The Soul Thief

Chapter 17

"None of your damn business Blake." I replied haughtily.

I just hoped he didn't notice the way my hands were shaking at my sides.

His face was so close to mine I could feel his breath on my skin and the heat of his gaze bored into me.

"So I bare my soul to you, but you get to keep your secrets, little thief? That hardly seems fair." He murmured, lips brushed my cheek as he spoke.

I let out a shuddering breath, "I didn't force you to tell me anything."

He pulled back slightly. "Ah but you knew I could never deny you."

"Actually, I didn't know that," I whispered back, "I want you to get off me."

He chuckled. "Your heart rate and scent say otherwise, but if you're happy to deny yourself, so be it."

As soon as he stepped back, my body mourned the loss of contact and I rocked forward.

"You can smell me? That's kind of gross and an invasion of my privacy don't you think?" I said breathlessly as I attempted to pull myself back together.

"If you say so little thief." He murmured, leaning over to tuck a loose strand of hair back behind my ear.

"Ms Winters?"

We broke apart as though we had burned one another. To see an amused Mrs Kennedy watching us from the doorway.

My cheeks burned with embarrassment. "I was just going to my thing." I mumbled, hurrying around her.

"That seems wise. I'm under no illusions about what happens at this school and I am well aware that you are adults perfectly capable of making your own choices. All I ask if for you to keep your canoodling out of the public areas."

If there was a way for the ground to open up and swallow me right now, I would have taken it. Who the hell said canoodling anymore either?

"It won't happen again." I said quickly.

"Oh, I don't believe that for a second Ms Winters, but I advise you to make sure you attend to and prioritise your studies over such adventures. There is a lot more for you to learn after all."

"Yes, Mrs Kennedy." I replied, before taking the stairs two at a time in my efforts to escape.

When I came to a door just off the third floor, I stepped off the winding staircase and knocked as the note had instructed.

It immediately swung open to reveal the same room I had been in before, although this definitely hadn't been where I had left it. Albert smiled from one of the armchairs. "It's lovely to see you again Erica."

"You too. About what happened before I left last time... it was all a bit of a shock but I shouldn't have reacted like that." I admitted with a sheepish smile.

"Consider it forgotten. It was a lot for you to take in and I don't expect you to handle every moment perfectly."

There was a long pause before I spoke again. "Is this room magic? Because I could have sworn this wasn't where it was last time and it vanished afterwards."

"This whole school was built on magic, so it only makes sense that the rooms would be as well. I feel like the greater question you need to ask is what type of magic this is." He suggested.

I waited for him to answer the question, "Well what type of magic is it please?" I asked as politely as I could.

"Every type of magic. The elemental magic was woven into the school to help it run. Soul magic gave it life. Emotional based magic gave it intelligence and sentience. It also gave it a sense of humour and the school delights in hiding things in plain sight. Sometimes the only way to find this room is to know exactly what you're looking for." Albert explained.