Chapter Forty-Six

                                    

                                          
For weeks, whispers swirled around the classrooms of happenings. Of Graydon and Nendan, heirs to Pan and Lugh, working together to unravel the spell in the gravel of the drive days after the death of Bo Belus. Of how they had transcribed that spell and taken it to the representatives living on university grounds.
                          
The frightened fifth-year healing mage demanding to know what Nillon did with the 'donation' he received to prank Naena with certainly put a frightened tingle through him. Still, he said nothing of it. Made excuses and pushed the blame on others. Even offered up that it was Bo's own idea, and he was the one who had taken such an item from Nillon's own hands.
                          
The talk of sex magic returning to the school sent an excited jitter through the students. Much of the excitement died within a week when they realized an essential aspect of most sex magic was pleasuring a woman.
                          
Nillon had been in an extra lesson in the library when he overheard that tidbit. Naena stood nearby, re-shelving books and listening in on the lesson. Upon hearing that, she snorted, laughed, and walked away with her head down, shoulders shaking.
                          
His pride might have been hurt if he hadn't recalled that the woman probably didn't even know what self-pleasure was. 
                          
But no one came to question him, so he continued his plans as per dictated. 
                          
The party invites were sent out, and the spells laid, those which kept the noise and lights from reaching the faculty building. 
                          
Everyone knew about the parties, but the students put in the effort to pretend that the faculty didn't allow them to drink and smoke and explore drugs on school grounds. 
                          
They built the bonfire in the woods and had their wild time. 
                          
Naena and Maeno slipped in at some point. She stood to his side, not touching him as she looked around, looking disgusted, and almost disappointed. Nillon almost cast out a smirking comment.
                          
Then he heard her say, "this is what they call a party? Poppers, moon mushrooms, and smoke?"
                          
"You were expecting, what?" Maeno responded. "Some stary gaze?"
                          
"That would be amazing right about now."
                          
"The alcohol is good."
                          
"How good?"
                          
The two stared at one another, and Maeno smiled, lips curving up in a smirk.
                          
"Like that time we stole that bottle from that stuffy fellow, you know, the one with the limp."
                          
"The limp we gave him," Naena said with a conspiratorial grin.
                          
"Ah, is the Lady Naena's icy heart melting?"
                          
"Only for you, Maeno, darling."
                          
This all was said to one another and heard by Nillon with a spell he had woven into pebbles and placed strategically around the area days in advance. A little music magic twisted to do some spying. At his parties, he knew everything that happened. Parties were always a good time to check in on what was going on and who was planning what. 
                          
There was a very good chance that no one else heard that interchange between the two old friends.
                          
He felt a stirring of anger as he turned away from the pair.
                          
And almost ran straight into Graydon Pan, who stared across the bonfire at Naena and Maeno.
                          
"Our agreement includes fallout after the party," Graydon said, keeping his eyes on Naena for a moment before he turned lazily to Nillon. 
                          
"I didn't think you'd be coming personally," Nillon managed to get out.
                          
He hadn't sent an invite to any of the Seven. Not even the lesser lines received an invite to that particular party. If questioned on that decision, Nillon would have offered up that the mages were feeling particularly wary of the families after their inaction over Bo's murder.