"I can't believe you were the one funding their concern," said Raven furiously.

"They are a puny concern. No threat at all..," I started to say before I was rudely interrupted.

"They were a puny concern until you decided to fund them. You..you need a freaking keeper," he hissed with barely controlled temper.

"I already have one," I pointed out mildly. It was not my fault he was inapt at his job of keeping me in hand. He really should take his role as my guardian seriously.

"What made you do it? What made you fund the bastards?" 

I winced at the aggression in his voice. It was actually their banner that had caught my attention. Resistance is futile.

It had made me laugh and then well feel sorry for them. They're resistance had been sadly futile but my money had helped solve that problem. It boosted their campaign efforts then with all the promos and television exposure, they have amassed quite the following.

"Never in a thousand years would I have ever guessed you could betray me this way," said Raven, with a level of seriousness I couldn't question.  "I can't begin to express how much of a  dissapointment you are to me."

My mouth fell open in hurt and shock that he would say that to me. I would never. Never in a million years betray him. How could he...?

I caught the rush of emotions flickering across his face that he had been too late to conceal. It was the open relief mixed with blatant humour that had me lunging over his desk reaching for his jugular.

"Tsk tsk," reprimanded Raven,  even as he openly laughed at me. His maneuvers effortlessly evading my questing hands, seeking retribution and instead he turned the ball on me. I was pulled across his desk scattering paper and stationery, till I was seated across his lap.

"What an angry puss you are?" Raven smirked as I all but spat on him in the hissing fit I was in.

"You should know me well enough by now to know I love my little games at your expense," he reprimanded softly. I was furious with myself. I should have known he was pulling my leg..There was no way a puny concern like the resistance, who were against the whole old blood versus new blood thing to begin with, would even ping of Raven's intense radar. No doubt he was tracking all these concerns with a scrutiny that defied reasoning. Still how then did he miss my scandalous payments to them. It had been boldly done in my own name. Someone had taken extra care in keeping that information from his all seeing eyes. But who? Was it the resistance themselves? Or had it been, one of his own spies?

"I don't yet know but you can be assured I will find out," answered Raven grimly.

I glared at him. Furious to have prying in my head and well, funning me. But knowing that he loved to play me didn't make his little games any less engaging. I was intrigued to know who was behind the deception that concealed my contributions to the resistance.

Deciding to change the topic I said the first thing that came to mind.

"What is Kitty Farquerson doing here?"

"I've employed her as my assistant," said Raven, a smug smirk tugging the corner of his luscious lips.

"But why? Why her?"  Of all the assistants in the world, he had to choose her. 

"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer," he reminded me.

"Well I think she's close enough already. There's no real need for either of us to get any closer," I muttered mutinously.

A peremptory finger tapped at the pout to my lower lip. "I believe your break time is over. You have classes," he reminded me.

That reminded me. I reached into the pocket of my jeans and tugged out the cluster of sapphires I created earlier.

"I made these this morning. There was an explosion before the spell concluded and these appeared. As far as I know there wasn't supposed to be an explosion of any sort. Yet I followed the instructions to the letter," I said, then taking his out reaching hand, I tumbled the saphires off onto his palm. "Explain," I demanded then waited as he carefully perused the stones one by one.

"These are magnificent. Worth in the millions if sold out in the market," murmured Raven appreciatively. "I'll have these locked up in the vault."

"The vault? I need it for the spell the professor wants us to cast this afternoon," I said insistently.

"Get one off the shops. These are not meant for any spelling. It worth is too great on its own. Trust me," said Raven softly, his gaze still admiring on the blue jewels in his palm.

I sat there fuming. Thinking I had to buy a blasted dress and now some stones too. And all of it before my next class with the professor, and with a liw budget to boot.

My savings may cover the blasted dress but in no way could it cope with the expense of saphires. It was why I spelled these instead.

"I don't have the time to shop for these blasted blue stones or to spell some more. Give those back," I demanded, before reaching out to try and grab hold of it.