278
Lucy
It was Friday, which meant I had algebra again, but I wasn't so worried, given the talisman I'd gotten from David. I frowned at the light coming through the window and turned over, hoping for just a bit more sleep. My alarm hadn't gone off, but then there was knocking on the door. I groaned and slid out of bed, rubbing my eyes and hoping my hair wasn't sticking up everywhere. I opened the door and almost slammed it shut again.
David was on the other side, perfectly dressed and ready to start the day in a suit and beaming at me.
"Slept well?"
I was going to strangle Duke. David lifted a small box into view. "Doughnuts?"
Duke snickered the entire ride to the college's campus. I couldn't even look at David, too embarrassed. I didn't have anything polished to wear, and what difference would it have made since I had drool on my face and half of my curls were stuck up in every direction.
Still, nothing in his gaze changed.
Duke skipped off to his own classes, leaving me with David, who smiled.
"You're avoiding me."
I shook my head. "I just..."
"Your bedhead is adorable," he said gently. "And the catprint nightgown is a sweet touch."
I let out a hopeless sound. Couldn't the ground open up and swallow me?
"As much as I'm enjoying your flushing face," David said gently, drawing me closer. "And as much as I love the idea that you... want to pretty up for me, I don't need you to."
Our gazes met.
"I'm looking forward to seeing you bedhead every morning if my auditions go well."
I ducked my head. My heart fluttered, and he kissed my forehead.
"Let's get you to class, hm?"
He slipped his hand in mine as I nodded and followed him. I couldn't help but feel a comforting warmth beside him. His presence was reassuring as I headed to my first class of the day: literature.
I winced.
"What's wrong?"
"I can't remember if I did the reading or not."
He chuckled. "I'm sure you'll be fine. Have a good class. I'll see you later."
"Thanks, David. I'll see you later," I replied, giving his hand a squeeze before heading inside.
I was in luck. The professor wasn't in the mood to call on random people to talk about parts of the play we were supposed to have read for class. I hadn't read any of it, and part of me knew that no one else had either.
As soon as class ended, I left the room to meet up with Amy and Sarah to head to algebra together.
I almost laughed, seeing Sarah.
"I missed the memo," I said. "I didn't come dressed for the red carpet."
"Oh, please!" Sarah cried. "If I wore this on the red carpet, I'd be laughed out of the venue!"
That might be true, but she wasn't dressed for a class she swore she hated, either. She was wearing a fitted dress, ankle boots, tights, and jewelry. Amy was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, shaking her head.
"I tried to stop her." Amy rolled her eyes. "It's algebra, not a fashion show, and it's against the rules for a professor to fraternize with a student."
"He's an adjunct professor," Sarah said, flashing a mischievous grin. "And as if a silly rule could stop two soulmates from finding their way to one another."
Amy snorted. "What happened to those guys from Shell Cove?"
She waved her hand. "I need a mature man with a job. They're... fun, but not a long-term strategy."
"You're going to say that about Professor Faust as soon as a richer man shows up."
"You know of one?"
I laughed. "Let's just get going."
Sarah twirled a strand of her hair playfully. "And, you should take a page out of my book, Lucy. I can't snag David; that much is obvious, but you shouldn't let anyone else get an edge in either."
Amy threw her hands up in mock exasperation. "Not everyone is as flighty with their feelings as you are! Maybe David likes Lucy for who she is, not what she looks like."
"Why can't it be both?"
Amy scowled. "No one is saying it isn't. I'm saying you don't need to pressure Lucy into dressing up because you want to hit on the algebra professor."
I shook my head, barely keeping back my laughter. "It's alright, really. I'm fine."
"Well, I'm glad one of us is fine." Amy sighed. "I swear... She's going to drive me crazy."
Sarah feigned offense, clutching her heart dramatically. "You wound me, Amy. I thought you were already crazy."
I shook my head, listening to them banter the entire way to class. Though my stomach was churning a bit with nervousness, I felt mostly okay listening to them. I pressed my hand to my chest, feeling the talisman pressing against my skin as we followed the stream of students entering the room.
Sarah paused by the door, adjusting her clothing.
"Well, time to dazzle with my elegance."
Amy groaned in response and walked past her. "He's probably not even here yet."
I couldn't help but laugh as we walked into the room. The air felt different, and I noticed Daedalus standing near the front of the class almost immediately.
"Take a handout on the way to your seats," he said.
"Hi, Professor Faust," Sarah said, her voice dripping with interest. He smiled at her plainly, but when I reached the podium to take a handout, his eyes locked onto me.
His watch was different today, but it glowed just as brightly. I followed Sarah and Amy toward our seats, feeling Daedalus' gaze on me. A shiver ran down my spine. The watch's eerie glow seemed to pierce through the air, but I didn't feel the pull or the queasiness I'd felt before. The talisman David had given me was working just fine, and even if I did start to feel it, I had the shielding spell Trent taught us.
His watch continued to glow, but it wasn't as bright as before. Did that mean it wasn't working? That it was pulling on someone else, just not me?
Taking my seat, I realized that Daedalus was still watching me, though he made a show of looking around the room. Then, he started the lesson. I didn't need his lecture on this section, so it was easier to focus on him and the energies in the air.
I hadn't noticed the way the watch seemed to draw energy through the air from everyone as little streams of light.
Being on a college campus with so many people probably made it so his device was always drawing energy.
But what was he using it for? The books weren't clear about what hunters used the energy they stole for, but vampiric sort of implied that they were using it to sustain themselves somehow.
Then, there was Trent's challenge to think about. I could try it now and see. Maybe it would shed some light on what was happening and why. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and centered myself before opening them and drawing my magic to my eyes. I focused on the incantation in my mind, visualizing the layers of illusion that veil Daedalus's real appearance.
I felt my eyes tingling like before. I could see the streams of magic flowing more clearly. It was like a layer of the world had been peeled back.
The clock was glowing above Daedalus' head. There were glowing things scattered around the room as well. Even the handout I'd taken was glowing. The strain on my senses was palpable as the spell continued to reveal things, but Daedalus' appearance didn't change or warp.
Maybe that was what he looked like, but something told me that wasn't the case. The classroom blurred, and I felt a tinge of dizziness, but curiosity drove me forward. Slowly, the illusion started to shimmer around him, like he was smeared in glitter.
There was an illusion on him. t
"Seems like I'm not the only one enjoying the vies," Sarah's voice interrupted me. Startled, I turned to look at her as she wiggled her eyebrows, a knowing smile on her lips. "I won't tell David if you won't."
I blinked at her, shaking my head. "I just zoned out for a moment."
I rubbed my eyes and pushed at the spot of tension between my eyebrows. The spell had been harder to maintain than I thought it would be, but at the least, I knew I was onto something.
Daedalus was hiding his appearance, but what exactly was he hiding?
As I looked up again, I caught his gaze, and my stomach turned into knots. His eyes were narrowed at me, suspicious and a little irritated.
He must have realized what I was doing.
"Let's get some practical application going," he said, looking down at a page. "How about... you, Lucy?"
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