I had, and maybe he would actually love one of them and the person they were, accept them when he couldn’t me.

  I couldn’t listen to this. I couldn’t listen to him. This was too much for my broken soul and longing for Julian Craftsman. I didn’t even realize I had made the decision to completely tune him and the whole class out until a syllabus packet was tossed back at me, landing on the extending lap desk used to take notes. I mumbled something resembling a thanks and stuffed the packet in my bag.

  And then I went back to plotting what areas and estates I planned to rescue hobgoblins from in the coming weeks.

  “Ms. Vale!” Craftsman’s voice echoed through the lecture hall, letting me know that it wasn’t the first time he’d tried to get my attention. Even if I didn’t physically react or look at him, something in my muted aura must have told him he’d surprised me because he didn’t shout again. “Am I boring you, Ms. Vale?”

  I was about to swallow down what I really wanted to say, but then realized he’d given me the perfect opportunity to sow some dissent. People were bitching about how the school protected me and that I was in too tight with them. McGrath wanted to spy on me for the council and others wanted access to me. I was limited on this and that because I had to play nice for the school.

  Maybe letting people think everything wasn’t all flowers and candy with us was a good thing?

  “Yes, to tears actually,” I drawled as I kept my focus out the window. Several people gasped or tried to cover snickers with coughs, but failed miserably.

  “Excuse me?” he bit out.

  “You asked, Doc,” I purred. “Don’t get angry at me if you don’t want the truth as I’d be in trouble for lying. So do you want my answer, or do you want to pretend you didn’t ask the question?”

  “I expect you to answer my questions if I ask them, Ms. Vale.”

  I slowly turned my head and met his gaze, letting him see how much I hated him for forcing me to take his class behind my back after what had happened between us. I mentally smirked when he flinched.

  “Yes, you’re boring me, Dr. Craftsman. I find this class remedial, which was why it took me less than a month over the summer to learn the runes and place out of it. Which Dean White and Professor Pillay approved. But it was decided that the spoiled elites couldn’t handle allowing the lowly unknown to place out of yet another class as I have skipped ahead two years of physical training and now mental shielding.

  “And unknowns are so unstable, and the gods forbid I do anything magical well as I’m so fucking volatile. Or so sayeth the savant Craftsman, right, Doc?” People weren’t even trying to hold back their shock then. “Did I do something before you could or better than you could at my age? Are you like your sexist council and I needed to be put in my place because I have breasts?”

  “I think that’s enough—” he tried to cut in, but I wasn’t done.

  “It’s funny how the elites get around the rules all the time, but I wasn’t even given the respect of a conversation before being stuck in this class at your di
scretion after I was approved to be placed out of it. And I pay my tuition just as they do. Hell, I was the single largest donor to Artemis this year and still I was screwed over because you, a male from an elite family, said it should be so.

  “So yes, you’re boring me. You’ve bored me since you wanted me to bail on the Power Playoffs when the elites cheated and tried to stack the deck against me. You couldn’t keep up, and I had no problems doing it without you. I had no problem learning this whole year on my own, but that pissed you off, so you used your penis and forced me into this seat. So here I will sit because you can’t keep up.”

  I turned to look back out the window, but not before I saw steam practically coming out of his ears at being called out like that. It wasn’t simply I’d poked at our relationship and his personal failings, but I’d poured salt in his wounds and issues with his family and insulted him as a teacher.

  “Participation is a part of your grade, Ms. Vale,” he ground out.

  “Doc, I did all the runes for the full year flawlessly for your boss. I can show you how they work anytime you need me to.” I bit back a smirk at the implication he couldn’t do them himself when clearly he could.

  He was quiet a full minute, the whole class seeming to wait with bated breath to see how he would react. “Stay after class, Ms. Vale. There seems to be much we need to discuss.”

  I swallowed a snort. Yeah, that wasn’t happening. He’d done enough to force me to be around him. He had started this and picked on the fact I wasn’t paying attention in front of all these people. He could have simply ignored it and been kind.

  For someone who claimed he still cared for me, he didn’t seem to want anything other than to make my life harder. I bit my tongue hard enough that it hurt to fight tears when I realized that.

  He waited a few more moments for me to respond, but when I kept ignoring him, he went back to his lecture.

  Five minutes before the bell rang, I seriously considered using a shadow rune and barrier to hide myself and silence my presence and slip out of class… But we weren’t actually supposed to use our conduits outside of class, the practice rooms, or supervision until junior year after we passed some certification, and there was a list of rules.