Truth- Shadow goddess seris(COMPLETE)

Chapter Twenty

Professor Cassius was late for class, he was never late and I found myself chewing my fingernails worriedly. I really needed to get over him but I just couldn’t find the will power to try no matter how forbidden it was. And anyway, I cared about him, he had helped me, given me advice. He had been there consistently since my uncle put him in charge of me. But every time I didn’t see him for a while, every time I found myself looking for him to no avail, my heart sinks and I find myself spiraling to a place I don’t want to be, where I am now. Worried and a little scared. I knew they wanted to send him back to prison, and it wasn’t right. And times like now, I was terrified that was exactly what they had done. 

See, he was teaching two classes today. Supernatural history (Not the name of the class, but was not as much of a mouth full as the actual name.) and his normal defensive magic class. Now was time for Supernatural History. And even though this was not his normal class, I was still worried. My mind jumps to the worst possible scenarios. I hated my mind working like that, hated my anxiety made me think the worst. But the upside was if I always prepared for the worst, then at least I would be somewhat prepared if or when it did come.

Lexi was beside me and she spoke animatedly to the person beside her. I could tell the poor girl was struggling to keep her smile on her face, struggling not to be rude. It was kind of her. Lexi could be a handful when she got into one of her talking fits. She spoke with her hands, her gestures all over the place. Her voice rose and fell every so often as if she were trying to tell a ghost story. 

“Hey, Lexi.” I said, tapping her on the shoulder. “Why don’t we give the girl a break okay? I think she wanted to talk to her other friends as well.” 

Lexi turned to me with a huff, flopping back in her seat and pouting. Her lower lip stuck out and her eyes went all round and glassy as she gave me her best puppy look. “But I didn’t finish my story.” She whined. 

“You can tell me the ending.” I suggested. “I heard it all anyway.” 

“Really?” Lexi squealed as she bounced up and down in her seat, her hands clapping together loudly. People all over the room looked over to her with furrowed brows, sneers or annoyance. I hated how people looked at her. She was just exuberant, and full of life. She felt happiness and joy deeply. People just didn’t understand that. I did. Most people who have led a less than perfect life always felt the better emotions more deeply than others did because they knew how it felt to feel bad. I guessed Lexi was so cheerful and excitable because she tried to make sure people didn’t feel bad. She wanted to spread her happiness like it was a virus others could catch. Unfortunately her intention had had other effects on people, but she didn’t seem to notice. If she even made one person smile or laugh, her eyes would light up and her smile would broaden. 

“Yes, really.” I smiled, turning towards her. I was hoping this would have a double effect. One, make Lexi happy so that smile never drops from her face. And two, distract me from the fact that it has been twenty minutes and Cassius still has not shown up for class. 

Lexi’s arm gestures turned more erratic and her voice reached a higher pitch than usual, but it made her happy so I ground my teeth together so as not to wince at her high pitch, and I smiled. I tried to pay attention, really I did. But it was so hard. Her story about how her and her little brother found some kind of weird out of the blue graveyard not far from the Academy seemed like a story I would want to hear. A cemetery I would want to go and visit, but my mind just couldn’t stay on her story no matter how much I urged it to. My eyes kept darting back to the door, trepidation fogging my mind. 

“Rose, are you even listening.” Lexi huffed. 

“I’m sorry Lexi.” I gave her an apologetic smile. “I was just wondering where the professor was. It’s been almost half an hour and no one has shown up yet.” 

“Okay?” She questioned. “What’s so wrong about that? We get a free period without having to skip class.”

“You skip class?” I was surprised. Lexi did not seem like the kind of person to skip classes. Not unless she was asked to or compelled to. 

“Of course I do silly.” She giggled. “It’s the best way to meet people. You wouldn’t believe the amount of people who skip their classes on a daily basis.” 

“Why would they do that? Wouldn’t they fail their year like that?” I asked, fully intrigued by her words. 

“Nah.” She waved a hand through the air. “They are the rich people of the Academy. Their money can buy them anything, including completed assignments they need to pass.” 

“That sounds dangerous.” I said slowly. “Supernaturals going through school, skipping classes and never learning how to control their abilities, then just being let out into the world as if everything is okay? That just doesn't seem right. It shouldn’t be allowed.” 

“Maybe not, but it’s just how things work. Your uncle can’t say or do anything really about it. Their money runs the school and if anyone were to take their child and their donations, the Academy would shut down.” She told me with a shrug.

“Wait. This Academy is kept running on donations? I thought the supernatural government kept all the schools open.” 

“Oh, they do. But this Academy was opened by your family over a century or two ago. It was quickly one of the most popular schools and quickly rose through the ranks making it one of the top schools in the country. But it was never sanctioned by the government. So they’ve kept out of its business. With it being run by donations, it means the government has no jurisdiction here.” 

“So it’s like a neutral zone?” I ask. 

“Yes, exactly.” Lexi beamed. 

I turned back to the front of the room as I thought about it. Why would my family need an Academy that was neutral from the government? Were they hiding something? Did they want this school to be different? Maybe they did it to give the less fortunate a chance. Maybe they did it to keep the kids safe from government interference. Though I couldn’t imagine why. Mom may have taught me a lot, but I was beginning to realize she skipped out on a few things. The reapers, how the government actually worked, the heirs. She hadn’t told me any of it. I wonder why? 

It was then the door burst open harshly, jarring me from my thoughts. My eyes landed on a very pissed off Cassius as he stomped his way to the front of the room. He threw his briefcase down on the desk and perched against the edge of it leisurely. Well, from the outside. But I could see the storms in his blackened eyes, see his aura swimming with emotions so strong I couldn’t pinpoint what he was feeling at the moment. And to be honest it scared me. I’ve never seen him so worked up. He has always been able to keep a sense of peace or calm around him. This was unexpected. 

“Since we are almost out of time.” His lip curled back over his lip as he spoke. “You are all going to learn about mate bonds. Can anyone tell me how a mate bond works?” 

I looked around the room, not one hand was raised. But eyes were wide with fear as they all stared back at Cassius like he was the devil on earth. I had to swallow the growl that rose in the back of my throat at that. They shouldn’t be looking at him like that, they don’t know why he is like this this morning. They had no right to judge him based on his mood. I turned back to Cassius, and saw him looking back at me, the corner of his mouth tilting into some semblance of a smile. Huh, I wonder what that’s about. Not that I minded, I’d love to see him smile. 

“Alright.” He said turning from me and facing the rest of the class. “A mate bond is simple really. Both parties must be open to it. Meaning.” He walked around the class and stopped in front of a random boy and girl sitting close to one another. “If you.” He pointed at the girl. “Was open to the idea of being his mate, and he wasn’t there wouldn’t be a bond made. But if the both of you were open to it, then a bond would form, linking the two of you together. It can not go one way. Both must be open to it.” He repeated. 

“What does a bond feel like?” The girl asked meekly as she ducked her head. But not before her cheeks turned rosy from embarrassment. I couldn’t help but smile at her. 

“A bond makes you feel like you’ve known the person forever. And for some that may be the case. But, a true bond would make you feel drawn to the other person. It makes you feel like you have a connection that was never there before. The other person would make you feel safe, you’d feel a need to protect the other person. The bond would draw the two of you together like magnets.” 

My eyes widened, and my mind drifted over how he made me feel. How Professor Phoenix and Caleb do. Was it possible? Could I have really been open to a bond with all of them? Could they really have been open to a bond with me? Why? Caleb wasn’t good for me, not with the company he keeps. And the professors? Well they were a forbidden fruit. Two amazing people that could never truly be mine. And why was I open to a bond? I didn’t want a relationship while I was here, I didn’t want to be bonded. Or so I thought. But from the minute I had laid eyes on any of them, I felt that connection snap into place as if it had always been there. 

“Can you be bonded to more than one person?” A random guy asked, drawing my attention back to the professor. 

“It’s rare, almost unheard of, but possible.” Cassius nodded at him. 

“What does it mean if you have more than one bonded?” He asked. 

“That is a bit more complicated.” He answered rubbing his chin between his thumb and forefinger. “The person who bonded with the others could retract their openness. He or she could change their mind, effectively ending the bond. But that can only happen if both sides haven’t accepted the bond. If the bond has been accepted there is no going back.” 

“How do you know if the bond is accepted?” The girl he still stood before asked. 

“Then the person would begin to act somewhat out of character. They would be around you more, protectiveness and possessiveness urging them to be beside you. A bond, a true bond is rare. The person someone chooses rarely reciprocates the bond.” 

“What if you feel a connection instantaneously?” I asked, my voice stronger than I felt it would be. Thank God. 

Cassius turned to me, a smile spreading across his face. “Well that bond is the rarest of all. If you never knew the person before, and feel something snap into place when you first meet them, well that bond is a destined bond, not a chosen one. A destined bond is one that the gods themselves have put in place. Two people destined rarely meet, which is why we have a chosen bond. But as I said, even then it is rarely the case.” 

“Wouldn’t two people who are together or even marry, have that chosen bond though?” I asked. 

“No. More than most marriages are arranged. Either for money, or because the family likes to marry within their own species. And sometimes because both parties want to join two powerful families together.”

“That seems….wrong. People shouldn’t marry based on convenience. Marriage is a lifetime commitment, that’s not something that should be used as a power play.” 

“While I agree with you, many families do not.” He answered, his eyes and aura taking on a sadder feel. 

“What about you professor? Are you married or bonded?” I girl asks giggling. My heart lurches and an odd wave of anticipation and anger courses through me as my eyes shift between the two. 

“That is of no concern to you.” He answers almost angrily. “My personal life is not up for discussion.” 

What he is saying can’t be true. I can’t be bonded to three people, there’s no way. I wouldn’t want that. I’ve always wanted one person. One relationship I could depend on, one person to share my life with. One person who was meant for me and solely me. I would never be open to a relationship with three men. Even now, I didn’t want a relationship with three men. Caleb was a definite no go, despite his truly kind personality, and caring nature underneath all of that brood and anger and Cassius and Phoenix were professors. Like I’ve said a thousand times, and told myself a million, it could never work. 

But I couldn’t shake off the feeling of protectiveness towards them. Especially Cassius. They wanted to use him and send him back to prison. It was cruel and everything within me told me I had to stop it under any circumstances. I couldn’t lose him. I couldn’t handle not seeing him around campus. I couldn’t allow him to go anywhere. And those thoughts alone scared the life out of me because out of all of them, Cassius needed me more than any of them. 

But Phoenix. His entire demeanor changed when I was in class. He was softer, kinder. He never allowed me to work with anyone but him. I could still feel his calloused hands on me as he practiced the pressure points I’d been showing him. I could still feel the way his skin felt against mine and the energy that seemed to zap between us. Is it really possible? Have I really bonded with all of them? I looked up to Cassius and saw him staring back at me. The look in his eye gave me my answer. I really had bonded with him, with all of them. But which one was a destined bond? Because as far as I could remember I felt a connection with all of them almost instantaneously. Could all of them truly be my destined? And if they were, what was I going to do? Because I just couldn’t see myself with three men no matter what circumstances surrounded the bond.