Page 53 of A Lesson in Obedience
Once we were safely tucked away in the elevator, she spoke again. “Are you going to expose Chancellor Fowler? I mean, Dean Wales was pretty nice to us after the whole thing in your dad’s office, so I mean she could be a good ally.”
“What is she going to do, Corrin? She works under him. She answers to him. As much as I want to put faith in this faculty, I just can’t. This campus is a giant fucking chess board, and he is just looming over, waiting until I’m out of moves so he can yell checkmate.”
Corrin slid her hand down my arm and folded her fingers in with mine. “Just make it through today and then you can say you did that. And hey, despite knowing that you and River— I will assume the one you had sex with was River —would have very cute babies, you remembered your pills so that you can prevent unwanted pregnancy. I call that a win and you know, a solid start to the day.” She gave me a large, shining smile and all I could do was laugh.
I knockedon Dean Wales’s door, hearing her soft voice telling me to come in. She gave me a warm smile and motioned towards the seat across from her. I sat down, crossing my ankles and fidgeting.
The dean pulled out some papers and her eyes glanced over the top page, then she looked up at me. “You aren’t in trouble, Riley. If that’s what you think, then rest assured, you are not.”
“That’s a relief.”
She let out a small, casual laugh. “The Admissions Department would like to understand why you didn’t mark ‘witch’ on your application. You are well aware this university is integrated; your transfer application would have been treated just the same as any other student.”
I interlocked my index fingers, pulling them against each other until it hurt. “I didn’t….I didn’t know.”
“Didn’t know what?”
My voice grew smaller. “That I had magic. That I was a witch. My—” I reached up and fiddled with my necklace, deciding to not finish my sentence. The silence between us was thick and all I could do was stare at a blank spot on her desk.
She blinked a few times, scanning over her papers again as if the answer to everything would be somewhere within them. “That explains the outburst at the meeting.” She sighed, placing her hands gently on top of her desk. “It isn’t my job to question anything beyond this university’s walls, so I won’t ask details about your personal life. The school is required to move your status from human to magic wielder, and if you plan to change your major toward a magical focus, then…”
I cut my eyes to her. “I don’t. I want to keep an English major. I can keep that right?”
She got up and walked around her desk. “Of course you can. You will have to get a dampener, that is rule number one. This is prettyodd territory for the school, but we are prepared to help you. Are you fully aware of what your magic is?”
I stopped fidgeting and settled my hands on the arms of the chair. “Telekinesis and fire.”
“An interesting combination. If you’d like to take any classes related to those things we can help fix your schedule. I’m not the liaison for human-magic relations, so anything regarding stress or just trying to get yourself back on track with all this newfound information you have at your disposal, I can’t help you with, but I can help you set up a meeting with her.”
I scrunched my face up in confusion. “My schedule is fine. I don’t want a change.” I licked my lips, letting her words wash over me. “Wait, you replaced my dad?”
She perched on top of her desk. “Your father will be missed, but his position was vital on campus, and it was important that we fill it with a worthy candidate. You will love her, I promise.”
Sentences were formulating in my head, but nothing was coming out of my mouth. He gave so much to this school and they chewed him up and spit him out. It wasn’t fair. My mental rambling got overthrown by the sound of the dean’s voice.
“Everything that happened with the witches left such a horrible stain on the school and we want to make sure that all of you are watched over and that things are never just glossed over anymore. You caught some attention that night, but rest assured, not all of it was bad. Our students’ well-being and making sure they get an education that suits them is our top priority.” A knock came at the door and she gave me an encouraging smile. “Come in!”
Caught some attention? If she meant the agonizingly skeptical looks I’d gotten all morning then yeah, she would be right. I don’t really know why that would be her concern or how she would even know that.
Unless…
“Ah, Chancellor Fowler please sit.”
His steps were calculated but smooth as she walked around mychair and sat comfortably in Dean Wales’s seat. She stood next to him, far too eager as if she thought him beinghere was good for me, like I should be thrilled to have one on one time with this school’s handler.
Chancellor Fowler sat back in the chair, his elbows on the arms with his fingers crossed. He was examining me and then the corners of his lips pulled into a smile that made my stomach turn. “It is so nice to finally meet you, Riley. You’ve caused some trouble, haven’t you?”
19
Riley
Iopened and closed my mouth a few times before deciding that whatever I was trying to say wouldn’t help me out of this. I looked from the chancellor back to Dean Wales, hoping that my eyes would give her some indication that the man next to her was a fucking monster. She just leaned against her desk, comfortable in what she thought was a normal situation.
Chancellor Fowler chuckled. “I’m only joking. I’m sure Dean Wales informed you that you are not in any sort of trouble. The university hopes that you will let us help you and stand by you through this sudden change.” He sounded like he actually cared, like his sole mission was to make me feel welcomed. He was so good at playing the charismatic villain that I feared I might have to pinch myself if I ever started to believe him.
“I already let her know about Lena and how she’s more than happy to be a helping hand in all this,” Dean Wales offered.
“Lena?” I asked, focusing my attention on her.
