Chapter 143 143- Never Forget Fireproofing Is A Love Language
LEXI
38
The next few days are… strange. Everything feels slightly off, like the Academy is still trying to settle back into place after something it
can’t quite fix. Half my classes are cancelled. Basic Spellcasting is completely gone without Professor Farrow, and Potions is paused until
Professor Matthews recovers fully, so I’m left with these weird half-days where I have far too much time to think and nowhere near
enough to distract me. And thinking is… not going well. The classes I do have are tense, quieter than they used to be, like everyone is
waiting for something else to happen. People whisper more, watch more, and they definitely keep their distance, especially from Blake.
It’s worse now. Before, people were wary of him. Intimidated. Now they’re scared. No one says anything to his face, but the looks, the way
conversations drop when he walks past, the way people physically move out of his way… it’s obvious. Everyone knows what he did. What’s
not obvious, what somehow never made it out, is that I killed someone too, and that feels… weirdly unfair. To him. And maybe to me.
Because if people knew, if they knew what I was capable of when pushed, would they still look at me the same way? Would they still think
I’m easy to target? I don’t like the idea of people being afraid of me, and I’m not proud of what I did, but… if people thinking I might
fight back means fewer people actually try to hurt me, then that’s a good thing, right? Twisted, but logical. Still, it doesn’t matter. No one
knows. And Blake is carrying all of that weight on his own. At least there haven’t been any more attacks. No one has tried to break into
the Academy or come after me again, which is… something. What isn’t something is the nightmares. Every single night. They’re not even
just nightmares, they’re memories, replaying over and over, only worse each time. Sharper. Louder. More detailed. My brain fills in the
gaps and stretches everything out until it’s unbearable. I wake up exhausted every morning, like I haven’t slept at all. I’ve thought about
going to Blake, more than once actually, but he’s been… off. Not distant in the sense that he’s avoiding me or anything. He’s still there,
still with me most of the time, but SOMETHING has definitely changed. He’s quieter. Less affectionate. Like he’s holding himself back, like
he’s trying to give me space. Which would make sense… if we hadn’t already talked things out. We did talk, right? We said we wanted to
be together. That we’d work through it. So why does it feel like I’m still waiting for something? Like there’s another conversation we’re
supposed to have, but neither of us knows how to start it? There’s this awful, creeping feeling that he’s upset with me, mad, or
disappointed, or SOMETHING! And I keep coming back to that moment. Everything was fine. We were fine. Right up until the moment he
saved me and… everything that came with that. So it has to be related. It has to be. I just don’t know how, and that’s the problem.
Because if I ask, if I say the wrong thing, I could make it worse. So instead… I say nothing. And wait.
5
Blake, Ellorie, and I are sitting in the library. We would ordinarily have Basic Spellcasting right now, but with Professor Farrow gone, that
class doesn’t exactly exist anymore, at least not until they find a ner professor. So instead, I’ve got the textbook open in front of me, and
Ellorie is walking me through the practical side of things since she’s in the advanced class. Blake isn’t technically involved. But he’s here.
Which means he’s definitely listening. He claims he just wants Ellorie to focus on helping me, but I know him well enough by now to
recognise what’s actually happening. He’s paying attention without participating, storing everything away to work on later when no one is
watching. He’s a little too proud to accept help from Ellorie directly, especially with her being so openly confident about it. But I’ve seen
him. More than once. With our rooms linked the way they are now, I’ve caught him studying. Practicing. Repeating spells under his breath
like he’s trying to master them through sheer stubbornness alone. So yeah. He’s learning. Just… privately. Right now, he’s off to the side,
wandering the library doing his own thing, close enough to keep an eye on us but far enough that he’s not hovering. It’s actually a nice
balance. Ellorie, on the other hand, is very involved.
“Okay, again. Focus. Don’t force it. Let it build.” she says, tapping the table lightly in front of me. We’re working on fire. Which feels like
a terrible idea in a library. But apparently it’s not. Ellorie insists the Academy won’t let anything happen to the books There’s enough
magic in this place to protect them from basically anything, which means it’s actually one of the safest places to practice. That still feels
questionable But I trust her.
“Why fire again?” I ask, even though I already know the answer
1:3
20:08 Mon, Apr 27
Chapter 143 143- Never Forget Fireproofing Is A Love Language
“Because fire is fun,” she says immediately, grinning. Of course.
38
“And it’s practical. You don’t need to set someone completely on fire. Just a sleeve, a cuff, a distraction. People panic. They let go. That’s all you need sometimes.” she adds, more seriously. I nod slowly. That… makes sense.
“Plus, once you get good at it, you can control bigger flames. Shape them. Throw them. It’s versatile.” she continues, wiggling her fingers like she’s already imagining it. Right. No pressure. Right now, I’m just trying to light a candle. A single candle. Then I’m supposed to just lift the fire off the wick a tiny bit. And even that is proving… difficult. I focus, narrowing my attention on the wick, trying to gather the magic the way she showed me. I can feel it there, warm, flickering just under the surface, but getting it to actually do what I want? That’s the tricky part. A faint spark. A flicker. Then nothing. I sigh.
“Again,” Ellorie says patiently.
“I am trying,” I mutter.
“I know. Try differently.” She suggests. Helpful. I try again. This time the flame lasts half a second before sputtering out. Better. Still
annoying. And then… Snickering. My focus snaps. A couple of wolf shifters are walking past, and they don’t even try to hide it. One of
them nudges the other, both of them glancing over at me with poorly concealed amusement. Seriously? They aren’t even in the
spellcasting class. I’m fairly sure they can’t cast spells. And they’re mocking me for learning? We’re in a LIBRARY. At the Academy, a
university MEANT for learning these things. I feel my irritation spike immediately. Ugh. They don’t say anything outright, but they don’t
need to. The whispering, the pointing, the looks, it’s more than enough. Like it’s so funny that someone is sitting in a library… trying to
learn. What a concept. Assholes. Ellorie notices too. Her expression sharpens instantly, and she shoots them a glare that could probably
set them on fire without magic. They don’t care. If anything, it just encourages them, knowing that they’re bothering us. I grit my teeth
and try to refocus on the candle. Whatever. Blake will wander back over any second, and then they’ll shut up. They always do. Sure
enough, a shadow falls over my shoulder. The snickering cuts off immediately. Both of them straighten, their posture shifting so fast it’s
almost comical.
“Leave her be.” Says a familiar voice. A voice that does NOT belong to Blake.
The wolves go quiet instantly. It’s almost impressive how fast they switch from smug idiots to very serious, very focused students. Books
open. Eyes down. Like they’ve never even heard of me. I blink, thrown off by the sudden change, then twist around in my seat to see who.
Oh. Aaron. He’s standing just behind me, and for a second I don’t even recognise him properly, not because he looks different, but
because something about him feels… off. Smaller. Not physically, but in the way he holds himself. The arrogance, the easy confidence I’m
used to seeing in him, it’s not gone, exactly, but it’s… muted. Uneven. Uncomfortable.
“Hey…” he says, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
“Can I sit a minute?” He asks. I blink. That is not what I expected. I glance at Ellorie, who looks just as confused as I feel, her eyebrows
raised slightly like she’s waiting for me to decide if this is a terrible idea. Honestly? I have no clue. But. I don’t tell him to leave I just
shrug. Aaron takes that as permission and moves quickly, like he doesn’t want me to change my mind He pulls out the chair across from
me and sits down, leaning forward slightly, his attention completely fixed on me. A few seconds later, I catch movement in my peripheral
vision. Blake He steps out from behind one of the nearby shelves, frowning slightly as he takes in the scene His posture is still, controlled, but there’s tension there. Watchful. Ready. I don’t think Aaron has any idea he’s there. He’s too focused on me I meet Blake’s gaze for just a second and give the tiniest shake of my head. Don’t Let him talk Blake’s expression doesn’t change much, but he mods once, sharp and subtle, and stays where he is. Close enough to intervene if needed far enough that Aaron doesn’t notice II Aaron turned around, he’d see him instantly. But he doesn’t. Because right now, all of his attention is locked onto me
23
20:08 Mon, Apr 27
How Not To Fall For A Dragon
