Page 36 of Ashes and Lilies
What exactly had Bryce done to make both Finn and Damen despise him?
“You’re wrong.” Bryce touched his collar with a smug grin. “She’s fae—and as such, her educational needs fall under my jurisdiction.”
“Don’t give me any of that crap. You’re not even supposed to be here.” Finn’s passion was hot in the atmosphere. “Besides, you’re a terrible teacher. Bianca’s had nothing but complaints about you since day one. But this has nothing to do with your class and, therefore, nothing to do with you. So, go away.”
“Who said anything about class?” Bryce didn’t seem to notice that Finn let slip I’d complained about him. “I’m on a different business today. I’m branching out into supernatural teaching, ofsorts.” He waved his hand at me, his pompous mouth curling into a little grin. “I’ve finally found my protégé.”
Oh my God. My breath hitched in horror as my blood turned to ice.
This was worse than I could have imagined. Bryce was clueless, and he had no idea that soon, I was going to be his boss.
Sure, keeping it secret was the plan, for some reason. And yes, it was true that Bryce might, maybe, be reaching out with good intentions, as he had no awareness that his days of glory and rule were numbered.
But still, it was too much.
“Are you serious?” Finn moved closer, crossing his arms. It almost seemed he was trying to hide me from Bryce’s view. “We don’t take on students—it’s not a part of an Er Bashou’s responsibilities.”
“We also don’t hide from our quintets,” Bryce replied without pause. “Regardless, my relationship with Miss Brosnan is not your concern. Whyhaveyou decided to make an appearance now?”
“It’s not like I’ve been hiding.” Finn tensed. “You all know how to reach me.”
“This is boring,” Anthony interjected. He looked between them, frowning, before he nodded in my direction. “I’m more interested about what you two were talking about before I got here.”
My fingers went numb as my breath caught.
Talking about what… what did he overhear, exactly?
“Yes.” Bryce stroked his chin. “Something about medication and a few other interesting tidbits.”
I wasn’t thinking past my panic, and I reached out and grabbed Finn’s hand.
He tensed, muscles freezing, before I noticed him glancing atme from the corner of his eyes. There might have been a flicker of concern there, but I didn’t care.
I still didn’t even know what the medication was supposed to be for.
Finn frowned and squeezed my fingers.
“What are you up to?” Anthony chastised Finn. “Are you medicating people to be your friend? Why can’t you just try to be pleasant?”
“Don’t start with your stupid lines!” Finn snapped. He hesitated briefly, sucking in a breath before he added, “It’s supposed to suppress Bianca’s abilities.”
A sense of numbness cloaked over me, and I released Finn’s hand. “W-what?” I asked, stepping back from him. My chest hurt, and I pressed my palm over my heart.
Anthony and Bryce both stiffened and glared at Finn, who remained silent.
“Why would you need to suppress her abilities?” Anthony put a finger to his chin. “Damen could certainly use the help.”
Bryce’s eyes widened, and his attention moved over my form. “What—”
“What’s going on?” Damen’s sharp voice interrupted Bryce’s eye-judging. I glanced past Anthony. Damen was briskly walking toward us.
His gaze zeroed in on me, and after a quick once-over, he pushed past Anthony and pulled me away from Finn. Then, completely ignoring the other three, he turned his back to them and ran his fingers across my cheek.
“You were late, and I had to send Kasai to look for you,” he said, eyeing my exposed arms. My heart skipped at the reminder, and suddenly, I was self-conscious. I pulled my sleeves down to cover my bruises while Damen continued talking, touching the edges of my hair. “Is everything okay?”
“We were just discussing why someone might be on medication to suppress their abilities,” Anthony said as he watched Damen in expectation. “What do you think?”
Damen’s fingers stilled over my arm. He turned to them, holding me to his side with his hand resting lightly on my waist. “There could be many reasons.”
