by Erin R Flynn
“Anything else?” Darby drawled.
I raised an eyebrow at him. “Since when are you so personal?”
“Since you’re so entertaining.”
I shrugged. “She added adult toys to my shopping cart that she promised had only ‘needed items’ and spent ten minutes explaining to me how to use them like I’ve been living under a rock instead of with humans.”
“You let her go that long?” he asked as the others burst out laughing.
“She’d just had coffee. I don’t think she would have stopped unless I stuck her under a freezing shower. I tuned her out and hummed in my head until she lost steam.”
Coach announced the end of class and for us to hit the showers. I wasn’t going to take a full one—I hadn’t had enough of a workout for that—but a nice freshen up for the rest of the day sounded good. I caught Hudson’s gaze right as I pushed the locker room door in and it very clearly said he wanted to join me for that shower.
Shit, I’d totally be into it if all these people weren’t around. Something to think of for the future.
During lunch I worked on the next chapter for Intro to Supernaturals.
Izzy sat down, shaking her head at me. “I love how you don’t go halfway. You’re so all or nothing and I think it’s great.”
“Thanks.” I wanted to ask her about her physical training but then remembered she had it after lunch. I might want to get a few extra yoga mats for our room as I might be holding some study sessions of my own. I could see Izzy not being ready to kick some ass.
At. All. And I wasn’t judging that only on her size but her attitude on working out.
I was nervous for History of Witches & Vampires after my interaction with Professor Campbell, but she was clearly over it. I liked her better for that but still wasn’t okay with her and Dr. Craftsman.
“This class is a lot like your other intro classes,” she told us firmly. “Except it’s one quarter witches and one vampires. Next semester we’re doing a whole range of shifters. We’re going to move fast; the assignments are a lot of your grade but I’m not a beast who enjoys your pain. So, if I believe you’ve been doing the reading—and believe me, I can always tell—the tests will be open book.
“There’s no way you can memorize all the dates and names for everyone with the speed we’re going. So reading and being familiar with it, learning from the history, is what I focus on. Do that, be real with me and here to learn, and I promise you’ll get the A you deserve. Sound fair?” She waited until we nodded. “Good.” She handed a stack of packets to the nearest student. “Pass those out, please.”
She got set up while the student did and then a presentation came up on the projector.
“Let’s dive right in then. Like Professor White, I will send these presentations to you if you want. Don’t get distracted writing it all down but listen to what I’m really saying.”
So I did. It was the best advice and she was actually a really engaging teacher. About forty minutes into class, something hit me and my mouth worked faster than my brain.
“Why do you think that is?” I asked, raising my hand at the same time. “Sorry, lost in what you said.”
“That’s fine,” she chuckled. “But I don’t know what you mean.”
I took a second to gather my thoughts. “You’re going over the powerful witches of long ago and two who went dark—plans of world domination and all of that—were taken out by fairies. They swooped in and saved the day.”
“Yes, there’s a lot of that in our history,” she agreed, not understanding where I was going yet but that was something good to know.
“Right, but you said fairies were more powerful. How are they able to stay on the right side? I mean if excessive power can corrupt half the time, how are they exempt? Or is that dark fairies?”
“No, dark fairies are more mischievous but not evil, not at all,” she clarified. “It’s a complex distinction but mostly their magic is grounded in nature—light fairies are sunlight and day whereas dark fairies are darkness and night.” She waited until I nodded. “I understand your question, but the truth is we don’t know. But many have theories. I actually wrote my thesis that it is because of Faerie itself.”
“I don’t get that,” I admitted, seeing others confused as well.
“Right, as fairies have been gone for two decades, but fairies, when they were here, had to return to Faerie now and again,” she explained, a thrill of fear racing through me. “It was needed for them—at least a yearly visit, I believe. It’s why there’s a portal in the basement of the student union from when we had fairy students. They always needed to have access to Faerie.
“It hasn’t been opened in almost twenty years and no one can. Believe me, people have tried, but it’s dead. My thesis was about how the magic of Faerie or in Faerie cleansed them, or resettled them, in alignment with their morals almost, if you will. That kept them from going off the rails.”
“That’s fascinating,” I admitted, hoping I didn’t sound too eager. “Could I read that thesis?”
She blinked at me in shock. “Sure, I’ll email it to you.”
“Thanks.”
“Of course. Good question, way to really see the big picture of history and think how it affects us now,” she praised before returning to her presentation.
Unfortunately, I interrupted again when the effects of my morning pills hit me. I’d planned ahead and had the reservoir in reach.
I tried not to disturb class, but word had gotten around campus about what I was going through and people were curious. I couldn’t blame them; I would be too if I was on the other side of it.
That didn’t make it any easier to feel like the attraction at the zoo everyone was staring at too often.
“You okay?” Professor Campbell checked when it was over.
“Yeah, in a few minutes,” I muttered. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine, Headmaster Edelman warned me. Honestly, it’s a good learning experience for all of us as unknowns are fairly rare. Would you be willing to tell us what it feels like?”
“As soon as I catch my breath,” I groaned. I did tell them though after I recovered, feeling a bit achy this time. I might hit the campus spa later.
And yes, there was actually a campus spa. It was mostly self-help stuff like massaging chairs, hot tubs, and steam rooms, but there was also a calendar of when there were services from the employees. Mostly on the weekends, but now and again they would be there offering everything from massages to manicures.
Especially around finals. Fair enough.
I honestly might sign Mel, Izzy, and myself up for a massage after our first week. Yeah, that sounded perfect. I actually went there right after classes were done for the day and used the kiosk there for appointments. I checked the weekend and found three slots available Sunday for the first appointment.
They could wake early to get a massage. I signed us up and paid. I sent them a text as I left, seeing I had another message.
Craftsman: How was your first day of classes?
Tamsin: Pretty good. I got Physical Training III and the other two seem straightforward, no curve balls.
Craftsman: Good, glad to hear it. You can do this. Campbell was fine?
Tamsin: Are you worried about her or me?
Craftsman: You.
I smirked at that. Good answer.
Tamsin: She’s a great teacher and let go what happened. She did seem more interested in the fact I was using your reservoir instead of my having to use one.
Craftsman: Glad it went well.
I frowned. Not the response I thought I’d get so I pushed more.
Tamsin: She’s very possessive of you. Are you together?
Craftsman: I don’t think that’s a question you should be asking me.
Tamsin: Fine, ask me one you shouldn’t.
I licked my lips as I waited for an answer. Maybe pushing wasn’t smart but I had to know.
Craftsman: What are you wearing to class tomorrow?
I
blinked at my phone as I reached the dorm. Damn, so we were really going there, huh? I let out a slow breath. Following my gut had kept me alive and was working well for me here—Hudson the prime example—so maybe it was time to trust it.
Tamsin: That depends on your answer.
His response was immediate, letting me know he was hanging on this conversation. That was sexy.
Craftsman: We’re not together. Never have been. She made it clear she liked me when I started last year and shooed away the other female professors but I firmly turned her down. Her anything is all her and without my provoking.
I smiled; that was quite the answer. I liked it.
Time to be honest and admit I liked him too. I unlocked the door and plopped on my bed.
Tamsin: Light blue panties. I’ll show you during class.
Craftsman: Fuck. Don’t you dare! I’ll spank you if you do. I won’t be able to focus.
Tamsin: So you don’t want to see my panties?
Craftsman: I didn’t say that. I do but I also love my job.
Tamsin: I would NEVER risk your job. I’m smoother than that.
Craftsman: I know. I like that about you.
I decided to leave it at that and not push.
Tamsin: Have you read Campbell’s thesis? It’s very relevant to my situation.
Craftsman: No, I’ll ask her for it.
Tamsin: Don’t. I asked her to send it to me. I’ll forward it to you. If we both ask that would be a huge flag it’s more than curiosity.
Craftsman: Agreed. Edelman contacted Mrs. Vogel’s sister and got the first step to help you block your telepathy. He’s going to work with you on your first power assessment. When is it?
Tamsin: Tomorrow. Good. I want to talk to him about this shit book he gave me. The author practically hates those like me for being powerful and not using it how he would. Bitter, bitter man that I wouldn’t tell shit to.
Craftsman: You think it’s full of them telling him bullshit?
Tamsin: Would it be the weirdest thing we’ve seen?
Craftsman: No, but he’d have to get sources. We should check those.
Tamsin: He doesn’t list them in the book. I already checked. It’s all his observations or sources who didn’t want to go on the record.
Craftsman: Oh well, that’s useless. Fuck. We have to be careful on this.
Tamsin: Agreed and I don’t think we should do it here. Too many eyes and people who could find if I had a suspicious stack of books. I think one here can be explained for class but the rest at the house.
Craftsman: Smart. I might not be able to join you full weekends but I can at least review what you’re finding here and there so we know what’s next.
Tamsin: I think that earns me telling you I’ll be wearing the matching light blue bra. Satin. Underwire. Very pretty.
Craftsman: Tease.
I burst out laughing, leaving him to sit with that. If I were him, I’d be wondering what the person was thinking if they didn’t respond after that. It was delicious, made me feel sexy in a way I never had before.
I saved our conversation to my computer the way Mel had showed me, but then deleted the texts from my phone so no one could accidentally see them. I also had a passcode on my phone so no one could keep swiping and getting into it.
“I’m going to die or get killed,” Izzy announced as she came into the room. “Physical training is going to kill me and then I’ll also flunk out.”
“You want help?” I asked.
“Yes, but you’re insane and I’m not running six fucking miles with you every morning.”
“No, not with me. There’s someone else who asked for my help.”
“Who?” she asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes at me.
“Darby.”
“Yeah, I can deal with him. What’s the plan?”
We set up a routine on another part of our room, listing what they were to do and how long. Then I worked with Izzy on how to get in the positions and do them right.
While she was doing that, I did some shopping, finding yoga mats that actually had pictures of positions on them. Genius. I ordered a set of four.
Then I remembered Marshall and found a limited-time deal for a large spit roaster, thinking that was seriously perfect. Ordering that, I then went to the website for the farm we’d found that would deliver a whole pig. I got that, making sure it would be delivered a few days after the spit roaster, and settled back, feeling I’d gotten some good karma for the day at least.
Time for homework. Izzy joined me when she was done with her exercises, admitting that wasn’t a big deal but giving me a worried look she didn’t think that would be all of it.
Smart woman.
We headed to dinner when it was time and we were ready for a break. Darby was waiting for me, which surprised me. I gave him a curious look when he handed me some printouts.
“Those are options for your situation you asked for help with. I researched it and discussed it with the headmaster. Look it over and see what you think.”
“Which option do you guys think is best?” I muttered, flipping through the pages to at least get an idea.
“I’ll tell you after you learn those options and can think about what’s best for you, since you know yourself best.”
“Thanks.” I moved in front of him when he went to leave. “So Izzy asked for help too. You guys are going to start jogging in the mornings, Tuesday and Thursdays. I ordered mats and we can do homework reading while working on our cores like I did earlier.”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “You’re not going to have any money left if you keep spending it on people. You don’t have income coming in.”
I bit back a snort. Claudia had sent me the portfolios of the twenty estates from fairies that were confirmed dead and were now all mine. The yearly interest alone on one estate was more than most people saw in several lifetimes.
Darby didn’t need to know that or that I’d spent way more on Marshall for knocking him out.
“Don’t change the subject. Set up a time with Izzy before breakfast and I want one lap walked around the quad, one jogged, and another one walked.”
He raised an eyebrow. “That’s it?”
“Yeah, that’s it. It’s not fun if you go crazy instead of a ramp up. You might not be a runner like me but simply moving your body more will help you immensely. Trust me.”
“I do,” he admitted, shocking himself or me more, I wasn’t sure.
But it was a start. One I would gladly take.
17
What Darby had given me was about taking the GED test or finishing my high school degree online. I showed it to Izzy too and we looked it all over during dinner.
“What’s your gut saying?” she asked gently.
“Take the classes and do it that way. It seems more even, and I can fill in with it as I can, where the other is a huge cramming session of too much to take one test until I pass. That’s… I’ve got enough going on. One added class as I can or more during breaks won’t kill me.”
“Agreed.”
It turned out so did Darby and the headmaster. That helped a lot and Darby showed me how to sign up for it.
I registered and gave them the information from my last school so they could get my transcripts and see if anything transferred from my freshman year. I would know in a few days and they would send me everything I needed for the first several classes.
And there was even an option for a slow schedule meant for people working. Awesome. I could do this.
I hoped I could do this.
I felt almost confident I could, crawling into bed that night and reading the book about fairies until I fell asleep.
The next morning I took my run like normal before breakfast, thrilled I had a routine and it worked well for me. I thrived if things were more consistent in my life.
Breakfast, shower, and I had more than enough time to get dressed before my first class. It even worked well with the four of us sharing a bathroom as e
veryone agreed makeup and hair were done in their rooms.
Logic could prevail with rich people!
I decided on a lilac dress that sort of looked a like tennis dress but longer, more flare to the skirt. Making sure to wear the bra and panties set I’d told Craftsman, I added my chain belt over the dress, glad it worked.
I went with cute sneakers and a fat braid for my hair before adding the little makeup I normally did.
I felt naked, not because of the dress but the lack of weapons and pockets to carry them. Then I remembered I had two thigh garter holsters for throwing knives and added them under my skirt.
I made sure the rest of what I normally carried were in the pocket on the back of my messenger bag for easy access and headed out.
Dr. Craftsman had his back to us as I walked in. I noted how people were picking seats in the back, some preferring the front row, leaving open most of the middle.
It was a big lecture hall so I went for the middle, a few rows up so my seat was right at his eye level. I had thought the sides but with the curve of the seating, there was a risk whoever sat mirroring me could see what I was up to.
In the middle I was hidden in plain sight. Anyone looking would see one leg or the other, not much else unless they were pretty close and ducking under.
That was it. The flowing skirt covered me otherwise.
I was brimming with excitement and mischief. I’d been behaving way too much compared to the normal me.
Between this fun and knowing I was waving a red flag to Hudson when he saw me, I was ready to get what was building out of my system.
When he turned around, I smirked, making sure my legs were crossed when people were still coming in. That would definitely get me caught.
I cannot believe I’m going to do this. Well, I can, it’s right up what I’m used to, but not in this setting. Not when I can’t bail on a city once the job was over. I’m here for six years.
I had a few moments of thought on that as I pulled out my textbook and notebook. Maybe this was stupid. I really didn’t want to risk his job or…
All my doubts went out the window when he sent me a challenging glance as the bell rang. Game on, my sexy professor.