Chalk shrieked on the blackboard as Hagen drew the fifth image of a dying man. “In case of natural death, souls have a shorter lingering time but they are less destructive if they’re not harvested. Who can tell me why?”
“Psst.” Aellyn tapped me on my shoulder. “Hey.”
“What?” I leaned back, making sure not to take my eyes off the front. Professor Hagen had a strange gift for knowing when someone wasn’t paying attention.
“Nothing. I just haven’t seen you in a long while.”
“I was—” I shut my mouth so Hagen’s wandering eyes didn’t catch me. “Busy.”
“Want to hang out after class?” the Wood Elf asked.
“Sure. Lunch in the dining hall?” I replied, my mind only half there.
She bounced up and down. “Yes!”
“Great.” I touched my forehead again, just to reassure myself the cursed mark was gone.
