Jared

The back room of the artifact lab smelled of ozone and burnt wiring. Evelyn clutched the edges of her workbench as purple bolts of lightning ran through her body. Nineteen years of utter mediocrity—and suddenly this explosion. Her lightning magic was so unstable that all the magical lamps in the room exploded, and the magical devices began to melt, emitting a terrible hum. Evelyn screamed in pain as another bolt erupted from her fingers and shattered a heavy cabinet of blueprints. She was turning into a living thunderstorm.
The laboratory door flew out of its grooves, shrouded in a cloud of sparks.
Jared stood at the threshold. The academy's youngest and most dangerous genius, a master of combat alchemy and the rector's right-hand man. A man with an icy heart and a reputation as a calculating sociopath. He was feared for his utter unpredictability and his authority among the high nobility—a single word from him could ruin the career of any mage.
Evelyn pressed herself against the wall, expecting him to turn her into ash with his signature alchemical mixture.
Jared surveyed the glittering chaos. His lips pressed into a thin line. No one at this academy suspected that this cynical egotist had been anonymously slipping protective amulets and rare healing potions into Evelyn's bag every week, simply because he couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to her. He considered his feelings a shameful vulnerability, but now his mask of indifference had cracked.
He lunged forward, ignoring the arcs of electricity shooting toward the floor. Jared intercepted her glowing palms, absorbing the terrible shock that sent sparks racing through his own veins.
"Do you have any idea how much these devices cost, stupid?" he muttered through clenched teeth, though his voice trembled with suppressed fear for her. "Close your eyes. Lock this storm inside you while I ground you. Hurry!"