Spells of Iron & Bone (Tarot Academy, #1)

by Sarah Piper

“Dr. Devane.” “Yes, Miss Milan,” he says, clearly amused. “I want you to imagine a moonlit beach.” I approach the desk, my boots clicking against the floor. “Waves lapping seductively against the shore, a gentle breeze ruffling through your hair like a soft caress.”

“Eh.” Stevie shrugs. “Angry, tight-ass academics aren’t exactly my type. Especially ones as ancient as Devane. He’s gotta be, what, pushing fifty?” I laughed, wishing Cass was here for this. Sonofabitch could stand to be knocked down off his high horse once in a while. “Don’t let him hear you say that. He’ll fail your ass for sure.” “Seriously. How old is he, anyway?” she presses. I narrow my eyes. Does she actually like that motherfucker? “Seventy-five,” I say quickly. “Actually, closer to eighty, but we all round down to be nice.”

“Can you forgive me for losing you?” “Already forgiven.” Stevie laughs. “But I swear I’m never, ever going to another party with you again.” Ani smiles, blowing out a relieved breath. “I won’t ask. I promise. Next time we’re staying in and reading horrible books and drinking sex tea. Deal?” “It’s a date.” “Um, what?” I glare at them both. “What the fuck is sex tea, and why wasn’t I told about this?”

“No!” I launch myself at him and knock him to the ground, swatting at the flames with my bare hands until I’m certain not a single ember remains. His eyes glow through the smoke, red-brown and full of fire, just like the burning trees… When the smoke clears, I realize I’m no longer in the burning meadow. That I was never in that place. It’s just Professor Nakata’s classroom. And I’m on the floor. Straddling… Baz. “Not that I’m complaining,” he says quietly, his ever-maddening smirk stretching wide, “but maybe we should take this somewhere private?” Suddenly I’m aware of the laughter, the phones snapping pics, the whispers. Gritting my teeth, I say to Baz, “Are you that desperate for action that you have to spell unsuspecting girls into climbing on top of you?” Baz is still grinning at me, clearly enjoying this. “To be fair, you knocked me down.”

“Hot damn, girl. You trying to send every man at the Academy to an early grave?” I cock an eyebrow. “Not a bad idea, but… No. Just going to the thing over at Hot Shots.” “Oh right, the Major Arcana party. So you must be⁠—” “The Devil,” I say proudly, sticking out my chest a little bit. Okay, maybe a lot, but Baz deserves to know what he’s missing out on. “Devil in a blue dress. Get it? I thought about going as The Star, but she’s naked, so…” “That sounds like an even more amazing costume. Hey, if you ever need someone to model for, to give you an honest opinion about your costume dilemmas…” He smiles, a look that could definitely turn into a slow death for me—if I let it. Which I won’t. Not a chance. I lift a bare shoulder. Yep, that’s me, artfully elegant, totally nonchalant. “I’ve got Ani, so I’m good.” Baz nearly drops his groceries. “You and Ani? You guys are a thing? When the hell did that happen?”