“Oh. That’s nice.” I frowned at her. “What kind of curse? It wouldn’t really hurt Zach, would it?”
She shook her head but studied me. “Why do you care if Zach suffers? No, Lars isn’t interested in being expelled.”
“Do you think that Lars would ever curse me?”
She looked surprised. “Of course not. He’d be very curious about your whole…”
Me not having magic. Yeah. Maybe Lars was not perfect.
“Ladies! Page one hundred twenty-five.”
I smiled sheepishly at Professor Vale while Viney rolled her eyes. Professor Vale looked tired, a bit pinched around the edges. Nice. I was probably responsible for that, too. I should make her something to help with energy levels. Lollipops. Would she eat lollipops? It wouldn’t hurt to try. If she didn’t want them, I could give them to Drake.
I owed him. Too much. What if he demanded that I watch him make out with other girls as his payment? He’d probably get a sick thrill out of watching me try not to kill someone, watching me want him. Like tying him up to the tree hadn’t proven that I wanted him beyond a doubt.
He’d never kissed me. Would he hate it if I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him, felt his lips against mine, tasted him, finally tasted his lips, his tongue, his breath, his…
Class was over and I sat there for a minute before I made my way up to Professor Vale. “Hi. I was out sick, so I probably have homework or something.”
She was organizing papers on her desk and barely glanced up at me. She still moved rapidly in spite of her low energy. “I know precisely where you were, Miss Lane.”
I winced. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”
She raised a dark eyebrow and stared at me, like a demented fairy in her Elizabethan regalia. “You seem well. How do you feel?”
I shifted my body. “Great. Still a little tired, but considering the spell, not bad at all. Speaking of that, what do you think is the going rate for a spell like that?”
She studied me, still for a moment. “You did not arrange beforehand?”
I shook my head tightly. “I asked him to save me from the weather, not respell me.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I see. When arranging things with mages it is important to be very specific. The usual exchange is quite high for that sort of spelling. My price was the privilege to work on such a spell with a mage like Jasper Hopeworth. As for Jasper’s, and young Huntsman’s, it could be anything from monetary payment, an unspecified favor to be named and paid at a future time, or personal favors.” Her eyes narrowed. “One doesn’t trust a mage without very good reason. At the same time, Huntsman has made quite certain that you had little choice in the matter. Don’t let him ask for more than two million money, or four days of expended energy, or anything else that you can’t gain back afterwards.”
“Like hands?”
She smiled slightly. “Indeed. You’re lucky that Drake called me. That one does not trust women.”
I beamed at her. Yeah, me too. Or men. Or anyone. Except for Signore Ludi and Zach. I still wanted to trust him. I was the stupidest person in the world. Makes sense. I was related to my mother.
Chapter 8
Mage
I’d meant to do something productive Sunday night, but as soon as Penny Lane had run out of my room, I’d collapsed on my bed and slept until my alarm went off Monday morning. I woke up to dreams of her, her scent lingering on my pillow, Penny and dead Creagh. I dressed slowly, adjusting each cuff carefully with my emerald dragonhead cufflinks. I stared at my reflection, adjusted my tie so it wasn’t quite so perfect and walked out of my room.
People watched me more intently than usual. I’d missed a Chemiss Tourney without contacting anyone about it. Pete fell in beside me, a wide grin on his idiotic face.
“Do you know what people are saying?”
“I know what you’re saying and it’s enough to make me want to go back to bed.”
He laughed, still idiotically giddy. “After the dance everyone was saying that Penny Lane was a mysteriously powerful witch who had enchanted both you and Stoneburrow, and then when she disappeared, and you acted like… It’s all over school that she’s working with a Necromancer, because you killed her and she came back to life, and that’s why you missed Chemiss, because the two of you battled, along with her Necromancer Darksider.”
I stared at him, my head cocked. “Penny Lane puts on a black dress and suddenly she’s dating a Necromancer? That gossip is so disappointing. There wasn’t a single charming and quirky detail. No random pets or ridiculous costume changes.” I shook my head and walked faster down the hall.
“But, if the truth is stranger than that, what is the truth?”
“I didn’t say that it was stranger, although it probably was, knowing her. I said that as gossip it disappoints. Gossip should always be larger in scope than the reality. A Darksider Necromancer lover.” I realized my lips were curled and I made an effort to smile pleasantly. That’s close to what I’d thought the first time I’d met her deliveryman. It still made me want to smash someone.
I accidentally smiled at a girl who gazed at me in that insipid way they always did before they threw themselves at me. Luckily I had enough energy to perform the shield spell. I needed to raise my energy levels. The simplest way to do that, was to lower my shield and take their energy while they kissed me. My fingers ran over my chest almost on their own volition. Property of Penny Lane. I somehow doubted that she’d approve such use of lips that belonged to her, not that she’d used them herself. And they were such nice lips. No, I would regain my energy the old fashioned way, taking one of the nasty elixirs Jasper sent me.
My morning classes were spent trying to catch up on all the things I’d missed during my short absence. I was far too involved if no one could survive without me for three days, plus the five before that when I’d been mostly useless. I felt much better than that, at least. Holding Penny’s hand for three days, even feeding her my energy made the bond much more than bearable.
I was in the lab after lunch when Lars sat beside me, staring at me with his enormous blue eyes until I pushed back my goggles and turned to stare him down.
“She’s going to ask me out. Marilynn told me. She thought I would like to know beforehand so if I wanted to date her, I could say yes quickly. Apparently, she didn’t like the way that I took so long to answer her when she suggested we do something. It hurt her feelings.” He shrugged. “Females are a puzzle.”
“Marilynn is telling you that she’s going to ask you out so that when she does you can answer quickly? Do you have to look surprised?”
Lars shook his head, ponderously, back and forth. “Penny Lane is going to ask me out.”
Oh. Amusement I had been feeling changed into something like the blackened pits of the burning lands. Which were going to devour Lars until he was nothing but torched skin. “Congratulations.”
He shook his head. “What do you want me to say?”
“Why should I care?”
He stared at me, looking exceedingly stupid, but somehow I got the message that he thought I was the real idiot. I cleared my throat and smoothed my hands over the beaker on its stand.
“Lars, would you like to date Penny Lane?”
He shook his head, a slow swing. “I don’t fight over lollipops.”
“Who’s fighting?”
He grinned. “Zach.”
I wrinkled my nose. “And he doesn’t even want lollipops. He just doesn’t want any of the other boys to have them since he can’t enjoy them himself. Spiteful.”
He looked vaguely surprised. “He doesn’t want her? Are you sure?”
I shrugged. “Is she Pitch?” I leaned back and stared at him. “Why is she going to ask you out?”
“She wants to date a nice boy, also a strange one.”
“She thinks you’re nice?”
“That I don’t light animals on fire seems to be enough to recommend me.” He frowned. “The thing that concerned me
is that I’m not certain what would work with Penny.”
“Who is?”
“I am, usually. With Marilynn I knew exactly what to do when it was time for her to move on, but with Penny, speaking in riddles and spending copious amounts of time on my head would probably be far from disgusting to her.”
“You could always light animals on fire.” I grabbed his throat. My hand sort of moved without my permission. He stared back steadily. He would curse me and I wouldn’t be able to do much, not in my weakened state. In spite of the bad odds, my hand kept gripping his large throat. “If you ever think of harming her weasel, I will personally see you drowned in the lake of eternal tears.”
He nodded. “I wouldn’t ever hurt an animal.”
It took me another minute, but I managed to release his throat and give him a smile. “Good. You never know.”
“Never.” He smiled widely. “So, do you want me to date her or would you rather her date Barry, or Lester, or whoever the guy is who wears plaid pants?”
I managed to not grab his throat a second time. “Lester? Lester Creighton? Why would she want to date that monster? Surely he doesn’t pass the lighting pets on fire test.”
He shook his head. “I only know what Marilynn told me, as well as things I infer. I would guess that she’s trying to distract herself with mages who aren’t you. Or Zach, but I think we both know it’s you.”
I stared at him. I wasn’t sure what reaction I was supposed to have. She was still trying to avoid me, even after I’d bothered to suck the life out of myself for her? But she’d said she wanted me to gobble her up. I should realize by now how much she enjoyed running away from her desires, and me by default.
“I’ll say no.”
I shook my head and put a hand on his arm. “Say yes. Take her somewhere fun, a fair or circus, something like that. Be yourself. Try to be charming, which in your case is not as stupid as you look.”
He smiled widely. “You don’t consider me a threat?”
I studied him. He didn’t look terrible, and Penny was tall enough, maybe she liked guys who were a full head taller instead of the half head I was. “Prey is easier to catch if they don’t know they’re being hunted.”
He nodded like that went without saying. “You’ve made your interest in her very public. How are you going to change that?”
I stood up and tossed the goggles on their hook before I rolled down my sleeves. “I don’t have to change it, I only have to change the way she thinks of it. If you’ll excuse me, I have hearts to break.”
Corinne Bailey followed me down the hall. She knew how to stalk a guy. Not even Viney had been quite as invasive as the Junior. I smiled at her, which she took as an invitation. I was going to lower the shield and allow her to make contact, but I couldn’t quite do it, not after all the times she’d hurt Penny. She bounced off my shield while I smiled again.
Not Corinne Bailey. Someone else, someone shy, quiet, someone who wouldn’t harass me to the ends of the burning lands. Her with the dark hair and the purple headband. What was her name, something with a V, or an F. Fiona? Vivian? Something. I smiled at her and when she met my eyes she blushed delightfully. No. She wouldn’t pursue me, but she would weep every time I saw her after I’d shattered her heart. Why was this so difficult? Roxy. Hair in blond spikes and overall energy reminded me of Viney. One of Ian’s favorites, so he could console her if she grew too distraught. He knew how to let a girl down so she neither wept nor pursued. If only I were so gifted.
“Roxy? You look charming this afternoon.”
She cocked her head, the three sets of earrings jangling in the movement. “Drake Huntsman, delectable as usual. What mischief are you up to today?”
“I’m looking for volunteers to nurse me back to health. Are you interested?”
Her eyes gleamed and she moved closer to me, cautious of my shield, so I let it down, raising my eyebrows and extending a hand towards her. She ignored it, pouncing on me and knocked me back into the wall. She wrapped her arms around me and pressed her lips against mine, hungrily. I struggled with the reflexive need to knock her off me, to disconnect, but I could do distasteful things for the sake of the greater good. I gripped the back of her head and focused on the energy, drawing it out of her, into me, the connection between us deepening just enough to allow her life energy to flood into me. After a short time I could disengage her from me easily since her grasping hands were limp and weak.
She stumbled away from me while I bowed to her. “Have a pleasant afternoon.” And I will never touch you again whatever the price. Three others I drew energy from and with each one felt sicker from the contact. I was not Ian, and this game was not my pleasure. I belonged to Penny Lane, whether she wanted me or not. The last girl attacked me, right outside of Business, before I’d had a chance to reset my shield, a girl who I didn’t remotely know. I drew the life out of her and pulled away only to find Penny standing there with the most peculiar look on her face. I half expected her to drag me into the woods and carve something a little more blatant into my skin, but she didn’t. She trembled with fury, with rage, but held back, her discipline in place.
I wanted her to break. I wanted her to turn on me and make me hers, but instead she arranged to discuss mage fees. So unromantic.
After business class, I was leaning against a pillar beneath the overhang, staring out into the rain.
“You spelled her?”
I didn’t turn to Zach. He wasn’t interesting. “Professor Vale asked me to assist.”
He snorted. “I saw you take her in the woods. She was already unconscious.”
“She texted me her request. It’ll hold up in any court.”
He sighed and slumped against the pillar next to me. “She’s mad at me.”
I turned my head to stare at the imbecile. “You broke her protection spell. Do you have any idea how hard that was to fix? Gave me a migraine. I’m mad at you.”
He half smiled before he shook his head, staring at the falling sheets of rain. “She’s going to date other guys.”
“Oh, I know.”
“That’s why you were letting the girls touch you? You must have hated that. Do you think she hated it worse than you did?”
“I hope so. What do you want? I’m not feeling chatty. I’m trying to decide what to charge her for the spell.”
He whistled. “So many options. I know what I’d ask.”
“Something about Pitch.”
“Something about her talking to me without snarling. And lollipops. I’m addicted and suffering withdrawals. I was even getting used to lime.”
“Are you seriously going to sit and moan about how the girl you totally messed with is mad at you? Can’t you do that somewhere else?”
“Drake, can’t you talk to her about it? She owes you.”
I stared at him, the narrow face with the gleaming blue eyes. He had so much energy, he was crackling with it. Was I usually such a force-field? Probably. Not at that moment. I needed a nap. “Zachary, I consider you a friend of mine, so I’ll pretend you didn’t just ask me to use whatever influence I have over Penny Lane to make her more vulnerable towards you. No offense, but you’ve done enough damage to the girl.”
He stared at me for a few seconds before he nodded. “I suppose it’s only fair that you have a turn. She’s a strange witch, trusting us. There’s something deeply wrong with her.”
I scowled at him. “There’s nothing wrong with her.”
He gave me a nasty smile. “I disagree. She wants a nice mage and she’s stuck with us. What could be wronger than that?”
“More wrong. Why am I correcting you? You did that just to irritate me. I’m officially finished with this conversation.”
He laughed and slapped me on the shoulder, reminding me of all the times he’d distracted me from my own inner demons. Did I owe him? Not Penny. He wanted some pieces of her, but she wasn’t only a distraction for me. Was she? I’d told Jasper I was going to marry her. Had I been serious?
I couldn’t tell. She was certainly the nearest possibility to marriage I’d ever had so far in my short life. What could I ask for that would give me what I actually wanted without making her aware of it? I needed to know more about her. I needed to understand the curse. Did she know about her own curse? Often knowing about them made them that much worse.
I started to smile as the precise request formed beautifully in my mind. Not precise, but with Penny Lane expectations always had to allow room for the unimaginable.
Chapter 9
Mage
I waited outside her last class in the rain beneath a very large black umbrella. She came out looking pale and ill. She shouldn’t be walking around in the rain. If only witches could step into Darkside and come out somewhere else. But they could fly, at least as many as mages could freely travel throughside.
“Penny, you’re late.” Four minutes. Wasn’t she looking forward to this? No, she wasn’t. I smiled at her while I held out my arm. So chivalrous of me.
She stared at me, lips pressed in a thin line before she smiled brightly and set her hand on the sleeve of my dark green jacket. “I had to speak with Professor Vale. She’s so generous, says I don’t owe her anything since she had the honor of working with a spellsmith like the mysterious Jasper.”
“You make him sound interesting. He’s not. Speaking of debts, don’t you think that Viney owes you something for taking your dance partner away from you?”
She flinched. She didn’t like thinking about that. “What do you want?”
“You have no appreciation for presentation. First, I build tension with subtle suggestions that make you feel a niggling unease then after you’re certain I’m about to broach the topic, I change to something completely irrelevant. When you think I’ve forgotten, only then do I pounce, and bring all of your deepest fears screaming into the night.”
She stared at me, her hazel eyes a little bit stunned while her pink lips parted. Kissing other girls only made the fact that I’d never kissed her horribly glaring. I was going to kiss her, but she was going to beg for it. I probably should stop staring at her soft lips. What were we talking about?
Dread Delight: Rosewood Academy for Witches and Mages (Darkly Sweet Book 2) Page 7
