Chapter 0023
Chapter 0023
Chapter 21
We sit at Dot’s table for dinner. Damien joins Sunny and another group at the next table. Sunny gives me a small wave, which I return. I choose a carbonara–type dish with rlic bread and chocolate cake for dessert. Dot is unusually quiet, she avoids eye contact with me and I start to feel worried. Had I made that much of a fool of myself in the assembly that she doesn’t want to be seen with me anymore?
“Dot, is everything okay?” I ask nervously.
“Yes,” she answers a little too quickly.
“I’m sorry if L…” I begin but she holds up her hand, stopping me. Then she taps her ear and glances around the room. I frown at her and she repeats the motion.
“It’s fine Josie, if anyone deserves the last piece of chocolate cake today, it’s you. You are forgiven,” she says cheerfully. Huh? I look at my cake in confusion and then back to her. She rolls her eyes in exasperation and pulls out her phone. Seconds later my phone buzzes in my pocket and I pull it out to read the notification. ‘Don’t talk here, everyone is listening and someone is reporting back to Deacon. I’m the one that should be apologising. Can we talk later? Have Theo bring you to my room, the message from Dot reads.
I have a session with Professor June after dinner, but I could come after that?‘ I respond.
See you
then‘ she quickly replies. I show the messages to Theo and Luke and they nod.
Our table is mostly quiet for the rest of dinner, everyone now aware that we are being listened to. I look over to the unbonded table and notice Mason is still missing, that table is getting less crowded with every meal. First Theo left it, then Mason and Luke, followed by the three that were suspended this morning. My eyes scan across the remaining unbonded. I wonder if any of them will be sitting at our table by this time tomorrow. My eyes stop on a copper–haired man, he’s the only one who’s not staring at me. The guy next to him nudges him to get his attention and then nods in my direction. The copper–haired man’s icy blue eyes meet mine before smiles shyly, his cheeks instantly flushing red. Then he quickly returns his focus to the last scraps of his food.
“That’s Axel,” Theo leans in close to me and whispers.
I notice Luke take out his pocket notebook and scribble something, closing it before I get a chance to see what he wrote. “You can see it when I’m done,” he laughs, obviously catching me trying to take a peek
“Fine,” I huff in fake annoyance.
“We should get going,” Theo says, getting the attention of the rest of his team. We give them a moment to say goodbye to their bonds and then we leave the hall, ready to meet Professor June after a thankfully uneventful dinner.
To my surprise, June is an older lady who looks like she should have been enjoying her retirement for years already.
“Josie, it’s wonderful to finally meet you,” She greets me with a warm smile.
“Thank you, it’s nice to meet you too, and thank you for agreeing to work with me out of the normal schedule. I desperately need to gain some control,” I laugh nervously.
“Nonsense, Dear, you have good control for someone with your circumstances. I’m just here to help improve it,” she praises.
“Where you at the assembly today?” I snort.
1/2
Chapter 0023
+25 BONUS
“I was, and I was very impressed, not only with your display of power but with how long you managed to keep it under control in a highly emotional situation and without pay prior training for as long as you did. I was also impressed with you two boys, you did exceptionally well as group, considering none of you have had bond management classes,” she smiles with pride loolding at Th and Luke too.
“They did great, I was totally out of control,” I admit, lowering my gaze to the floor, I don’t deserve a single ounce of her praise.
“Stop doubting yourself,” she admonishes. “Do you know that we start teaching our children to practice control techniques from the age of 5? That’s 13 years of practice before we get our powers. You’ve had none. With the power I felt radiating from you l’m surprised you didn’t tear down the whole academy. I don’t know what Deacon was thinking, trying to emotionally trigger a power release from you like that. I can assure you that he and I have had some stern words about it. Now enough about that, let’s get started. We are going to go through some self- calming techniques followed by some group ones. Once you are fully bonded to all your bonds there are other methods we can try but for now, we will start with the basics,”
Chapter 0024
