“That’s me. Handy,” I murmur, while a good portion of our fellow witches glare at Mei. Probably because I don’t think she knows what inside voices means.
Mental note—get a proper grimoire and make sure my spells look neat. As soon as I figure out how to write spells.
From her spot on the other side of the tent, Gina sneers, “More like she’d magic you out of existence.”
Her Barbie army giggles, while I feel like I swallowed a lead ball. How does she know? No one knows, except Connor…and Kaleb? Shit, shit, shit.
“I mean, look at what she did to those trees. She’s out of control,” Gina adds, flicking her long black hair behind her, and I’m ready to slide to the floor in relief. She has no idea how true her taunt really is.
“That’s enough,” Mildred barks from the front of the class, her gaze so cold I’d be climbing underneath the table if she looked at me the way she’s looking at Gina.
“How would you know? You weren’t there for the ritual,” Mei shouts at Gina, apparently not done despite my aunt’s warning. Her hands cup around her mouth for ultimate volume. “How’s that blood phobia going? Must have been a real bitch dating a vampire. Good thing Callie took him off your hands.”
Everyone laughs. It’s not a secret how badly Gina wants to get back with Nolan. I gaze at Mei, caught between a mixture of surprise and wondering if she might have a screw loose. Considering what Gina has already done to me—bullying me while convincing the faculty that I’m bullying her, and also magicking the entire school to think I’m a suicidal, attention seeking whore, just to name a few—I can only imagine what she’s capable of throwing Mei’s way.
It looks like I’m about to find out when Gina opens her mouth... except nothing comes out. She clutches at her throat, not in pain, but making it clear she can’t speak.
In a crisp tone, with her accent heavily threading through her words, Aunt Mildred states, “I said that was enough.”
The students gape at my aunt while she flips through the pages of the family grimoire. I’m pretty sure she only spelled Gina, but the entire tent is silent anyway. The only sounds, besides the flipping of pages, are the sweet chirping of birds and leaves rattling with a soft breeze.
Finally, she looks up from the book, straightening her already wrinkle free, cream colored blouse. “It’s time for class. Now, as we go around the room, I want you all to share a spell that currently challenges you. It will give me a better understanding of what mastery level you are at. Since Miss Reyes is rather chatty this morning, she will go first.”
Mildred snaps her fingers, and Gina’s breathy gasps turn into haggard screeches. Before Gina can say something colossally stupid—her outraged expression and parted lips telegraphing what she’s about to do—my aunt warns, “I advise a name of a spell be the next thing out of your mouth. I’d hate for your time today be regulated to only listening.”
“Levitation,” Gina snarls, her dainty arms crossed over her chest.
Even red faced and scowling, Gina is still obnoxiously pretty. As is one of the many cruel truths of the world, she’s as beautiful on the outside as she is evil on the inside, with her model thin body, swanlike neck, and eye-catching exotic features dressed in expensive clothes and perfect makeup. She is the queen bee and looks the part.
Tugging on the sleeves of my red sweater, I try not to compare my appearance to hers, but it’s useless. Dressed in dirty boots, skinny jeans that no longer fit—creating a lovely muffin top whenever I can suck in enough to button them closed, and a tight, long-sleeved tee that shows off said muffin top, along with no makeup on outside of my pomegranate Chapstick, I feel like I crawled out from under a rock. I’m not ugly. I know that. It’s just... up until now, I also never cared one way or the other. When each day is only about surviving to the next, who gives a shit what some random person thinks?
Except now Idocare. Not about what random people think. They can all take a flying leap. But there are five very special people whose opinions I care a great deal about.
Becoming a normal teenage girl is such bullshit.
Thankfully, while the other students share their most challenging spells, Mei pulls me out of my funk, by excitedly whispering in my ear, “Your aunt is a total badass.”
“She really is,” I reply, smirking at Mei, before shifting my gaze over to Mildred, who is politely nodding and recording each person’s answer.
My aunt is beautiful and she dresses well, but that isn’t what makes her special. Mei is right. She is a total badass. Powerful. Intelligent. Filled with an unwavering tenacity. And she’d never let anyone make her feel small.
Sitting up straight, I square my shoulders and dig out old Callie. Not so much the scary, icy version, but the me that doesn’t give a shit about all the stuff that isn’t important. I’m a fucking spirit witch. A badass in my own right. No one is going to makemefeel small.
When it’s my turn to answer, I shrug and, with a self-deprecating laugh, announce, “Everything. Except taking out trees. I’ve got that one down.”
Laughter ripples through the tent. Except for Gina, of course, who is trying to glare me to death. I grin at her in return, determined that the first spell I master will be levitation. The song “Everything you can do, I can do better” plays in my head.
Once we’ve shared what mastery level we are at, Mildred rearranges the students according to element and skill level, encouraging each group to make a small circle around their tables and discuss how they may be able to help one another. Except for Mei and me. We’re left sitting in the same seats separate from everyone else. It also appears I’m the only one that is supposedlygiftedin two elements.
Mei doesn’t appear bothered by the arrangement. The exact opposite really. She’s practically vibrating off her chair with excitement. Why is quickly made clear when my aunt drops off the family grimoire at our table, and unguarded envy coats the other students’ faces.
Opening the book to one of the earlier pages, Mildred asks, “Mei, would you be so kind as to help Callie with her studies? She has a lot of raw…talent, but could use some guidance.”
Mei nods her head up and down so fast, I’m afraid she pulled something.
“Fantastic,” my aunt exclaims, turning Mei’s isolation with me into a coveted spot, instead of what it really is, the chore of teaching the new girl. “I’ll be by later to check on you.”
“No problem, Ms. Volkov,” Mei finally chokes out. For someone that didn’t seem to have a filter earlier, she seems pretty starstruck now.
