My heart hitched in my chest, but I forced myself to be nice as I let go of Nick’s hand and offered it to her.
“Hi there, Willow. Welcome to Borden Hall and to Fall River.” Somehow, I managed to even make my tone sound pleasant, while secretly I wanted to pummel the girl’s face. Petty, I knew. She hadn’t even done anything, though the fact that she existed was enough for me in that moment.
Willow was definitely a pretty girl, so I could understand why the boys had migrated to her. Carrying a petite frame, her cute blonde curls bounced around her face, and her perfectly pert nose was sprinkled with the lightest dusting of freckles. Her bright cornflower-blue eyes focused on me, her classic, bow-shaped lips sporting a lovely shade of pink gloss.
Being honest with myself, I couldn’t deny the spark of jealousy fluttering through my stomach. My mahogany-brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and my bottle-green eyes were one of the features I’d never really liked about myself. I felt plain sitting across from this bubbly beauty, and I didn’t like that one bit.
A crack of thunder shook the walls, and everyone jumped at the noise, their gazes roaming outside. I ignored it, though, mentally berating myself while Willow shook my hand.
“A pleasure to meet you too.” Her eyes even smiled at me as she spoke. “Thanks for letting me join you.”
“Of course. We aren’t snobs here,” Nick said, and I could tell he was flirting. I knew the sound of him flirting. Anger surged, but I tried to push it aside as another boom of thunder sounded, rain pelting the window.
“My, but the weather is strange here,” Willow said in a soft voice, sounding like a southern belle, and her hand went to the side of her face before dropping to her lap. Her mannerisms were somewhat alluring.
As long as she doesn’t get any ideas about my boyfriend, I thought, trying to keep the animosity and jealousy I felt from showing on my features. Mentally scolding myself, I decided it was time to be nicer. She was the new girl, after all, and the boys were probably just being nice. Everything else I’d been making up in my head because I was jealous.
However, I couldn’t deny the boys thought her charming. In fact, they seemed completely smitten with her. My eyes landed on Bess. Her frown told me she saw the same thing, but with a little shrug, she introduced herself too. After that, we all laughed and joked, talking about normal teenager stuff, and even the weather went back to normal.
“Sky, you all ready for the elemental trials?” Baxter asked as he threw his arm behind Bess’s chair, trying to snuggle with her. Her face turned ten shades of red at the gesture, but I knew she loved every second of it. Bess Abernathy had been in love with Baxter Hamilton for years and it finally looked like he was starting to notice her. Shame it took place our senior year, though.
I shot her a grin before turning to Baxter, holding out my hand, palm up. A flame grew from my skin, and I twisted my hand back and forth, making the fire dance.
“Come on Sky, I know you can do better than that.” Baxter scoffed, even though his wide eyes stayed on the show, giving away his complete fascination at what I was doing.
It was like watching the Goblin King from the movie Labyrinth when he danced the crystal ball back and forth across his hand—only I played with fire. The bright colors enamored me, and it was sensual, offering a calming peace that washed over me every time.
Baxter mainly used water, so anytime I played with fire he was intrigued. Although, I stayed on my guard around him while doing magic. He’d been known to douse people with his water, sometimes because he thought it was funny and other times because someone irritated him. Luckily, I could use water too, but it wasn’t easy to switch back and forth between the elements so quickly.
I brought my hand to a stop, palm facing up again. Raising my other hand, I cupped the flame to hide it from the others. A chuckle fell from Nick, and I smiled. He’d watched me practice for the exam, so he knew what was coming. When I drew my hand away and dropped it to the table, a flame-kitten sat in my hand.
I was starting to draw some attention from the other students. I placed the kitten on the table, then blew on it, and the kitten grew. As if watching someone in an age progression, going from a tiny kitten to it growing bigger, bolder features until it looked like a full-grown cat.
Baxter’s slack-jawed stare made me giggle. My eyes fell to my creation, and it looked at me expectantly, so I blew at it again, nodding toward Baxter. The flaming kitten grew twice its size again, stalking across the table toward Baxter. His eyes fixed on the creature as he pushed back from the table. Bess scooted her chair away from him as well, but she was just as entranced by the display.
The cat stopped in front of him and angled its head toward him. Baxter made to lean in closer, and the cat roared like a tiger, startling Baxter so much he screamed, scrambled back and fell out of his chair. He landed on the floor with a loud thump, one arm resting on top of his chair to hold himself up from landing on his back on the floor.
Everyone laughed, and the kitten shrunk down to its original size, grooming its flame fur. Every lick it gave itself changed the coloring of the flames it was composed of, going from the brightest oranges to the deepest reds and even those extra hot white and blue flames you sometimes see.
“Think I’ll pass?” I asked, arching a brow at him as he settled back into his seat.
“That was brilliant.” Nick chuckled as he picked up my hand and brought it to his lips to place a kiss on it.
Baxter straightened, running a hand through his bleach-blonde hair while looking at the kitten and me again. Shaking his head, a sly grin lightened his features before he broke into a full-on laugh.
“If that doesn’t get you an A plus and make Professor Callister piss himself, I don’t know what will. I can’t wait to see it!”
It had only been a few weeks but I was beginning to notice a change in my magic. Sadly, I wished I had noticed it sooner. Most witches notice an increase in their powers before they were asked to sign the book of the coven but I seemed to be experiencing more than most but I kept shrugging it off. Maybe I could have controlled things better if I hadn’t ignored it, but there was no reason to focus on the things that didn’t happen.
Once a witch reached seventeen, they were mostly grown into all the known powers they would eventually master. Yes, practice and age brought about greater and more powerful magic, but it was rare, unheard of even for a witch to come into new, completely different powers so late in life. So the fact that I seemed to be developing them was rather... disconcerting.
I was in the chem lab with Nick working on a project and I could barely concentrate. It was part of our final mark of the year but to be honest, I wasn’t worried about it. I didn’t mean to brag but academics came as easy to me as magic. It was social stuff that usually left me floundering. Yet here I was, dating one of the most popular guys in school, and I had an absolutely fabulous friend in Bess too.
Nick was blathering on about Willow again, just as he had been for the last week or so. It really started to grate on me. Having my boyfriend ramble on about another girl was not something I wanted to hear about. Yes, Willow seemed to be a great girl and a lovely addition to our group, but she spent an awful lot of time with Nick. I reminded myself that they had a lot of classes together and that she didn’t know anyone here, but that didn’t make me feel any better. Naturally, Nick’s knight-in-shining-armor personality kicked in and he wanted to help her. Sad thing was, he seemed to be spending more time with her than with me, his girlfriend. I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, didn’t want to sound like the clingy jealous girlfriend but it hurt, and it bothered me way more than I was letting on.
Gotta be close to that time of the month or something. I am way too freakin’ emotional today.
I sniffed, gently wiping my hand under my eyes to keep from crying. Yeah, I was way too sensitive about everything today. The sky outside had been bright and sunny but had darkened, big, fat raindrops pouring down from the sky.
“Darn, the weather has been crazy lately,” Nick said, the words coming out slow as if the conditions outside puzzled him, which I was sure they did.
“Yeah, strange for sure,” I agreed, my emotions stabilizing. As I gained control over myself, so did the weather. My mind stilled even as one thought fluttered through it. Could I be the source of this bizarre weather? At that crazy idea, my heartbeat sped up and my hands trembled. There was no way that could be true. It wasn’t one of my power sets.
“Hey, you okay there?” Nick asked, a note of concern in his voice. He wrapped an arm around me and hauled me close, kissing the top of my head.
See, nothing to worry about. I’m just being silly. Glad I didn’t say anything about him talking about Willow so much, I thought, sighing happily in his arms.
“We’re all set, girl! It’s going to be the last dance of our lives!” Bess crowed, spinning and swirling around her room.
I sat on her bed and laughed at her. “I hope it isn’t the last dance! One of the best ones sure, but not the last!” Still laughing, I threw a pillow at her.
She caught it with ease, hugging it close. “We have everything all planned. It has been forever in the making and you know it! And I can’t believe Baxter finally asked me to go!” Dramatically, she dropped to the bed beside me, a dreamy smile plastered on her face.
“Don’t make me smoother you! If I hear one more time about how dreamy and what a good kisser that boy is I will scream,” I teased her, shoving my shoulder into her and making her fall over.
“I can’t help it, Sky! He is! Took him long enough, though.” She giggled. “I thought he was going to make me ask him. How unclassy would that have been?”
Bess could be a tad bit outrageous in her beliefs. She had open views on almost everything in life, but things like that—having to ask a boy to prom—would have hurt her sensibilities. It was one thing she was old-fashioned about.
“You could have asked him and you know it. He has worshipped you forever.”
“He has, hasn’t he?” Her eyes sparkled with mischief. “Wait till he sees my dress. He’ll be on his knees declaring his devotion with no thought at all.”
I couldn’t help the full belly laugh that escaped at her words, and I doubled over while she joined me.
“Are you and Nick all set, too?” she asked, propping herself up on one hand and turning to her side so she could look at me.
Shifting my head to look at her, I nodded. “Yes, all set. You already know that, though, you goofball. You’ve been planning everything!”
She smirked. “I know but I just wanted to make sure.” She paused, a frown marring her pretty features as she shoved a hand through her strawberry-blonde hair. I didn’t miss the flash of concern in her ice-blue eyes.
“What? What’s wrong?” I immediately asked, sitting up straight.
“Well … I was just wondering what was going on with Willow?” she asked in a gentle voice.
I narrowed my eyes at her. “What do you mean?”
“She’s been spending a lot of time with Nick, don’t you think? Do you think there is anything going on there?” she asked. The look on her face told me she hated asking, but because she was my friend, she wouldn’t shy away from the hard stuff. I knew that already.
I froze, my heart stuck in my throat from her words. Part of me wished I could just disappear. This was the last thing I wanted to talk about but then, anger swam through me. “Ugh, whatever! Nick is my boyfriend!”
The house shook like a small earthquake had taken over, the windows rattled, books were knocked off her shelf. I was quaking in fright. The house kept shaking, Bess and I were hugging each other close, trembling in fear as we screamed every time the house shook. As my anger fled, the rumbling quake stopped. It left as quickly as it had happened, only a matter of seconds. Breathing heavy, and very spooked by it, I hopped off the bed and grabbed my bookbag.
“I’m going to head home. See ya tomorrow, Bess.” I practically ran out the door, barely hearing her goodbye.
It was a half-day at school because of prom. The flurry of excitement was contagious. I could practically feel the energy in the air. Some witches could probably even see it. It was like little hits of energy, like when a foot fell asleep and woke up—the pins and needles feeling. Not as unpleasant, though.
Bess was flying high, rambling about getting makeup and hair done. She even made sure Baxter’s tux was confirmed, and spoke to everyone else to make sure all the arrangements had been made. She was like a whirlwind. I couldn’t help but shake my head at her and let her go to it. There was no stopping her.
When the last bell rang, she grabbed my hand and practically dragged me toward the door. I barely managed to grab my things.
“Come on girl! Every minute counts. Everything has to be perfect!” she exclaimed.
Her energy was infectious and I couldn’t help but smile with her. She hadn’t brought up Willow again today—a fact that made happiness swell inside me. I didn’t want to talk about how much time Nick had been spending with her. I wanted him all to myself tonight. This was our senior prom and everything was going to be perfect.
Until it wasn’t. We ran out of the school and into the parking lot. It was there that everything came to a standstill. My heart felt like it stopped beating.
Beside me, Bess gasped, her feet scraping the concrete as she halted. “Oh, Sky. Oh, Sky, I am so, so sorry.” Her arm felt like weights coming around me in a show of support.
In front of us, right beside the new Jeep his parents got him as an early graduation present, Nick stood, his arms wrapped around Willow and their lips pressed together in an intimate kiss. Pulling away from her, a loving look shining from his eyes as he gazed upon her, he reached up and traced the back of his fingers down the length of her cheek, cupping her chin as he tilted it up to kiss her again.
My stomach rolled and I thought I might be sick. Swallowing hard, I did my best to not throw up right where I stood. As fast as the sickness had overtaken me, the anger came even quicker. It took everything in me to hold back the scream of rage trying to rise from my throat. What in the name of the Great Divine? Nick is mine! Mine! How could this be happening? What did I do to deserve this?
“What the ever-loving..?” I yelled, unable to finish my sentence; I was so stunned and I couldn’t move any closer. In that moment, I had no idea what I might do, and the last thing I needed was to accidentally set her pretty curls on fire.
At my words and the sound of my voice, they jumped apart, Willow blushing ten shades of red. Fidgeting, she brushed the curls away from her face, straightening her blouse and looking at the ground. Nick looked dumbfounded, like a fish flopping on the bank so close to the water but unable to get back in. His eyes moved from Willow to me and back continuously.
Sweet goddess, he’s still touching her even though he’s been caught. He is supposed to be mine! My thoughts raced in my head as my breathing came faster. I had a feeling if it kept up, I was going to hyperventilate.
“Let me explain, Sky,” he started, one hand reaching out in supplication as he took a few steps toward me, finally releasing Willow. A frightened look passed over the girl’s face, and she looked right at me, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Why the heck is she crying? She’s a boyfriend-stealing hussy. I’m the one who gets to be upset here!
Not able to look at her a second longer, my gaze turned to Nick, who had gotten much closer now.
I raised my hand out for him to stop where he was. “Don’t come near me. You don’t need to explain anything, Nick. Seems rather obvious, don’t you think?” My voice shook with my anger, and every word I said grew louder until I was shouting. The clouds that had once been white turned black, and the ground shook under my feet. “You were kissing someone other than your girlfriend! You freaking cheater!” I screamed.
Both Willow and Nick flinched. My words made Willow cry even harder, but I didn’t care. My eyes fell to my hand where the pretty
jade promise ring Nick had given me on my sixteenth birthday sat. I ripped it from my finger like it burned my skin now. In almost two years, I had barely taken it off. It had meant that much to me. Now it just reminded me of betrayal. Of pain. The most excruciating pain I’d ever felt in my life.
“So much for your useless broken promises, eh?” My voice was low and menacing. “Here’s your ring. Maybe Willow would like to have it now.”
I threw it, and it hit him in the chest where he somehow managed to catch it. His eyes widened as if it had finally dawned on him what a colossal mess he had made. I didn’t wait to see anything else. Spinning on my heel, I held my chin high and walked away even though I wanted nothing more but to run. But I wouldn’t give him any more of myself. Leaving with my dignity intact, I took deep breaths and stepped away from the worst situation of my life like a regal queen.
Jordan and Baxter had been standing almost right behind us and I hadn’t known until I turned around. They both looked stunned and angry at the same time. Jordan—Nick’s slightly older brother by five minutes—had his face scrunched in disgust while his fists were clenched at his sides.
“I am so sorry Sky. I had no idea my own brother could be such a rotten prick.” Jordan’s deep voice vibrated with barely-controlled rage.
He grabbed me into a tight hug. It was all-encompassing as if he could protect me from the world. Baxter’s hand gripped my shoulder, too, squeezing as I pressed into Jordan’s chest. Inhaling his essence, I let myself feel safe in his arms for a minute, but I needed to get away before I feel apart—something I’d never be able to recover from if it happened.
Gently pulling away with a hand on his chest, I met his eyes. Tears threatening to fall, I let him see the raw emotion in my face. “I can’t stay Jordan. I have to go.” My tone came out soft, controlled, everything I wasn’t feeling but managed to convey I was.
Magic Underground: The Complete Collection (Magic Underground Anthologies Book 4) Page 38
