Page 24 of A Drop of Anguish
“So, why did you?”
“I wanted to. And it seemed like a good time to come while things were in the middle of a transition. Not so sure that turned out to be wise.”
“Or maybe you just like to be dramatic.”
He chuckles. “That too.”
“I guess it’s hard, but also, everyone is struggling to figure stuff out, so at least you’re not alone.” I almost consider asking him if that’s why he chose me to cling to. I’m also in the middle of an upheaval. But I don’t want to give him an easy excuse. I want to know the real reason, even if it takes a while to uncover it.“I just had to change my entire schedule.”
“Mid-year?”
“The new headmaster isn’t my biggest fan and decided I needed morechallengingcoursework.”
“Ms. Bhatt? She loves me.”
I put my hand on my hips and huff. “Why am I not surprised? She hates me because she blames me for Jarron’s absence.”
“Ahh. I see.”
We’re quiet for a few minutes, watching the cauldrons bubble. The acrid steam fills the air, warming the room to the point of near discomfort causing Thompson to wipe sweat from his brow.
I ignore the heat and begin a slow stir of my truth potion.
“I know you don’t really trust me,” he says, breaking the easy silence. “And I don’t blame you. But I want you to know I don’t mean you any harm.”
I pause my stirring to look at him. “I wouldn’t have come here alone with you if I thought you did.”
He looks around as if just realizing we’re alone in a room together. “Oh. Right.”
My attention returns to my potion. “I do think you have an agenda, though. I just haven’t figured out what it is.”
He sniffs and then smiles that arrogant crooked grin. “Got any guesses?”
I narrow my eyes, focused on the swirling liquid as I consider my response. “At first, I thought you were trying to get to me the way the other wolves are. Messing with me. Taunting. I don’t think that anymore.”
“Oh?”
“No, you go out of your way to make lunch easier. You purposefully distract me from the stares. That’s not something a bully would do, even if you were trying to get me to let my guard down.”
“Interesting.”
“Maybe you want to get in good with my parents since you are a potions student yourself. That seems far-fetched, particularly since you say you’re the future alpha of your pack.”
“Hmm.” He leans back on the bench, oozing ease. He’s enjoying having all of my attention on him.
“You could be trying to get to Jarron,” I say, but then I stop. I don’t really want to explain that one too thoroughly because it’s the most likely option and I don’t want him to close up if I’m right. “But in that case, you could be waiting a very long time.”
He doesn’t respond, and I don’t even glance his way.
“Or something I haven’t thought of yet. Something to do with the Akrasia Games? Who knows.”
His voice is quiet as he asks, “you think I want to be involved in the Akrasia Games?”
I meet his tense gaze. “There are only a few connections I have that a powerful supernatural could want, and that’s one of them. I don’t know why you’d want that connection, but it’s possible there’s something. Maybe you had a loved one killed by it too and want revenge. Maybe someone you know signed the contract, and you want to stop the next set of games too. I don’t know.”
His expression relaxes.
“No clues?” I ask playfully now that his tension has eased a bit.
