“She can’t go in there by herself,” Eve argued. “It’s too dangerous.”
“For the reincarnation of Faust, yes. But Ms. Sheppard is an exceptional student and Professor Blade would be more than willing to assist her in any way she requests… far more so than you, Ms. Revere.”
Eve scowled. “And what will I do?”
“You and I are going to have additional lessons to ensure your skillset is where it needs to be for when the inevitable occurs.”
“When I need to summon Faust.”
“When she needs to put her life on the line for the sake of this school?” Grace sounded worried.
Eve looked to her, a hand reaching for hers across the table. “I’ll be fine.”
Grace gave a small smile, but Moore cleared his throat and cut into the moment.
“We need to make sure she will be fine, which is why we need to work together to ensure Blade doesn’t grow fully into his power, and the sooner we complete these tasks, the sooner we’ll all be relatively safe.”
“When do we start?” Eve asked.
“Tonight, if possible.”
Grace choked on the breath she sucked in.
“Summoning works best after sunset,” Moore explained.
“Are you just saying that so no one can see you with a student?” Grace’s tone was more than accusatory, and Eve tried to get a read on her. Was she truly concerned for her well-being? Uncertain about Moore? Both?
“In a way, yes.” Moore shrugged. “I can only do so much during the daytime with my responsibilities as a professor, but the afterhours allow more freedom and fewer questions.”
“Then why don’t I just steal the book when Blade is out of his office?”
“Because that’s stealing, Grace,” Eve reminded her.
“And chances are Blade won’t allow that book out of his sight, so if he leaves, so too does the book.” Moore pushed off his desk and walked behind it to sit in his chair. “I think that’s all we can do for now. Evangeline, I’ll see you back here after sundown.”
They both watched him for a moment longer, and when he didn’t look up from the papers he’d busied himself with, the two women stood and moved to the door.
“Oh, and Evangeline?”
Eve stopped and glanced over her shoulder.
“Be sure to wear something comfortable.” He said the word comfortable as if it was a synonym for sexy.
“What?” she hissed turning around.
As though expecting her reaction, he gave her a wide grin. “Summoning can be tiring work--and dirty if you’re not careful. I just want to make sure you’re not going to ruin your favorite blouse.”
She cast him a glare that already matched Grace’s, and the two silently left Moore’s office.
Chapter Thirteen
“When we summon, we need to picture ourselves as a vessel for the spirits to channel themselves between this world and theirs.”
Eve sat in the center of Jonathan’s office casually dressed in a hoodie and yoga pants. He wasn’t kidding when he said come comfortable for he too was dressed down in jeans and a t-shirt for some Irish rugby team as he stood against his desk, giving instructions. The furniture had been pushed against the walls of the room, leaving the center open for drawing the circle and then some. The electric lamps were off, leaving only the candles placed strategically around the office for lighting.
It would have been calming, soothing, almost romantic except for the whole learning how to summon to protect oneself from a demon part.
“When you close your eyes, picture the circle around you. It will be your power and your protection. Through it, you will channel the spirits you wish to summon while simultaneously keeping out the ones you don’t want to break through the barrier of the realms.”
“Multitasking has never been my specialty,” Eve muttered.
“Concentrate, Ms. Revere.”
“So it’s Ms. Revere now? What happened to Evangeline?”
“Evangeline returns after your lessons.” His voice seemed to purr, the intonation soothing her. She allowed a slight smile to form on her lips as she adjusted her stance on the hardwood floor, shaking out her shoulders.
Concentrate, Eve.
Which was a lot harder to do with Jonathan being the only one with her. She knew he was watching her, and she screwed her eyes shut to keep from opening them to return his stare.
Concentrate.
But where did she even start? The exams were like the more dire of circumstances, where her actions were performed under duress. And even so, she had Grace to help her then. She wasn’t about to out her friend for cheating, but Jonathan clearly had some false sense of hope in her abilities to do anything even remotely close to—
“Evie?”
She knew that voice-- it was a voice she’d never forget. “Mom?” she whispered.
“Concentrate, Ms. Revere,” Moore insisted from somewhere across the room. It sounded as though he was moving around the circle, but if she was supposed to concentrate, he wasn’t helping.
“Evie, what are you doing?”
“Mom, I--”
Even with her eyes closed, Eve could see the ethereal form of her mother forming. She bit her lip so hard she thought she drew blood. She wasn’t going to screw this up, not now.
“Evie, this is dangerous, you have to stop.”
“But Mom--”
“No, Evangeline. This is a dangerous game you never should have gotten involved in and it has to stop.”
“Ms. Revere, what do you see?” Moore asked from behind her, but his voice was almost muffled as if the presence of her mother all but consumed her. Eve closed her eyes tighter.
“Evie, stop this now,” her mother insisted, glancing towards the sound of Moore’s voice.
“Mom, I can’t. I have to do this. I have to find out what happened.”
“It’s not worth it. You need to end this before it’s too late.”
“But they need me to--” Sweat was starting to bead down Eve’s temple. “Mom, tell me what to do.”
“Evangeline, tell me what’s happening.” Moore sounded as if he now stood right behind her.
Her mother’s presence looked as though she saw him, and that horrible form that she took on during Eve’s trials returned once more. “LEAVE HER ALONE!”
Eve screamed as the spirit seemed to lash out with needle-like claws, looking to scratch straight through her skull in an attempt to reach Professor Moore, and she swore she felt the rush of wind as it scraped through her skin. Her eyes flew open as she found herself in Jonathan’s arms. She didn’t remember falling but knew her head would have hit the floor hard if he hadn’t been there.
“Evangeline, are you alright?” His gaze looked concerned and his tone as panicked as she felt, and he was looking her over as if to make sure she wasn’t hurt.
She clung to him, afraid to let go. Afraid to close her eyes again, afraid of what happened and if it would happen again. “It… it was my mom…”
“I’m so sorry,” he whispered, holding her, a hand tenderly rubbing her back. “It was too much too soon.”
The feeling of being this close to him was an odd comfort, like a security blanket. Even his scent was soothing-- a mixture of incense and rose water. Her chest rose and fell against his as she tried to regain her breath, and she could feel his heart beating as fast as hers.
She didn’t realize she’d started crying until Jonathan eased her off his shoulder to look at her. She swallowed as the tears fell, and he cupped her cheek with a gentle hand as he wiped a tear away with his thumb. His skin was warm and soft and she leaned into the contact.
“I’m so sorry,” he said again.
“It’s okay,” she whispered.
“It’s not,” he insisted. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“I’m fine,” she said, though her voice wavered.
“You’re not. And I don’t want you hurt.”
“Why?” she asked. “Why a
re you so worried about me?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” he asked.
She wanted to push back. Wanted to challenge him. Wanted to deny the obvious. But when he leaned in and brushed his lips against hers, it was as if that answered every question.
Maybe it did.
She closed her eyes and allowed him to pull her closer, her grip on his arms tightening as he kissed her. And when he pulled away, she immediately missed the feeling of him against her, the warmth and comfort he gave her.
But Jonathan didn’t go far as they sat on the floor in each other’s arms. He brought a hand up to brush her hair from her face as his gaze searched hers.
“You’re the reincarnation of Faust, Evangeline,” he said softly, almost reverently. “And you are going to be my salvation. You’re going to save us all.”
Chapter Fourteen
Eve could still feel Jonathan’s lips on hers as she walked back to her dorm room. Could feel them lingering as she tried to fall asleep. Grace had asked what happened as Eve must have still looked shaken from the confrontation with her mother and she told her as such. Something within her, however, held back the kiss with Jonathan. Grace didn’t seem to care for him, and she didn’t want to deal with a lambasting from her friend for fraternizing with a professor.
Was it technically fraternizing when it was after hours? Eve didn’t even want to think about it.
“While you were at your lessons, I figured out how to get the book,” Grace was saying as they made their way across campus the following morning.
“Please tell me it has nothing to do with seducing him,” Eve muttered.
“What? No.” Grace raised an eyebrow at her as they walked. “I mean I’m going to get into his office and find it.”
“How?” Eve was genuinely curious.
“I’m going to give him what he wants. I’ll let him know I’d rather seek guidance from someone who knows what he’s doing and allow him to take me under his wing.”
“False confidence? So devious.”
“Hopefully it won’t take too long. And as soon as I have it, we can get through this whole mess, you can summon Faust, and we can get back to actually being students.”
“Do you really think that’s possible?”
“I do.”
“Which part?”
“All of it.” Grace stopped walking and Eve looked to her. “Why don’t you believe me?”
Eve refrained from rolling her eyes. She knew Grace meant well but she was growing tired of these conversations. “Look, the only reason I’m here is because of my mom--”
“Then the same could be said about me and my dad.”
“But you’re actually talented, Grace. I can’t do anything but piss off my mom’s spirit.”
“Have you ever considered that maybe it’s that attitude that’s holding you back?”
Eve didn’t answer.
“And I’m sure Professor Moore doesn’t stand for it, either.”
Eve didn’t want to talk about Professor Moore. Just the thought of him made the butterflies in her stomach flutter into her chest. “He hasn’t said much.”
You are going to be my salvation.
Eve frowned at the memory of the night before. She wasn’t a savior. She was just a student trying to find her place in this messed up magical world.
“Look, there’s something I wanted to tell you,” Grace said quietly, but before Eve could inquire, her demeanor changed drastically. “Shit, there’s Blade.”
And sure enough, Professor Sebastian Blade was walking across the campus, a book open and in front of him, blocking his view of the path ahead.
A book…
Eve strained her eyes to read the cover. “Is that…?”
“The Compendium Maleficarum,” Grace said, barely above a whisper. “This is my chance.”
“Wait, you’re going to confront him now?”
“No time like the present.”
“You’re sure you’re up for this?”
“I have to be, don’t I? Good luck with your training tonight,” Grace said almost reluctantly before running off after Blade without waiting for Eve’s response.
The butterflies in her stomach turned to lead as she watched her following the professor, more than ready to sacrifice herself for their cause. She didn’t like feeling as though she was sending her into a lion’s den, but maybe just as Grace had faith in her, she too needed to have faith in Grace.
Still, she didn’t have to like it.
Eve told Jonathan as much during their training session that evening. They had finished her lesson on drawing a summoning circle, and through his guidance, she was able to build enough of a protective shield around it that he eventually deemed it usable for when the time arose.
She was starting to feel lightheaded but wouldn't admit it. Instead, she asked for some water (he brought her tea) and asked if she could take a break (he helped her sit on his couch). Between sips of the steaming drink, she told him about Grace’s plan, and how she allowed her to be swallowed by the maw of the beast.
“Her plan is solid,” Jonathan said from his end of the couch. It was almost as if he made a point to sit as far away from her as possible lest being too close would be a danger to them both, especially with hot tea in their hands. “Anything she can do to get that book away from Blade, the better for us.”
“So while she’s risking her neck with the devil himself, I’m just supposed to sit here drinking tea and drawing circles in the sand?”
He cocked his head to the side with an amused smile on his face. “You think this is just another day at the beach then?”
“That’s not what I meant.” She sighed as she brought her legs up underneath her. The warmth of the mug between her hands seemed to help her regain her strength. “I just wish I could do more, and she didn’t have to do so much.”
“You’re doing plenty, Evangeline.” He leaned one elbow against the back of the couch and braced his head against his hand. “What you’re doing here is essential to fulfilling your purpose.”
“And if I just say screw it and not do anything that’s expected of me?”
Jonathan frowned. “Why would you say something like that?”
Eve shrugged. “It just seems like it’s more work than it’s worth. I mean, sure, Blade’s possessed by a demon, but without a summoned Faust, he can’t really do much harm, can he? And he definitely doesn’t seem any worse for wear.”
“You’re definitely right about that,” he mused as he sipped from his teacup.
“So why are you helping me?”
“Do you want and answer or the truth?”
“Aren’t they one in the same?”
He chuckled softly as he put his cup down on the small table in front of them. “The truth is I do believe in you, and I want to see you succeed not only as the reincarnation of Faust, but also as a student here at the university.”
Eve bit her lip before she asked, “And the honest answer?”
“These lessons could have easily been done after your scheduled classes in my lecture halls, but I knew I wanted to spend as much time as I could with you--alone--the moment I first saw you on campus.”
Eve forced herself to hold his stare. Even as she moved to place her own cup on the table, she didn’t break his gaze. Didn’t even blink as if she was afraid doing so would end the moment.
And she was going to seize it.
“The candles?” she asked softly, motioning to the pillars lit around his office.
“Just as effective in broad daylight,” he admitted, slowly leaning closer.
“The part about after sunset?”
“I told you-- it’s looked down upon for professors to be seen fraternizing with students during school hours.”
Eve huffed out a laugh. “And the part about me being your salvation?”
“In that, I meant every word.” He was so close now she could feel the warmth of his breath against her skin. She licked her lips as she drew closer
to him.
“Then who’s going to save me?” she breathed.
“From what?”
“From this.”
She gripped his shirt and pulled him to her. She had only meant it to be a kiss, no different than the night before, but the next thing she knew, they were laying down against the couch as he positioned himself above her. Jonathan wasted no time seeking out her lips, and she welcomed them desperately. She wrapped her arms around him, feeling the muscles of his back tense and flex beneath his shirt, and she let out a soft moan against his lips as his hands explored her body.
Time seemed to speed up and stop all at the same time, and Eve was more than ready to lose every moment with him.
“I have the book!”
The sound of the office door slamming against the wall had Jonathan leaping from the couch. Eve, in turn, sat up and quickly pulled her shirt back down as she looked towards the door. There stood Grace with nothing short of devastation written across her face.
“So much for your training lessons,” she hissed as her voice cracked with emotion.
“Grace, it’s not what it looks like--” Eve tried to explain, though she knew it was exactly what it looked like.
So did Grace. She ran from the office before Eve could stand.
“Grace, wait!”
“Evangeline--” Jonathan reached for her, but when he grabbed her arm as though to keep her in place, she wrenched out of his grasp.
Something in his eyes flickered; they looked like they were golden before returning to his normal breathtaking blue. A trick of the candlelight, no doubt. And definitely something Eve couldn’t worry about. Not when her best friend just caught her underneath their professor and seemed incredibly upset about it.
“Not now, Jonathan,” she snapped. “I’m sorry, I have to go.”
She grabbed her jacket and her bag and followed Grace. Outside the office, however, she stopped when she saw something in the middle of the hallway.
A book. The Compendium Maleficarum. Grace had retrieved it, just as she promised.
“Shit,” Eve moaned, tucking it into her bag before running after her roommate.
Academy of Magic Collection Page 33