The classroom door clicked shut behind her.
"Lock it," Nazraya said without turning around. She was already at her desk, shoving things aside.
Aegis twisted the bolt. The metallic click echoed through the room.
"Eager today?"
"Efficient." Nazraya finally faced her, red eyes practically glowing in the dim light. "We have lost time to make up for. Your... extracurricular activities have kept you occupied."
"Building a noble house from scratch takes effort."
"So does mastering the shadow arts." Nazraya gestured to the center of the room, where the rugs had been rolled back to expose bare stone. "Come. I have something new for you."
Aegis walked to the indicated spot, rolling her shoulders. Despite everything, the notification, the anxiety, the thousand questions doing laps in her skull, part of her had missed this. The thrill of learning something forbidden. The rush of power.
[Maybe that's the problem. Maybe I like it too much.]
She shoved the thought aside.
