~YULIA
Issa and I went over the plan as he drove me to school. I had to wait for Dean Davina to call me first.
“Do not appear too eager or they will definitely suspect that something is up,” Issa said as he focused on the road.
“But why should they be suspicious? Aren’t they the ones that want me to join them?” I asked.
“You must understand that the Canis board is a very distrustful bunch, so even if they extend a hand of invitation, they are still very watchful and doubtful, even amongst themselves,” Issa replied.
“What should I look forward to?” I asked as my anxiety began to set in.
“Lots of questions about me and Marianna,” he said. “They will also ask about you and how you grew up, they could also try to turn you against me,” he said.
“They hate you that much?” I asked in disbelief.
“More than you can ever imagine,” Issa replied.
“But you have to keep our Mated status a secret, they will not let you in if they know about that,” he added.
“I think Andrea knows,” I said to him with worry in my voice.
“Do not worry about her, she is not going to be a problem, I made sure of that,” he told me with quick reassurance.
“Will they ask me to join them after the questions?”
“No, that is going to happen outside the academy,” he replied. “Which is why we are going to the Cravens for a late Dinner after work, a lot of important people are going to be there,” he added.
I turned to him in shock. “Why did you not tell me that in the beginning?”
He shrugged. “I did not think it was a big deal.”
“I am going to see the father of the girl I just knocked out and partially burnt! Of course it’s a big deal! How am I going to face him?”
My heart was racing now but I tried to calm myself so that Issa wouldn’t notice and get worried.
Issa chuckled. “Duke would not really mind much, Yulia, you’re good,” he said with a smile.
“How can you be so sure?” I asked him, more like I demanded.
“Because I grew up with Deucalion, and I also know him pretty well,” he said. He placed his warm hands on my lap and squeezed it gently.
I felt calm in an instant. It was like that little gesture expelled all my worries. He stopped in the school parking lot and turned to me.
“Goodluck,” he said with a dashing smile.
His smile melted the last of my nervousness. I smiled back and opened the door.
“Wait till you see the dress I got you for dinner.” There was a mischievous smile on his face and I instantly knew that he was up to no good.
I shook my head at him before finally getting out of the car.
“I am going to be late if you keep surprising me like this,” I told him with an excited smile.
“Alright just go, before I change my mind, drag you back into this car and take you to the back seat,” he said with that lustful look he always got in his eyes whenever he wanted me.
I knew that my face turned red as I walked away from the car and towards whatever class I had this morning.
The class I had this morning was Dark Arts and Forbidden Magic. The professor taking us was a woman who looked strange with wild red hair and pale blue eyes. She resembled someone I knew. I looked around the class and saw that Leia was nowhere to be seen. But I could see her two blonde minions giving me very dirty looks.
“That’s her, the girl that kicked Leia’s ass,” I heard someone whisper.
“Heard that her uncle is this mysterious Lycan, must be how she learnt how to fight,” another whisper.
“Does this mean that she is the new queen of Canis?” Someone else asked.
Did they not know that I could hear everything?
“I sure hope she is not a total bitch like Leia was,” another female voice said.
“Hey, Yulia,” Ashley called before she plopped down on an empty seat beside me.
“Ashley,” I answered with a smile.
“Ignore what they are saying about you,” she began as she brought out her laptop. “Soon, they will get bored and move on to other things.”
“I am not even bothered,” I said with a shrug.
“Alright, that’s enough chit chat for today, let us get down to business,” The wild red-haired professor said.
“I am Professor Anya West, and I will be tutoring you all on the study of ancient and forbidden spells, curses, and counter curses, with an emphasis on ethics, consequences, and the effects of dark magic on the soul and mind.”
My eyes widened in realization as the resemblance struck home.
“Ashley? Is that your mom?” I whispered in disbelief.
“Not so loud,” Ashley gritted her teeth as she watched her mom with an embarrassed expression on her face. “Just once,” Ashley muttered in annoyance. “She could put a comb through that hair, just once.”
“It kinds of looks good on her though,” I mused quietly.
“Ashley West,” Professor Anya suddenly called and Ashley’s eyes widened in shock. “Care to tell the class what makes magic dark?”
Ashley sighed heavily before reluctantly rising from her seat. “Magic can be determined as dark if it is used to hurt people.”
But the professor only squinted her brows in disapproval. “What if you hurt someone whilst defending yourself? Is that dark magic?” She demanded with genuine interest.
Ashley went silent and I could not bear it any more. I raised my hand.
“Yes?” The Professor stared at me with her pale blue eyes.
“In a scenario like that, intention greatly matters, if I hurt someone whilst defending myself it is just to defend myself, it is not my intention to hurt the person,” I answered..
“Interesting,” Professor Anya said. “Pay attention in class, child,” She softly admonished Ashley who rolled her eyes and sat down gloomily.
“In our next class, we will talk about the consequences of using forbidden magic.”
That was when my phone suddenly buzzed in my pocket. I took it out to see that I had just been sent a new message. When I opened it, my heart skipped a beat at what awaited me.
‘Ms. Moonshadow, we are waiting for you.’