“Just a little,” Eddie admitted.
“How about we let someone else try?” I suggested.
“Sure,” Eddie agreed. “Felicity, you wanna give it a go?”
“I can try,” Felicity said timidly.
Several moments passed, and her breaths grew deeper in frustration. “I’m not getting it.”
“Just relax,” I told her. “It can take some time.”
The group went silent as we waited for something to happen. Seconds turned into minutes, and Felicity just stood there, concentrating.
“Come on, sweetheart,” Alistair said, breaking the silence. “I’m giving it all I’ve got.”
“So am I. I just… I can’t!” Felicity broke into tears, then bolted out of the room.
“Fel! Wait!” someone called, before running after her. I thought it was Reid.
We all just stood there in shock for a moment before Alistair opened his big mouth. “Well, she’s a hopeless case.”
“Nobody here is hopeless,” I snapped. I knew Alistair was just trying to lighten the mood, but I didn’t take it well.
The problem was, I worried he might be right, and that put me on edge. Besides Reid and Eddie, nobody managed to perform Elven magic all night. I knew it would take practice, but my ancestors, I was hoping forsomething. We were running out of time.
Another hour of training passed. I repeated myself over and over again, but none of the Elves seemed to get it. I was getting more frustrated by the moment. It wasn’t until my hands curled into fists and I felt magic ripple through my arms— strength I was inadvertently drawing from Chancey— that I finally decided to call it quits.
“We’ll try again another time,” I announced. “It’s almost curfew anyway, and it’s probably best if we don’t all flood back to our dorms at the same time. We’ll take turns leaving.”
“You look defeated,” Ivy pointed out as the Elves began to leave. “You need a drink?”
I sank into one of the stools at the bar. It was rickety, and though I was certain he was making deals with guards to get supplies for his nightclub, I was pretty sure he’d pulled this stool from the garbage. “Nah. It’s hard enough for you to get your hands on alcohol. Save it for paying customers.”
Eddie and Chancey approached. Alistair remained across the room, talking to an Elvish girl about his cat. Eddie sat beside me, and Chancey leaned on the bar.
“Is everything all right, Charlie?” Eddie asked.
I blew a breath. “Ancestors, do I have it written across my forehead or something? I’m fine.”
“You don’t sound fine,” Chancey pointed out. I must’ve been using a harsher tone than I realized.
My nostrils flared. “Maybe I’m not, but you don’t have to grill me about it!”
“Someone needs a punching bag,” Chancey mumbled.
“You wanna volunteer?” I growled.
“I didn’t mean anything by it,” Chancey said. “You’ve been real moody lately.”
“As Alistair would say, I believesomeoneneeds to take a chill pill,” Eddie added.
I totally lost it. I shot out of my chair, and it toppled over. Magic rattled around inside my chest as I screamed. “What Ineedis some goddamn certainty! I wake up every day unsure if any of us will be alive by the end of it. I’m not just imprisoned here, but in the fight club— and my one chance at getting free is hopeless, because I can’t find any goddamn answers! My best friend is in a gang, and I can donothingto help him out of it. I’m a fucking terrible teacher, but I’m all any of you have, and it’s going to get you killed!”
I pushed away from the bar and started to pace around. “Worst of all, I’ve ruined theone good thingthat’s ever happened to me. I gave her up, and I’mnevergoing to get her back. You all act like everything’s totally fine, because you’ve got someone to keep you company at night. I haveno one.The only thing I’m certain of is that if I don’t die in the middle of this, someone I care about will! Forgive me if I’m a little bitter about it all!”
The room went dead silent. Even the Elves who had hung around on the other side of the room, waiting for their chance to leave, didn’t say a word— not even a whisper. My chest heaved. I just wanted someone to say something.Anything. Tell me I wasn’t fucking crazy.
“Charlie,” Eddie said softly. “We’re not going to die.”
