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I shook my head.

“My mother realized that something was wrong with me because I wasn’t acting like myself at all.She’s a Null but she was raised in a magical family and she knew the signs of someone under a spell.So she took my father into the kitchen and finally got it out of him.”

I shook my head, remembering.I had been watching through a crack in the door and I had seldom seen my mother so upset.

“Do you know what you’ve done?”she’d shout-whispered at my father, since Great Aunt Zelda was still in the house.“You’ve taken away Avery’s free will!You’ve subjected him to unwanted physical contact with an adult he doesn’t like!That’schild abuse!Hell, it’s damn near pedophilia the way she slobbers all over him!”

My father had frowned mutinously.

“It’s not abuse—he needs to learn proper manners.He can’t be allowed to go around disrespecting adults the way he does Aunt Zelda.”

“He’sfive!”my mother exclaimed.“Children that age aren’t always perfectly behaved.And I refused to let you bespell our son just because you want the Connor family grimoire!Now take that damn spell off himright now!”

Well, my mom was a head and a half shorter than my dad and she had zero magic while he had an enormous amount, but when she looked at him like that and spoke in that tone, he listened.

“So what did he do?”Ari asked—he and Kaitlyn were also listening with interest.

“And what didyoudo?”Kaitlyn added.

“He took the spell off me and I kicked Great Aunt Zelda in the shins the next time she tried to grab me and kiss me,” I said promptly.“Oh, and I think I shouted something like—‘I hate you!Your breath stinks!’”I shook my head.“My father never forgave me for that, I don’t think.He neverdidget his hands on the family grimoire.”

“Good for you, kicking her!”Jalli—who was normally a peaceful little soul—said unexpectedly.There was a light of anger in her eyes that really surprised me.

Megan, on the other hand, had turned white as a sheet.

“Oh my God,” she murmured.“I didn’t realize…”

“That the Drakes you bespelled are no doubtseethingwith rage under the amiable smiles they’ve been casting in my direction all day?”I asked, raising an eyebrow at her.“I’m afraid so, Princess Latimer.So could youpleasetake the manners spell off them right away, before they get even angrier and want to kick my ass from here to the Sky Lands?”

“I doubt they’ll be doing that since you have a Drake protector—especially one as formidable as Saint’s Drake,” Ari objected.

“In case you haven’t noticed, Saint is nowhere to be found,” I said crisply, nodding down at the empty chair at the end of the table.

“Where is he, though?”Kaitlyn asked, looking worried.

“Yeah, is he all right?”Emma, who had been silent up until now, asked.

I gave an elaborate shrug.

“I’m sure I don’t know,” I said, taking another sip of my lunchtime coffee.

“Oh dear—have things gotten worse between the two of you?”Megan asked.

I nodded shortly, not wanting to tell her that things had gotten worse precisely because they had gottenbetterpreviously.I won’t lie—after the intimacy between us the night before, the way Saint was avoiding me hurt—hurt likehell—and I really didn’t want to talk about it.

“So…he’s not protecting you anymore?”Ari asked.

“He was never precisely ‘protecting’ me in the first place,” I said, rather waspishly.“In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t have ‘damsel in distress’ stamped on my forehead.I don’tneedprotecting—especially not by Saint.”

Though I supposed it was possible his crazy Drake would drag him into a confrontation if someone started beating me up, I didn’t think my tall, dark roommate wanted anything else to do with me.SoIwas going to leavehimstrictly alone as well, I told myself.

I tried to ignore the pain this thought caused, like a poisonous thorn that had lodged in my heart.

“Dios, Avery, youwillneed protecting if the Drakes are magically forced to keep being nice to you,” Ari pointed out.“I can’t imagine they’re happy right about now.”He shot a glance at Megan.

“I’m going to go break the spell right away,” she said quickly.“There’s still some time before lunch ends.”She got up from the table, bringing her half-eaten tray with her.“Griffin, will you come with me?”

He smiled at her.