Cruel Magic (Royals of Villain Academy #1)(30)

I should know that better than just about anyone at Blood U.

“I see,” Rory said. “You’re staying out of it for my own good. Is that how you look at it?”

“Essentially, yes.” We could leave all the other factors out of this conversation. “You’re learning, aren’t you? You managed to shut them out today.”

“I guess it’s too much to expect that I get a bit of buffer while I’m catching up.”

“There are rules,” I said. “And one of them is that as part of the teaching staff, I can’t favor one student over another.”

She raised her eyebrows at me. “Even a scion?”

“Believe me, if you ever manage to turn the tables on Jude and drag out a bunch of his uncomfortable memories for everyone to hear, I won’t jump in on his behalf either.” I couldn’t stop the corner of my mouth from quirking upward at the thought. I’d defend him from any real threat—hell, I’d been protecting him and the other two from the moment I’d entered the realm of barons—but that didn’t mean I always appreciated the guy’s incisive approach to humor.

“All right then.” Rory straightened up and headed for the door.

I should have stayed where I was and let her leave, but an impulse grabbed me. Before I could catch myself, I was striding over to open the door for her.

There wasn’t a great deal of space by the door. Her sleeve brushed my arm as she slipped past me. She glanced up to meet my eyes one more time, so close now I lost my breath for a second.

She wasn’t just beautiful. I’d never seen the kind of determined ferocity with which she’d pushed back at Malcolm before. She had principles, and she was willing to fight for them, hard.

It made me want to fight for her. To hold her like I had so briefly in her parents’ house. To find out what those lips tasted like when she wasn’t using them in battle.

But I couldn’t have that without destroying everything I’d spent my whole life working toward, so it was better I kept as much distance as I could.

She’d need to be a fighter to make it through her time at Blood U unscathed. At least there was that.

A question of my own tumbled out with the memory of Jude’s comment about running away. “You aren’t really thinking of leaving the school, are you?”

Rory stopped just outside the door and looked back at me. “Not until I’ve learned everything I need to,” she said. “I’m not scared off that easily. Why? Would you miss me?”

She said the last question wryly, but the answer jabbed me in the chest. Maybe she’d only been here a week, but I’d seen enough of her to know that, yes, I would. She’d brought something different to this place.

“You belong here,” I said instead.

Her mouth tightened, and she turned away without responding. I let the door swing closed as her footsteps tapped down the stone steps. I had a few minutes to gather myself, and then I needed to be off to my next class, as a student rather than teacher’s aide.

I’d gotten about half a minute when my phone rang. I dug it out of my pocket and grimaced at the name on the display.

“Hello, Aunt Ambrosia,” I said. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” What the hell do you want now?

“Declan,” my aunt said with forced sweetness. “I just wanted to make sure you’re fully prepared for the ritual next weekend. You did read up on all the proper procedures, didn’t you? They’re very particular.”

Sure, they were. And she’d made particularly sure to include a few contradictory documents in the write-ups she’d sent my way in the hopes of tripping me up. As if she shouldn’t know by now that I always did my own research straight from the source.

It was the sort of thing you learned to do when the aunt who’d been regent-baron in your place since you were four decided she was going to do whatever she could to hold on to that title. There were rules, yes, and I couldn’t afford to break a single one.

“You don’t have to worry at all,” I said. “I’ll be ready.”





Chapter Thirteen





Rory





As I set my dinner plate in the dorm room sink, still a little uncomfortable with the thought of just leaving it there for someone else to wash up, Imogen sidled over and snagged my elbow.

“Hey,” she murmured. “There’s a senior party down at the lake tonight. First outdoor one of the year now that it won’t be painfully cold after dark. Let’s go.”

I couldn’t help tensing. “The scions will be there, won’t they? And Victory with her crew?”

Imogen shrugged. Today’s silver clip, a rearing horse, glinted against her tawny hair. “You’re a scion too. Anyway, everyone will be there. It’s hardly exclusive. Well, other than…”

She glanced across the room, and I followed her gaze to where Shelby was just ducking into her bedroom. No Naries at this party, then. When I glanced back at Imogen, she made an apologetic face.

“We need to cut loose every now and then without having to worry about what they’ll see. It’s fun. We make sure they don’t even realize they’re missing anything.”

Part of me balked, but another part of me wondered how much talk there’d be if every mage in the senior class other than me showed up. Would Malcolm and Victory and the rest assume they’d cowed me into hiding?