[Morgana’s POV]
The door clicks shut behind Christopher, and I open my mouth to speak, the kind of honeyed reassurance I’ve rehearsed a dozen times in the mirror, but Brooke beats me to it.
“Listen.” Her voice comes out raw, stripped of all the bravado she usually wraps herself in. She’s still standing behind her desk, her knuckles white where she grips the edge of the wood. “I’ve been cheated on. Like... a lot. Every single one of them looked me in the face and swore they’d never, and then I’d walk in on them with someone else.”
She swallows hard, her jaw working. “And I look at you, Morgana, and I can just see it happening all over again. The way you look at him. The way you dress. The way you talk to him like he’s the only person in the room.” Her blue eyes are glassy now, and I have to fight to keep my expression neutral. “I don’t want to lose Christopher. You are too much temptation for someone like him.”
‘Oh, sweetheart.’ I almost laugh out loud. The sound bubbles up in my chest like champagne, and I have to bite the inside of my cheek to keep it contained. ‘If only you knew. If only you could see what’s already in motion. The spell I’ve already cast on the stupid priestess was perfect.’
I let my shoulders drop, softening my posture into something safer. I lean against my desk and fold my hands in front of me, the picture of earnest concern.
“Brooke.” I say her name gently, like I’m cradling something fragile. “Listen to me. You’re young, okay? I get it. Emotions are high. You’re in love.” I pause, letting the words settle between us. “And that love is a great and pure thing. It really is.”
She watches me, her chest rising and falling too fast, that blonde hair falling across her face in a way that almost makes me feel sorry for her. Almost.
“But I need to be perfectly blunt with you.” I meet her gaze head-on, my purple eyes steady. “I’m not trying to steal your boyfriend.”
The lie slides off my tongue like silk. Effortless. Beautiful.
“I just need you both to be heroes,” I continue, and here the truth comes easy, because it is true, in its own way. “I need you to kill the Demon Queen. So the world can be safe.”
‘So the Demon Queen can be dead. So the only long term threat to my happiness is gone. So Christopher and I can live peacefully, alone, somewhere warm. A beach, maybe. I’ve always thought he’d look good in the sun.’
“That’s all this is,” I say, spreading my hands in a gesture of openness, of surrender. “I’m not your enemy, Brooke. I’m your teacher. Your ally. And I want you both to succeed more than anything.”
Brooke opens her mouth, closes it, opens it again. Her eyes dart to the door, then back to me, and something in her expression hardens.
“But what about that priestess?” she snaps, the words tumbling out like she’s been holding them behind her teeth. “And why do you dress like this?” She gestures at me with a sharp, sweeping motion that takes in my entire outfit, the low-cut corset, the chains, the amethysts catching the light at my throat. “You’re the only one dressed like an actual slut in this entire castle.”
I blink. Actually blink. The word hits me so far from where I expected that I don’t even have time to be offended. A laugh escapes me before I can catch it, low and genuine, rolling up from my chest.
“I dress like a slut?” I repeat, and I can hear the amusement in my own voice. “We don’t really use that word for women here, Brooke. Not in the way you mean.”
I push off the desk and turn, letting my robes swirl around me as I gesture at the garment. “The royal mage’s attire was chosen by one of the ancient heroes, actually.” I run my fingers along the chain at my hip, feeling the cool metal against my skin. “Is this a slutty outfit? I’ve always thought it was strange, how much skin it shows. But it looks like this because it’s an ancient tradition. I didn’t design it. I did choose the color, though.”
Brooke’s face is doing something complicated. Her arms are still crossed, but her mouth is working like she’s chewing on words she can’t quite spit out.
“Your tits are practically out, Morgana,” she says finally, her voice dropping to something almost embarrassed. “Like... right there. In the open.”
I glance down at my chest, at the generous amount of cleavage the outfit puts on display, and then back up at her with genuine confusion. “So?”
“So?” Brooke echoes, her voice pitching higher. “What if Christopher sees them?”
I tilt my head, studying her. The question doesn’t make sense. I try again, turning it over in my mind like a puzzle piece that doesn’t fit anywhere.
“I’m not following,” I say slowly. “What’s wrong with him seeing my chest?”
Brooke stares at me. She looks like a fish pulled from water, gasping at something that should be obvious.
“Ohhhhh.” The realization hits me like a warm wave, and I feel a smile spreading across my face before I can stop it. “Are female chests lewd in your world?”
The blush that floods Brooke’s face is immediate and spectacular. It starts at her neck and climbs all the way to her hairline, turning her the color of a sunset.
“It’s not something you just show men,” she mumbles, looking down at her hands. “Like... you cover up. That’s just how it works.”
I let out a soft breath, shaking my head. “I had no idea. Truly. In this world, it’s just... skin. Like an arm or a leg. Some women cover more, some cover less. The royal mage’s outfit happens to be on the less side. I never thought twice about it.”
Brooke sighs, and something in her posture finally breaks. She sinks into her chair, her shoulders dropping, and she presses the heels of her palms against her eyes.
“I’m sorry. I just get so nervous. If Christopher cheats on me...” She trails off, her hands falling to her lap. “I don’t know if I’d beat the shit out of him or just leave him.”
“He’s not going to cheat,” I lie again. “I’ve seen the way he looks at you, Brooke. That boy is mad for you.”
‘I’ve seen the way he looks at me too. And now I know my chest will be his weakness.’
“I know,” Brooke whispers. “I know. I’m sorry. You’ve actually been such a great teacher, Morgana. Same with Matilda. I don’t know why I’m being like this.”
“You’re being like this because you love him,” I say softly. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”
She nods, swallowing hard. Then her eyes sharpen again, that protective instinct flaring back to life like a match struck in the dark.
“What about the priestess?” she asks. “Luna. What’s her deal?”
“I’m not exactly a huge fan of her, if I’m being honest. She’s a product of growing up in the church. The Cardinal raised her from infancy, basically. She was... an experiment, in a way. A successful one, I suppose, given her mana pool.”
I pause, choosing my words carefully as I don’t want to be caught in the future by a slip up now. “I honestly don’t even know if she knows what love or lust is.”
“But I barely know her,” I add, waving a hand dismissively. “She keeps to her part of the church. Does her prayers. Mostly just heals people. I doubt she’s given Christopher a single thought beyond his mana readings.”
‘Beyond the fact that I’ve already slipped inside her mind like a knife through silk. Every time she looks at him, it’s my eyes behind hers. My hunger wearing her pretty face.’
Brooke studies me for a long while.
“Okay,” she says finally, and the word carries the weight of a decision. “Okay. I trust you.”
“Thank you,” I say, and I’m surprised by how warm my voice sounds. “That’s all I want, Brooke.”
I stand, smoothing my robes down with both hands.
“Now,” I say, turning toward the door. “Let’s get Christopher back in here and finish this lesson. He’s got a fog spell to master.”