A Curse of Flames

by Sophia Shade

  “So…why are you dating me?” I ask. “If nothing can come of it?”

  Is he admitting he’s just using me for sex? I’m not expecting a commitment, but it seems like knowing there can’t be one in the future kind of colors our relationship. I don’t say that, though.

  “Well,” he says. “I’m not saying that. Trust me, I wouldn’t have gone down this road if I didn’t think you might be worth the trouble.”

  Oh my God. My heart swells to bursting. It’s not just butterflies I feel, but something more. Something deep. Something real.

  Caleb doesn’t just like me. He’s willing to sacrifice his standing in his family for me. Maybe. At some point in the far future. Possibly.

  I glance over to see Dannika talking to Finch, remembering what she said about love and immortality, and force myself to calm down.

  “Let’s just take it one day at a time,” I say. “After all, we have forever, right?”

  “Yeah,” he says. “We do.”

  I don’t add in that as much as I’m falling for him, I’m not sure it’s love. And I’m not sure he’s the only person I’m feeling something for.

  The other person, though, might be a murderer. So there’s that.

  “Imogen,” Ella calls as everyone starts filing out of the room. “Let’s go. I’m starving.”

  “Okay,” I say.

  I start to follow her, but Caleb wraps his hand gently around my arm to stop me.

  “Promise me you’ll be careful,” he says.

  “What do you mean?” I ask, narrowing my eyes.

  “I know everyone wants you to investigate this, but you don’t have to,” he says. “Whoever this person is, he’s already killed once. I don’t want something to happen to you.”

  I put my arms around his neck again, squeezing him briefly. “I’ll be careful,” I say. “Promise.”

  He pulls me closer. We rub noses for a moment, then he kisses me. It’s more than just the usual peck in public, but something serious. Something—finally—passionate.

  “I don’t want to lose you,” he whispers when he pulls back. There’s a longing in his voice, fear.

  “I’m not going anywhere.”

  He holds me tight, before he releases me and rushes out of the room.

  Dannika and Ella stare at me, their mouths hanging open.

  Dannika crosses her arms and cocks her hip. “What. Was. That?”

  I shrug, but I can’t keep a smile from taking over my face.

  That, I think, is me starting to get a better idea of where things stand with Caleb and me.

  “What was that about food?” I ask.

  The three of us laugh and head out of the room. As we are walking down the hall, Erick runs up behind me. My cheeks blush. I’m glad he didn’t see that kiss with Caleb, and I still need to figure out why that is—especially if I want to maybe one day really commit to Caleb.

  “You have a second?” Erick asks.

  I slow my pace to put some distance between us and my friends. “Sure, I guess,” I say, figuring he wants to talk about the investigation. “What is it?”

  “It’s Caleb,” he says. “You should be careful with him.”

  I stop walking, shocked he would say something like that. “That’s really none of your business.”

  He spreads his hands. “I’m just talking as a friend.”

  “A friend?” I ask. “You are the least friendly person to me in this group. And if he is so bad, why are you friends with him?”

  “He’s not bad,” Erick says. “He’s…a player. And I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

  “What are you even talking about?” I ask. “He’s never been with any other girl except me since we started school here. I wouldn’t call that a player.”

  “You don’t know him outside school.”

  “But you do?” I ask. “You’re Seelie. He’s Unseelie. What do you know about how he is at home or at court?”

  “I just know how things—”

  “—are around here,” I say. “Yeah, I remember.”

  He crosses his arms, clearly mad I got to say his line before he did.

  “You know what I think?” I say. “I think this has something to do with the fact I’m only half-Fae.”

  He eyebrows shoot up. “What?”

  “Don’t deny it,” I say, pointing my finger at him. “You have always looked down on Halflings. This is your way of getting back at me because the group is looking to me for leadership and not you.”

  “I’m the one who—” He clenches his jaw, his expression turning stormy. “You know what? Never mind. Obviously, you have it all figured out, don’t you?”

  He turns and stomps away.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask, but he keeps walking. I take some quick strides after him to catch up. “Hey, I’m talking here! What did that mean?”

  He throws his hand up, creating a wall of fire in front of me. I freeze, forgetting for a moment that fire can’t hurt me.

  When the wall dissolves, he’s gone, but little embers that look like tiny phoenixes with long tails zip around for a moment before they, too, dissolve.

  It’s Erick’s magical signature…and it’s how I’m going to find out if he’s the murderer.

  Chapter 8

  “No, no, no,” Ella says. “You need to move your hand slowly to the right, not just flop it around.”

  Ella and Dannika are helping me work on a few spells and incantations. I’ve missed so many classes I need the assistance to get caught up.

  For the first time since I got back to Fae, I’m feeling hopeful. Maybe even happy. But dread still weighs in my stomach, knowing how quickly things can change—and how unresolved everything still is.

  Even though I’m carrying more weight on my shoulders than Atlas and worry sits in my gut like sour milk, the reminder I have friends behind me is soothing. These are not burdens I have to carry alone. I might not be able to share everything openly, but the fact I have been able to trust them with some of my concerns helps.

  “Like this,” Dannika says, standing next to me. She moves her arms from left to right. Her movements are so graceful. It’s like we are dancing as we try to bring the invisibility spell they are teaching me to life.

  But I can’t concentrate. The problem is I’m not sure I’ve made the right decision. None of us should be investigating this murder. I shouldn’t have dragged them into searching for answers. Not only could I end up dead, just like Professor Crowsfly, but my friends could as well. And if anything happens to one them, I will never forgive myself.

  They chose this, I remind myself. They’d been looking for me. Asked me for guidance. If they weren’t doing this with me, they’d be doing it without me. At least if I’m involved, I can try to help them, using those visions they don’t know I’m having. Try to steer the investigation in the right direction—toward an answer but away from harm.

  My vision was trying to tell me something. I don’t know if the bloody arm is related to the death of Professor Crowsfly, but the vision of Erick in the woods with her certainly is. From what I remember about Greek mythology, visions are often warnings. Hopefully, I can figure out what mine is trying to warn me about, so I can keep my friends safe.

  And hopefully protect myself, too.

  I need to keep my visions a secret, but I have a feeling it’ll only be so long before I have to reveal the truth. My friends will want to know how I know the things I do. When that time comes, I only hope I will be able to trust them as much as they seem to trust me now.

  “Come on,” Dannika says. “Let’s get to Glimmer Casting. I think Professor Evanthia will be impressed with your progress.”

  “But will it be enough?” I ask, leaning over to pick up my books from the grass before brushing my hair out of my face. “I thought my progress in Elemental Application last year was enough, and then I almost got expelled when I apparently wasn’t progressing at the rate they wanted me.”

  Ella waves away
my concerns. “There aren’t any trials like that for Glimmer Casting. Elemental Application is just really important because you don’t want to accidently burn your house down or something.”

  As we head inside, I see Erick out of the corner of my eye heading to his own class.

  Erick’s going to be a problem. He’s hiding something. He was with Professor Crowsfly before she died, yet he didn’t reveal that to the group. I’m going to have to find a way to leave him out of any specific assignments without revealing my suspicions.

  Shouldn’t be too hard. He’ll think I’m just icing him out because of our argument the other day. And I’m not sure we need Erick anyway. Caleb will be able to find out more about Professor Crowsfly. As an Unseelie prince, he can ask questions of people and demand answers. I have no idea how long that will take, but it’s probably our best shot. In fact, right now, it’s our only shot. I don’t have anything to suggest to the rest of the group to do.

  Blocking out Erick shouldn’t seem too suspicious. Not that I care. Why am I even thinking about him or what he thinks about any of this? I should be focusing on my studies. With our hands tied outside of Caleb’s task, this is my first chance in a while to just be a student. And I need that right now, considering I’m behind in all my classes. Dannika and Ella are trying to help me get caught up, but I’m still a part of that equation.

  I think about how I was able to use a spell and copy the notes from the ministers into my own notebook, which is still safely hidden away. I was good at that, so if I focus on my Glimmer Casting and Alchemy classes, I should be able to catch up no problem.

  With that in mind, I push away all thoughts about murder and Erick and everything else and follow Dannika and Ella onto the playing field, where Glimmer Casting is being held today, since Professor Evanthia thought that some demonstrations would be beneficial. This is a chance for all the other GM classes to meet up and see what the different types of Fae can do.

  A lot of magical abilities depend on your element.

  Sophie Winterspell, an air Fae, steps onto the field, followed by a giant ogre who brings a large stone that’s even bigger than Sophie is. When he drops it, the ground shakes. Sophie strides confidently up to the stone, waves her arms to call forth a burst of wind, and then appears to pick up the boulder. I try not to let my mouth fall open. Apparently, air Fae can appear freakishly strong by using currents of wind to help them carry large objects.

  “Such a shame that many of the students use that gift just to carry their backpacks around,” Dannika whispers.

  Darting a glance to some of the water Fae standing around, I realize many of them have their magical signatures up, spearing in little pulses that quickly fade away. Then I notice the actual magic they’re doing—the magic anyone would be able to see.

  “What do you think the water Fae are doing?” I ask Dannika, referring to the mist that’s surrounding them all. “It’s almost imperceptible how faint it is, but I can see them doing…something.”

  She nods. “Probably moisturizing their skin,” she says. “They do it constantly. It’s really distracting once you notice, but it’s why their skin always looks amazing.”

  For us fire Fae, there are a few tricks I pick up. Dannika explains that warming my palm slightly before shaking hands with someone can create an instant feeling of trust in a person.

  “It’s why fire Fae are really good at job interviews,” she says.

  While I think that’s cool, I’ve always been more interested in the temperature control side of things. If it’s cold outside, we can raise our internal temperature to warm up. And if it’s hot, we can expel our heat to keep cool. We can also help heat and cool people around us, so we’re great to have around in a natural disaster. Now there’s a meaningful and practical application of magic.

  Fire Fae are also excellent psychiatrists because they can absorb the heat from someone who is angry or overly emotional, helping them to be more calm and rational. I think back to all the times I have felt comforted by Erick’s touch, and now I’m not sure how I feel about it. Was it him? Or was he just using his powers to manipulate me? After my vision of him with Professor Crowsfly, I’m not sure how much I trust him.

  Caleb walks up behind me, and I can feel him using his power to warm me up.

  “What are you doing?” I whisper.

  “What? Me?” he asks innocently. “I’m not doing anything.”

  I giggle and turn back to Professor Evanthia, but I can’t pay attention. Caleb delicately run his fingers up my arm, and I playfully slap him away.

  “What are you doing tomorrow night?” he whispers in my ear, and my whole body breaks out in goose bumps.

  “Nothing,” I say.

  “Great,” he whispers into my other ear, sending a pleasurable sensation to my belly. “I’ll find you then. I want to show you something really cool.”

  “Show me what?” I ask.

  “A surprise,” he whispers mysteriously before he slips away.

  I sigh and do my best to concentrate on Professor Evanthia’s lecture. She says some magical skills are universal. They just take practice. Tasks like making copy images, invisibility, and even lock picking are things any Fae can do with the right tools—energy, motion, and incantations.

  That lock-picking skill sure would have come in handy a few times.

  Unfortunately, everything I have been learning in my Glimmer Casting and Alchemy classes can’t help me where I need it most. Where I really need help is with Elemental Application. Erick agreed at the beginning of the year to be my tutor again, but we aren’t even speaking right now and haven’t had any training sessions. I haven’t even been back to Elemental Application since Coach Volcanis sent Lucas after me. Okay, I don’t know Coach Volcanis and Lucas are out to get me, but they were both weird that day, and I don’t trust them to treat me fairly if I return.

  I need help. And even though Dannika and Caleb are both way better at fire casting than I am, I feel like I need more professional help. At the end of last year, Headmistress Shadowburn said she would talk to Damon about being a better mentor to me.

  After class, I’m going to go see if her little talk with him helped.

  An hour later, I’m standing outside Damon’s door. I knock, then hold my breath while I wait for him to answer.

  “Come in,” he says. His expression appears neutral when I enter, but when his gaze slants toward me, an expression I can’t quite interpret takes over. Disappointment? Frustration? Anger?

  “Hi,” I say nervously. “Sorry to interrupt you, but I need your help.”

  He leans back in his seat, but says nothing.

  “My weakest area is still Elemental Application,” I continue, even though he hasn’t made me feel very welcome. “Erick isn’t tutoring me this year, so I thought I would ask you for help. You know…hall mentor and everything.”

  Damon crosses his arms. “If Erick couldn’t help you, what makes you think I can?”

  “I didn’t say Erick couldn’t help me.” I lift my chin and straighten my back. “You know I improved last year. I passed the end-of-the-year trial even though someone sent those lionwasps in after me. What I said was Erick isn’t helping me.”

  “Why not?” he asks.

  “We are just…on the outs,” I say. I relax my shoulders, giving up on trying to appear confident and strong. Instead, I continue over to the chair in front of his desk and flop down. “Look, it doesn’t matter,” I say, spreading my hands. “I just need a new tutor, so I thought I would ask you.”

  “Coach Volcanis is a good teacher,” he says. “I’m sure you can learn a lot more in one of his classes than in a whole semester from Coach Thorne.”

  “I…” I don’t really want to badmouth Coach Volcanis, and I don’t want to sound paranoid by saying I think he’s out to fail me. “Coach Volcanis is a challenging teacher,” I say instead. “I think I will learn a lot in his class, but I need to survive it first.”

  Damon lets out a small chuck
le. I didn’t know he was capable of laughing.

  “I can’t be your tutor,” he says. “But I can teach you a very special trick to keep you from appearing as a complete fool in your class.”

  “Okay, great.”

  He stands. “Follow me.”

  “Now?”

  He continues out of the room without another word, so I follow. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, my mom used to say. Damon doesn’t stop walking until he reaches the gym to one of the private practice rooms normally reserved for hand-to-hand combat.

  I follow him to the center of the room, and he turns toward me.

  “Stand straight,” he says. “Always stand straight, whether in combat or just walking to your room. You have to have good posture to breathe properly. And you need to breathe properly for your brain to function.”

  I stand as straight as I can, but it feels unnatural, like how I felt back in his office when I was trying to face my confidence.

  “Okay,” I say. “I’m trying, but it doesn’t feel right.”

  “That’s because you’ve been doing it wrong,” he says. “When you are used to doing something wrong, doing the right thing can feel wrong.”

  Those sound like words to live by so I commit them to memory.

  “Hold your hands in front of you,” he explains. “In a triangle shape. Now move your left arm up at an angle, and your right arm down in the opposite direction.”

  I follow his directions as best I can, and he helps me correct the movement.

  “Good,” he says. “Now project your energy, your fire, into the invisible area you just outlined with your hands.”

  “What?” I ask, dubious. “How is that possible?”

  “Just do as I say,” he says.

  I shake my head, doubtful it will work. I haven’t even see Erick project flame, by which I mean make it appear somewhere else as its origin. From everything I’ve seen, our flames have to come from us, our hands usually. We can throw flames, but not, for example, make a tree combust just by willing it. And we certainly can’t make a flame just appear in midair.