Page 46 of Fractured Fates

“What’s going on?” I ask, my gaze swinging between them both.

“I caught him snuffling my ‘Magical economics notes’. I told him off. Now he’s sulking.”

“He ate your notes? Shit, Winnie, I’m really sorry. I need to find him some proper food.” I glare at Pip and he lowers his head to the floor and whimpers.

“He’s been doing a lot of that.”

“He doesn’t like it when people are mad at him.”

“Hmmm.” She diverts her attention away from my pig and back to me. “Anyway, I got your phone working so I think you will be able to order him some food.”

“What do you mean?”

She doesn’t blink this time, instead she pats the spot on the bed next to her, and talks me through how to use the phone Trent gave me, including how to order pig food on the internet and have it delivered to our dorms. I have to use Winnie’s credit card to set it up but we make a deal that I’ll pay her back, as well as rewrite all the notes Pip ate.

When she’s finished her lesson, she sinks back against her pillows and looks me over. “You don’t look so good. What happened?”

Should I tell her about my encounter with the man in black, how he has butterflies dancing in my stomach? Or about my run-in with Summer and Spencer in the locker rooms?

I decide to go with Stone and the thing that’s bothering me the most.

“I had another altercation with Professor Stone. Please tell me he’s the only one who can read minds in this place?”

“There are one or two others but he’s the best by far. In fact, everyone says that’s why he got the job here. It’s pretty useful to have a member of staff who can read pupils’ minds, find out who’s lying about stuff, who’s cheating on tests.”

“It’s so annoying though. So invasive.” I shiver when I think of all the dirty things he saw in my mind out there on the path.

“Oh God, Rhi. How much did he see?” My cheeks redden again. “Can’t you keep him out?”

“No …” I stare at my new friend. “Is that possible?”

“Yeah, you need to work on your mental shields. I mean, Professor Stone is pretty effective at breaking through them when he wants to, but at least it stops him casually walking into your thoughts when you don’t want him to.”

“Yeah, that does sound good. But how do I learn it?”

“Ahh, that would be a problem.” She grimaces. “Professor Stone would be the one to teach you.”

“Oh crap.”

“I could try, but I doubt–”

“I’d be grateful for any help.”

Anything to keep that creep out of my thoughts.

15

Rhi

Unfortunately my firstlesson the next day is with the creep himself: Professor Stone.

“Ancient Magic. It sounds pretty dry,” I tell Winnie as we file into the classroom with the rest of the students. There’s no sign of Stone. His classroom was unlocked, but it’s empty.

“I guess it’s one of the harder subjects but I like it,” she shrugs, then leans in to whisper, “most of the girls do, and several of the boys as well.”

“Please tell me that’s because he makes the topic interesting and entertaining.”

Winnie grins and shakes her head. “Most of the teachers here are older than our parents. Stone’s the one piece of eye candy on campus and pretty decent eye candy too.”