Page 32 of Chaos
“When I wasn’t studying, I was painting. I learned how to infuse magic into the canvas and pigments. Many people at my high school thought that was a waste. Like simply creating something beautiful with it shouldn’t be done unless it served a purpose. They were so focused on using it to hurt people and for personal gain. They did nothing good with it.”
“Did you ever get back at them? People tried to do that to my twin sister and me at the Academy since we were scholarship students. We were smart. We played the long game, and our revenge was pretty epic. Exposing those uppity bitches and getting them expelled was beautiful.”
“Do I want to know what you did?”
“Nothing illegal. They were using dark magic to cheat their way through school. The Academy of the Profane is not as strict as the library. The spirits choosemostof the students, but there are several slots where people can buy their way in. Also, the board there can bump people who were chosen to open a spot for someone to buy. You could have very well been chosen for a scholarship, and your spot got taken away for someone with money.”
“Fucking witches,” I muttered.
That sounded accurate and not totally shocking. I could be bitter about it all day, or I could focus on the future. I was at this library for a reason.
“Did you get your revenge, Gabriel?”
“I couldn’t then,” I said. “Not with my family name. The worst one hired me for a job under the table a few years later. I fucked his wife.”
Ripley threw back her head and laughed.
“I love it. Wait, a minute! I have a theory about why you’re here now! It’s the painting thing you just told me about. Dorian Gray is at the heart of this, and we’ve got his painting in the vault. I don’t want to piss any demons off and do anything to it until we absolutely have to. Maybe you could take a look at it and figure out how to destroy it.”
I went to stand.
“Show me this painting.”
Ripley grabbed my arm and pulled my back down.
“Later, okay? Reyson is going to be occupied with that movie for a while. It’s a pretty night out, and the moon is full. Let’s just sit out here and chat.”
I could do that. I didn’t want to just contribute my magical skills to this. I liked all of these people. Even Reyson and Balthazar were cool.
And I’d never met a witch like Ripley before in my entire life. I wanted to know more.
Chapter 28
Felix
I
sincerely hoped I wasn’t on god babysitting duties every time Ripley wanted to go off and flirt. Reyson was amusing in that he was like this alien who just landed on Earth and got amazed at the most random shit. Still, he was a god and he acted like it most of the time.
Ripley came back late after hanging out with Gabriel. We’d watched all threeStar Warsmovies. I have never seen someone eat that much junk food in my entire life before. Still, he came in handy and he was nice to me. He offered to get me food from back home again. I had a hot pork pie in my hand with just a flick of his wrist. Don’t ask me how he was doing it, but I wouldn’t question it.
Reyson seemed to have no problem with me sleeping in Ripley’s room. I disappeared with her. I had no idea why she wanted me in there with extra bedrooms available. I changed back into the cat and slept on her pillow like I always did. Ripley and I had always been close, but I knew she wasn’t afraid of the dark and didn’t need me that close. Especially not with Reyson right next door.
It was strange, and she was still changing in front of me like I was still a simple house cat. It wasn’t like I could help my reaction. Ripley was an attractive witch, and we were close. I always changed back into the cat as soon as we retired for the night because Ripley was one of those women who ripped her bra off as soon as she got home.
She also slept in tiny, black lace pajamas. I didn’t even think about it as the cat, but now that I had a body again, it just seemed inappropriate to sleep in her bed. I nestled myself into her pillow and waited for her to hit the light.
“Felix? Can you change back?”
Idid notlike where my mind was going with this. I’d be totally nude in her bed with her in that teeny lace number. Still, I’d die for Ripley. I lucked out, getting assigned her familiar. She was snarky with an awful temper, and she had horrible taste in men, but she had this fantastic heart underneath the hard exterior.
I shifted back and dove under her blanket.
“What’s wrong, Ripley?”
“Why do you sleep as the cat when you have your body back?”
“…Because you asked me to stay here, and it’s easier that way.”
