Page 73 of Vervain

I use it.

Abuse it.

Let the fury that flourishes so easily within wash over me like oil on skin.

The air quivers when I raise my fists, elbows pinned tight to my sides, arms spread open. The light in my hands sparks as I loosen my grip and relax my fingers.

Control it.

Petals float to the right as I move my hands further left, and then rise as I lift both hands to the sky. Then they whirl, spinning chaotically with my magik, drawing in more debris.

I blurt a laugh, my smile lifting at the hold I have.

Both hands held high, I draw them back down in a quick striking motion. The flowers drop, and as they collide with the ground, flames erupt around me.

“Fuck!”

Smoke thickens in the air and glows a fiery orange, the blaze enraged and out of control. The moonflower valley becomes cinders in a matter of seconds, blackened down to the roots.

“Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit!”

I raise my hands, hoping I can regain control over my magik, when a piercing scream comes from the village. My heart sinks from the protective case of my chest and down into my acidic stomach.

“Mum?” I call.

Another scream. One I know well. It’s the same scream Mum gave when Cole fell down the stairs while learning how to crawl.

Fear.

Panic.

I run.

I leave the valley, and when I take the first step down to my village, my entire body locks in place. My toes curl, and my heart seizes in my throat as the flames wrap around the rooftops like blankets around a cold, shivering body.

Petals become ash, and magik turns to torment as I stand at the edge of a world I knew and watch it burn.

“My kamai!”

I suck in a breath at the sound and Serun’s grip on my arm, pulling me back to reality. My eyes fly open, and I stare into crimson eyes spilling so warmly like blood from an open wound. His hold on my arm relaxes, and he takes my hand, kissing my knuckles tenderly.

“You lost control.”

Huh?

Serun draws away the shadows that surround us—a sanctuary to keep the world away from me. But as the veil of shadows falls, tendrils of red anger slip like silk ribbons around the room. The very same colour as the red moon.

“Let it go.” His other hand reaches out, and as I focus on it, keeping my eyes on what he is doing, I notice that I have raised my right arm. My hand is open and palm flat, while swirling, violent red magik sparks from me.

Serun cups his hand underneath mine, and as he helps wrap each finger into a fist, his shadows smother the red light, killing it kindly.

No more rage. Nothing left for me to feel.

“Thank you,” I say breathlessly. “I don’t know what happened. I was in control, and then…”

“The fear crept in again before you could pull the magik out and shatter the realm your mum placed it in.” Our arms lower, his hand still on mine as if he doesn’t want to let go just yet. “You need to be quick. Enter, understand, then leave. Lingering seems to pull you under.” His long fingers draw up my gooseflesh skin. “What was it this time? Your Blessed? Not-lover?”

I shake my head. “No. This time, there was a fire in my village, and my mum was screaming. They’re like nightmares—there to torment me so I don’t get close to my magik, I suppose.”