by LJ Swallow
Andrei’s eyes widen. "What? Why?"
"You need to make Clive forget tonight." I urge. "I don’t know why this has happened, but if we don’t do something, Clive will tell people about Maeve’s mind control."
"Something bad. What if she’s hurt?" He straightens his shoulders. "If that shifter dickhead has hurt her—"
"I don’t know why she did this, but she has. Can you help? You’re friends with Clive—he’ll talk to you."
Andrei pulls a face. "I’m only friends with him through Katherine, but yeah, he speaks to me."
We stride from the hall together and Andrei steps to the edge of the track that runs around the field perimeter. Light from the sports hall only allows my eyes to see a hundred metres or so and I strain to see as far as the edge of the woods.
Andrei halts at the edge and I catch up to him. "They’re coming. I can hear voices I recognise."
As soon as the words are out, a figure emerges from the woods and I join Andrei in squinting into the dark.
"Hah. Speak of the devil." Andrei winks as I attempt to make out who this is, but can’t. "Vampire sight helps. Okay. Distract your brother, and I’ll approach before the group reach here."
I clap Andrei on the shoulder. "Thanks for helping out again, dude."
He stares at my hand but doesn’t pull away. "I’m not doing this for you. No need to thank me."
As I remove my hand, Andrei slinks away and I cross my arms to watch for others appearing and hoping to hell Andrei works his magic.
As I watch his figure blend into the shadows, something strikes me.
Students aren’t permitted to use mental magic on each other outside the classroom.
Andrei is sticking his neck out for us. Again
Chapter Twenty-One
ANDREI
I pad across the grass towards the shifter emerging from the trees. Two things confuse me. Firstly, that Ash asked for my help and secondly, why the hell Maeve would risk discovery?
But who am I to criticise someone for making mistakes?
I bury my hands into my back pockets as I approach. "Hey, Clive," I say breezily. "Can I have a chat?"
But whoa. What did Maeve do to him? His eyes are dazed but his mouth set in determination.
A mouth covered in the blood that streaks his face.
He glances at me with his brow pinched but keeps striding to his goal. "I’m in a hurry. I’ve something really interesting to tell people."
Crap. "This is about Katherine. It’s important. I think she’s still out there and lost."
Clive halts and turns around. "Are you sure?"
I nod. "I’m headed out to look for Katherine. Are you coming?" I can practically hear the cogs whirring in Clive’s head—finish and win, or fulfil his duty to his beloved lamia. The lamia who’d have him by the balls if she knew he’d let her down.
If I was telling the truth, that is.
"Where are Remi and Seamus?"
He waves a hand. "I’ve walked ahead so I can speak to Vincent and Professor O’Reilly."
Why won’t the guy look at me? He runs a hand along his head. "Crap."
Clive’s knuckles look red to match his eyes. What the hell happened?
"I’ll help. We can soon track Katherine." Look at me. I need to do this before you walk away. "Clive?"
Finally, his eyes meet mine. One thing about a shifter is their minds are easy to wipe. Especially ones like him—all brawn and no brain with the emotional range of a potato. Katherine knows this too, so she easily keeps him under control.
Ash is different. He thinks things through. Cares about people. Is his stronger mind the reason she gave up and pursued Clive instead?
And I hope that strong mind remains if the ‘not-Vincent’ starts on him.
"Looks like you had a crap time out there, Clive. Did you get lost?"
Clive finally looks at me and snorts. "We met the witches."
Holding his gaze, I lower my voice. "I don’t think you did."
"We did. Did you know your witch girl controls minds? She’s dangerous. She made Remi do this." Clive points at his broken face and my hold on his mind drops as my shock registers. What the hell have you done, Maeve? Are they expecting me to wipe three pupils' minds?
"I doubt that," I retort. "Witches can’t usually control minds, and I think I’d know by now if she could."
"Yeah? Looks like some witches can. Such as Maeve. I’m reporting her. now."
"You didn't see Maeve."
I’d prepare myself for resistance as I reach out to his mind. But his mental barriers barely exist, his focus is running to the finish line and finding a professor. Something easy to interrupt. "Remi upset you, I suppose. What did you fight about?"
Doubt flickers in his eyes. "Uh. What?"
Sifting through his mind, I run my mental fingers across the things that upset him. To locate a thought with an emotional root that I can take and twist.
Ah. Here’s something interesting. "Remi is a tosser sometimes and he challenged your authority. The group lost their way because he insisted you listen to him. You lost your shit, which I understand. Sucks to come last in the challenge. To be a loser."
"We’re not losers," he retorts and runs a palm across the top of his head. "Remi... Yeah, he’s a dick. He should’ve listened to me."
"Maeve and her Walcott team aren’t back yet. Did you see them?"
I project my thoughts harder and the energy pulls at his mind, yanking the immediate memories from his brain and replacing them with false ones. As I do, I snort softly at my role in the gang’s world—Andrei the mental magic expert who swoops in and saves the day.
Clive chews on his bottom lip and stares at the ground. "Maybe. Dunno. We were looking for the witches."
"Did you find them?"
"Nah." He tips his chin. "We were lost. Bloody Remi."
A smug relief flows through me as he repeats the words I’ve pushed into his mind. Man, I’m better than I thought at this. "Remi punched you in the face. You fought."
"Remi punched me, and he’ll bloody regret this. I’ll fucking knock him into next week." He touches his injured cheek and scowls.
I shake my head. "Ash won’t let you cause drama. Gilgamesh need to unify against the other houses. Your head boy is also counting on you winning. Gilgamesh lost to Petrescu last year—I’m sure you don’t want that to happen again."
With a shake of the head, Clive steps away. "Dude, are you trying to delay me so the witches can finish the competition before I do? Shit." He screws his face up. "Are we the last back?"
"Almost. If you wait here any longer, the last team will beat you—Maeve, Jamie, and Amelia."
Clive blinks at me and then shoves me hard to the side. "If I wait here any longer, the witch team will beat me."
I blow air into my cheeks as he breaks into a sprint towards the finish line and turn. Remi and Seamus appear on the tree line, running towards us at speed and barely panting.
"Whoa, guys," I say and slam a hand on Remi’s chest. "What’s happening?"
"Out of the way, bloodsucker," snarls Remi as he attempts to push me to one side.
Mentally, I curse Ash for asking me to do this and not telling me everything. A quick scan of their minds tells me this won't be difficult—the small amount of mental energy they have was used up in the challenge. They’re fired up, like Clive, unfocused.
I pull myself straight and look Remi in the eyes. "Clive is waiting for you."
A brief chat later, the two stumble away. With the worry I’ll be caught for using the magic comes a smugness how powerful I am to have the energy to do this three times in a row.
Remi strides over to Clive and every muscle in my body tenses as I wait to see how they react to each other. All I did was wipe memories of Maeve from their minds, the pair still think they fought. Did it work?
Shoving Clive, Remi’s instantly in his face and their angry voices drift towards me. Shifters. I laugh to myself. Dumb bastards.
> Another figure emerges from the trees. Maeve runs across the frozen ground towards the hall, her figure unsteady and pace slow. I blur through the dark and she stumbles to a stop as I appear in front of her.
"I need to find Clive," she pants. "To stop him talking. I screwed up, Andrei." She’s out of breath, cheeks pink.
Blood pumping hard.
I hold my breath against her scent burrowing into the side I struggle to keep under control around her. "I spoke to Clive, and I’ve dealt with the situation. What happened?"
Without thinking, I catch Maeve’s hand, and she looks down before squeezing my fingers. Maeve stammers out an explanation, and I look behind at Clive and his two friends. Well, he doesn’t look too friendly with Remi.
"Like I said, I sorted the issue, Maeve," I say softly.
She nods and grips my hand tighter. "Theodora frightened me when she warned how valuable I am to people. What my skills mean. But I wasn’t thinking, and when I saw Jamie—"
"You were angry and didn’t think? That’s something most of your little gang have in common." I smile at her. "Everything is fixed. Don’t worry."
Her mouth thins. "Apart from Jamie. I’ll tell Professor O’Reilly what those arseholes did to him and how they sabotaged us."
I shake my head. "No, Maeve. You can’t talk about a situation someone has been forced to forget—Clive might remember again." I run a finger across the back of her hand, attempting to ignore how soft she feels. "If someone finds out I mind-wiped three students, I’m in serious trouble."
Maeve’s eyes widen. Didn’t she realise? But the girl’s trembling with cold and shock. I take her other hand in mine and she looks at me, her eyes brimming with tears.
I’d give anything right now to take Maeve in my arms and hug her until she’s warm again. Comfort her until the tears stop.
Oh, and try not to devour her.
Life sucks sometimes.
Ha ha.
Amelia and Jamie stumble from the shadows and Amelia rushes to Maeve, her face filled with panic. I hover at the fringes as Maeve explains my actions to Jamie and Amelia. Amelia’s expression breaks into relief, and she thanks me.
I rub the back of my neck, uncomfortable at her praise. "Yeah. It’s okay."
What Amelia doesn’t mention is she saw me drop Maeve’s hand when she approached. With repeated thanks from Maeve, the pair support Jamie and they stumble towards the sports hall. I could follow, but I don’t. Instead, I watch the girl I risked everything to help, and know I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
Chapter Twenty-Two
MAEVE
Ash stands with Vincent and the shifters who attacked us, and I stride onwards with Amelia and Jamie. I can't stop. Can't engage.
If they see us and Jamie's injuries, they might remember.
Andrei’s mental magic is strong, but he's not allowed to use this on other students.
Just as I'm not allowed to use my powers.
Shit.
Why can’t I control this aspect of my magic?
I panicked when Jamie fell to the ground, the anger blinded me as I watched the shifters' arrogance and amusement, and the desire to hurt them in return frightened me. The fury flooded adrenaline into my veins, the magic came took over.
I need guidance, but not only how to utilise the skill. How to control myself. I’m thrilled I could use this in self-defence, but terrified what could happen if I lose control.
I've spent my life fighting to control visions, and now this. I’m exhausted.
My worn spirits sink further when I approach the sports hall and make out a figure standing outside, arms crossed. I don't need to step closer to Tobias to sense his displeasure; it flows across the space between us.
Andrei left Amelia and me so we could help Jamie, and to compose ourselves, and he's now alone with Tobias. I keep a wary eye on the pair.
Amelia's face is still deathly pale, her eyes wide. She tried to hide her tears before, but I saw them. Jamie's holding himself together well. His head injury isn't easily visible like Remi and Clive’s faces, but he's unsteady on his feet. He stares ahead, mouth pulled into a determined line, but he winces as he walks, slowing with each step.
"I’m not going to the infirmary," he mumbles.
"Take Jamie back to Walcott," I whisper to Amelia. "Is there any magic you can use to help him?"
"I have a balm I use." She laughs at my doubtful look. "This is stronger than most because the lavender and arnica used comes from plants my great-grandmother blessed with magic years ago."
"Your home sounds magical," I say. "Like a secret world."
She wrinkles her nose. "Our family home is in an enclave cut off from the world, which is a good and bad thing."
I've spoken to Amelia about her home before and imagined a coven of eco-witches living off the grid. And there’s the prejudice again, Maeve. But only her family live there. Amelia’s mother teaches her advanced nature magic to those with the chance to excel at a higher level. Private tuition held at their enclave.
Having spoken to Jamie, I'm aware Amelia has big shoes to fill. Perhaps that's part of her affinity with Ash—they both live in the shadows of highly skilled family members.
"What are you talking about?" asks Jamie.
"We need to get you to Walcott house and fix you up," I say.
Tobias watches as we approach and, head down, I attempt to take a wide berth around him.
"Maeve." That voice. The way he says my name arrests me every time, as if he’s casting a spell to stop me moving
Shit.
I look to Andrei instead of Tobias, who gives a sharp nod.
"I'd like to talk to you," he continues. Amelia halts and takes a deep breath. "Jamie and Amelia, you can go. And you, Andrei."
"No." Tobias jerks his chin up at Andrei's response. "If you want to talk to Maeve, I'm coming too."
"I'd like to speak to her alone, about tonight's events," he says tersely.
Andrei takes a step towards him. "And I don't want you alone with Maeve."
The conversation is too low for Jamie and Amelia to hear, but clear to me.
Tobias flicks his tongue against his teeth, then raises his voice. "Amelia. You and Jamie look exhausted. I suggest you leave. The cold won’t help Jamie."
"Maeve?" asks Amelia.
I fix my eyes on Tobias's. "Andrei will stay with me."
Amelia looks as if she's about to protest, until Jamie swears and rubs the back of his head, muttering about a headache.
"I'm coming to Tobias’s room to find you if you're not back in an hour," she whispers.
"You know I'm okay with Andrei," I repeat.
"I can hear your conversation," says Tobias. "You are all exasperating. I am here to help."
"You once trapped Maeve in a room alone," retorts Amelia.
I bite my lip and look at the floor while Andrei snorts softly at Amelia's outburst.
"I will see you in class tomorrow, Amelia," he says stiffly. "Tend to Jamie."
The pair head away and my stomach churns with nerves. "To my room. Both of you."
Tobias strides away and I look in wide-eyed desperation to Andrei.
Andrei touches the side of his head with his index finger. "He knows everything. Tobias took it from my head."
Shit.
Chapter Twenty-Three
MAEVE
Tobias locks the door to his classroom and, as I step into the darkness, I'm relieved he allows Andrei in with me. I stay close to him as Tobias lights a lantern. The metal carved with runic shapes filters the light and covers the room with an eerie glow.
"I admire your decision to help Maeve's situation, Andrei," Tobias says as he rests against a table. "But you behaved stupidly. Wiping a student’s mind with your magic isn't wise—and against the rules."
"Keeping Maeve's powers secret is more important," Andrei replies.
"Agreed, but your actions aren’t wise. Many at the academy are looking for an excuse to discipline you. They’r
e waiting for you to slip up and remove you."
"Let them wait," he mutters.
Tobias makes a derisive noise and turns to me. "Any particular reason for your stupid behaviour this time?"
I bristle. He may stand in his classroom as Professor Whitlock, but I refuse to let him talk to me in this way. "Shut up, Tobias."
His mouth falls open. "I'm sorry, what?"
"Yes, I fucked up, but I refuse to let you lecture me."
"Maeve," urges Andrei. "Stop."
"Listen to him." Tobias’s tone drops in warning.
My body shakes with the exhaustion from the run, and from the magic that took over, and I rein in the emotional outburst. "Sorry, but I can't cope with you talking to me like this."
Andrei sits beside me and lifts his fingers to touch mine. At the last moment, he drops his hand onto his knee. Tobias's watches with intrigue. "This event brought you two closer, I see."
"We’re building trust, Tobias," I say. "That's what's happening."
He purses his lips. "Then whoever planned tonight’s events underestimates your ability to work through curveballs thrown your way."
"Planned?" I ask.
He shakes his head. "Nothing that happens at the academy is a co-incidence. Andrei, would you please let me speak to Maeve alone."
He eyes Tobias with doubt. "Why?"
"I need to fix this fuck up, which means I need to the full story from Maeve. I only caught a little from your mind." Tobias’s terse tone takes me aback and Andrei side-glances me.
I nod and he sighs. "Okay, but I’ll wait outside."
"Maeve is safe with me, Andrei. Safer than she is out there."
"I wish I could believe that," Andrei replies.
Me too.
Andrei’s determination to keep me safe warms through the cold of the night.
"How cute." I scowl at his condescension. "I'm glad you're friendly with him, but don't become too friendly. Andrei believes he has more self-control than he actually does."
"Is this meeting about Andrei or me?"