“Like I said, that was the defences that were lacking, nothing to do with you. Keep at it. There might not be any reason for me to pull you out and train you myself.”
Thank the gods for that.
“I’ll try.” And I mean it. I want to show Jayce that I’m better than this… It may be a silly incentive that I wouldnevertell the others, but it’s the one thing motivating me the most.
My heart sinks as I realise just how little I’ve been thinking about Dad lately. Jayce has been distracting me, and I only realised this because of my dream… Why did it feel like the man was about to say ‘Father’?
“What’s troubling you?” Uncle Leo asks, his voice sharp as he inhales the smoke of his cigarette slowly, his icy eyes fixed on me.
“Nothing.”
“That’s always your answer. Heaven is even more stubborn than you, and I didn’t think that could be beaten. The sigils, they don’t hurt you in any way, do they?”
I shake my head. “No, I don’t even notice them until I summon more power. And even then, it’s just the surge of my power. The sigils are just containers.” He nods slowly.
“Good. And regarding your powers, do you feel even a little more in control lately?”
“I don’t really know. I want to try.”
“That’s what I wanted to hear. Just remember, Sienna, there are people around who are there to help you, but the first step is you having to want it. So, I’m glad you’re letting Jayce help.”
“I’m not letting him do anything,” I answer quickly.
His eyebrow shoots up as he tilts his head, observing me intently before he sits forward. “I am really fucking tempted to ask what you mean by that, but I ain’t fucking going to.” He frowns, though, and I realise how that may have come across.
“Uh… I meant to say, we’re just training one-on-one! We’re not doing anything different – different from normal training, I mean! It’s just we’re alone, so there’s…” I’m really making this so much worse.
“Ahuh,” he says.
“Uh… is Heaven in trouble because of me? I mean, she was only trying to help me,” I say worriedly, changing the subject and genuinely wanting to know.
He sighs. “She’s not in trouble; I did talk to her a short while ago. She stuck by what she said, that it is not dark magic. And even Raihana and other witches are in agreement that the sigils don’t feel like dark magic. It is just the origin of where the knowledge came from that is the concern here. But Heaven knows we’re here for her, as I hope you do, too.”
“Thank the gods,” I murmur, feeling his gaze on me again. Sometimes it feels like I’m under a microscope.
“You can head to lessons, unless there’s something else you want to say?”
I shake my head quickly and get up. “You seem less angry today…” I say bravely, looking at him through my lashes. “With me.”
A flicker of surprise crosses his face, but it’s gone as fast as itcame. “I wasn’t angry with you, just with the fact you didn’t want to fucking try. You were giving up before even trying your best. You weren’t born to be a quitter.”
“But I still don’t have control of my powers,” I remind quietly.
“No, but I don’t give a shit. You’re doing what I wanted you to do, you’re trying. The end results don’t fucking matter as long as you keep trying.”
My heart skips a beat as I look at him, suddenly feeling that I always took his every remark with a bit too much negativity…
“Thank you. I’ll try my best.”
This time, when he smirks, it’s not as terrifying. “And that is the biggest change.”
“Huh?” I say, feeling confused, but he doesn’t explain.
“Get to class. You’ll be late.”
“Yes!” I turn and quickly hurry to the door.
“Oh, and Sienna?”
