Twirling my thumbs, I look to my feet, praying this antsy sensation will die, not knowing how much anticipation I can continue enduring. But something mystical takes shape. Between my feet, a single rose blooms from the soil. Red petals extend wider than the previous roses, and it glimmers with a soft glow.
I pull it from its roots, twirling the delicate gift between my thumb and index finger. It doesn’t take long to find its creator, sitting deeply atop the stands. Raine smirks, gesturing a small head bow and igniting a flame of my own, burning away all other emotions.
“Thank you,” I mouth, hoping he can read lips from a distance. Flutters tickle at my stomach, and I try hiding my smile, refusing to yield.
“Get up there,” Angie yells. Despite her out of range position, her voice is clear, kind, and demanding. A rushed glance discovers Ethan eyeing Raine with a level of disdain unlike anything I’ve witnessed, and I have to wonder what the hell his problem is.
I stand, returning my attention to Rebecca whose glare is piercing a hole into my skull. She waves me forward, and hesitation finds a seat in the back, allowing nervousness a chance to drive.
Finally, thank God. You got this, Kyra.It’s my best attempt at smothering any possible outcome for setting myself ablaze. My hands rub down the dress’s glittering fabric, and Ethan’s rude advice tumbles across my thoughts.
“Remain calm. That’s easier said than done, asshole,” I whisper into the stale air and give him an eye roll, sliding the rose’s stem into a space above my left breast, between the fabric and my skin, and embark to the front.
The crowd grows silent as I ascend the stairs. “It’ll be okay, just stand in front of each one, and let your magic awaken,” Rebecca advises. Nodding, I move in front of the black flame whilst gently caressing Angie’s gifted necklace. I’m not sure what it does, but I’m hoping it gives a clue as to what my order or House will be.
A few seconds pass, and the flame begins to dance, identical to Ashlyn’s. Nervous, I hold a deep breath, waiting for it to engulf me.
It goes out. Not even an ember remains.
My brows pinch, and I retract a step, squeezing my necklace firmly. The crowd gasps, including me, and dread weighs in my chest as I move to the next one.Please tell me that was a fluke.But beforefully approaching it, the white flame snuffs out as well. My legs move briskly to the next–and the one after that–but like the previous two, both flames snuff upon my approach. I glance at Rebecca, whose mouth is gaped in shock, practically announcing how fucked I am.
Turning around quickly, I see Angie staring from the stands, eyes filled with pain, prompting my own tears to swell. Rebecca approaches, and a sob greets her. “What does this mean?” I whisper, feeling ashamed as though me being a mortal caused this.
“I can’t say for sure, but everything’s okay.” She places a hand on my back in hopes of calming me, but an urge to flee has my legs trembling. I was so sure I’d awaken my magic, hoping it would bring me one step closer to seeking revenge on Rosie’s death. Hoping for once, I could fulfill my promise. But like everything else, I’ve come close only to be reminded that I’m never enough. Nothing I do will ever be enough.
Steps pound into the hardened soil as others rush to join us. “She’s not a fay nor yields Rebirth magic. Kick her out immediately,” Holland voices rudely upon his arrival. Terror strikes at his words, but he is right. I’m not fay, and there is no denying his feelings towards me being here. Regardless of any outcome.
But the expressive disgust aligning his features speaks something more than that. Between him and Ethan, it’s unclear who hates me more.
Two sigils appear before us–one black and one gold, ending Holland’s hateful spewing. Ethan and Angie step from his golden sigil, and she wraps her arms around me with haste, blocking my view.
“Kyra, I’m so sorry,” Angie whispers, enveloping me tightly in a warm embrace. There is a brief tick before the holier than thou asshole speaks again.
“We need to wipe her memory and send her back,” Holland fumes. “I’ll do it myself if need be.”
Angie releases her grasp and stands beside me, her featuresmorphing into something dark. “Touch her, and I’ll shove my fist through your di–”
“Enough, Angie.” Another student, or teacher, or whoever the hell steps between Holland and me. My height is laughable compared to his, and I crane my neck just to see the start of his lightless black braid, which is slung over his left shoulder, contrasting against his ominously dark suit that fits him flawlessly.
My tears stall long enough for me to witness that much, though this internal battle feels more like a losing one.
“Did you just attempt to threaten me, girl?” Holland hisses, spitting on the last word.
“Steady your tone, Elder,” the newcomer insists. His voice is polite yet menacing. “You will no longer address her. It’s me you’re speaking with now,” he educates Holland, and something presses against my skin. An invisible force. A scent of bourbon mixed with mint and danger tingles my nose.What the fuck does danger smell like, and why do I keep smelling it?
Holland scoffs, “In case you missed it, every flame went out as she approached them. In all the history of Rebirth, such results have never transpired. Nothing good can come of this, and I demand you move away from her at once.” He enters my line of sight, and a vein on the side of his head throbs with anger, growing larger by the second.
His loathsome stare locks dead on mine, and if I didn’t know any better, a murderous sensation enters me. He won’t just wipe my memory but…wipe me out completely. A reminder of Ethan’s promise if I happened to fail. And shit, I did more than fail–apparently–I’m the first to fail this bad.
I force down a sob. “Please don’t let them near me,” I whisper around the blockade of a man facing off against Holland. Subtly, Angie maneuvers between us, creating another barrier of protection. It’s unlike me to ask for help, but without a leg to stand on, how the hell will I avenge Rosie if I’m murdered.
“I demand you move this instant; or would you prefer our Queen brands you a traitor for protecting a human?” Holland growls.
“And who will invoke such a heinous accusation? Forfeiting their life before the ink dries.” My protector steps forward, aligning himself directly in the elder’s path. A growl laces over a threat. I swallow thickly, and my legs tremble for a whole other reason. “I suggest that individual become wise before the night’s end or they’ll find their blood staining the ground.”
Another invisible touch presses against my flesh, granting me confidence and an unyielding sense of protection. Layers of bumps travel from my head to toes, warming me from the inside out. Until I catch a glimpse of Ethan’s ruthless eyes, smothering that warmth before I’m able to enjoy it.
“Alex, is that in your contract?” Angie questions him, folding her arms.
