Chapter 74 74–Never Let Him Watch You While You Work
LEXI
I make it about three more steps before it happens. Rachael closes the distance fast. Too fast for it to be a coincidence. Her shoulder
slams toward mine and at the exact same time she twists her wrist, angling the open container of potion toward me. It’s deliberate. I see
- it. There’s this split second where I almost flinch, almost brace for cold liquid soaking into my clothes. Instead… She hits the barrier.
There’s a strange, elastic thrum in the air. Not loud, but sharp. Like stretching rubber snapping back into place. And then Rachael doesn’t
just stumble. She rebounds. She flies backwards like someone shoved her with both hands. Her feet leave the ground for a fraction of a
second. Her arms windmill uselessly. The container tips completely, and the potion splashes down the entire front of her torso in a
dramatic cascade. It soaks her stomach. Her skirt. Her sleeves. She lands hard on her backside. I don’t move. Not even a wobble. Not even
a half–step. I stand exactly where I was, perfectly balanced, my arms still at my sides. I am in shock. Because I expected the potion to
bounce, or not stick or something. I did not expect the entire human being attached to it to ricochet like a ping pong ball. There’s this
suspended moment where the entire classroom freezes. Every face turns. No one breathes. Then chaos. Girls rush toward Rachael,
crouching beside her, hands fluttering.
“Oh my gosh, are you okay?” One coos.
“That looked bad!” Another adds sympathetically.
“Your shirt-” Another starts. They start dabbing uselessly at the wet patch spreading across her front. The potion smells faintly of
cinnamon and cloves, harmless but obvious. Rachael scrambles up halfway, hair falling into her face, and points at me.
“Lexi just shoved me!” She accuses. I blink. Seriously? Now it’s My fault?
“No, I didn’t. You ran into me and fell over.” I say, steady and clear. Professor Matthews arrives, looking like a man one inconvenience
away from early retirement. His tie is slightly crooked. There’s a twitch in his eye. His gaze flicks between Rachael on the floor and me
standing upright. And I can see it. The calculation. The knowledge that if something happens to me again in his class, there is a non–zero
chance that a dragon will show up and reduce his lab to rubble.
“Uh… Lexi… Why don’t you… Tell me your side. What exactly happened?” He says carefully.
“Rachael walked straight into me. I did not push her.” I reply. A boy near the back scoffs.
“Of course you did. She went flying!” He argues. Professor Matthews gives him a look and then turns back to me.
“Lexi?” He prompts. Right. Time to explain.
“Oh. Well.” I clear my throat.
“I tried a new spell this morning. A barrier spell.” I inform him, holding up my arm to show the basically invisible shimmer. His eyebrows shoot up immediately. I explain which spell it was, flipping through the steps quickly in my mind. I even mention the part about pushing the magic just past the skin.
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Chapter 74 74–Never Let Him Watch You While You Work
“And?” He prompts.
“I sort of… Pictured it like a balloon. Like rubber.” I admit. There’s a beat of silence. Then he chokes out a short laugh.
“That would do it.” He mutters, clearly amused despite himself.
*Repelling charms are not typically so… Spring–loaded.” He informs me. Oh. He looks at Rachael, then back at me.
“Well. That explains why Miss Rachael here achieved temporary flight.” He announces. A few snickers ripple through the room. He
straightens.
“How interesting. Honestly, that’s rather impressive. I’ll have to mention it to your spellcasting teacher.” He adds, almost as an after
thought. I start heading back toward my seat.
“WAIT! What about ME?!” Rachael screeches. Professor Matthews pauses and glances over his shoulder.
“What about you?” He asks.
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“I got showed!” He says again. He sighs.
“It’s a repelling spell. If Lexi had shoved you,,she would have been thrown back. If you ran into her, you bounce. That is the entire point of the spell.” He says patiently, like explaining gravity to a toddler. Rachael’s mouth opens and closes.
“But-” She starts.
“It was an accident.” He cuts in.
“There are no rules against repelling charms. Return to your seat and stop whining.” He says harshly. The dismissal is absolute. Rachael gasps dramatically like she’s been personally betrayed by the justice system and stomps back to her chair. She flops down hard. For half a second, I expect the Academy to get involved again. A wobble. A tilt. But nothing happens. Her chair stays firmly in place. Apparently the
Academy has decided she embarrassed herself enough all on her own.
I finish working on my potion and I think I did alright. It’s not flawless. The colour could be a touch richer, maybe. The consistency a fraction smoother. But it’s stable. It doesn’t fizz unexpectedly. It smells right. It looks like it’s supposed to. That’s good enough. But honestly? The potion isn’t even the part I’m proud of. I’m proud of myself. I dealt with today. I handled the door. I handled the spell. I handled Rachael. I didn’t cry. I didn’t snap. I didn’t go running to Blake for backup. I defended myself. And I didn’t have to raise a finger toward her to do it. There’s something deeply satisfying about that. Something clean. There are only a few minutes of class left when Professor Matthews approaches my desk. He doesn’t come in loudly or dramatically. He just… Drifts over. But the look on his face catches
my attention immediately. He looks anxious. Not angry. Not irritated. Anxious.
“So…” He begins carefully, glancing briefly toward the rest of the class before lowering his voice.
“I suppose you will be telling your dragon about what happened in class today…” He trails off, like he’s not sure how to finish the sentence without accidentally setting something on fire. At first I blink at him, genuinely confused. Why wouldn’t I tell Blake? Today has been awesome! I cast my first spell. I stress–tested it. I won. And then it clicks. Oh. He’s not worried about the spell. He’s worried that
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Chapter 74 74–Never Let Him Watch You While You Work
Blake will hear that someone ‘came after me again‘ and decide to handle it in a way that involves claws and broken furniture. I soften
immediately.
“It’s alright.” I say, giving him a reassuring smile.
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“Thanks for listening to my side and stuff earlier. I appreciate that you didn’t jump to conclusions, even though it DID look kind of bad.” I emphasise that part just slightly. Yes, I’m laying it on a bit thick. But this is my way of saying, you were fair. You handled it properly. I’m not about to tell Blake that you let someone attack me. He seems to understand the message because his shoulders relax just a little.
The tightness around his eyes eases.
“Right… Thanks.” He replies, clearly relieved. Then he clears his throat, switching gears.
“I’ll be having a chat with your spellcasting teacher. You might need a more advanced curriculum and-” He starts rambling.
“That’s the first spell I’ve ever done.” I interrupt quickly. He pauses mid–sentence.
“I really still need to learn the basics.” I add.
“I was just… Really motivated to make this one work.” I give as way of explanation. I don’t elaborate on why. He doesn’t ask. But something in his expression shifts. It softens, not into pity, but into understanding. He’s smart enough to connect the dots. Motivation born from necessity tends to produce rapid results.
“I understand.” He says gently.
“Well… Good work anyway. I’m sure you will be a very proficient caster one day.” There’s no exaggeration in his tone. No forced enthusiasm. Just a quiet, sincere statement. Which somehow makes it land harder.
“Thanks.” I reply, meaning it. He lingers for half a second like he wants to say something else, maybe another warning, maybe another cautious request about Blake, but instead he nods awkwardly and turns back toward the front of the room. I watch him go. He looks like a man who is trying very hard to keep his classroom intact while balancing volatile personalities and ancient magic. Poor guy…
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
