The Curse ✔️

Chapter 25: Missing Details

"Oh, wonderful." Leon pressed his lips together and faced me, eyes telling me something between 'I should have predicted this' and 'seriously?'.

"Jade, what are they doing here?" Thar used his teacher voice, but his gaze faltered passing over my face, and I realised he wasn't even able to look at me after last night.

"Morta and Amma are with me." I tried to catch his gaze and hold it, just to let him know I wasn't going to let it go. "And Leon weaselled in somehow."

Leon raised his eyebrow.

Thar came down the stairs, "I told you to meet me in the training room. Not your entire study group."

"Oh, we're hardly studying." Morta mumbled.

"Professor Adara." Leon shifted the weight to his other leg. "I don't think we're supposed to leave you alone with Jade."

My eyes went wide and cut through Leon.

"Don't be inappropriate." Thar murmured, headed for the door, and unlocked it.

"I don't think I'm the inappropriate one." Leon continued, even though I grabbed his forearm and dug my nails into his skin.

Thar stopped moving, his back turned to us.

Leon snickered, "Calling students in the middle of the night, secret meetings in the training room..."

I kicked his shin with the front of my boot.

"Ouch!" Leon hissed. "I'm not gonna tell anyone. But, you know, I think I'm gonna pass PAPS this semester."

My eyes widened. Thar slowly turned around.

"What's PAPS?" Amma whispered.

"Practical Application of Protection Spells." Morta recited.

"Are you trying to extort a grade?" Thar's gaze darkened, and I stepped between them almost on impulse, knowing Thar could kick Leon's ass in a heartbeat.

Leon laughed, unbothered, "Kidding, big boy. I wouldn't let my selfishness ruin Jade's future."

"Leon." I hissed, pulling him away from Thar. "You're one step away from being blasted to the other end of the school."

His cold gaze looked amused, "And you're one step away from being blasted out of this school."

My heart squeezed in my chest. I glanced at Thar; anger disappeared from his eyes, but something troubled remained. He knew Leon was right in a way. If we crossed the line, I would be ruined.

"We're not going to have to take the exams in the winter semester while the school is under attack though, right?" Amma asked.

No one said anything.

"They'll make us take the exams?!"

"Jade, get them out of here, please." Thar pinched the bridge of his nose.

I faced the crowd, "Wait for me in our dorm."

The three of them buried their feet into the ground. Amma crossed her hands on her chest, still clutching her notebook against it, Morta put her hand on her hip and raised her eyebrow, and Leon tapped his foot against the floor.

I turned back to Thar, "I don't think they'll leave."

Thar took in a sharp breath, which was his only display of utter annoyance.

"I suppose you're going to tell them anyway, right?"

"Exactly."

"Okay, come in." Thar opened the door to the training room.