d tapped it on his aunt's classroom door twice, watching t

hoed even before the doors unlocked

edge of a chair that was precariously stacked on three more chairs – all four of which had been stacked on a flower pot that wa

s throat and asked sardonically, "Do you need

crystal ball on the top shelf to her nephew down below, and her plum-purple eyes gained a new, determined shade. "The last

st... come

stubbornly remaining on the creaking chair. "I was going to ask Váskas to help me g

ot what she wanted, Theo sighed and aimed his w

helf and glided seamlessly past Hexena and lan

f the stack of chairs that wobbled and were seconds away from colla

ot froze in mid-air, t

k – the spell she mixed and sprinkled on her f

y, grabbing the crystal ball off h

r shelf while Theo picked the chairs from the air and put them back on the floor, telling himself that hi

nother crystal ball somewhere unreachable. This is definitely not worse than the tim

f blue and yellow fill the space in the cube now holding the crystal ball he'd just retrieved, he said, "It has

an extra two semesters while they clean m

at of a punishment

t breeds pe

ns injustice," he said,

ought. "Given what I did," she reminded, her tone low like she was sharing a secret when

they aren't burning in

o watch her nephew grow while her nephew fumed at the injustice that befallen her, for a crime she didn't instigate, for a c

ee

hancellor Labigail Higgins and Professor Váskas Dérma were her saving grace. They took pay-cuts so that the university had enough to pay Hexena to

lueless little thing that Theo was, the real culprits were having the best time o

was by agreeing with her nephew (which she did in her bones but never aloud) then change the subject to one

"Dragon-shifters can't scald

ire or heat, did I?" s

's heart. "I'd give my degrees to see that day

r, it revealed a face, then zoomed out and revealed another face, giggling in a t

arted again. "They sho

uttered, "I'll do my best to recommend that but

her side, casting a stern eye at anyone who ma

y like?" she aske

Theo

your ex-roomie's famil

ituation became more bearable. "They're..." his voice trailed off, making Hexena pause and turn. She scrutiniz

y," Hexena chimed i

"They're good people, all of them.

ien

head-to-head with dragon-shifters. He'd probably grab one by its tail

ceeded down the corridor she knew by heart. "You have an od

just three years

point

ot boys

at's he

e stopped

an louloúdia when I asked what his family was li

ancied anyone

name or I'll concoct a truth pot

– would need legal authorization before injecting any potions into any

y, making his eyes take a second sweep around them. Hexena's l

she mentioned rising to his cheeks and heating

in love, though, that would be," she said, her voice carrying a

er," he clarified. "We jus

ct on you already. Mus

s, bold, beautif

then did Theo realize he was talking l

nothing

it'll show, one

t very enc

lf for all eternity? It's a long time, nephew. What if healt

Liam said she's four months shy of twenty – four

ope it wou

et. He knew nothing about her... Well, nothing but the little he knew from Liam – that she and their other cousin, Ianne, were unusually f

ed here in Thavma to further her knowl

to Thavma to study incantas' ingredients, potions, and methods, hopin

#

application procedure, given who they were. But after applications were approved by the senior professors, Theo – who had just earned his latest academic title in lethal potions –

ting addicting. He was only halfway through before he flipped to the first page for

ed the mere thought of the

at the same time. It was in equal parts riveting and logical – not a bala

s bril

, Theo was tongue-tied. He took a moment to refocus and looked at it with a more critical (and judgmental) eye, saying that it was perfect ove

ioned in passing, "Probably because we have the Forest of Oderem for

#

de Chancellor Higgin's door. His aunt gave him a taunting look wit

t knocked the door in three

cellor Higgins cursed from behind

Labigail?" Hexena aske

r was washing her partially yellow hand at the office sink with a poti

it?" Hexena casually asked, s

ns wiped off the remaining moisture and said, "I'd

he was left staring at the door. He stood outside, waited, and hoped – h

gratefully accepted a pink-and-yellow sandwich from his friend when

ing he needed a distraction, he

m. The whole entourage is helping them unpack

and all they did nex