Night Witch (Weatherstone College, #2)(39)

“That’s good.” I cleared my throat, hoping I didn’t look as freaked-out as I felt. With the suppression potion, staying under the radar should be easy, but I’d already made too many mistakes last year. I couldn’t make a single one now. “Thanks for a great first lesson.”

The professor nodded and thanked Logan, who was standing nearby, for his help, before she strode off to chat to a few lingering students. “You okay, Precious?” Logan asked as I got to my feet.

There was no way to truthfully answer that in public. “During my assessment last year, my affinity must have broken through the suppression spell to touch the other realms. How else could I have extinguished that candle?”

Logan didn’t look as worried as I felt. “Yes, but the spell over the school wasn’t as tailored to your needs. You don’t have to worry about that again.”

He said “that again,” since we both knew there was plenty of other shit to worry about.

As we headed for the door, Marcus fell into step beside us—as the only other second-year spellcaster, we would be sharing all our classes this year. Which was turning out to be a bit of a problem. His animosity toward Logan grew with every interaction, and two spellcasters sparking off each other would eventually end in an explosion.

“Aren’t you a little old to be in every second-year class?” Marcus said as we exited into the hallway. “Paisley doesn’t need a fucking bodyguard. Let her breathe, bro.”

Logan stilled, turning slowly toward Marcus, his power swelling until the hairs on my arms stood up. “I will say this one time and one time only. Paisley is mine.” His voice was devoid of inflection. “Don’t ever question my reason for being around her. You are the one with no rights here, and if you overstep again, I will kill you.”

Marcus, finally showing a modicum of sense, backed away with his hands up. The heat pouring off Logan was enough to scorch, but I pushed closer. “Ignore him,” I whispered, wrapping my hand around his. He didn’t look away from where Marcus had fled until I tugged gently. “He’s not important. And I’m hungry . . . Let’s go to lunch.”

That wasn’t even a lie. Between classes and my overall fatigue, I needed a boost of energy before my next lesson. With a grumble, Logan swept me closer, pulling me against his side until I could feel the fine tremor in his limbs—that promise to kill Marcus had not been an empty threat.

Logan was on the verge of losing control.

“He’s not important,” I repeated, keeping my voice soothing. “He means nothing to me, and I have no interest or feelings for him.”

Logan’s exhale released a fraction of his tension. “Fucker knows exactly how to get under my skin.”

I’d never seen any other student affect him in such a way, and I wasn’t so stupid that I didn’t see my part in that. I’d let Marcus get too close, and now he thought he had the right to step in and dictate shit in my life. I needed to talk to him before he got himself killed.

He did not want to go up against Logan, who was immensely powerful due to not only our magical bond, but all the years his crazy-ass father pushed his power.

I might not know every aspect of Logan’s life story, but I knew Rafael would have expected nothing less than exceptional from his son.

Logan’s energy remained heavy as we headed for the dining hall, but he did take a second to lift my bag from my shoulder and sling it over his. Even in his anger, he still thought of my comfort, and that was just one of the many ways he proved the truth of our soul-deep connection. Actions spoke louder than statements ever could.

By the time we entered the crowded dining hall, Logan’s energy was calmer. I spotted our friends already seated in the middle of the room, surprised to find it felt normal to see Noah and Tobias with Sara and Haley.

Ready to join them, and my stomach already growling, I picked up the pace toward the buffet. Logan’s long legs kept up easily, and I groaned as the scent of food hit me. “I’m starving.” I bounced impatiently at how slow the students in front of us were being.

The smallest laugh escaped Logan, relieving a fraction of the heavy tension he’d been holding. Heat crept into my cheeks as he watched me with a look that felt . . . intimate. “You’re so fucking cute, Precious,” he said with an attractive shake of his head. “You were an adorable four-year-old who had me wrapped around her finger, and almost twenty years later, nothing has changed.”

My nose wrinkled. “I’m not sure I want you to think of me as cute or adorable. That doesn’t sound sexy.”

His stare didn’t ease. “You’re beyond sexy. You already know you drive me out of my mind, but don’t underestimate cute. Every part of you turns me on.”

Goddess above. “Who are you?” I whispered, trying to wrap my head around this new Logan.

“I’m done fighting who I am,” he said, and he sounded happy. “I’m done fighting our destiny, and letting an asshole control my life.”

“I’m really looking forward to that,” I whispered, wondering if you could die from feeling so fucking much. “But for the record, despite me questioning it in the past, I now fully believe in this bond. I can feel it in my magical essence.”

Logan pressed a quick kiss to my lips, and as students moved in front of us, I had to debate which need I should feed first. This time he gave an honest-to-goodness laugh. “Come on, Paisley. Let’s get you your sushi.”