Who told me he wasn’t, actually, involved in any of the pranks.
My shoulders go back with renewed interest. In the unsteadylight, it’s hard to pick up distinguishing features, but both guys are taller than I am. One’s human and wearing a Manticores T-shirt, holding three shots that fizzle and spark, and the other’s half siren with bright blue hair and a sheen of teal to his skin.
Blue Hair smiles. He takes my arm, presumably to pull me closer to talk, butnope.
I yank away without hesitating.
His smile turns slick. “Haven’t seen you poking around our lab this semester,” he says, leaning in to be heard, and I eye him warily. “Does that mean Conjuration wins the feud?”
I honestly haven’t thought about the interdepartmental feud in weeks, since the grant declared itendedand the focus of my own personal rivalry has been all up in my space. I also hadn’t pieced together that since Elethior claimed he wasn’t heading up the Conjuration Department’s pranks, that meant someone elsewas.
I roll my eyes, and I can’t believeI’mthe one who’s exasperated by all this. “The rivalry’s on hold, didn’t you get the memo? Though I guess your overlord didn’t pass on the directive.”
Blue Hair laughs. And touches my arm.Again.
I flinch away.Again.“What are you guys, freshmen?”
It has the intended effect.
Human scowls. Blue Hair’s nose curls. “Seniors,” he says.
“Ah. Great. I’ve been engaging in a prank war with baby undergrads.”
“Seniors,” Blue Hair enunciates.
“Babies,” I shout back. And I wave my hands, trying to bat them aside. “Move, children, I have better things to do with my night.”
But Blue Hair plucks a shot from Human’s hand and holds it out to me. “Fine. Let’s drink to the truce, then.”
Are these the masterminds who’ve been plotting against me all these months? Though, it tracks—they fucked up the Evocation Department’s spell components and generally enacted shit with no concern for the actual ramifications.
My eyes go to the shot, then back up to Blue Hair, who’s smiling sweetly.
“If you think I’m going to drink anything you hand me, then you need to apologize to the university at your graduation and refuse your diploma.”
Blue Hair’s humor vanishes. Human glares at me, but my focus is on Blue Hair and the way his head slants forward, his pupils widening.
“Drink the shot, Sebastian Walsh,” he tells me, and at the base of my neck, I feel the slightest fizzle of magic. It’s immediately countered by the wards I always throw up around myself.
Fury lances through me.
Okay, playtime’s over.
I glower. “Are you trying toenchantme into—”
A hand reaches out and seizes Blue Hair’s shoulder. He swings around to—
Oh, fuck me.
Heat burns across my face even though Elethior isn’t looking at me.
He snatches the shot from Blue Hair and sniffs it. The top’s still sparking with tiny bursts of gold glitter, and one hits his nose, making him recoil.
Elethior holds the shot up to Blue Hair. “I interrupted. Here you are. Bottoms up.”
Blue Hair hesitates, his eyes flashing to me. “Nah, it’s for—”
Elethior’s smile is flat. “Take the shot, Aqeanoe.”
