Page 22 of Liminal
Normally, I’m not above trading sex for help with my assignments. I did it all the way through dull university. It doesn’t hurt that the nerdy girls are always so fucking gorgeous with those shy smiles and cute little glances that turn into eager demands in the bedroom.
Besides, with so much of my spare time taken up learning transmutation magic from my dad, I needed the help.
I can’t offer countless orgasms to a ghost, though.
That means following through on my promise will be a whole lot harder, which she knows, given the way her eyes roll, and the corner of her pretty mouth turns down.
“Mr Winthrop.”
Damn, we’re back to that again.
“There is very little that I want that is in your power to grant, besides your learning to use the catalogue system and leaving me alone.”
“You keep saying that, boss, but you keep finding my books for me.” I pause, backing up because she’s still hovering half in a bookcase. “Admit it. You like me, just a little bit.”
She hovers out of the bookshelf slowly, chewing at the fullness of her lower lip.
“I do not waste my time ‘liking’ arcanists.”
“Fine, you tolerate me more than everyone else.” Baby steps. She’ll realise I’m her one true love soon. “Come on, you can even make up some special rules for me, like you did for North.”
I’m not peeved at all that he got his own rule on day one. To distract myself from the weird spurt of jealousy, I lean in for a hug.
She dodges. She always does.
But this time, she actually disappears to avoid me.
“No hugging.” She reappears ten paces away from me. “You want a rule? Don’t touch me.”
Is there an edge of panic in her voice? Oh,hell no. The last thing I want is to make her uncomfortable.
“No hugging!” I quickly agree. “No touching, either, if that’s what you want.”
“No hugging,” she confirms. “No yelling. No—” She waves a hand at me as if to indicate that I should preferably stop existing all together, and I chuckle. “Do you have a time in mind?”
“Am I allowed to be here after closing?” Practice goes on late most days, and I can’t function before ten in the morning.
“Fine. We start next week. But if you’re late, I won’t let you in. And tell no one. I’m not running a school for useless arcanists.”
Sighing, she tugs at her sleeve in a subconscious tic that she has when she’s thinking or anxious. The movement draws myattention, and I blink as I notice the black cracks running from her palm to the crease of her elbow.
“What happened to your arm?”
She freezes, and the temperature in Botany Hall noticeably drops before she disappears entirely.
“I’ll see you at ten,” I call, forcing some peppiness into my voice as I address the bookshelf she was standing closest to. “I’ll bring chocolate.”
Whistling, I pick one of the doors at random, then curse when I realise it’s one of the ones that doesn’t open. So many doors in the Arcanaeum, and half of them don’t even work. I wonder if the Librarian made them that way just to mess with me.
Picking a second door—a green one this time—I knock, say, “My bedroom,” and step through. The Arcanaeum drops me at my dad’s place instead of my flat, but I’m glad to be home and surrounded by my stuff. The only drawback is that I have to flick through my grimoire for a summoning spell so I can be reunited with my phone. Once that’s done, I flop down on my bed and tap on the group chat that Leo created.
Lambert:I’m in.
North:Fucking finally.
Leo:If I’d known coming to the Arcanaeum after closing was an option, I’d have asked to do so before you two started this crazy plan to get me kicked out.
Leo wisheshe had the charm to score all-hours access to the Arcanaeum and the boss lady. Snorting, I toe off my sneakers and glance out of our window at the forest beyond. Our trailer is at the edge of the park, which means more privacy, but I’d honestly prefer it if we were surrounded by others. It’s too quiet out here.
