Page 22 of An Arcane Education
His gaze stays locked on me; he doesn’t even cast a glance in their direction. “Not interested.”
I snort. “Of course not. What exactlyareyou interested in, then?” I ask.
He raises an eyebrow, which makes me realize how that question sounds.
“Not regarding relationships,” I quickly correct. “I was just meaning in general, what kind of things you’re interested in. You know, hobbies and stuff. Besides plants.”Real smooth, Vivian.
Alaric chuckles at my awkward overcorrection. “Aside from plants? I enjoy reading, playing chess, generally anything that gets my mind working.”
“That makes sense.”
“Does it?” His tone indicates that he wants me to elaborate, but I don’t.
“Yep.”
“And how about you, Vivian? What are you interested in?” He leans in, and if I didn’t know better, I’d think his tone was almost flirtatious. My stomach swoops, but I ignore the physical reaction as much as I can.
“Umm…” The question stumps me, and before I can think about what I’m saying, I confess, “I’ve spent most of my life helping out my family, taking care of my brother who has a developmental disability and working to contribute to the family’s finances. So, that’s been most of my existence.”
“As noble and commendable as that is, I’m not asking about your usefulness in relation to others. I want to know aboutyou. What do you enjoy solely for yourself? What do you dream about?”
His response catches me off guard, and I take a moment to answer. “Honestly, I don’t know. I guess I’m still trying to figure out who I am outside of all that.”
We fall into silence for a few long seconds as he scrutinizes me with curiosity, like I’m a puzzle for him to solve.
Then, he pulls out a pocket watch, checks it, and snaps it closed again, standing as he says, “It’s important to remember that your value does not lie in what you can provide for others. I look forward to witnessing your self-discovery this semester.”
“Um, thank you.”
“And on that note, I have to go. I have some things I need to prepare for. I hope the rest of your classes go well today, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Before I can ask if he’s suggesting we meet here again tomorrow, he’s striding away with his leather notebook tucked under his arm.
CHAPTER 9
The second half of my Monday classes goes significantly better than the first. My two o’clock class—Naturalist Spellwork—is the one I have with AJ, who grinned and waved when he saw me and immediately took the seat beside me. The professor was an older woman named Dr. Hagan with a rather quirky personality and an eclectic, colorful style. AJ informed me after class that she was a hippie in the sixties, then became a natural healer later on.
The class itself will involve learning the properties of different plants, herbs, and crystals, then using those in spells, potions, and various medicinal remedies. On transcripts to the outside world, it will be listed as Holistic Herbalism.
Following that, I joined AJ in the library for an hour-long refresh study session, because apparently studying on the first day of classes is a normal thing here.
When my head hit the pillow last night, I was dead asleep.
I wake refreshed to the sound of rain tapping against the window, the gray skies having returned overnight.
Once again, I stress over what to wear. I had prepared myself for all sorts of things when coming to this school, but one of the things I hadn’t anticipated was just how much appearances matter. Before this week, my idea of college had been influenced by my time at a normal university, which meant that most students would show up in jeans, leggings, T-shirts, and hoodies. That’s not the case here. Almost everyone looks as if they’re prepared for either a formal presentation, a job interview, or a fancy business dinner. The most casual outfit I’ve seen is a sundress.
My classes start later today for my Tuesday/Thursday schedule, at ten rather than eight, which gives me time to put more effort into my makeup and attempt to find something reasonable in my closet. As I’m tossing various clothing articles on my bed, the door opens, and Max walks in.
She’s dressed in all black, as always, wearing a flowing maxi skirt and a tight long-sleeve top with a thin leather choker around her neck. Her makeup is impeccable, with winged eyeliner and red lipstick.
Her gaze rakes over me, and she shakes her head almost imperceptibly before grabbing a book off her desk and leaving again. I roll my eyes and continue my search for something presentable to wear.
I decide on a pair of black dress pants and a baby blue blouse, then twist half of my long hair into a partial updo.
I take one last glance in the mirror on my way out.That’s as good as it’s gonna getfor now.
My Advanced Plant Physiology and Biochemistry class takes place in the Natural Sciences building, as does my other class of the day, which makes my schedule incredibly convenient.
