AllFreeNovel
Share Us
What the… I stare at her. This is new. What’s going on?
“I have informed the Headmaster that you’re besmearing Ophelia’s good name,” she goes on, “and he assured me that it won’t be tolerated. Should I call him? Maybe I should send you to his office.”
“But—”
“She said that you’re pretending to be her cousin. Shameful.”
Heat is rushing up my neck. “But you’re the one who told me who I am! How can you say that?”
“Are you going to besmear my name, too?”
Oh God. She has a blank expression in her eyes that is horribly familiar. No way…
“Um, it’s okay. I have to go study.” I wave vaguely at the door of the office. “Don’t disturb the Headmaster on my behalf.”
Miss Worthy is glaring at me as if I’ve kicked a whole litter of puppies and tipped her fishbowl over. “I won’t, for now. As long as you don’t give me a reason to. Set yourself to work, missy, before you fail your year, and let good people get on with their lives.”
I manage to keep my mouth shut as I retreat and march out of the building. I hurry away, putting some distance between myself and Miss Worthy before I stop, pressing my back to a wall and struggling for breath.
Well, crap. Holy crap. When did this happen?
When did Miss Worthy get caught in Ophelia’s enchantment? It can’t have been long. Just a few days ago she helped me discover my identity. Was that what got her in Ophelia’s crosshairs?
I need to go directly to the Headmaster, without Miss Worthy’s involvement. Maybe he’ll listen, even if he is the asshole who didn’t allow Ashton to go visit his brother at the hospital.
Thank God I copied the page of the symbols from the diary in my effort to decipher them.
But it looks like I’m on my own here.
Nothing has changed.
The page of symbols is hidden inside my history book, but I’m not going to study. Instead, I head back out, winding among the trees. I’m heading vaguely in the direction of the gym but I’ve already passed it and I’m walking through meadows dotted with clusters of trees.
I don’t fling my backpack at a random trunk to vent my fury because hey, I’m practically an adult and besides, I will need my books and notebooks for my classes.
When I go back to my classes. Eventually.
Instead, I sit under a tree and let out a long breath. Okay. I can’t let this day be a total loss. I need to explore my power more, prod it. Besides… I’m at a loss as to what to do next. Might as well flex those magical muscles, puny as they may be.
So I place my hands on the earth—because why not?—and reach for fire and earth, the two elements I haven’t called so far.
A twofer.
If I manage.
Familiar sensations flow through me—the soil with the living things burrowing through it, the things growing out of it, the ley lines of the earth carrying power—and the fire, burning deep underground and high above, zapping down from lightning rods as clouds crash, living in the warmth from living bodies and the beating of their hearts.
I remember calling forth sparks on my fingers, and rain drops. Could I call to the elements directly, despite what common knowledge of witches says?
When I try to call the elements forth, though, again it doesn’t work. I try to form a flame in my hand, but it doesn’t even spark. And then I try to make something grow, or to get the soil to shift, but nada.
Come, I think, come to me. One of you, elements, has to obey me, right? All witches have a dominant element. So come to me!
It takes a long moment before I hear steps. Resigned, huffing out a sigh, I open my eyes. No connection to the elements, but there is a guy coming toward me.
He’s almost there before I recognize him.
It’s Az, a demon boy, Emrys’s second in command. He glares at me. “What do you want?”
