Chapter 8

ARIA   “Why did you just stand and watch them do this to me?” I ask the question that was itching to get out of me for a while.   “I am sorry,” the warlock sighs, “I needed to see your reaction and..”   “Aura?” I roll my eyes. Whatever it was it was cruel to leave me there without help.   “Yes,” he nods.   “And? Anything interesting?”   “I already told you,” he smiles, “I saw a spark of fire. A tiny one. But it’s there.”   “Somehow it doesn’t feel enough to get happy that I was heavily beaten,” I snort, “It could have been just an illusion in a hit of the moment.”   “It could have,” he agrees, shuttering the hopes he himself built inside me just now, “But…”   He stops talking and waves in direction of the fireplace, making it light up with flames within just a second, “But there is something about your character… Something fiery… That spark… It was a part of you.”   I pull on my skirt, which is almost fully covered by his shirt anyway. But it just feels comfortable knowing it is there.   I want to believe in his words, but believing in something like this is dangerous. However, if I even don’t try… Then I am just a weakling they say I am.   “And what’s next?” I ask, coming closer to him. He looks me up and down in his shirt and it must be a comical sight, considering how big it is on me. His eyes somehow get darker.   “I’ll see you in the morning, Aria. 6 am sharp,” he says, turning away again, “And now you need to go.”   “Ok,” I sigh.    “Do you have any more protective artifacts on you?” he askes before I reach the door.   “A few,” I chuckle, “My aunt is…”   “Cassidy Queen, the famous artifactor. Yes. I’ve heard,” he says and then gets to one of a few boxes on his table, “Here, have this on you at all times as well.”   He hands me a tiny bracelet – a small silver chain with a tiny crystal.   “What is this?” I say, putting it on.  “If something happens to you, I’ll know,” he says avoiding my gaze, “And I will also know where to look for you.”   “I see,” I say biting my lip. Did he just promise to look over me?   “Oh, just don’t do that,” he says and I look at him questioningly.   “Don’t do what?” I ask, startled.   “Don’t fall me,” he replies and although somewhere deep inside it hurts me somehow, I give out a loud snort.   “Oh, god! You are cocky,” I wipe a fake tear off my eyes.   “I am serious, Aria,” he says, “What you and I will have will be a purely professional relationship. I hope you…”   “Seriously, Lex,” I interrupt him, “It might be surprising for you, but arrogant warlocks are just not my type! Besides, you are kind of my family, aren’t you?”   “Something, something twice removed,” he groans, “I think our great-great-grandfathers were second cousins or something. ”   “Did you check?” I chuckle and he clears his throat.   “All witches are related somehow,” he says the famous phrase and I give out another laugh.   “All right,” I bite my lip again, “I’ll better go now. Especially since we are meeting tomorrow at 6 am.”   “Good night, Aria,” he hurries to his table, checking some kinds of papers on his desk. The papers are upside down but I don’t comment on that.   “Good night, Lex…”     I walk carefully to my room. Luckily by now, it’s too late for anyone to be not sleeping and I avoid comments on how I actually look coming out late at night from a teacher’s wing wearing not my own clothes. I have nothing to be embarrassed about but my life is hell enough without any additional rumours. Lex is right, it should be just a professional relationship. Especially since soon he s going to be disappointed in me and leave to look for something new, that would interest his curious mind. This is just temporary.   I sigh heavily with relief as I am in the corridor leading to my own door. It’s unusually dark in here and I wish I had magic to create some kind of light. But I am almost in my safe zone, it should be fine.   I walk to my door holding the walls, not seeing a thing…when someone grabs me, covering my mouth and slamming me across the cold wall. Two golden eyes start glowing in front of me and I recognize Hunter immediately.   “Shhh,” he says and I just feel that he is drunk. When did he even have the time to? Werewolves need to drink buckets of alcohol to have any kind of effect on them.   Slowly, he puts his hand off my mouth. Too slowly for my liking.   “What the hell do you want?” I ask sternly and he growls.   “You smell like him,” he says as if he was spitting every word.   “So?” I roll my eyes, but his hand lands on my neck, making my heart beat faster with fright. He can break my neck if he sneezes in this position. “What do you want, Hunter?”   “What were you doing with him?” he growls.   “That’s none of your business,” I reply, “If you were clever enough, you would guess anyway.”   “Don’t play games with me, Aria”, he tightens his grip.   “Goddess, Hunter!” I try to move his hand away from mine, but it’s like moving an elephant should feel, “What do you think we were doing? Have you seen the state you left me in? All bloodied in there? He was healing me!”   The hand is off my neck and I run quickly to my door, but he gets me by my waist before I reach it.   “Was that all?” he asks, “Is that why you are wearing his clothes?”   “Yes!” I try to push him away, “Mine was bloodied and torn. Are you happy now? If you squeeze me tighter I would have to go back to him for healing again. Let me go!”   He releases me and I run to my door again. I open my magical lock, which reacts to me only with trembling fingers, afraid that he will attack me any second now and trying to think which artifact to use on him.   “Marissa shouldn’t have done it,” he says to my back.   I step inside my territory, finally under the protection of the barrier and gaining my confidence back with the realization.   “You think, Hunter?” I roll my eyes, “You think that throwing a human across several bookshelves with all her might and breaking my ribs, hand, and head in several places was a bit too much?!”   “It looked just like a few scratches,” he says quietly.   “It would be a few scratches for a werewolf,” I say firmly, “Which I am not.”   “You attacked her first!” he adds and I give out a loud laugh to that.   “And what reason exactly would I have to attack your crazy girlfriend?” I ask, “Which one of us has a pattern of violent behaviour, Hunter? Me or her?”   He doesn’t say anything to that.   “Just leave me alone,” I sigh, “Go f**k her and make her happy. Maybe then she will let me be at least for a day or two.”   “We broke up today,” he says and now I want to swear real bad.   “Great, Hunter, just great! Now it’s going to be my fault!” I cover my eyes with my hand, feeling the first signs of a migraine, “Was that before or after you saved her from the big bad me?”   “I..”. he wants to say something, but I gesture him to stop.   “Just go away and leave me alone,” I say, “Don’t come to me, don’t talk to me. I am sure you and her will make up in a day or two. I am honestly surprised you are not mates. To me – you are a match made in heaven!”   I slam the door to his face, thinking of ways to protect myself from the wrath of Marissa. Whatever was the real reason for them to break up, she will blame me. And even if she knew that I had nothing to do with it, she would still take it out on me…   It’s going to be a long day tomorrow!