His laugh is low and short as he releases me. “Don’t worry, I’m going to convince you sooner or later,” he promises.
Before I can react he presses a kiss to the corner of my mouth, catching me off guard. The spot tingles and I have to stop from touching it.
“Brynsyn, I told you not in my classroom,” Professor Misael calls out.
“It was just a friendly little kiss,” he says with a laugh. He reaches onto Clemmen’s desk, capturing a piece of paper. He uses it as he squats down and scoops up Clemmen’s discarded gum. He makes a show of tossing it in the trash before giving me a wink and retreating to the back of the classroom.
“I’m pissed right now,” Clemmen remarks, her gaze hot on the side of Professor Misael’s face as he pointedly ignores her. Finally she turns to look at me. “But I totally would have forgiven him, even with the evil dick, if I were you.”
“Thank you, Clemmsies!” Brynsyn calls out, the joy in his voice clear.
Is there anyone in this school who doesn’t eavesdrop?
I ignore Brynsyn’s stare as class finally starts and I add Alik to that list of people that I’m ignoring when he comes into class five minutes late, his gaze moving straight to me.
I’m thankful when Professor Misael declares that we’ll be working in the lab for class today. The walk isn’t long, just a couple of classrooms down the hall. The desks are long, meant to fit up to four people, two on either side. Clemmen and I sit down next to each other and I let out a grunt of annoyance when Alik takes the seat across from me.
One of the other girls in the class moves to take the last seat at the table, next to Alik, but he lifts his head, glaring at her as he tosses his bag into the chair.
Always has to be an asshole.
Professor Misael starts going over instructions and information about what we’re working on today as Brynsyn distributes goggles, gloves, and other precautionary tools. He lingers at our table a little longer than necessary.
“The potion we’re working on today is the most basic to use to defend yourself against a creature that comes from the ether,” Professor Misael explains.
“The ether?” I whisper to Clemmen.
Her lips twitch and she leans close, “Your mother must have paid someone good to get your clueless ass into this school.”
I glare at her.
She laughs.
“Abarons, and other creatures from the deepest pits of hell,” Alik says and his look is pointed when my eyes meet his.
I look away.
Professor Misael starts to go over instructions and I’m thankful when Alik is given his own beaker instead of sharing with Clemmen and I.
We’re given step by step instructions on what to mix and I find that I enjoy listening to the names of all the different roots: thinkin, frienan, mesalie. They’re all different colors, the thinkin, a deep pretty blue that turns to red when we mix it with the rest of the ingredients.
“Now, you’re going to want to perform a simple incantation over the spell,” Professor Misael says.
I cringe, because I learned this week during my beginner's class to incantation that I can’t actually incant. The professor had been surprised when no matter how many times I’d used the words she’d given me, nothing happened. Apparently all fae are supposed to be able to perform basic incantations, witch or not. Eventually, she’d informed me that it was something she’d have to discuss with Lunsen and Sprouse to find out how to move forward.
“You’re going to have to do it,” I tell Clemmen.
I hadn’t gotten a chance to tell her about the new development yet, but she doesn’t question me. “Okay.”
I can feel Alik’s gaze on me but I don’t dare look up at him.
Why can’t he just focus on his own potion?
Clemmen cups her hand around the beaker, muttering a few words. The potion starts to bubble and Clemmen gives a smile of triumph.
“Next time, put a little less thinkin root.” I’m not the only one who Professor Misael catches off of guard when he pops up beside our table.
Clemmen jerks back and her elbow goes colliding right into the beaker. I try to reach out to catch it as it topples over the top of the table.