It was hard to keep the grin off my face as I sat across from Candi, eating breakfast in the dining hall. We were in our civvies today since it was another rest day. That meant a black tunic dress for me, and a green button-down dress for her. She even had almost half of the buttons done up today.

I pulled up my stats once more for the hell of it, then the details on that spell.

'Transformation (1): Active spell (cost: 15 mana/level). You can make minor physical changes to another living being. Changes may not exceed +/- 10% of the target's original mass, to a maximum of 5kg. Casting range: touch. Maximum duration: 30min/level.'

I wanted to upgrade that as fast as I could, but the biggest thing stopping me was the mana cost. I'd probably have to stick to first-level classmates, or myself. Even casting it on Alice would be taxing, and not that I'd do it but casting it on Candi would exhaust me. I wouldn't even bother trying to cast it on my roommate. And I realized her offer to demonstrate it on me would have ended badly if I'd actually let her try.

Thanks to stuff we learned in class I knew if you tried to cast a spell that required more mana than you had it could leave you unconscious, or worse.

That actually sort of opened my eyes to something I'd overlooked, that most of my fellow students overlooked. We were all eager to learn spells and start casting them and stuff, but even if we could cast some of them, it was potentially dangerous to ourselves to do so. That was even more true for all the non-system girls than it was for me and Candi. At least we could see the numbers, the other girls just had to go by instinct or luck.

So as eager as I was to upgrade Transformation, I could maybe afford to use it once a day, while hoping I'd get my own level up so I could raise my mana higher.

And I'd been trying to avoid thinking about the other thing, but thinking about that spell inevitably led me to thinking about last night and... Damnit I was horny again.

For level-four sorceresses like me and Evie that spell was good for two hours. Which meant after she recovered from her performance, after she taught me the spell, there was still over an hour left before things reverted to normal.

And after thirty days of resistance, I finally gave in to the temptations and the urges. I couldn't get much of it in my mouth but it wasn't for lack of trying. And the thing that I still couldn't get over was how much I enjoyed every moment of it. By the time we were done I had her beautiful hot seed dripping from my face, my hair, my boobs, my mouth. And the taste of her shaft and her come was even better than... I had to force myself to think of something else or I was going to lose control in the dining hall.

Instead I thought about the way her Control spell still had a hold on me a month later. The stuff Alice did, that didn't last more than a week, but what I did to Alice was still floating around in her head two weeks later.

But the way the stuff Evie did stuck in me, the way it felt after a whole month was so powerful. It definitely wasn't fading. If anything it was getting stronger. And after last night I'd swear it was even stronger again. Giving in last night was probably a big mistake but it was so worth it...

Nope, focus on the problem!

It had to be because of the difference in level. I was only level one when it happened, Evie was level four. The stuff Alice did faded after a week, because she was level two while I was level three. She was a level below me when it happened, Evie was three levels above me when that happened. I figured that had to be the difference.

I was still thinking about that as me and Candi finally finished our breakfast and she gave me a curious look.

"I'd love to know what's been going on in your head all morning, cutie. The expressions on your face over the last twenty minutes have been pretty darn entertaining."

My cheeks turned a deep shade of pink as I admitted, "Sorry! I didn't mean to ignore you. I've had a lot on my mind this morning."

She giggled, "It's ok. Like I said, it's been entertaining."

After a few moments thinking stuff over I suggested, "How about we go somewhere private so we can talk? Let's go to my room this time."

She raised an eyebrow, "Your room? Is that safe? I don't want Evelynn freaking out on me..."

"It's fine," I assured her. "I'm pretty sure she's not going to be back till mid-day."

Pretty sure, as in I had Evie doing all our laundry this morning - both our uniforms needed cleaning after last night - and I told her not to come back to the room till after mid-day.

Candice looked thoughtful for a few moments then asked, "I hope you'll forgive this question, but are you luring me back to your room so Evelynn can enspell me or something?"

I smiled as I shook my head, "It's ok Candi. Honestly the way this school is, that's probably a good question to ask. And the answer is no. I'm not luring you to my room so Evelynn or myself or anyone else can attack you. I promise it's perfectly safe."

"Thanks Abby," she sounded relieved. "I mean, thanks for understanding why I had to ask. I didn't really think you were going to set me up, but yeah. The way this place is, we've always got to keep our guard up."

We both got up from the table then made our way back to the dorms together. We climbed up the stairs then I led her down the hall on the second floor, towards my room.

She commented as we approached the door, "I've never even been on this floor before. I mean, other than going past on the way up to the third floor."

I grimaced, "Yeah, I get it. And to be honest I feel kind of guilty that I scored such a great room, knowing what my friend and fellow classmates have."

When we got to the door I turned the knob and walked in as I told her, "Come on in."

She followed me in and looked around, then sat on the foot of my bed and grinned. "Nice bed. Private desk. Good-sized closet too. Dang, I can't wait for next year. What did you do to score all this luxury, Abby?"

I blushed, "I'm pretty sure they assigned me to this room because they thought I'd be fodder for Evelynn. Like with her reputation and everything? I don't think I was supposed to survive my first night in here."

Her expression fell to a frown, "Fuck. You're right. She had this all to herself for a month, she must have absolutely hated getting stuck with... Getting stuck with a roommate after that."

I smiled, "You could have just said it. Getting stuck with a first-year? A half-breed? Or just getting stuck with me. And yeah, I'm positive that was the plan."

"Lucky for you the queen-bitch reputation turned out to be an act," Candice responded. "And lucky for me too. I'm glad you're safe, I'm glad we're friends."

"Aww," that gave me some really warm feelings. "Thanks Candi. I'm glad we're friends too."

I finally sat down as well, and the two of us ended up beside each other sitting on my bed. We were both sitting across it, leaning back against the wall and I realized I was in the exact same position I was last night, after Evie's first performance. Both Candi and I were facing towards my roommate's empty bed, and I couldn't help think about Evie there on her knees...

Damnit I was horny again! I was starting to think last night definitely made the thing worse, the way I kept thinking about it today.

After a few minutes of silence my friend commented, "Your cheeks are going red again Abby. What in the world is going on in your head this morning?"

I groaned "Ugh. You know that stuff I figured out about the Control spell, how some of the effects linger?"

"Yeah," she replied with a grin. "I've been testing that with Brianna and Mia, and you're right! I've done some experimentation, trial and error and stuff. I'm pretty sure it's when you engage both desires and emotions sort of indirectly?"

She almost seemed like she was giving a lecture or something as she explained her findings in a hushed but excited voice. "So like ordering someone to do a thing, they do it then the spell ends and they stop. Order them to want to do a thing and it's a little more insidious but even that wears off pretty fast. But order them to think about wanting to do it, and it gets sticky. As in it sticks in their head. And best of all, order them to do it, while thinking about how much they love doing it, and you've got something that will last. Oh and combine that with what you said about them not knowing they're under a spell? That's the winning combination."

"Crap," I sighed. "That makes a lot of sense. Throw this in for consideration too? Difference in level between the one doing the controlling and the one who's controlled. I'm pretty sure the higher the level difference, the 'stickier' it gets."

Candi thought for a few moments then got a slightly evil grin on her face, "I'm level three, my 'volunteers' are all level one. So that's making it even more persistent."

Her grin faded after a second or two as her expression shifted to a slightly worried look. "Except the system info shouldn't be wrong. It says everything wears off as soon as the spell ends. There shouldn't be any persistent effects."

I shrugged, "I think we've both confirmed there are though right? So the system's wrong."

"But it shouldn't be," she said with a frown. "It's... I don't know? If it's wrong about that, what else is it wrong about? This feels like something potentially serious."

"No idea," I shrugged again. "You're the expert on that stuff."

Candi grimaced, "Hardly an expert. Anyways, is that what's been on your mind, exploiting flaws in the Control spell? Have you been experimenting with Alice?"

I shook my head, "I haven't done any experimenting with it. You're the expert on that too."

"So what's going on then?" she asked, looking and sounding slightly confused.

"My roommate used it on me the first night I was here," I admitted. "While I was asleep. I have no idea what sorts of things she said, what her commands were. I can guess a few things, based on what I did when I woke up. And based on the stuff that's still stuck in my head a month later."

Candi's eyes widened, "Oh shit! What did she do to you?"

I shrugged, "When I woke up I was really horny, and she got me on my knees pretty quickly. She had me thinking she was my mistress, I was ready to hand over my free will to her and stuff, I even thought it was a good thing?"

"But you're not..." she hesitated. "I mean, you're ok right? Like that was a whole month ago, you're fine now right?"

"I'm mostly fine. I used my dispell ability to free myself, and I was lucky enough to do that before she cast something that was way worse. But like, that was my first night? I was level one. She was level four, and she probably did something like what you figured out, whether intentionally or by luck. Anyways, so I have at least one or two things that I'm positive she did but I can't really do anything about it. I fought it for almost a full month, but last night I gave in."

Candice put an arm around me and pulled me into a hug, "I'm sorry Abby. Do you want to tell me what she did?"

I leaned into the hug, and in a soft quiet voice I told her "Like I said, I don't know what her orders were, all I know is how they still affect me now. Whenever I think about...a certain part of her body I get wet. And if I see it or even just visualize it for a second or two I get really horny. Last night I couldn't resist any more and I went down on her, for the first time since that very first night. And last night I definitely wasn't under a Control spell. And now I'm wondering if giving in somehow made it worse, because this morning I'm having a hard time not thinking about it."

Candi's eyes widened at first in surprise, then her expression shifted to a worried frown. She asked softly, "Abby how do you know you weren't under a Control spell last night? How do you know she's not still enspelling you?"

My mouth opened to respond but I stopped myself. I was about to tell her Evie couldn't, but I suddenly found myself questioning that. I never did order her not to use magic on me, did I? In fact for a while I had her casting spells at me specifically so I could use Scrutinize to learn them myself.

Except I was positive my other commands worked, she loved and trusted and respected me, she obeyed me. I just didn't know if any of that specifically prevented her from using magic on me.

"I know I wasn't enspelled when it happened last night," I finally said. "My magic detection never went off."

"You said she did it while you were asleep that first night," Candice responded in a quiet, worried voice. "What if she's still doing that? I uh, figured out with Brianna how you can use that. Cast the spell in her sleep, order her not to wake up, then you can order all sorts of stuff. It's like magic-fuelled hypnosis? I can control her dreams, her subconscious mind..."

"Fuck," I sighed. I was pretty sure Evelynn couldn't or wouldn't do something like that to me, but I couldn't rule it out.

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