by Erin R Flynn
“Don’t hurt me, Cousin,” Colton said gently. “If Mel’s adopted you, you’re family to us so don’t beat on me.”
“I tease all my friends, but Mason didn’t so much as ask me out,” I shouted at the guy as Colton dragged me towards the locker room. “I thought he was my friend. I didn’t know. He could have killed me and you’re fucking gossiping like I deserved it? Fuck you!”
“I didn’t think she’d hear me,” I heard the man defend to Mel as if that made it okay. “I didn’t mean to disrupt class, but many of the students have commented on her little harem so it’s understandable people are talking.”
“Jealous people run their mouths on lots as all beautiful women have scores of men following after them,” Mrs. Rothchild defended. “Even if you thought she could not hear you, this is her class and place of work. You are a guest. Act accordingly and keep private conversations private, especially if you don’t have the intelligence to understand how distasteful what you said truly was.”
Well, dayumn. Just dayummmmn.
“I see where Mel got her sass, ability to talk smack, and shut men up with a few sentences in one fierce moment,” I muttered.
“It’s a nice skill to have, right?” Colton chuckled as he loosened his hold on me. “You good?”
“No, but I won’t go after him,” I promised. I shrugged when he let me go and gave me a worried look. “It hurts. I hurt and not just physically. They call it trauma for a reason.”
“Fair enough. You’ll be okay, Cousin.” He ruffled my hair and went back to what he’d been doing.
I made sure to thank Mrs. Rothchild for the backup before class was over, but I was glad when it was. I quickly changed and was ready for lunch, comforted when Darby was waiting for me. Things were still tense and strained with us, but I knew he was willing to put us on hold and just help me when I needed it.
Which made me give him several crumbs of trust again and I think we both needed that. Well, I did.
10
The next morning I was glad I’d prepared the first chapter for Runes 102 because even Craftsman’s sexy voice couldn’t keep me focused. I was lost in my head, the whispers at breakfast making me retreat into myself. Even with all the other distractions and it being a week since it had happened, people weren’t moving on.
And still somehow blaming me no matter what everyone said. It hurt.
It hurt a lot.
Once the syllabus packets were passed out in English 102, Professor Nelson stood in front of the class and held up a glass sphere. “Who knows what this is?”
My eyes went wide as red smoke filled the sphere. “For real? That’s a Remembrall like in Harry Potter?”
“Yes, it is, Ms. Vale,” he answered with a nod. “This is an example of fiction becoming magical reality but with a slight improvement.” He tossed it over to me and I caught it—noting it was clear again now that it was with a new person—frowning as I wasn’t sure what he meant.
Until the smoke turned red again and I saw what looked like a fortune cookie slip appear in the smoke. “Order the pigs for the dogs.”
“What is it telling you that you forgot, Ms. Vale?” he asked.
“That I forgot to order the pigs for the fae dogs,” I told him with a wince. “I did forget. Crap.”
He chuckled, as did several others, waving for it back. He caught it when I tossed it and smiled at me. “J. K. Rowling is very much human with a fantastic imagination. I can name at least five inventions we now have in our world that were inspired by her series and we’ll be covering them. But quickly as they’re well known, as Ms. Vale just demonstrated.”
I rolled my eyes when several people snickered at me. “Oh, get over yourselves. I grew up human and the books were awesome. So were the movies. Yeah, you’re so much cooler that you’re above it all when millions of people around the world love them. Do you snub French fries and pizza because so many love them too?”
“Well said,” Professor Nelson praised me. “Your first assignment this semester is to give me a paper of an invention, spell, or item in the Harry Potter series that isn’t already invented that you would like to invent. And improve on. Use your imagination and no one said you had to do it. This is how we push ourselves as supes and as a community.” He nodded at me when I raised my hand.
“What about improving upon what’s already invented?” I asked.
“What would you improve?” he threw right back.
I shrugged, nodding to the Remembrall. “Send me a text? Auto write it down on a notepad or something? I mean, that’s better than the kid in the movie that couldn’t remember what he forgot, but it could be better.”
Professor Nelson seemed to think about it a moment but then nodded. “Sure, why not? It’s a two-page paper for fun, but give me the spell, rune, or start you would take to improve upon what’s been made if you choose that path.”
Fair enough.
We went over the syllabus after that and we were definitely going over the Harry Potter books fast. It made sense since they were geared for children and it was assumed most of us had seen the movies. I’d actually read all of the books on the syllabus already and that was a pleasant surprise… And I so rarely got those.
Which made me worry when I got one in the next class and saw Hudson.
Hudson Vogel was in my Mental Shielding 101, which was a freshman class. And he was not. Hence my confusion.
He also looked unhappy to be there. I would have thought that it would be an easy subject for him given his aunt was a telepath. I found myself sitting next to him and for the first time ever, he didn’t so much as acknowledge me. What was going on? Was he embarrassed to sit next to me?
No, we’d just sat together at dinner yesterday. So, he was embarrassed to be in this class? Odd.
I was so distracted with him and the situation, I hadn’t been paying attention to the teacher until the bell rang. I flinched when I saw the shifty, beady-eyed man standing up front. I didn’t think it a reflection of whatever kind of supe he was but the person he was inside. It left me a bit unnerved if I was honest.
“I’m Professor Koch and this is Mental Shielding 101,” he introduced. “If that’s not where you’re meant to be, you’re an idiot and take the walk of shame out of my classroom.”
Whoa. Asshole.
He glanced around and gave us a crocodile smile that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. “This class will make you learn how to shield your mind from being penetrated and rifled through. You all had the additional contracts and agreements in your student packets for this class and surely you read them. Let me warn you that the school takes them as seriously as the social media rules.
“Anything you learn in this class—and you will learn a lot—cannot be shared with anyone outside this class. That includes gossiping within earshot of others. You’re held accountable for that, so keep it to yourselves and remember everyone here will learn your secrets as well. It keeps mouths shut as no matter who goes first or what juicy tidbits you learn, everyone here will learn yours.”
Glee filled his eyes as he locked gazes with me. It took everything I had not to snort. This slimy fucker wasn’t getting anything out of me, but he was really excited to try. Oh goody. I got rid of Khan and upgraded to this creepy douche.
And it didn’t slip my notice that he said we’d learn how to block our minds, not that he would teach us how to protect ourselves. I found that an interesting distinction. Probably an important one.
Sometimes I hated being right but at least I knew immediately to turn my telepathy on.
“Oh, Mr. Vogel, our biggest failure from last year,” he jeered. “Let’s start with you and show everyone here exactly what they don’t want to do. What’s new with you and your family?” He gave a flippant wave. “Don’t answer me, of course, I’ll get it from your mind in moments.” “And enjoy every second of it, you shitty dragon.”
Hudson swallowed loudly and stood looking like he was going to the gallows instead
of the chair Professor Koch set at the front of the classroom.
“This should be interesting. He’s more nervous than normal. He must be keeping something good from everyone. The poor, poor prince won’t have secrets after I’m done with him.”
“Wait, you can’t seriously call this teaching?” I objected before Professor Koch was about to start.
He gave an annoyed sigh and rolled his eyes at me. “I’ll get to you and show you exactly how easily your mind can be penetrated.” “And probably your body if the rumors are true.”
I threw back my head and laughed. “Yeah, right, and you’re a creep to keep using the word penetrated while thinking dirty thoughts about female students as you’re not blocking your thoughts from me.” I smirked at him when anger flashed in his eyes. “You can attempt to rip down my mental shields—bigger and badder than you have tried—but my question still stands, Professor.”
“I know you’re new to our community, Ms. Vale,” he seethed, eyeing me over like trash. “But this is how we teach how to shield. It is a viable tactic to—”
“Yes, I understand the teaching tactic you’re trying to implement here,” I drawled. “And it’s even viable after you teach something. You’ve taught him nothing. You’re just bullying him. You’re throwing him in the deep end of the pool and giddy to laugh when he drowns.” I tapped my head when he opened his mouth. “I heard it all. Too bad your mental shielding wasn’t better, eh, mate?”
“And yet others did just fine in my class and didn’t have to drop it to avoid failing it,” he challenged. “Repeat it with freshmen as Mr. Vogel is.”
I snorted when I caught the rest from his mind. “Yes, because you didn’t specifically target him and make it worse for him.” I shook my head in disgust. “You get your jollies by humiliating the prince of the dragons because you’re a bigot.”
“Ms. Vale, one more word from you and I’ll—”
“Oh, please send me to the Headmaster about this,” I chuckled darkly, setting my stuff down. “I think we should absolutely go there and push this matter. Maybe call in Hudson’s aunt so she can hear all I am?” I smirked when Koch went pale.
“You think you’re so gifted and better because you’re supposedly a telepath, then let’s see what you can do, Ms. Vale,” he sneered, rallying quickly, especially when several people chuckled in agreement with him. “Please, educate us on how mental shielding should be as an unknown, undeclared no one who calls herself a telepath.”
I thought he’d never ask. “Sure.” I bit back a smirk, getting to my feet. “You like a challenge, educate by fire, right, Professor? I’ll tell you what. If I fail like you’re so sure I’m going to and don’t make any progress with Hudson, I’ll give you what you want and drop out so garbage like me isn’t a student here.” His eyes went wide as people gasped. “But if I do, I think it best you look for a new job.”
“What?” he hissed. “I have tenure.”
Which was exactly why no one could get rid of him, according to his thoughts.
I shrugged. “If I could teach the student you couldn’t, who was going to fail and so horribly after all your training and special attention, I don’t think you’re the best person to educate the elites. I think one of us self-declared telepaths might be better. Or do you doubt your abilities, Professor? Surely garbage like me can’t do better than you?”
He smirked at me. “In one class? Not in a million years, Ms. Vale. I can’t say the halls of Artemis will miss you.”
“So, we have a deal? No take-backs with all the witnesses,” I purred.
“Tamsin, no,” Hudson worried.
“We do, and then I’ll get all the goodies in his head to embarrass him with,” Koch chuckled, shaking my hand.
It took everything I had not to wipe it off on my pants. “You said that last part out loud for everyone to hear.” Idiot. I rolled my eyes when he winced and went over to Hudson, giving him a reassuring smile. “Have some faith in me, okay?”
“Always ready to do battle,” he sighed.
I nodded to the floor and had him join me there. “Just relax. I promise this will be painless.”
“What do you need?”
I shrugged. “I need to see what you’ve been doing. Can I root through your head?”
He gave me a look like I didn’t even have to ask after going to bat for him.
I took his hands in mine and sat back on my feet. I guided him to close his eyes and take some deep breaths. “Okay, show me what you do to shield. Think of it specifically so I can see it.” Instantly I saw the problem, having guessed it even with how people talked about mental shielding.
“You got it?” he asked, his tone nervous.
“Yup,” I chirped, popping the P loudly. “Let me guess, some idiot told you to put a net over your mind, right?” I got my answer from Koch’s thoughts and snorted. “Right, that’s stupid. Nets have holes in them. That’s setting you up to fail when I’m sure you were taught to visualize your dragon and for shifting. I know we’re taught to be specific in runes, so why would you think anything else in this class?”
“You’re going to get yourself in serious trouble and I don’t want it to be for me,” he worried.
I didn’t reply. “Okay, so forget the net. I want you to think of plastic wrap. You’ve seen your kitchen staff use it?” I focused on his thoughts and he had the perfect example. “Yes, that exactly. That clinging stuff that sticks. I want you to mentally cut some of that. Instead of putting it over half an avocado and pressing it down so it stays good, I want you to put it over your mind. Picture your brain.”
“Oh yes, a thin layer of plastic will do lots,” Professor Koch drawled, half the class snickering or chuckling at us.
“Ignore them. I’ve spent years reading thoughts and knowing who was best protected,” I told Hudson quietly, giving his hands a reassuring squeeze. “Show me how you’re doing it.” I nodded even if he couldn’t see it. “Good, press it down and get the air out, nice and smooth.”
“Now what?” he asked after he did it.
“Do it again.”
“Again?”
“Yeah, do it again,” I said easily. “We’re going to do that again and again. It was easy, right? No big deal, just a little bit of plastic secured over your brain. Now we’re just going to add more and more of it. Even if you don’t place it perfectly, it’s another layer. We’re going to build. That’s it for now. Trust me.”
“I do,” he muttered, already mentally cutting another piece and moving it over his mind. He smoothed it out and checked it wasn’t bunched up before doing it again.
“Good, keep going,” I praised after about ten layers. I stopped him at fifteen. “Now, all those thin layers are going to get bulky, right? Let’s press them down. Think of those hydraulic presses and mash those layers down into something stronger. Your mind is covered but we’re just going to compress it.”
“To what?” he asked, his tone focused and curious.
“What can you picture?” I asked him. “What about thick pop bottle type plastic?”
“Okay.”
Watching his thoughts and how his mind worked was fascinating. “You got it, good. Yes, leave that inner layer still sticky so we don’t get gaps.”
“Okay, what’s next?”
“Well, we don’t want any more air or anything to get through, right? You did so well with the plastic layers let’s work off of that.” I waited until he squeezed my hands and told me in his thoughts he was ready. “Have you ever seen one of those pallet-wrapping machines? They have videos on YouTube or even movers that have that thick plastic to protect things. Let’s use that.”
“I’ve used that,” he told me. “We helped a family after their house was hit in a tropical storm. We used those rolls to secure what we could.”
“Good, think of that. I want you to wrap your mind with that thick, thick plastic that isn’t easy to get through,” I guided, smiling to myself when I saw in his head he was doing it. “Keep go
ing. There’s no reason to stop, right? You have that whole big roll. You won’t hurt your brain because it gets oxygen from your blood that it’s getting. This is just protection.”
“Right,” he muttered, still wrapping. He flinched when the roll ran out. “What now?”
“I want you to compress it again. That’s a lot of thick plastic wrap. I bet we could press that down into plexiglass. Yeah, think of like museum exhibits and how they cover something important. We’re doing that with your mind. Press it down and now you’ve got a dome of plexiglass.”
“That would crack in a hydraulic press,” he grumbled.
Damn, he was pretty fucking literal. “Right, yeah, you literal stubborn dragon.” Oh, that was the answer. “Fine, no pressing, but we’re going to heat it. Let River use his fire to heat it as that’s how acrylic and plexiglass is made or whatever. Heat it up and let it melt into that thick, sturdy plexiglass dome.”
“Got it,” he agreed after a few moments.
I saw in his mind he did. I squeezed his hands and opened my eyes, smiling at him. “Good job.”
“What next?”
“Take a break,” I chuckled.
His eyes snapped open and he frowned. “But we have to make progress.”
“Hudson, you just did.” I gave him a soft smile. “You have a mental shield on right now. That’s way more than the fisherman’s net he had you picturing. We’ll build on it later but that’s amazing progress and fast. You’re really smart and—”
He pulled on my hands and leaned in, kissing me full on the lips… In front of everyone. I didn’t remember that fact for a moment and didn’t stop him at first. Then I let go of his hands and pushed him away, nervously chuckling.
“Yeah, yeah, I get it, you pushy dragon. You better also explain that to my boyfriend.”
He winced, seeming to remember the others as well. “I will. Sorry, I’ve just been so…”
“I know, but it was the teacher, not you. You were really easy to work with if someone bothered guiding you.” I glanced over my shoulder and smirked at Koch. “Go ahead and see if I got anywhere with him or if you can keep bullying him. Remember that I can hear if you’re lying as you think you’re so fucking good and you don’t even know how to block your thoughts from a telepath.”