Queen of Darkness WATTPAD VERSION [Inter-Universal Protectors: Book 3]

23

"You know the downside of the Academy?" Maddie asked. "All the work that comes with it."

"You only have yourself to blame," Hathor said around a mouthful of tea. "I warned you that biology and charms would be a heavy load."

"Don't forget about language." Maddie fingered her stone pendant. "I mean, we have technomagic translators. What's the point of even having to learn a language?"

"What if the translator breaks?"

She pursed her lips. "I hate when you have a point."

Hathor pulled Maddie's tablet toward her, reading over the work her friend was supposed to be doing instead of sitting at a cafe drinking tea and eating pie. In all honesty, she thought it all made perfect sense and the questions were easy enough to answer. Then again, her mother was the Queen and had made it a point to educate her in many different things. 

She took a bite of apple pie before saying, "Did you try a word search? Reading it twice? Actually asking a question?"

Maddie groaned, all but falling off the bench she was sitting on.

"Mads, work with me here."

"Can't you do it for me?" she whined. "You're good at this stuff. And not due for another two days."

Hathor pushed the tablet back. "If you do it now, you won't have to do it later."

No answer. Maddie was staring at something in the distance.

"Are you even listening to-"

"Cute boy dead ahead."

Hathor went to turn around when Maddie grasped her hand.

"Don't look! He'll know you saw him!"

"Care to tell me who 'he' is?"

"It's Dex."

That time, despite much protest from her friend, Hathor did turn around. Maddie was right. Dex was sitting at the table right behind them. He was looking down at an old looking book, his jet black hair falling over his bronzed face. Hathor eyed the book. She didn't think those were available to studen-

Dex looked up. His ruby eyes met her violet ones. Recognising her in an instant, Dex grinned broadly and waved at her. She returned the motion, quickly turning back to Maddie and yelping as her braid whacked her own face. 

"Subtle," Maddie laughed, going to steal a piece of the half-eaten pie on Hathor's plate.

Hathor slapped the fork from her hand. "Shut up!" she hissed. "He'll hear you!"

"Girl," she said, "get your ass up and ask him out already! He transferred over a year ago," she continued, this time having successfully stolen a mouthful from Hathor's plate. "You're hardly strangers."

"I don't know," Hathor said, glancing back to find the boy's attention back on the book. "It just seems . . . weird." 

What was he reading?

Maddie pulled Hathor's plate to her and finished off the pie. "Your choice."

Hathor took no notice, instead focusing on the old book. There was no way the teachers would let him borrow one looking that old. 

She was about to get up and ask when Imogene appeared behind him, swiped the  book from under his nose, and read the title aloud. "Records of the Old Ones," she said loud enough for Hathor and Maddie to hear. The book was returned. "Sounds boring."

"It's not," Dex told her. "Actually, it's very interesting."

Hathor joined them. "Where did you find it?"

Dex looked left, right, behind him, then lowered his voice. "Promise not to tell?"

She nodded.

"I took it from the restricted section."

Imogene and Hathor gaped.

"I'll return it in a few days. I doubt anyone will notice it's missing for that long."

"Sexy and dangerous," Imogene murmured. "Marry me."

Dex laughed. "As much as I appreciate the offer, I have my eye on someone else." He looked over Hathor.

She tugged the end of her braid. "Do you really think it's a good idea to take those books?"

"No one will notice," he assured her. "They never check these things."

There was no way that was true . . .

"If you want," Dex continued, reaching over the table to take her hand, "I can show the passage I use to get in. We could go tonight at, say, midnight."

"Uh, sure."

Dex grinned again, closing the book and holding it with one arm. He lowered himself into a graceful bow. "As much of an honour as this is, Princess, I should go somewhere I'm not distracted by such beauty."

"Smooth motherfucker," Maddie said with a nod once he was out of sight.