Page 35 of Spark of Sorcery

“We need to talk.”

He’s probably surprised to hear that. I’m not known for my talking.

He considers me, then nods and steps inside, leaving the door ajar behind him.

The classroom is even colder than outside, my breath hanging in a pale cloud in front of my face.

“You’ve come to talk about Briony,” he says.

I nod.

He perches on the edge of his desk, folding his arms over his chest, making his biceps strain against the material of his shirt. Deliberate perhaps?

“What is it you wish to discuss?”

“You healed her.”

Annoyance forms on his face. “And I guess you’re going to tell me that I shouldn’t have? That she’s your thrall,” hespits, “and I shouldn’t have touched her. And maybe I wouldn’t have had to if you were taking better care of her.”

“Youwere meant to remove any students from the maze who were in danger. Why didn’t you remove her?”

He glowers at me, then stares down at his shoes. “Something went wrong. I would have if I’d known she was in …” He halts mid sentence and peers back up at me. “She hasn’t told you what happened, has she?”

I take a menacing pace towards him.

“Tell me whatdidhappen.”

“You think it was me?” he chuckles. “Why the hell would I attack the girl and then heal her afterwards?”

“It’s what abusers do,” I whisper. Full of remorse after the event. Begging for your forgiveness. Right before they do it all over again.

“I’m here to teach my students, not abuse them,” he growls. His magic is cold and prickling against my skin. “She toldmewhat happened.Iknow who is responsible and I’ve dealt with it.”

“Who?” I say, taking another pace towards him, my hands clenching inside my gloves, straining against the leather, my shadows hot and raging and menacing.

He draws himself to his full height so we’re glaring into each other’s eyes, his glowing in the darkness.

“I’ve told you, I’ve dealt with it. It won’t be happening again. She’s safe – at least she is from that direction.”

“If you’re insinuating–”

“The girl doesn’t want to be your thrall,” he hisses. “Can you blame her when you’ve been doing such a terrific job at protecting her?”

He’s deliberately trying to provoke me, to draw my attention away from who was responsible.

“Tudor, who was it?”

“It’s best you leave this to me. I know you boys think you’re indestructible, untouchable – but this is someone you don’t want to cross.”

“Beaufort is untouchable.”

“This person doesn’t care.” He stares off into the distance. “Sometimes I think they are fucking insane.”

“That doesn’t make me feel any better about the situation,” I growl, wracking my brain to identify who he must be talking about. Not one of the students. There are rumors Henrietta Smyte has inherited her mother’s insanity. She used to date Beaufort and the way she likes to drape herself all over him has me believing she would still like to date him. But would she be foolish enough – insane enough – to attack the girl? Possibly, but I don’t think she has the powers or the skills to manipulate what happened in the maze.

“This person isn’t a problem,” the professor says. “They won’t be hurting Briony again. You have my word.”

I consider him the way he considered me only moments ago. Can I trust him?