Chapter 126

The next day arrived, and classes dragged on like they always did. While the first part of the day Natalie would even say she looked forward to—and post-class delves too—the few hours after lunch dedicated to academics were the slowest by far.

Jordan had commented once that she ‘kind of enjoyed’ the lull between the more action packed segments of their schedule, but Natalie didn’t agree in the slightest. For all Jordan was her best friend, Natalie could easily admit that she was a bit of a nerd. Usually the words ‘adventurer’ and ‘nerd’ combined to make mages, like Ana, but Jordan, as a rogue, bucked that trend.

Her professors droned on, and Natalie fidgeted away in her seat, unable to pay attention. Her thoughts honed in on a few topics in particular. The obvious ones. Sofia, Liz, and Jordan—her shifting relationships with each of them.

But, at least in this moment, one person in particular was dominating Natalie’s mind. Her white-haired rival, sitting to the left of her. Namely, Natalie was thinking about how she wanted to use her recently earned reward. Which was to say, how she wanted to use Sofia. For the next week—or around six days, now—Natalie could order her to do anything she wanted.

There were limits to that, both in what Natalie would feel too much of a jerk for doing, and for what Sofia would tolerate herself, but Natalie got the feeling the limits were wide rather than thin. Like Natalie herself, Sofia took bets seriously. Since Natalie had won, Sofia would see her promised reward through to any reasonable length—and possibly some unreasonable ones. Natalie would have fulfilled the bet the same way, though it had been a pointless wager on her end, since she’d known with total certainty she’d never have lost to Sofia. Not in that challenge.

Her boredom peaking, Natalie made up her mind. She tore off a corner of paper from her notebook, then scribbled something down. She slid it over to Sofia discreetly. Jordan didn’t even seem to notice, sitting to Natalie’s right.

‘Meet me in the restroom. You go first. I’ll follow in a minute.’

Sofia stared at the paper for a moment, then scribble something back. She returned the note.

‘Are you serious? We’re in class.’

‘So? I’m not asking. I’m telling.’

Sofia’s expression soured at that, which made Natalie smirk. The white-haired girl obeyed, first tidying up her desk, then standing quietly and heading for the lecture hall door. Obviously, nobody thought twice of it; people came and went during lectures with fair regularity.

A minute later, Natalie followed.

She met Sofia in the restroom. The white-haired girl was standing there, arms crossed, looking annoyed. The restroom was fortunately empty.

“We don’t have time for this,” Sofia said. “We’re supposed to be in class.”

“I’ve got a week where you’re mine, and I plan to use it well,” Natalie said. “Plus, I think I was dying in there. Who actually cares about all that garbage?”

“And what is it, exactly, you have planned?” Sofia demanded.

Natalie smirked, then walked to the last stall in the set. She set the seat down and sat on it.

“I’m a bit pent up,” Natalie said. “I think it’s time you return last night’s favor.”

The words hung in the air.

“Favor?” Sofia finally asked, a hint of incredulity. She apparently disagreed whether it could be called that. Then, she shook her head. “Nat, we don’t have time for this. If we’re gone too long, people will notice.”