Page 37 of Venomous Lies
Regardless of the professor’s dismissal, I was about to barge back in there. No way was some random stranger coming in here and jeopardizing my position in the one class that I specialized in.
Fuck that.
JUNICHIRO
Without even looking up, I knew it washerwhen the door of the greenhouse flung open.
The magick that had slammed me back into awareness was striding toward me with a violence I hadn’t encountered in centuries. I had figured it would take time for me to find the one whose powers had tugged at me, but the quick unveiling wasn’t the biggest surprise.
Her appearance was.
She looks likeher.
“Professor, I would like a word,” she demanded as she stopped beside my desk.
“By all means then,” I replied blandly, refusing to look up from the papers I was trying to make sense of. “Trying to sort through this paperwork is especially tedious with silence, so please fill it with whatever you’ve come in to say.”
“Are you always such a fucking asshole, or did you save this attitude especially for your students?”
“Unfortunately,” I deadpanned, “this is my personality for everyone, so students won’t get any special treatment. Is that what you came in to ask me?”
“No,” she almost growled in irritation. “I came to say that I will be in this class on Tuesday whether youdeterminethat I should be here or not. This is my specialty, and no professor is going to waltz in here and take that away from me just because he finally decided to show up and start doing his job.”
I hummed as I tilted my face up to look at her.
She glared at me, black hair falling around her face as she placed her hands on my desk and leaned closer.
“Just know, whoever the hell you are, since you didn’t even bother to introduce yourself, you’re not getting in my way.”
“Are you threatening me, witch?” I asked softly, my warning clear as I sat back and crossed my arms in front of my chest. “Because I can tell you now that wouldn’t be wise.”
“I highly doubt that me saying I’ll be in class next week could be considered a threat.” She arched an eyebrow at me, seemingly unaffected by my irritation. “But we can certainly ask for a second opinion if you wish.”
I narrowed my eyes and stared at her, but she returned my silent challenge until she smirked and stood up straight. She fussed with her clothes and her bag strap before smoothly turning around to leave.
“Your name, witch?”
“I believe I still need yours, Professor,” she sassed over her shoulder.
“Junichiro,” I told her as she grabbed the door handle.
“Isla Hallowes,” she replied, her exit interrupted when I called out her name.
“On Tuesday, bring me your best potion along with a complete set of notes on the process by which it was created. If it’s acceptable, you may stay,” I told her evenly, holding up a hand to cut off the questions or commentary I could feel building up inside of her. “You said this was your specialty. Prove it. Bring me your best, or don’t bother showing up at all.”
“I already know you’ll be my teacher in this class, Junichiro. That’s a given. When I come in with my potion on Tuesday, it will be to prove you should be mymentor. I won’t waste my time on anything less.”
“You have quite the ego to live up to, Miss Hallowes, and I have high expectations. See you Tuesday.”
With a nod, she rushed outside as I sat back in my seat, staring at where she had been standing.
A mentor, huh?
An interesting turn of events, but I couldn’t deny that it would be useful for my purposes. I’d figure out what it was about her that called to me.
Then I could leave and get back to my freedom.
Greywood was a prison I had no desire to stay in.
