“You should get dressed, sleepyhead,” I said, pressing a kiss to Nathaniel’s throat. “Borden will be getting here before too long. It’s going to get awkward if we’re both just lying here. Talk about being the third wheel.”
Nathaniel chuckled and squeezed me tighter before pressing another kiss to my temple. But he rolled over, literally over the top of me, and I laughed as he climbed out of the bed.
He wore his underwear and a gray t-shirt. And I shamelessly stared as he walked to the rack that held his clothes, my elbow digging into the mattress, my head propped up by my hand.
“Do you sometimes feel like we’re just in this limbo waiting time, before our real life begins?” I asked, watching Nathaniel as he dressed. “Like, we know exactly where things are going to end up, but we have to wait out our dues?”
A small smile pulled on his lips as he looked back at me. “We’ve only known each other for just over four months.”
I smirked at him. “And you don’t fool me for one second into thinking you feel like it’s only been that long.”
He smiled, and I knew I’d nailed it. “You’re only nineteen years old, Margot.”
I climbed out of bed and walked toward him. “A nineteen-year-old who grew up surrounded by university professors and students.”
“I’m only twenty-two,” he said with a smirk as I wrapped my hands behind his neck and his hands settled around my waist.
“Who has raised himself since he was three years old,” I said, my voice dropping lower and quieter as I stared into his green eyes.
“Time is the enemy of all men,” Nathaniel finally conceded as he lowered his forehead to mine, staring into my eyes. “It will pass no matter what. And someday, we are going to get to that future we both know is coming.”
I smiled, and honestly, I couldn’t wait for our future. I couldn’t wait for what we both knew was coming.
But I was also going to really enjoy the journey while getting there.
We ate together, then Nathaniel restocked the fire. It grew hotter, and the condensation dripped from the glass ceiling to the ground below in an endless cycle of evaporation.
Right at nine o’clock, there was a knock on the door. And it told me something that when Borden walked in, I didn’t feel a massive knot of dread in the pit of my stomach. I was actually starting to trust him.
“Morning,” he greeted the both of us with the nod of his head.
“I hope you slept well,” I said, which was out of my character. But I was nervous. Because once we stepped down this path, there was very little chance of going back.
“Thanks, I did,” Borden responded, nodding his head.
“So, Margot and I have talked,” Nathaniel began. And once more I marveled at his confidence when it came to teaching, how focused and direct he was. “You’ve shown to be trustworthy this week. You’re not caving to the Society Boys. So, we’ll teach you something today. We’ll start slow. And then we’ll continue every weekend until we’re confident.”
Borden nodded, and I found myself surprised at how patient he was being. “That sounds great, thank you,” he said.
Nathaniel grabbed the Coin of Compulsion from his bookshelf and walked over to the couch, indicating for Borden to sit at it. He handed him the book.
“Read this,” he said. “It’s short, it won’t take long.”
And over the course of the next hour, we taught Borden how to enchant a coin. And we showed him how it worked by giving it to Nathaniel. Borden was a gentleman. He didn’t ask too deep. He didn’t dig too personal.
But he’d done it, easy as could be, because really, this was the easiest thing in the world to do.
And when he walked out of the solarium later that day, I felt even more confident. Despite being David’s right hand man and being absolutely awful to Nathaniel last semester, Borden was different. He was someone we could trust. And things were going to be different.
Monday morning, I walked into school to find Borden and Nathaniel talking in the common room. I started crossing the room to join them, when I watched as David and Gerald and Howard crossed the space toward them.
I didn’t hear what was said.
But I saw it as Nathaniel got that glazed-over look in his eyes. The one he used to keep himself out of a fight. His hands curled at his side. But they locked by his hips.
“Your ego is going to be the death of you someday, David,” Borden said in response to whatever had been said. “Grow up and move on.”
David grabbed Borden’s shoulders and shoved him back a few steps.
I watched as Borden’s jaw clenched tight. I watched his fingers curl into fists.
And I saw a spark of electricity crackle over his hands.
“I just want some answers,” David said, his voice taunting and rising, now that he knew he had everyone’s attention. “What makes you think you can just walk away from blood like this? What makes you think you’re better than the Society? You really looking forward to being cut off from the name Stewart?”
“Walk away, David,” Borden said, his tone darkening.
“Does it turn you on?” David taunted as he shoved Borden again. “Their freaky brooding shit? Are they letting you into their little love nest? Is that what it is?”
For the first time ever, I watched as Nathaniel took a step forward, all the tendons in his jaw standing out. “Back off.”
The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. Every syllable of Nathaniel’s voice was a deadly warning. I saw the tendons in his arm standing out in stark contrast to the muscles on his arms.
I could swear he grew two inches taller.
David looked at Nathaniel, scoffing as he looked up and down. There was something in his eyes, though, that told me he’d just now realized Nathaniel was five inches taller than he was.
David turned his eyes back to Borden. “I heard Daddy Stewart found out about your desertion. That he’s not too happy about some things. I wonder how that happened?”
“Why so jealous of the name, David?” Borden taunted back. “Wish your daddy was a Stewart instead of a Sinclair?”
David snapped. His fist flew, but Borden’s instincts were quicker than expected. He ducked and was only clipped in the cheek instead of straight in the face. But when Borden came back swinging, David didn’t stand a chance.
He caught him square in the mouth. His lip split, and instantly blood started pouring from his mouth.
Gerald and Howard jumped on David before he could swing again, and Nathaniel stepped in between the two of them.
“You’ll regret this, Borden,” David snarled as the two other Boys held him back. “All these years and you go and screw it all up in the final months. Guess we know what kind of life you’re going to have. I’ll make you regret every decision you made since Christmas. That’s a promise.”
Glaring death threats, David snapped out of Gerald and Howard’s grip and stalked out of the common room, leaving a trail of blood drops on the floor.
The crowd that had been watching was shocked into silence for a solid three seconds. But as the bell rang, they headed off toward their classes.
Goosebumps flashed over my skin as I watched David and the Boys disappear around the corner. “You sure this is worth it?” I asked. “This exchange?”