“That’s silly. The saying goes, get him off your chest, because of the pressure. Why would it be back?” My expression is mixed with a half frown and high raised brow. “And if he sees you have magic, he won’t lay a finger on you.” I smile.
She exhales, placing a thumb and index finger over the bridge of her nose. “Very reassuring.” I type out a message, hitting send, and my peripherals pick up a golden light appearing near the front door of her dorm room.
“What’s wrong?” Ethan says hurriedly as it vanishes, and I point towards the photo Kyra holds.
“First off, door, we’ve been over this. Stop appearing inside my room.” Her eyes roll, and I clear my throat.Why is she stroking the bear?“Second off, I’ll excuse it.” She peers over at me, and I understand this isn’t the time for confrontations. “Thirdly, by yours and the Elders’ rules, I can remain here if my magic awakens. Hence the photo.” She hands it over, pride straightening her back, causing her chest to puff as she retains eye contact with him.
His leer thins as he steps in her direction, retrieving the photo, understanding if what Kyra says is true, she is officially off limits. He never breaks his promises. “Someone explain to me, why should I care about a photo? Furthermore, that contract expires today, and you’re interrupting the plans I’m making for later tonight…Involving just that.” He smirks in a devious manner, in tandem withspreading his aura across the span of her living area, knocking over her chair and causing her to twitch in fright.
“Fuck you, get out.” She retreats a step and balls her fists. The spine of her back is no longer straight as terror contorts her features. “I told you, Angie, he can’t be trusted. We’ll just wait for Alex.”
“We will do no such thing.” Turning, I address him, “Ethan, look at the damn photo, or by the Gods, that secret stash of yours, consider it gone. Don’t tempt me.” Now look who is stroking the bear. My arms fold beneath the swell of my breasts, and scowling I prepare for extreme measures.
He returns my scowl, knowing my resolve, then glances over the image. “Language, Angie,” he grumbles. “This horrific photo of Yasmine means what, exactly?” I hand him the other one, noticing Kyra pulls out a compact, foldable knife, concealing it beside her thigh.Where the hell did she get that?“Why do you have these hideous photographs, and how does it prove you have magic?” Ethan asks, reducing the space between them once more. “Trickery won’t save you.”
“It’s not a trick, asshole. I summoned them and the toilet paper.” Her hand grips tighter around the knife until the skin over her knuckles shares a mix between red and white.
“Summon it? Angie, explain.”
I divulge everything from receiving her messages to her story about the toilet parchment, but I keep the part of her taking a shit between the two of us, summarizing the Aladdin story, and ending with how these photos came about.
“Initially, denial and doubt forced any implications of her toilet parchment story out of the equation. But after summoning those photos and witnessing the reddish glow she emits, yeah, my bestie has magic. Which means she’s staying.” I leave no room for anything other than an ‘okay.’
“Show me,” Ethan demands through clenched teeth.
“Fine, if it’ll get you to leave…Let me think.” Placing a handunder her chin in deep thought, Kyra sees my newly summoned cup—half filled—and reaches out. “Is that empty?”
“Hold on.” I down the rest of my delicious, brown liquid. It’s like an internal itch being scratched, and I hum in satisfaction as I drain its entirety. She retrieves my empty mug whilst keeping her distance from him and still holding her concealed weapon. “Watch this.” Wrapping a hand around the glass and closing her eyes, she quietly breathes as her focus returns.
Ethan glances at me, and I nod towards Kyra. “What is she doing?” he murmurs.
“Shh,” I insist, “you got this, Kyra. Focus.” She squints her lids harder, but nothing happens. A frustrated huff passes her lips, and she tries again.
“How long does this normally take?” Ethan asks.
“Shhhh,” Kyra responds, prompting an eye roll of his own. A few seconds expire, and excitement respawns my happy dance. Slowly, the mug begins filling with beautiful, dark liquid, and I squeal, noticing the gleam of her red magic.
“See, told you.” Kyra pushes the now filled mug at Ethan and with one word, “Rebecca,” he grabs her arm, places a sigil beneath them, and then they vanish.
I follow promptly, traveling through my own sigil and find the dim of his golden one vanishing outside Rebecca’s office. The two of them are inside arguing whilst Kyra projects her disdain for their abrupt departure.
“Show her,” Ethan demands, folding his arms with a towering presence. Showing his true emotions, he clenches his teeth as Kyra returns a scowl.
“Not until you apologize. You can’t just whisk me away whenever the hell you feel like it. I don’t trust you.” She stands her ground as a fire births within her sun-kissed, hazel eyes. Red flourishes her neck and cheeks.She’s agitated.Ethan questions Rebecca on the remaining contract’s time.
“It ends in four hours. What is this about? I have better thingsneeding my attention, Ethan.” She shuffles documents around, uninterested. I step in, going over all the important details from today, catching her up. The two bickering like faylings separate. Both sit on opposite sides of her office and seem to be engaged in a muted conversation, fiercely staring at one another with undisputed hatred. “Kyra has magic? Well, that has my attention. Would you be so kind, dear, and display it for me?” She stands, moving around the front of her large, wooden desk, and takes a seat, crossing one leg over the other.
“He owes me an apology,” Kyra insists, standing in haste.
Ethan leans back against the sofa, gleaming with mischief. “Enlighten me. What am I apologizing for?”
“You appeared inside my room without using the door, then without so much as a word, you grabbed me and brought me here. For all I knew, you were taking me back to the mountains,” she answers, still managing to keep that foldable knife concealed.
“No,” he responds behind a darkened expression, baiting her attitude. Something tells me he enjoys it, though he has killed for far less.
Rebecca clears her throat. “Not to chime in, but, Kyra, if you’ve displayed some form of magic, it’s in the Academy’s best interest that you show me.”
She continues leering, flexing her empty hand like she is restraining herself from attacking Ethan. With a deep breath, Kyra responds, giving him a devilish smirk, “Fine. I know exactly what I want.” Holding her hand out, it begins glowing with no warm-up or failed attempts. A moment passes along with a fading red light, and a black leather strap sits inside her palm. Rebecca laughs in glee, applauding Kyra for a job well done.
