“Why were you looking for us?” Damien asked, his brow furrowed.

“We were getting dinner,” Mark said. “And we wanted to see if you wanted to join.”

“Did Beth suggest you do that?” Sylph asked, her eyebrow quirking up. The embarrassment that crossed the other three students faces confirmed her guess.

“She might have suggested it,” Mark said. “It was a good idea, though.”

“That’s fine, but I’m still not understanding what was so urgent that you needed to hide inside our room to use our lights for,” Sylph said, frowning.

Mark held up a knife and a gritty stone.

“I was polishing my knife, but I couldn’t see what I was doing,” he said. “I didn’t touch any of your stuff. I’m not used to living near other people, so I apologize if I was rude. Reena and Nolan said it wouldn’t be a big deal.”

“Don’t blame us for it! You were in here first,” Nolan snapped. Then he cleared his throat awkwardly. “I’m, ah, well… we didn’t intend to be here long. None of our rooms have lighting, and we couldn’t read our cultivation manuals to practice. Delph didn’t look very forgiving, so we all wanted to get a head start on our work. Your room was larger, and it had lights, so we didn’t think it would be an issue.”

“Not breaking into someone’s room for a long period of time doesn’t mean you didn’t break in,” Damien pointed out.

“Why did you two get a bigger room than everyone else?” Reena asked. Mark and Nolan shot her a glance that reminded the girl that they weren’t in the best positioning to be questioning Sylph and Damien.

“None of your business,” Sylph replied promptly.

Nolan rose to his feet, closing a fancy red leather book and tucking it under his arms. He brushed some of the dirt from his pants with a pained expression and sighed, adjusting his shirt.

“This has gone very poorly. I apologize for all of our behavior. We should not have intruded on your home. In truth, I originally came here to apologize. Beth’s suggestion for dinner was a good way for me to speak with you, but that has clearly failed miserably due to our actions.”

“Apologize?” Damien asked, taken aback.

“Yes. Reena and I did not believe you when you claimed your companion was from the Plane of Darkness. After you proved us wrong, our pride was too large to renege on our words. However, as the heir to the Gray family, it is my duty to remain on good terms with any powerful mages.”

Damien glanced at Sylph, but she just shrugged.

“You’re apologizing because my companion is strong when you thought it wasn’t?” Damien clarified.

“Correct.”

“And if my companion had been weak, you wouldn’t have apologized?”

“Also correct,” Nolan said unapologetically. “My duty is to ensure the survival of my house. A strong companion means you will have potential. You would not have been worth the time had your companion not been what you claimed it to be.”

“Well, at least you’re honest,” Damien sighed, rubbing his forehead. “That might be the strangest apology I’ve ever gotten, but I don’t see any reason to be enemies. We’re going to be stuck together for at least a year. You’re still a dick, though. Consider not voicing your opinion of others before you know how strong they are in the future.”

“Wise advice,” Nolan said, inclining his head.

“Advice that father gave you,” Reena whispered snarkily to him.

“I didn’t see you correcting me,” Nolan replied.

“You can argue about this later,” Sylph said, interrupting them. “I’d like to know if there’s a reason that you’re all still in our room. If there isn’t, well, you know where the door is.”

“The runes that give light were drawn with chalk,” Mark said, standing. “That means one of you two drew them. Can you draw them in my room as well? I’d be willing to trade for it.”

“As would we,” Reena added. “We’ve got a spare curtain you could use for the front of your cave.”

“And I have an extra rug,” Mark said. “It is made from a Dire Bear. Very soft.”

“I suppose I could do it,” Damien said. “They can’t turn off, though. They only go away when the chalk is rubbed out.”

“That’s fine,” Mark said. “If you put it on the floor, I can cover it with something.”

“I can do it tomorrow, then,” Damien offered. “So long as you three don’t invade our room without permission again.”

“We won’t,” Mark promised. Nolan and Reena nodded their agreement. They awkwardly shuffled past Sylph and headed back into their rooms.

Damien and Sylph returned to the main room and sat down on their beds.

“That was not how I expected to end today,” Damien said, massaging his head. “I think I might have a headache coming on.”

“It wasn’t how I saw the day going for myself either,” Sylph said. “In more ways than one. I didn’t think I’d return to our room and find a giant hole in the wall. I still can’t believe you learned enough magic to do that in a single day. Did your companion do that, too?”

“I did it myself!” Damien protested, not needing Henry to warn him about his word choice. “Can companions actually have that much of an effect on the mortal world? I thought they couldn’t do much more than pass their magic on to their summoner.”

“It depends on the contract,” Sylph said, eyeing Damien suspiciously before shrugging. “But you’re right. I’m just shocked. It’s hard to imagine having that much magical energy. You must be very gifted.”

“Thanks,” Damien muttered as Sylph got to her feet again.

“I’m going to take a shower,” she announced abruptly. “Since we don’t have any way to block the bathroom, I’m going to have to request that you keep your eyes firmly pointed at the cave entrance.”

Damien quickly turned away from the shower, blushing a bright red. “I won’t turn around,” he promised.