Page 19 of Evergreen

“You have trouble controlling your magic, don’t you Sparks?” he asked innocently.

“No,” I snapped. “I don’t have trouble with anything. I can make it do whatever I want.”

“So you did the lightning on purpose?”

I just glared at the dirt, unable to stomach looking up at him. Because if he saw me, if our eyes met, he’d know I was lying. He probably knew anyway.

“What are you two love birds talking about?” Nerion called, butting in at exactly the wrong moment.

“Actually,” Linden replied, cutting me off before I could come up with a retort. “We’re going to take a quick field trip to the grove. There’s a few specimens I need to grab for Professor Paulson.” Linden placed his shovel aside. “We’ll be back in a couple hours. Have fun painting.”

“Ooh,” Nerion hummed back. “Have fun!”

Linden placed a large hand on my shoulder. “Come on. Let’s get out of here for a bit.”

I felt my stomach clench as Linden’s hand settled on my shoulder. His touch was warm even through my shirt, and I had to fight the urge to lean into it like some kind of needy asshole.

“The grove?” I asked, trying to sound casual even though my heart was suddenly pounding like I’d just called down a full-force hurricane. “What the hell is the grove?”

“My home,” Linden said simply, already guiding me toward the greenhouse exit. “Where the trees are. Where my power comes from. There’s some stuff there I need.”

I wanted to argue, wanted to make some excuse about being too tired or having other shit to do or my punishment not extending to off campus excursions. But the truth was, I was slightly curious. And moreover, I was desperate to get away from Nerion’s knowing smirk and stupid comments. So I let Linden lead me out of the greenhouse and across the darkening campus.

“This better not be some weird dryad ritual thing,” I muttered as we walked. “Or you trying to kill me for burning down the greenhouse.”

“It’s not,” Linden replied, and I could hear the amusement in his voice. “Though I understand why you’d be concerned.” He gave me a sideways glance. “I would have good reason to be mad at you.”

Before I could stop myself, I asked, “But you’re not, are you?”

He just shook his head. “No. I’m not.”

“That’s fucking weird. Anyone else would be pissed.”

He just shrugged. “I guess I’m not like everyone else then.”

Chapter 9

Linden

“It’s a little bit of a walk, Sparks,” I said as Cass and I teleported into the magic circle near the grove. “The snow’s probably a little deeper here.”

“I know a warming spell,” he grumbled, pulling his coat tighter around him. “I’ll be fine.”

I just nodded and set off in the direction of my home. Over the past couple of days I’d gotten used to Cass’s seemingly constant bad mood. I wasn’t sure if he was just like that, or if it was the situation he was upset with, and by extension, me. Either way, I found it almost endearing in a way. He was so much smaller than me, but so full of anger. But after what Nerion and Teddy had told me about his family, I suppose it sort of made sense.

We made the hike in silence, only the crunching of our boots in the snow ringing in our ears. Above the sky was pitch black and littered with stars. And as we came to the top of a small hill, I could make out the northern horizon where green and red bands of light swept through the sky.

“Look,” I said, pointing a finger north. “Have you ever seen the northern lights?”

Cass, rolling his eyes at me, looked up and then his jaw nearly hit the ground. “Oh my god…” he whispered into the night.

The lights danced across his face, painting him in shades of emerald and rose, and I felt my stomach flutter as I watched him. He looked suddenly less angry, less guarded. He was just a guy seeing something beautiful for the first time.

“It’s incredible,” he breathed, still staring upward. His hand had dropped to his side, and I had to resist the urge to reach over and take it. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“The grove has a lot of magic,” I said quietly, not wanting to break the spell of the moment. “It draws things. The lights seem to come here more often than anywhere else in the region.”

Cass didn’t respond, just kept watching the aurora sweep across the sky in those hypnotic waves of color. I found myself watching him instead, cataloging the way his green eyes reflected the light, the way his mouth had softened from its usual hard line into something almost vulnerable.