Sister Mirabel's classroom smelled like disappointment.
"The divine light flows through all things," she said, circling Aegis like a particularly judgmental vulture. "Even those who have strayed can find their way back to righteousness."
Aegis sat on a hard wooden stool, spine straight, trying not to think about how her ass was going numb. This was supposed to be private tutoring. Special one-on-one time to help her master divine magic.
Instead, it felt like being trapped in a sermon delivered by someone who'd caught her masturbating in church.
"The shadows may seem appealing," Mirabel continued, silver hair catching the afternoon light streaming through stained glass windows. "They promise power without consequence, strength without sacrifice. But darkness corrupts, Miss Starcaller. It seeps into the soul like—"
"Like water into a sponge?"
Mirabel's eye twitched.
"Like poison into a wound."
"Right. Much more dramatic."
