Page 22 of Faerie Gift

The weight of my fellow students’ gazes dropped on me but I maintained eye contact with Hoarfrost. There was a muscle tic in his jaw but otherwise he gave no indication of his ire. At least, no more than his usual hard feelings toward me.

“Stay after class,” he barked out at last. “I’d like to speak to you alone.” Showing me his back as he returned to the board.

I felt like I’d put my head on the chopping block on purpose and now waited for the guillotine blade to plummet. Yeah, my fault entirely. I needed to manifest a zipper so I could keep my lips closed.

The rest of the time ticked by slower than any in my life, and I’d once been forced through a dinner with my bloodthirsty fated mate groping me while my uncle smiled proudly at the match he’d arranged. I’d thought nothing could compare tothatatrocity.

Hoarfrost’s lecture gave the experience a run for its money in sheer, growing terror.

Reluctantly I lingered at my desk as the rest of the class emptied out the door at the sound of the bell. I would have given my left leg to go with them and escape what would surely be a one-sided explosion to end all explosions.

“Miss Alderidge…” Hoarfrost intoned once we were alone.

And I finally realized his initial dislike of me was nothing compared to how he felt now. Pure rage shone along every inch of his face and body. Shoulders hunched, jaw locked, he nearly spat, “Howdareyou call out my error in front of the class!”

What could I say to defend myself? I scrambled to find something. Anything. My hands tightened on the strap of my backpack until my knuckles turned white. “I’m sorry, sir. I just read the book during break and I realized you had the date wrong. I should have raised my hand.”

At least my voice didn’t shake.

Hoarfrost leaned against his desk, one leg bent and the other locked to keep him in position. If anyone happened to walk by and didn’t see his eyes, they’d think this a regular teacher–student meeting. They wouldn’t feel the fury rolling off of him.

But I sure did.

“If you have an issue with the way I lecture, then you ask to meet with me privately,” he said through gritted teeth. “Younevercorrect me. Do you understand what I’m telling you? Or do I need to put it in writing for it to get through to you?”

Did I? I took a deep breath. “Professor Hoarfrost, if the information you’re giving out is incorrect, then isn’t it my duty to inform you?”

Yet another wrong thing to say. I was batting zero today. I realized it immediately when it felt like an arctic blast of pure cold speared through me, and I was surprised the ends of my hair didn’t freeze.

Hoarfrost pointed a meaty finger at my face and I noticed the tips of his ears now burning a bright red. “Your mouth is going to get you into trouble, miss. Your mouth and your bad attitude. You’ve been a blight in my class since the first day you arrived and I will not stand for it any longer.”

Instead of shrinking this time, I stood my ground. A blight? Hell no. He couldn’t insult me. Especially when I hadn’t done anything wrong besides speak out of turn. “I didn’t realize you had such a hard time being corrected. I don’t think it’s fair for you to get mad at me when you’re the one giving out wrong information to your class.”

Was he…threatened by me, for some reason?

My wolf said yes. The rest of me begged me to stop talking before I dug my grave deeper.

“You listen to me—”

“Then talk to me like an adult instead of like a petulant teenager,” I interrupted. “I’m the teenager here, not you.”

The rest of him turned red to match his ears and I did cower then. I cowered when he seemed to grow ten feet, sucking up the rest of the air in the room. Could I make it to the door before he went postal?

The answer: No.

“You will never make it into Faerie!” This came out in an explosion of sound. “I won’t allow it. Mark my words. Mark them well, Miss Alderidge. No more skating by with me. I am going to make sure you pay for what you’ve said here today.”

I didn’t want to listen to any more. Without waiting for him to finish, I bolted from the room and as far away from Hoarfrost and his threats as I could get, eyes and throat burning.

I’d have to go back to his class in a few days. I dreaded it already.

You will never make it into Faerie! I won’t allow it.

Could he really make good on that threat?

I brushed at my suddenly wet eyes and wondered why I felt the need to open my big, fat mouth.Keep your head down and don’t stand out.You made a mess of this one.

No kidding.

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