Except...
I hopped up and down on one leg, wriggling into my jeans. “How’s my hair?”
Leia’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “Honestly? Like someone blasted you with their wand.”
“Perfect,” I muttered, combing through it with one hand while the other was snatching up my backpack. I slung it over my shoulder and charged through my door into our shared living space.
“Do you have a special Proteus class or something?” Leia asked just as my hand settled on the front doorknob.
“No, why?” I looked back at her, impatiently drumming my fingers on the knob.
She shrugged and glanced at my backpack. “Fridays are free days. Until Divination and Foresight, of course.”
“Right,” I said, squinting as though my schedule might be printed on Leia’s face. “And when is that again?”
“Nine p.m.” She snagged her keys off the coffee table. “So we’ve got a while.”
“Guess I won’t be needing this then,” I said, letting my backpack slide down my arm and hit the wooden floor with a thump.
Leia smiled brightly. “Not unless you just want to undergo Madam Petrovich’s chronic back pain treatments.”
Grimacing, I swung the door open and we stepped out into the hall. “Sounds fun, but I think I’ll pass.”
We made our way down the empty hall and pushed through the front doors into the late morning sunlight. The quad echoed with laughter and shouts as various pairings of students practiced sparring, some with wands and some without. Remembering my wand caused my heart to seize with pain, though not quite as bad as what I’d experience last night. My hand flew to my chest, fingertips lightly rubbing at my sternum and ribs.
Of course, Leia noticed right away. Her hair swung dramatically as she snapped her head toward me, training her healer’s gaze on my aching chest. “What’s that? What’s going on?”
“Hey now, my eyes are up here,” I tried to joke, but she just tilted her head and let out an exasperated sigh. I dropped my hand and shrugged. “Just a little heartburn. No big deal.”
“You looked like you were seeing a ghost,” she said, eyes narrowing.
“Not at this moment,” I muttered, casting a glance through the gap between our dorm and the next building. A dark green wall of trees rose up from the other side of the field where I had first seen Rhea chained up. Now that I was fully awake, flashes of last night were returning with overwhelming speed. My heart began to pound, and soon my fingers knotted into a fist and I began digging my knuckles into my flesh.
“Okay, hold up,” Leia said, grasping me by the elbow. “What does ‘not at this moment’ mean? What’s going on with you?”
My eyes lingered on the woods, avoiding Leia’s probing gaze. She stepped directly in front of me, and I took a sidelong glance in the direction of the dining hall. “I’ve got to meet Serenity,” I said, taking a step that way.
“Serenity can wait,” Leia said, tugging me back. “Your energy is all over the place. You’re sending out all kinds of little distress flares that are grabbing my magic’s attention. Tell me what’s wrong.”
“Nothing,” I whined, prying Leia’s fingers off my elbow. “I’m just… anxious about lunch. And, uh… seeing Dash for the first time since…”
Leia’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. “Since what?”
Groaning, I covered my face with both hands. “Since we kissed. That’s all. That’s it. That’s all we did.” A horrible thought crossed my mind, and I let my hands fall to clutch Leia’s wrists. “He’s not telling people something else, is he?”
“No!” Leia chewed on her lip and shook her head. “I mean, I don’t think so. Oliver didn’t say anything like that, and I can’t imagine he could’ve kept it to himself if that was the rumor going around.”
“Okay,” I said, letting go of her arms. “Okay. That’s good. Well, it’s actually really disappointing to know Oliver would keep a rumor going like that—”
“Oh, no,” Leia said quickly. “I just meant he would have told me. Not everyone.”
I wrinkled my nose. “That’s only marginally better. But I’ve got bigger fish to fry. I definitely never signed off on Dash going public with our… whatever it is.”
“Whatever it is?” Leia arched an eyebrow. “I had no idea you were such a romantic.”
“Okay, listen,” I hissed, glancing around to see if there were any prying ears nearby. “I had a weird night. A really weird night. Like, even for this place. It’s too much to get into right now, but long story short, by the end of it, I was accidentally dating Dash, and his aunt was threatening to kill me if I stopped.”
“The Chancellor threatened to kill you!?” Leia squealed, and then immediately clapped her hands over her mouth.
“Oh, come on, seriously?” I turned away from her and started booking it toward the dining hall. I had a suspicion that Serenity expected punctual attendance at her lunchtime soirees and that the penalty for tardiness would be severe.
Leia’s shoes came pitter-pattering up the sidewalk behind me. “I’m sorry! That was just a very surprising thing for you to say.”
“Yeah, well, it was a very surprising thing to have happen.”
“But surely she was only joking?” Leia said in a small voice. She was basically the president of the Chancellor Singh fan club, which was one reason I hadn’t wanted to tell her anything about my night because I suspected she would just make excuses for her beloved role model who was actually, it turned out, something of a psycho, and possibly a drunk.
I ignored her until we reached the foot of the dining hall’s steps. A few clusters of students were eating their meals higher up the steps, enjoying the warm sunshine streaming down from the brilliant blue sky. Not wanting Leia to keep pestering me about it in front of them or anyone inside, I turned back to her and said, “I assure you she was not joking. Her actual words were something like, ‘If you break my nephew’s heart, I will break yours in every possible way.’”
Leia’s lips pulled back in a yikes face, but her brain obviously couldn’t accept this dent in Singh’s shiny armor, because the next words out of her mouth were, “But that’s not really a threat to kill you.”
I pressed my hands to the sides of my head. “Oh my gosh, you’re right,” I said, letting my voice drip with sarcasm. “She threatened to kill everyone I love. That’s so much better.”
Leia sighed. “Meena, this is a magic academy. Exact word choice matters. Chancellor Singh would know that better than anyone, so—”
“You weren’t there,” I snapped. “I know what she meant. And now I’m on the express train to being Mrs. Dasharath Singh.”
My voice pitched too high at the end of that horrifying thought and caught the attention of several lounging students. Eyebrows shot up and heads bent toward each other, whispering.
“Fabulous.” I frowned at Leia. “I’ll see you later.”
Leia winced. “What? You can’t even be seen walking in with me now that you’re Serenity’s new pet?”
I didn’t dignify the accusation with a response. As I shoved my way through the heavy wooden doors, I felt a twinge of guilt over my attitude, but only a twinge. Vicky would have never second-guessed me if I told her an evil witch was going to hurt everyone I loved if I broke her nephew’s heart. The twinge increased, because actually Vicky would totally second-guess that. Just like she had second-guessed me being a real witch at all, even when I made a pen disappear right before her eyes. If I hadn’t been able to show her Braden’s room on the other side of the portal I’d opened between their closets, I would probably be in a hospital undergoing a psych eval right now.
Pausing with one hand on the open door, I hung my head. So far, Leia had proven herself to be a good friend, and she really hadn’t deserved to be treated like that—even if she was being a little annoying.
Lifting my head, I looked around the massive dining hall and its tables lined with colorfully-cloaked students.
Oh,
crap. I had forgotten mine.
That was as good an excuse as any to turn around. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I remembered Serenity saying something about ‘appropriate attire’ if I was going to hang out with her clique. I knew the whole thing could be a trick just to humiliate me in some creative fashion, so why serve myself up on a silver platter? I would go get my cloak, apologize to Leia, and come right back, prepared to grovel about my lateness.
I let go of the door and turned around, running smack into Dasharath. The door closed right behind me, bumping into my back and smashing us even closer together. Chuckling, he took me by the waist and drew me out of the doorway. His lips made a beeline for my own, but I managed to turn my head just in time for them to land on my cheek.
“Whoa there, partner,” I said in a hokey western accent that I was pretty sure I’d never used before in my life. “How about a hello first?”
Dash pulled back and gazed me at through dreamy, half-lidded eyes. “Hello, beautiful.”
“Um…” I knew I should say something nice in return, but all I could do was stare at him. The distance between our eye levels had definitely diminished since last night. I distinctly remembered having to tilt my head back in order for his lips to descend on mine, but now I would only need to lean forward to plant one on him.
But it wasn’t just his height. His chest seemed narrower, his arms less strong… He still had a handsome face, but its angles weren’t as clearly defined as they had been in the moonlight, or even within the shadowy, candlelit realm of the chancellor’s office. Looking at him, I felt I must be losing my mind. Could the moon really play that big of a trick on me? The subtle facial differences… sure. Chalk that up to darkness and the heat of the moment. But his height and build? And, for that matter, his whole demeanor? I had kissed a man who knew how to smolder, but this dude… his only setting seemed to be desperate simper.
“Meena?” he asked, dark eyebrows knitting together when my silent staring extended past the point of anything normal.
I shook my head and blinked several times. “You were taller last night.”
He winced as though I’d struck him hard across the face. Ducking his head, he rubbed at the back of his neck. “Ah, well… I mean… thick-soled boots…” He glanced up at me through his long eyelashes. “I’m sorry if… well, if I’ve disappointed you…”
“No, no, no,” I said quickly. “I’m sorry. That was rude of me. I just… thick-soled boots, of course.”
“For walking in the woods at night,” he said. “But if you like me better with them on…”
“No, no, no,” I repeated. “Don’t be silly. I like you… just the way you are.”
He let out a sigh of relief, and I echoed it with my own because at least his breath was still pleasant. His overall odor was still very pleasant. And when I laced my fingers through his to pull his hand away from my waist, which felt way too intimate at this time and location, some of the spark had returned to our hands, sans all of last night’s anxious sweat. Maybe the only thing different about him was that he was less confident under lights. Weren’t we all a little bolder about some things in the dark?
He squeezed my hand and tilted his head hopefully. “Since I said hello?”
I glanced at the people hanging around on the steps. There were more than a few eyes turned toward us, and the thought of kissing in public made me feel a little queasy. I had already made a spectacle of myself here twice; I really didn’t want to add being one half of the shameless PDA couple to my resume.
On the other hand, I had obviously hurt Dash with my blunt comment about his height, and if I denied him a simple kiss, he might believe it was because I wished he were taller, and what if that sent him into a shame spiral and the chancellor found out and...
I untangled our fingers and grasped his face in both hands, pulling his lips against mine. I could feel him breaking into a smile, and when his hands settled gently on my elbows, I felt the flutter of magic in my palms. Real magic.
A harsh bark of laughter broke us apart. My head snapped toward the unkind sound, and there was Braden, hobbling up the steps with one hand clutching the site of his wound. Behind his beard, his grimacing face glowed red with rage as he lifted his hand into an accusatory point.
“What the hell did you do to my room?”
Chapter 6
Dash immediately stepped in front of me, squaring his shoulders and lifting his chin. “Mr. Thomas, I have to ask you not to speak—”
“Oh, come off it, Singh,” Braden scoffed. “Don’t you ‘Mr. Thomas’ me. You’re nothing but a glorified errand boy.”
Even standing on the step below us, Braden towered over Dash. The beard that made him seem so much older than the rest of us only served to make him seem more childish now with his wild eyes and throbbing temples. I couldn’t help but wonder if he had used the excuse of his ransacked room to kick back a few cold ones before it was even noon.
Dash’s hand effortlessly moved aside his cloak, showing off the wand resting in its leather holster on his hip. “That may be true, Mr. Thomas,” Dash said, his voice low and silky smooth, “but part of the glory is the authorization to use this in any situation I deem an emergency, and if I ever hear you speak to Meena that way again, I will deem it an emergency faster than your intoxicated eyes can blink.”
Braden stared at him, his cheek slowly sinking in as his jaw tightened. The way his pupils seemed to swim around in his irises confirmed Dash’s accusation, the same one I was already thinking. His lips pulled back in a snarl. “I’m not drunk. I’m on pain meds.”
“The whole bottle?” Dash asked flatly.
“No,” Braden growled, dragging out both letters. “Just enough not to feel my stab wound.” His eyes flashed to me. “You remember that, don’t you, Meena?”
Sighing, I slipped out from behind Dash. “This is ridiculous. Braden, I can explain about your room—”
“What? Did you take this clown there?” Braden jerked his thumb at Dash. “Needed a room without a roommate, and luckily mine just died?” He shook his head, sneering. “That why you got so flustered when I said you were too easy?”
Dash’s wand whistled with the speed of his draw, and before I could give Braden the slap he deserved, the tip of that wand was pressing into the hollow of his throat.
“One more word,” Dash warned. He shook his head with a disgusted snort. “How dare you impugn her honor when you’re the one who sent her there to fetch your underwear.”
“Underwear?” Braden roared, ignoring the magical weapon digging into his neck. If a crowd wasn’t gathering before, they certainly were now.
Resting a hand on Dash’s outstretched wrist, I murmured, “It’s okay. I’ve got this. Let me talk to him.”
Dash flicked his eyes from Braden’s face to mine, and I nodded my encouragement. He bowed his head slightly and took a step back, lowering but not holstering the wand. “One more word,” he repeated.
I stepped closer to Braden, leaning toward his nearest ear. “You’re making a fool of yourself,” I hissed. “I did exactly what I said I was going to do, but you had company when I got back. Someone seems to think you might have something that they want.” I lifted my eyebrows. “I just barely escaped with my life.”
Braden’s jaw clenched as he sucked in a sharp breath.
I pulled back and folded my arms over my chest, staring him down. “I’m sorry that I left the window open when I went to fetch your underwear, like you asked. I just thought it needed airing out. I didn’t realize we have such a raccoon problem.”
“A raccoon problem?” Dash blurted, clearly offended. “This campus does not—”
“Yes,” Braden said loudly, as though he were in a terrible high school theatre production. “Now that I think about it, the droppings should have clued me in right away. They were not the right size to be yours at all.”
Dash made a disgusted noise, and I pinned Braden with a withering glare. “Maybe I could come over and help
you straighten up?” I stressed the last two words so that they had a double meaning.
A hand touched my elbow, and Dash murmured, “Is that the best—?”
“Sounds good,” Braden said, still sounding stiff and awkward. “Let’s go now.”
I planted my hands on my hips. “I have a lunch date, thank you very much. But I could pencil you in around one?”
“Meena,” Dash tried again.
“One?” Braden erupted. “I could have the whole place cleaned up myself by then!” He shook his head and started backing down the steps. “Come on, Meena.”
Dash stepped up beside me, wand slightly raised. “Don’t you order her around.” He cut his eyes at me. “Meena, please, I don’t want you alone with—”
“Nobody orders me around!” I pointed at each guy in turn. “Not you. And not you. No one. I do what I want. And it’s not a good sign for either of you that what I want to do right now is walk through that door and eat lunch with Serenity!”
And with that, I flounced away from both of them and shoved my way through the heavy wooden door for the second time. The cacophony of the dining hall was music to my ears, drowning out the resounding memories of the ridiculous scene those boys had just put me in the center of. As the door slammed behind me, shutting them both blissfully out, I scanned the long tables for Serenity and her… coven? Wasn’t that the proper name for a group of witches? It certainly sounded more appropriately ominous than calling it a ‘clique’ or a ‘study group’, which is the one thing I was absolutely sure it was not.
“It’s nearly noon,” Serenity’s voice suddenly oozed from somewhere to my left. “You missed us.”
Turning, I found her standing next to the bank of trash cans, arms folded, blocking the path of everyone waiting to throw away their lunch remains. She pursed her lips and titled her head, inviting me to make an excuse.
“I’m sorry. I got held up,” I stammered, trying to seem appropriately chagrined.
Broken Wand Academy Page 25
