Page 72 of How to Flirt with a Witch

“Well, the original two guilds were Shadows and Alchemists, hence CSAMM’s name. But since its inception, more specialties have been added.” Her shoulders relax, and she seems grateful for the change of topic. “Alchemists do a few different things, like create the compounds that neutralize curses. They’re the brainiest, the meticulous ones who don’t mess up numbers or instructions. They spend a lot of time thinking, exploring, and creating.”

Sounds like a career for Hazel.

I open my mouth to ask what else Alchemists do—the mysterious work that falls under ‘a few different things’—but she continues before I can speak.

“We’ve also got Trackers, who search for curses in less obvious places. They’re like… archaeologists, kind of. They have to be okay with leaving for months at a time, sometimes venturing alone, other times in groups.My dad is one. He doesn’t care where he’s going, as long as it’s somewhere new.”

“Which is why he’s in Turkey right now?”

She fidgets with a bent corner of my notebook, trying to smooth it. “Yep.”

Finally, information about her family. But it’s all still hazy, everything about her life and the world of witches a big mystery.

“Are you close with him?” I ask.

“We text a lot. Updates on work, mostly. But I hear from him almost every day.” She reaches toward her pocket as if to hold onto the device that keeps them in touch, then crosses her arms. “Anyway, then there’s our government, which is made up of Directors like Fiona and Agnes—”

“Agnes is ingovernment?” I blurt, then duck down a little as a guy a few rows down glances back at us.

“She’s junior, but yeah,” Natalie says with a sigh. “She wasn’t always this intense. I think the power got to her head.”

I wrinkle my nose. “Their meetings must be a blast.”

Natalie chuckles. “So, those are the coven’s five guilds—Shadows, Alchemists, Guardians, Trackers, and Directors. There are other professions in the building, of course, like cleaners, cooks…”

“Would I be a Tracker?” I ask. “Because I can sense curses? I think that’d be useful.”

Her expression clouds over. “No. You’d be none of them. And that’s the beautiful thing.”

Disappointment flickers inside me.

The energy between us thickens. Her shoulders are tense, her brow pinched. She’s back to the protective mode I saw when she stormed after Freddie in that alley—dead serious about not wanting me to be a part of any of this.

It hurts as much as it warms me. I should be grateful that she’s concerned about my safety, but gratitude is tough when it means she has to keep me at arm’s length.

“You really should be paying attention,” she murmurs, her breath tickling my lips.

I swallow hard and look ahead. She’s right, but how can I pay attention to a sociology lecture when the alternative is talking about magic with Natalie?

I manage to take three lines of notes before the lecture ends.

When we leave, we walk a little closer together this time. Though I hope it’s because she’s feeling more comfortable, it could also just be a protective thing.

My second class is English Literature. It’s in a classroom setting instead of a hall, with enough desks and seats for about thirty students.

Natalie pauses at the door. “Think the prof will notice I’m not registered?”

I grimace, recalling a small class I took last term where the prof took attendance. “It’s possible.”

“I can wait for you here.”

I picture her standing outside the door like a bouncer while I sit inside the classroom for the next hour. “Or you can go grab a coffee or something instead of lurking like a weirdo.”

She shoves me playfully, sending a pleasant tingle through my midsection.

I grin. “Natalie, I don’t think a Madsen is going to barge into this room and abduct me in front of all these people. Go get a Starbucks. My treat.”

“I’m fine, thanks.” She shifts on her feet. “Listen, the curse I need to neutralize is in Woodward Library. If I go take care of that quickly, you promise you’ll wait for me when class is done?”