Void Domain, Book 04 полностью

She couldn’t see much reason to want the computer, at least not as it was, but there had to be something. With the professor gone, it was the perfect time to snoop around her apartment and go through her belongings. There had to be something worthy of learning in there.

If the professor could come up with something as unique as a magical computer, she would have come up with plenty other fascinating ideas.

The bell ringing startled Catherine out of her thoughts. She didn’t allow it to show on her face, of course.

Slowly, Catherine rose to her feet. She placed one hand on her desk, leaning over slightly. The class had lost interest in her lessons since Mr. Anderson showed up, but ever so slightly leaning brought plenty of attention her way.

It helped that her shirt didn’t cover much even while seated normally.

“Place your essays in a neat and orderly pile on my desk. If you failed to finish, I am required to babysit you for up to one hour on Saturday. That group can pile their essays on the lectern.”

Four blushing boys dropped off their papers on the lectern.

Fools. The test was easy enough that anyone who did not finish absolutely had to have intentionally failed. They knew that she was required to babysit them. Probably hoping for more personal interactions. As if she would lower herself to their levels for anything other than utter domination.

Then again, they looked the masochistic type. They would probably enjoy her presence even if she ignored them entirely.

Catherine’s lips curled as a thought occurred to her. Hiring out a goblin to stand in as her substitute might be good. An especially ugly goblin.

Everyone else dropped off their papers at her desk. They filed out the door, some giving brief farewells while others walked out talking with their peers. All except for one student and one adult.

Catherine glared at both.

Who to address first?

One was a student and, by definition, had nothing important to say. The other was Mr. Anderson. Catherine doubted he would have anything important to say either. Probably more complaints. Likely about how she was dressed.

Again.

It wasn’t like she could help it. Succubi didn’t normally wear clothing. Even wearing the thin scraps of cloth she had on felt chafing.

And he knew it too. He insisted on bothering her about her nature.

He didn’t give Lucy half the crap he gave Catherine. Lucy couldn’t pass for human if Void depended on it. There were already plenty of rumors around about how she was some monster hired on because of budgetary reasons.

The stupid students were closer to the truth on that than they could hope to imagine.

Compared to Lucy, Catherine was Jane Normal the perfect–if immodestly dressed–human.

And yet Anderson had the gall to attack her on a daily basis about every little thing.

“Well?” Catherine growled out far harsher than she had intended.

Now she had gone and made herself angry. She quickly shut her eyes and took a deep breath. Her eyes were the hardest part to keep human in appearance. Catherine was fairly certain that she hadn’t ever slipped in front of the students–there were no rumors about her after all–and she had no intention of slipping up in front of a student while Anderson was in the room.

Catherine waited for just a few calming moments before speaking again. “What do you two want?”

Let them figure out who would talk first.

The two glanced at one another. Anderson put on a sickeningly suave smile–one that a few incubi that Catherine knew might be jealous of–and gestured with his hand for her to speak.

She didn’t speak right away, instead fumbling with a sheet of paper in her hands. The back had a distinctive diagram.

The exam.

“Um, I just wanted,” she said. After a few unintelligible words, she started trailing off. With a glance up at Anderson, she shook her short brown hair side to side. “Nevermind.”

She ran up to the front of the room, dropped the exam on the lectern, and sprinted out the door.

As soon as the door swung shut, Anderson gave a look.

“You’re too intimidating,” he said with a shake of his head.

Catherine grit her teeth together. “She left because of you. Obviously,” Catherine injected some sultry vibes into her voice, “she wanted me alone.”

The polite smile on Anderson’s face vanished in the blink of an eye. “I hope you are joking. In case you are not, I will say this once and only once. Insinuate such things about the students again and you will be forcibly removed from this plane of existence.”

Putting on an amorous smile, Catherine slid around her desk and walked up to him with a sway in her hips. She placed a single finger on his shoulder and ran it down his chest. Leaning in close, Catherine whispered in his ear.

“Adults are still on the menu, aren’t they?”