Chapter 12 Mom’s Feelings
Cecilia Blackwood's POV
I pressed a hand to my forehead. Talking to someone like Kane was genuinely exhausting—especially about something like this.
Time to pull out the last resort.
"If you won't let me go to class, I'm done talking to you. We're not friends anymore."
I didn't actually mean it, but I was pretty sure it would work.
I was right. The panic that flashed across Kane's face was impossible to miss. He stepped aside. "I'll come with you."
I patted him on the shoulder. "That's more like it. Lighten up a little—class matters."
"Thanks for staying with me today, by the way. And for peeling that apple. Dinner's on me tonight!"
When we walked into the classroom, Rowan and the others looked at me like I was something strange—and made a point of sitting as far from me as possible.
I didn't overthink it. Honestly, it was a relief.
The first half of class was the professor sharing her own experience; the second half was mostly reading straight from the textbook. Neither part was particularly demanding. All I really needed to do was absorb the professor's insights and connect the dots on my own.
"Want to hear a joke?" Kane said suddenly.
I actually thought my ears were playing tricks on me. Kane—telling a joke?
"You know how to tell jokes? Don't mess with me."
"I do."
"Alright then. Let's hear it. It better actually be funny."
He kept that same deadpan expression the entire time, which was not exactly a promising start. And as it turned out, his idea of a "joke" was recounting things he'd done that he considered bad behavior.
His life must have been pretty quiet—maybe even dull—because the wildest stories he could come up with were things like: breaking up a fight by using his flight ability to lift both guys into the air. Or watching someone get picked on and summoning a terrifying spirit to chase the bully for ten miles straight.
He called them his worst moments. I called them something else entirely.
That's not bad behavior. That's just someone looking out for people who can't look out for themselves. He just didn't seem to realize it.
The more he talked, the more my opinion of him shifted. And I became completely certain of one thing—Kane would never hurt me. If anyone was worth keeping my distance from, it was Rowan and the others.
After class, I kept my promise and treated him to dinner. But this time, Kane was the one who suggested we find somewhere else to eat.
"Why? Are you worried about people seeing us together?"
He shook his head slightly. "I don't want their staring to ruin your mood."
I smiled a little. Is he actually looking out for me?
"Okay. Let's go somewhere else."
We grabbed our food and headed to the garden behind the school. Along with the smell of the meal, there was the faint sweetness of flowers in the air. It was nice.
We hadn't been sitting long when Kane's phone rang. He answered it. "Auntie."
His aunt. Another Ashworth. Another Dark Mage, probably.
Not that any of that mattered to me—obviously, or I wouldn't have become his friend in the first place.
They started off talking about nothing in particular. Then Kane said, quietly, "I... I made a friend at school."
I could hear his aunt's reaction from where I was sitting. She sounded like she'd just won the lottery.
"Oh, put her on! Right now! I want to talk to her!"
Kane glanced at me—asking, not telling.
I shook my head instinctively. I had no idea what I'd even say.
He respected that without question. "Auntie, I have to go. I'll call you later."
The second he hung up, it rang again. And again. And again.
Kane's brow creased. "Sorry. I'll just turn it off—"
"You don't have to," I said. "A few minutes would be fine. She probably just wants to know what your friend is like. She's worried about you."
He didn't say anything. He just answered the call and handed me the phone.
I took a slow breath and mentally ran through everything I might want to say. The last thing I needed was to embarrass myself in front of his family.
"Hi there, sweetheart! I'm Kane's Aunt Marina. I just want to say—thank you for being his friend. It means the world to me that he doesn't have to do everything alone."
"Are you a new student? Do you need anything? And I mean anything—don't be shy."
"Oh! When school lets out for the holidays, you and Kane should both come back. I'll cook for you. Whatever you want!"
I had to admit—my earlier nerves were completely unnecessary. I barely got a word in. Marina didn't need me to find things to say. She just talked, warm and unstoppable and completely genuine.
Even through the phone, I could feel it. That kind of warmth isn't something you can fake.
It made me think about everything people said about Dark Mages. The more time I spent with Kane—and now Marina—the more I was convinced the rumors had spiraled so far out of control they'd taken on a life of their own. Whispers become stories, stories become legends, and somewhere along the way, a perfectly ordinary person gets turned into a monster.
"So how are you settling in?" Marina asked. "Everything okay? Star Ring Academy is a wonderful place, but some of those professors can be a bit rigid, if you know what I mean. Have any of them given you trouble?"
"And the food—are you eating enough? If you and Kane come visit, I'll send you back with enough to last you a week!"
She fussed over me like I'd known her for years. It felt like something I hadn't felt in a long time.
If I had a mom, maybe someone would worry about things like this for me.
The thought left a quiet ache in my chest—and, if I was being honest, a small sting of envy toward Kane. To everyone else, he was an outcast. But he had someone like Marina in his corner. That wasn't nothing.
After dinner, Kane walked me back to the dorm. Same as always.
I'll be honest—I'd already braced myself for whatever was waiting on the other side of that door. Rowan and the others wouldn't just let things go. I half-expected to find my belongings covered in warning labels again.
That part didn't scare me. What scared me was losing control of my temper—losing control of myself—and accidentally revealing what I was. Or worse, starting something physical and getting expelled for it.
But when I pushed open the door, none of that happened.
Rowan and the others had been talking when I walked in. The moment they saw me, every one of them went quiet and retreated to their own beds.
Complete silence. Not one of them even looked my way.
Strange. But honestly? Perfect. No anger to manage. No demands to deflect.
The next morning, I got to class early. It was Summoning today—easily my favorite subject.
Kane arrived not long after and settled into the seat beside me without a word, sliding a small paper bag onto my desk. Chocolate mousse cake.
I smiled awkwardly. "Thanks—but maybe not this one next time? The chocolate mousse here is a little too sweet for me."
Kane's brow furrowed slightly. He reached over, took the chocolate mousse back, and replaced it with a plain pastry from the bag. Less sweet.