Penny and I claimed each other as partners, and Maxim invited a fellow junior he knew to round out the group at our table. I was torn between optimism that everything would work out just fine and worry that my initial impression of he and his brother being bullies would be proven. What if this was just his way of lulling me into a false sense of security before later sabotaging me?
I took a deep breath and focused on Professor Roseberry giving us instructions for our first round of lab work. Mortals had a saying about keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. This class would give me the perfect chance to observe him away from his brother and decide for myself whether he was friend or foe...
Chapter 10
That first lab session was pretty anticlimactic in that we never got the chance to step into the Sim Area. Instead, we had to watch a safety video, fill out an acknowledgment form that Professor Roseberry had gone over the rules with us, and take a pop quiz that dealt half with that week’s reading assignment and half with lab safety. Granted, our reading had covered the base knowledge we needed to master before attempting our first Infernal spell. That didn’t make the fact we didn’t get to actually cast any Infernal magic less disappointing.
I could almost understand why someone might choose to sneak in after class…
Penny and I gathered our belongings once the bell rang. Maxim had to dash off to meet his brother. I opened my mouth to ask Penny where she was off to next, but Professor Roseberry stepped up to address us.
I blinked in surprise and tried to look like I had my shit together. Thank deities I took that Pep Up potion.
“Hello, ladies. I could use a little assistance, if one of you has time. My TA had to miss Lab today for a family funeral, and I skimmed your quiz results earlier. Both of you have just the sort of knowledge a good TA needs to have.”
Penny smiled apologetically. “I have an elective starting soon, Professor. Sorry I can’t help!”
I glanced at the wall clock. “I have over an hour before I need to meet someone for lunch. I can spare some time to help.”
Penny waved and hurried out of the room. Professor Roseberry gave a grateful smile and beckoned for me to follow. “You can just leave your bag there. This won’t take long.”
We spent the next 15 minutes arranging spell components she needed for her next lab session. Apparently that one was a much more advanced session of fourth-level students only.
Once we finished, she gave me another grateful smile. “I appreciate your help, Crystal. No way I would have gotten that all set up in time. And wow. Color me impressed. You know way more about those components than most first levels do. Maybe I should make you my backup TA.”
We shared a laugh, and I shook my head. “I’m sure all the fourth-level students would just love having a freshie grade their papers.”
She winced. “Good point. They’d eat us both alive. Or at least try.” We stepped back toward my lab table so I could gather my belongings. Her lips pursed as she tilted her head. “I don’t suppose you’ve thought about applying for the Lab Assistant position that’s open?”
“Nah, I’m a Library Assistant kind of girl. I actually have an interview for that position this afternoon.”
Disappointment flashed across her face. “Pity. We’re always looking for freshmen with your advanced knowledge. We prefer training those who will be here awhile whenever possible.”
“Well, my sister Misty did apply for the Lab position. And she’s nearly as knowledgeable as me.”
Professor Roseberry’s eyebrows arched. “Sister. I assume you mean Misty Gibbs, going by the shared last name.”
I smiled. “Yeah. We’re fraternal twins, so people don’t always immediately peg us as sisters. And while I have the rep of being the bigger bookworm, Misty’s really smart, too; and she and I studied spell components together a lot. You should consider her for the position.”
“Well, you have me considering her as a strong possibility. I’ll keep an eye on her in her own Lab session this afternoon.” She caught sight of the clock and sighed. “Well, my next session starts in 10 minutes. And you’re meeting someone for lunch soon. Your sister, perhaps?”
I nodded. “Yep, and a few friends.”
“Well, thanks again for your help, Crystal. Maybe we can figure out some other way to make use of your superior skills.”
I felt my cheeks flush as I walked toward the door. “Can I quote you on that superior skills comment?” We shared a laugh. “And you’re welcome, Professor. See you Monday!”
My steps were light as I strolled toward the cafeteria; and that was only partly thanks to the Pep Up spell. Impressing an instructor like Professor Roseberry felt amazing. I was willing to bet it’d also come in handy considering she taught several core classes. And if my putting in a good word for Misty helped her land a part-time job, all the better.
Many of the usual suspects had already claimed a picnic table near the cafeteria by the time I carried my food outside. Steph and my sister sat as close together as possible without actually fusing into one person. I managed to chill out enough to not worry about future repercussions. Who was I to deny two people a chance at love when I had a date with my own crush that evening? Especially given that my primary objection had been Steph’s status as RA and surprise! Zane had turned out to also be an RA. My leg to stand on? Officially cancelled.
Speaking of the sexy devil, Zane jogged up just as I sat at the end of the table where Miranda, Adri, Delvon, and Trey also sat. Zane settled across from me and smiled.
“So,” Misty drawled from her spot next to me. “Tonight’s the big night, yes?”
I narrowed my eyes and sent her an unfriendly flash across our sisterly bond, but that just made her smile grow.
Zane smiled, his obvious enthusiasm cutting my annoyance somewhat. “Yes it is. And I finally came up with the perfect first date.”
Delvon and Trey let out wolf whistles as the others began to clap. My cheeks flushed, but it did feel pretty awesome seeing how excited they all were for us.
Misty grinned at Zane. “Soooo, I’m dying to know. Where are you taking my little sister?”
He leaned forward toward her with a candid expression, and I held my breath in anticipation. “I’m taking your sister to this cool place called That’s for Me to Know and You to Find Out.”
I burst out laughing at the disgruntled expression that swept across Misty’s face. Steph nudged her from where she sat on Misty’s left. “You gotta appreciate a date who keeps an element of mystery. Anticipation can be half the fun!”
Misty’s annoyance shifted to a smile as she nodded slowly. “I guess that’s true. Well, wherever you go, I hope you two lovebirds have fun.”
The mealtime chatter changed course a few times before people began to drift away for classes, jobs, or Friday afternoon relaxing. I had nowhere to be until my 3:00 interview. Fridays were considered our only weekday casual dress day where we could drop the uniforms, so I’d chosen black slacks, a nice short-sleeved top, and a cardigan to avoid having to swing back by the dorm. No sense messing with the finicky teleporter unless there was no other choice.
It was down to just Zane and me when Penny approached with her food, smiling hesitantly as she noticed it was just the two of us. Reluctant to interfere in a romantic meal but not wanting to sit alone; or so I guessed.
I patted the seat next to me, and she moved over with a smile. Zane’s expression suddenly went several degrees cooler, making me blink. I thought he’d said that he wasn’t going to hold her accountable for the fact their mothers hadn’t gotten along...But thinking back over the past few days, I realized that he still seemed to stiffen up when she appeared. Given that I felt a deeper kinship with her than any of my other new friends, that stung. I made a note to ask him about it later. Hopefully, I was just imagining things.
Because it would totally suck to have my new boyfriend and prospective BFF (next to Misty) at odds with each other.
Zane remained fai
rly quiet as Penny and I chatted about the Lab we’d shared earlier. She asked me about helping out Professor Roseberry, and he maintained a polite smile as he finished his food. He didn’t show true interest until Penny brought up our new upperclassman lab partner.
“Maxim Beverly is one of your supervising lab partners?” Penny and I nodded. He frowned slightly. “His brother wasn’t there, though?”
I shook my head. “Nope. Both us twins were flying sans mirror images.”
Penny winced slightly, but Zane replied before I could wonder about that pained expression. “Did he at least apologize for that bullshit that went down earlier this week?”
My turn to wince. Penny’s brows shot up, but I just whispered, “Ask me about it later,” and she nodded.
I turned back to Zane and shrugged. “Kinda? He was going to go into more detail but things got busy in class what with a pop quiz and Professor Roseberry pulling me aside to help after the bell rang. Besides, his brother’s girlfriend and her friend were definitely the instigators of that whole situation.”
Zane tapped his Dr. Pepper bottle absentmindedly. “Yeah, Jackson’s girlfriend has always had a reputation for being an asshole.” He glanced at me. “Did you know Maxim and Delvon used to date?”
I nodded. “Yeah, he mentioned that when saying Brittany wasn’t his girlfriend. Even if she apparently never got the memo.”
Penny swallowed a bite of food and let out a breath of air. “Ouch. I’ve been there before. Completely crushed on a guy who turned out to be gay.”
“Yeah, but did you continue stalking him after you found out?”
“No, no I did not. Very good point.”
Zane gave a sigh of his own. “Brittany has definitely demonstrated she’s not exactly firing on all cylinders where Maxim is concerned. She has her sights set on him for political reasons, and she doesn’t care if he is gay. Like she thinks he might marry her simply for the prestige it’d bring his family. Plus her family is so rich they make the Kardashians look poor.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Witch law isn’t like some of those outdated mortal laws. Maxim could marry a guy for the same reasons if he wanted to, so why under the Eternal Skies would he even think about marrying a woman?”
Zane rolled his eyes. “Damned good question.” The chime warning that there were 15 minutes until the next session started rang. His eyes widened and he jumped to his feet. “Gotta run. Good luck with your interview. And I’ll text you this afternoon with details for tonight.”
I smiled and waved. “Sounds good. Can’t wait!”
He gave a less warm goodbye to Penny and walked off to dump his trash. Proving she’d been more perceptive than I suspected, Penny sighed and nodded toward his retreating form. “I don’t think he likes me very much.”
I bit my lip. “I’m sure he’ll warm up once he gets to know you.”
She forced a smile. “I’m sure you’re right. Anyway, that doesn’t matter. What’s important is that you’re going to have so much fun on your date tonight!”
I couldn’t hold back a goofy grin. I’d been daydreaming about going out with Zane freaking Anders for over a year. And while Steph was right that anticipation was half the fun, it was long past time to trade anticipation for realization. I just couldn’t wait for fantasy to finally become reality.
We changed the subject to my coming interview, and Penny gave me a few pointers for how to impress Dr. Wu. And then she had to finish eating to take care of a personal commitment. Leaving me to review the interview notecards I’d put together before heading to the library.
* * *
I was floating on Cloud Nine by the time I made it back to my room in Artemis House. Dr. Wu had hired me on the spot after a quick interview and making sure I really did know my way around a library. Even better, she didn’t expect me to start until Monday evening. Meaning the fact I’d be out of commission most of Saturday wouldn’t hurt my job prospects.
Zane texted me a few minutes after my interview to wish me luck one more time. I grinned and couldn’t wait to let him know his original well wishes (and my own awesome bookish ways) had already done the trick. He also let me know we’d grab dinner on our date and that semiformal attire (and flats rather than heels) would be great. The hint to wear flats had me thinking we’d probably have to do at least a little walking.
Pixie arched her back and sashayed across my bed to receive all due back scratches. ((How’d the interview go?))
I flashed a sassy grin and a double thumbs-up. “After she ran me through my library paces, she hired me on the spot. I start Monday.”
((Congrats! I knew you’d get the job, but that’s even faster than I expected.))
I couldn’t help snickering. “Remember how Misty mentioned trying out for the spot of that student who got suspended from the volleyball team?”
Pixie gave a mental snort. ((Let me guess. She also worked in the library.))
“Ding! Ding! Ding! Give the familiar a prize.”
((As long as the prize is food or money to buy food, then count me in.))
I gave her one last caress along her back and stepped over to my closet. Pixie had made good on her word to hand over that bet money to me, and Misty had taken me to an upscale thrift store the day before. We’d bought both a casual and a dressy outfit for tonight’s date. The second outfit had required me to dip into my meager savings somewhat, but scoring the library job today had me feeling way less guilty about the splurge.
And a girl went out with her dream date the first time only once!
The shimmery electric blue dress hanging in the closet made me smile when I pulled it out. Metallic silver thread had been woven into the blue fabric, making it glitter in the light. The bodice was corseted, with tiny cap sleeves and a high waist. The skirt flared out in an A-line that hit just above my knees. The fabric whispered against my skin as I slipped into the dress. I couldn’t help twirling to watch the skirt float around my body. On my fifth revolution, Misty appeared from the bathroom and flashed an amused smile.
“Gorgeous!” she drawled. “And here, I have the perfect shoes to go with it.” She dangled a pretty pair of silver gladiator sandals that were fortunately flats.
I arched a brow. “You know your foot’s like three sizes bigger than mine.”
She snickered. “I’m well aware, Shorty, which is why I borrowed these from Cayenne.”
That had my giddy smile reappearing and me accepting the sandals so I could slip into them. Once I stood back up, she beckoned me into the bathroom so she could help with my makeup and hair.
“What would I do without you?” I asked, giving her a quick hug.
“Get better at doing your own hair and makeup? Hire someone to do it for you?”
I rolled my eyes as she set to work taming my unruly mass of teal waves. “Yeah, because I have so much money laying around I can hire a hair and makeup artist. Think Kim K. can recommend someone?”
We laughed and chatted about my new library job, how I’d put in a good word for her with Professor Roseberry, and how Professor Roseberry tested her own spell component knowledge during her afternoon Lab session. I asked about her plans for the evening—pizza with a group of our friends and then sand volleyball—and then she whirled me to face the mirror with a triumph, “Voila!”
My mouth dropped open as I admired the pretty updo she’d formed into tousled waves that framed my face. She’d used mostly natural colors of makeup, highlighting my brilliant green-blue eyes with dramatic black eyeliner that swirled up into cat’s eyes. My lips glowed a soft berry color thanks to the tinted gloss she’d used.
“Wow, Misty. Who needs to pay a pro when they have a twin who’s an artiste?”
She preened under the praise and then consulted her cell phone. “Wow, it’s past 6 already. I need to meet the others in the lobby. Is Zane meeting you there, too?”
I batted my lashes. “Nope, he’s doing it up right and coming to our front door.”
“Ooh, Pixie was righ
t. He really does have it bad for you.”
((Damn right I was! You weren’t there for a year of them making smoochie faces at each other in Computer Club. But both too chickenshit to do anything about it.))
I stuck my tongue out. “This is me refusing to let your negativity spoil my excitement. I’m going to have a fantastic date with Zane tonight, and nothing can ruin that!”
Nothing, that was, short of the Witch Queen showing up to reveal she knew who I really was…
* * *
A knock sounded on the suite door fifteen minutes after Misty headed off for pizza—accompanied by both our larcenous familiars. I didn’t envy her the chore of dealing with two feisty felines all evening. I took a deep breath before swinging the door open.
Zane flashed a megawatt smile when he caught sight of me. I had to suck in another breath when I saw him. Black jeans hugged his long legs like a second skin, and he wore a teal t-shirt damned near the color of my eyes beneath a trendy black jacket. His copper hair fell in that careless style that probably cost hundreds at a fancy salon. He wore simple black boots that seemed suited for either dancing or kicking ass.
Let’s stick with dancing tonight, I beseeched the universe, thinking that it could be fun to hit a club with such a gorgeous man on my arm. I’ve been waiting over a year for this and do not want anything screwing this night up.
As if the universe usually cared what one insignificant little witch wanted…
“Wow, you look beautiful,” Zane finally managed in a husky voice, lifting a small bouquet of gerbera daisies for my inspection.
A smile touched my lips as I accepted the vibrant arrangement of red, orange, and yellow flowers. A wide red ribbon fastened them together.
A Witch’s Beating Heart Page 13
