Page 48 of An Arcane Education
“Yes,” he says distractedly. Something has rattled him in the last few minutes, and I can’t help but worry that if he’s able to sense my fear, he can sense whatever else I’m feeling, which isn’t entirely appropriate for the situation at hand.
“So you have more than one Affinity?”
“Sort of. Now I want you to try it again on your own, knowing you have the power to do it.” Leaning forward, Alaric blows the candle out, and acrid gray smoke twists and curls up into the air where it dissipates.
Always so goddamn evasive.
Whatever he did has worked, though, because the process is deceptively simple this time around, and I light the candle almost immediately.
“Well done,” Alaric commends in a low voice.
I smile at him. “Did you help this time?”
He shakes his head. “That was all you.”
There’s still something off in his tone that I can’t quite identify, but I take the win regardless. I can worry about his mercuriality later.
For a few minutes, we sit in silence, both of us watching the flame dance atop the candle. A silence stretches between us, heavy with words unsaid, and I find myself missing the warmth of his touch.
It was professional academic help, I tell myself, even if I’m not sure it was.
When I glance over at him, he catches my eye and gives me a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes.
“I think you’ve managed to figure out the next step in mastering your magic,” he states. “If you don’t believe you can do something, it’ll become a self-fulfilling prophecy. As simple as it sounds, trust yourself to succeed and the rest will come easier.”
Easier said than done, I think, but I simply respond with, “Thank you. I’ll do my best.”
Thick droplets of wax slide down the sides of the candle, slowing as they fall away from the heat and dry near the base.
Alaric extinguishes the candle with a puff of breath once again before standing in a clear indication that our session is over. He hands me one of the two lanterns illuminating the dark space, then walks toward the arched doorway, the orange light of the lantern bobbing with his steps.
I follow his lead and push aside the surge of disappointment that comes from knowing I won’t see him again for another four days.
Despite my frustration with his equivocal demeanor, I’m drawn to him like a moth to flame, and I won’t soon forget the feeling of his warm hands gently holding mine. It’s such a small gesture, but coming from a man who can be so cold and calculating, it feels significant to see such a softness under that sharp, stern facade.
It makes me wonder how many people truly get to see this side of him.
As we walk out of the greenhouse and into the crisp night air, Alaric finally breaks the silence stretching between us. “Let me know if you end up speaking to any other professors or finding out more about your father.”
“Why?”
He locks the greenhouse door with one hand while holding a lantern with another, avoiding eye contact when he answers, “I am trying to piece together some information about the academy that seems to be off-record.”
“And you think my father might be relevant to whatever you’re trying to learn?”
“I don’t know. Probably not, but there’s always a chance.”
“In what way?”
“I’m still trying to determine that. But I will ask that you keep this conversation between us. It’s imperative that this remains quiet for now.”
“I won’t tell anyone,” I promise. Whatever he’s working on discovering sounds important, and I’m grateful he was even willing to tell me this much.
“Thank you,” he murmurs, leaning against the now-locked door of the greenhouse with one hand tucked in his pocket, cutting a striking silhouette against the reflective glass. His distinct features are illuminated by the orange glow of the lantern as he surveys me for what feels like the millionth time tonight with a mixture of intrigue and hesitation.
My stomach flips as I bask in his attention, but I don’t avert my gaze like I usually do. After a few seconds, his lips quirk up in a subtle smile.
“From now on, we’ll meet for our tutoring sessions inmy office, which is room 107 in the Natural Sciences building,” he states. “We may conduct our sessions there, or we might use an empty classroom, but I don’t think we need to utilize the greenhouse any longer.”
