In a trance you can make someone lust after you, fear you, or make them see anything you want. I read on, until eventually the bell rang.
I made my way across the hall to Advanced Compulsion with Melissa. There were humans in the class this term, we had to compel them to do whatever we wanted and then forget, it was a little tricky, no one managed to do it at all during class.
The bell rang and I went to Wellness Studies, it was held in the Health and Wellness Centre which was now showing up on my map. We walked in silence, entering the building, going down the hall and into a set of double doors, the room was large and had yoga mats everywhere.
Eliza stood at the front of the classroom. “We will be starting yoga!” she announced. “Now if you will please go to your changerooms and put your new uniform on.”
We walked into the girls changerooms where there were a bunch of yoga pants and a simple tank top with the school logo on it, they were all stacked by sized and I found my size, pulling it on and headed back out the room to stand on a yoga mat and faced the front of the classroom.
The class was extremely relaxing, and I really enjoyed it. When the class finished I grabbed my bag from the floor and walked back to my room, showered and changed. It was moving into autumn and it was starting to get cooler, especially late afternoons now, so I was going to have to start ordering some jackets and long pants.
I wore some leggings and a simple shirt, had dinner and spent the night drinking some alcohol in my room alone, heading to sleep early.
When I woke up the next morning I went for a jog. Afterwards I headed back to my room to get changed and when the bell rang, I headed to my first lesson, which was Physical Exercise. I had put on the school shorts and the polo shirt and headed off to the gym.
I started warming up with some stretches as the class came walking into the clearing, some of them looking sluggish. Pushing my foot out in front of me and sliding it along the grass I bent down, grabbing my toes, my ass sticking out as I stretched my hamstring. Through my legs I seen Sterling walking up, his eyes raked up and down my body before he quickly looked away. I turned away from him, getting up to stretch the other leg, then started jogging.
Jogging along the path with other students, I refused to look at Sterling, even though my eyes itched for me to turn towards him. He was my teacher. He slept with me and went right on back to ignoring me, he went out with Melissa and hadn’t even told me, he didn’t even apologise, and I knew he wasn’t going to. I shouldn’t have gotten involved with him.
Anger surged through my veins, and I hit the ground harder and faster. It was silly of me to get swept up in the magic of Bora Bora and had sex with him. I thought of that bear he had given me and how it was shoved in the back of my closet, I was going to fucking burn it later. I was going to have a campfire and burn the fucking thing because he wasn’t mine and I wasn’t his.
I finished my laps before anyone else, storming into the gym, letting the door slam behind me without caring, heading to the weights, the rest of the class started filing in after me, they found machines and continued their workout, Sterling stood looking over the room, I felt his eyes on me a few times but I ignored him.
When the bell rang, I walked into the change rooms, showered and got dressed in my uniform for my next class: Advanced Abilities. We continued studying trances, I knew I’d accidentally put someone in a trance once, but I still wasn’t sure how.
In Advanced Compulsion I managed to compel one of the humans to braid her hair, but couldn’t get her to forget, she almost did but then she broke free of the compulsion and I groaned.
I ate in silence at the lunch table, Sophia and Anna were talking amongst themselves with their boyfriends about a double date. I sat in silence, tuning them out as I scrolled through my notebook. They were all so happy and it was great.
When the bell rang, I headed off to my double Air Elemental class, feeling a slight flutter of excitement at having my first Elemental class. Looking down at my notebook, I followed the map along a path through the forest I hadn’t been through yet until I came to an arena in a clearing. There were people already gathered outside.
Professor Carr led us into the arena. “Okay, now today’s lesson we will be working on harnessing our Air elemental magic, using it to make a gentle breeze,” she told us. “Now if you could find somewhere to work, we will begin.”
I stepped around to the very edge of the arena, standing alone, feeling anxious, wondering if I’ll ever harness it. I tried to focus on the swirl of power beneath my flesh, it sat beside the monster that begged me to let it out of its chains, I pushed her away, ignoring her pleas of flesh, blood and mayhem.
I focused in on the unbridled power next to it, it seemed alive, swirling around inside it’s cage, I tried to release it, grabbing for it but it kept slipping away like trying to catch smoke with my bare hands. I groaned in frustration, concentrating even more.
Footsteps brought me out of my concentration and Professor Carr stood there, eyeing me. “Close your eyes,” she instructed. I did what she told me. “Take a deep breath in.” I breathed in deeply. “Let it out slowly.” I breathed out slowly. “Feel the way your power swirls beneath your chest, the way it moves with every heartbeat and reach out slowly, allow it to come to you.” I listened to what she said, I reached out to my power, waiting and it came to me the rest of the way, I shivered, feeling it beneath my skin, flickering. It sent shockwaves through my body. I took a deep breath in. “Now slowly release it from your fingers, instructing it with your mind what you want it to do.”
My fingers twitched as I released it slowly, instructing it to blow a gentle breeze through my hair, but I had no control of it, and wind gushed around me blowing my hair in a whirlwind of inky black around my eyes.
My magic made me feel electric and amazing, the way it hummed through me. I tugged my magic slightly back, feeling the wind decrease until it just tickled along my skin, I laughed, feeling excited energy flow along my skin, it was an amazing feeling, and I couldn’t get enough. I wondered if this was how magic felt to the witches. Because if this was how they felt every time they used magic, I was officially jealous.
My magic felt like a wild beast and the more I tried to tame it, the more it didn’t want to be. I had to poke and prod it the right way, making it think it was its idea, when really it was mine. Pushing outwards I felt more magic reach my fingertips, the wind picked my hair up, swirling it around and around.
It felt amazing, I pulled it back inside, experimenting with my control but as I started getting too cocky with it, it pulled away from my grasp, going back into its cage and danced away from me.
I closed my eyes, reaching back inside to touch it, wanting to feel the tingle of my magic as it danced beneath my skin. It retreated away, like smoke. I sighed. Waiting for it to come closer, it didn’t.
The bell rang loud and clear, and I groaned. I had Wellness Studies now. Professor Carr walked up to me. “Make sure you practice using your magic, learning how to grab hold of it. While in Wellness Studies, make sure you take time getting to know your body and how the magic swirls inside,” she told me. “The more you learn about it, the easier it will be to control.”
I gave her a small smile. “Thanks,” I told her, turning and leaving to head across campus.
Shooting off in a blur of speed to the Health and Wellness Centre with the full force of my vampire speed, I came to an abrupt half in front of the classroom. I pushed the door open, heading to the girls’ bathrooms to get changed into my yoga pants and tank top.
Everyone else was getting changed too, so I pulled off my clothes and changed quickly, walking out barefoot and standing on a mat.
Eliza stood before us, smiling, barefoot on the mat wearing her yoga pants and a tank top like the rest of us. “Now we’ll start with a warm-up exercise,” she told us. “If you’ll follow me.” She pressed something on her notebook and calming music filtered in through the speakers. “Let’s start in our standing
forward fold pose.” She proceeded to show us, and I followed along, breathing calmly. We held it for three breaths. “Chair pose.” I copied her, focusing on my magic beneath my chest, ignoring the bitchy monster, another three breaths. “Eagle pose.” Another breath, I felt the magic swirl, another breath, I reached out for it. Another breath. “Eagle pose in the using the opposite leg.” I turned, getting into the same pose, using the opposite leg.I held it for another three breaths, while pulling my magic as it wrapped around me, I felt it tingle underneath my skin. I breathed a sigh of relief. It felt amazing. “Cradle pose.” I let the swell of power release a tiny bit, it moved my hair in a gentle breeze, I worked to contain it, so the power didn’t get out of hand.
I could feel it burn to be set free as I fought to control it. We held the pose for another three breaths. “Cradle pose, opposite leg.” We held it for another three breaths as I wrangled my magic under my control. “Bound angle pose.” I copied her, I let my magic swell outwards, coating the rest of the class in a gently breeze. The teacher raised her brows at me, a small smirk playing at the corner of her lips, as she gave me a knowing look. We held it for another three breaths.
I smiled back at her. “Seated forward bend pose.”
My magic tingled to be free, I forced myself to keep control of it, but the more I pulled at it the more it flared. I lost grip and it flew out from beneath me, a large gust of wind swept around the classroom. I groaned. A collective gasp sounded from the class.
“Yeah we get it, you can do magic,” Selene told me exasperated, I could practically feel the eyeroll.
“Shut up Selene, stop being such a jealous cow. Just because you’re not interesting,” I snapped back.
“Now relax,” Professor Carr spoke softly, like she didn’t hear us. I sat up out of the pose.
The class continued, and we did another set of yoga sequence, the poses just flowed from one to the next. I continued my deep breath, concentrating on the poses and my magic, I continued poking and prodding at it, letting it fill my body and gently pressing it outwards, then drawing it back in. I started feeling like I was gaining more control of it, but it was still a wild beast.
The bell rang as we finished our last pose and I jumped up, grabbing my bag with my uniform in it and left. I made another tea in the cafeteria and headed to my bedroom, sipping on the tea. It was amazing. Kind of addictive, and when my heart ached it got rid of it, cleaned it away, making me feel better.
I lay in bed, pushing and pulling at my magic, every time I thought I was getting better at controlling it, I would be proved wrong and be back to where I started.
Chapter 14:
The next few days passed quickly, I woke up with a throbbing headache. I got dressed and went for a run, after my third lap I walked through the courtyard of The Hub, making a coffee in the cafeteria and sat at my table, sipping on my coffee. Sterling came and went, not bothering to look at me, I tried not to look at him. People started spilling into the cafeteria and I stood up, heading out the door to go to my room for a shower and get ready for classes.
When the bell rang, I went to Advanced Compulsion, I still hadn’t managed to make the lady to forget what I’d compelled her to do. In Advanced Abilities I read more about trances and how they worked and how to perform them.
I walked to my Physical Exercise class, heading inside the gym to get dressed in my shorts and polo shirt, tugging my runners on, I stood at the back of the class, feeling like crap as I waited for Sterling. “Start running laps,” he called out, his voice booming.
I started running across the usual route, ignoring Sterling. It was hard. I was starting to hate being around him because it reminded me of everything we had and everything I lost, it was like none of it mattered to him, and that’s what hurt me the most.
The bell rang and I exited the gym, walking towards the dormitory, to my room, refusing to look at Sterling as he waited, arms folded for me to leave. I used my vampire speed, getting there in a blur, opening my door, stripping my clothes off, slamming the door shut behind me, heading into the bathrooms to run a shower. I had a long shower, dressing in yoga pants and a tank top, and went to the cafeteria for lunch.
That afternoon I went to my Air Elemental lessons after Wellness Studies, I shot across the campus, stepping into the arena where the rest of the class was standing. “I want you to continue harnessing and controlling your Air,” Professor Carr told us, striding into the arena.
I found a small corner of the arena, sitting down in the gritty sand, concentrating on my breathing, searching for the well of power that seemed to expand the closer I got to it, I reached out, calling it to my fingers, willing it to bend to my will, but it was just as unpredictable as me, my hair blew around in a breeze, it was strong but once I had control of it, pulling it back to a gentle breeze, working it to my will.
Breathing in and out, letting myself calm as I focused on trying to increase the breeze to a small gust, experimenting with it, until I couldn’t hold on and it slipped back out of my grasp like smoke, shrinking away. My body was still buzzing from the feeling of using it.
Searching deep inside, I found it again, reaching out as it washed over me like a wave, it filled my body and the feeling of it singing through my veins as I turned my power out of my body, creating a gentle breeze, I held onto it. I smiled.
Everyone around me seemed to have their own breeze, flicking their hair around, but I could only feel mine, we were all in small bubbles of our own breezes, so they didn’t affect anybody else’s work. I was starting to really like my elemental class. It was mentally and physically draining, but it was fun.
The bell rang, I let my magic go, heading back to my room, using my vampire speed. I showered and got dressed, ready for a night in town. I went to the cafeteria, gabbing a piece of chocolate cake and chips, devouring them both, sculling two thermoses’ full of blood, then sped off to the bus stop using my vampire speed, hopping on the bus that ran from the school to the centre of town.
“What can I get you?” the handsome bartender asked.
“Just a vodka soda,” I told him.
“Coming right up,” he said with a smile.
He turned around grabbing a cold glass from the fridge, putting a scoop of ice at the bottom of the cup, he tipped some vodka in it and grabbed the hose, pressing a button so soda spilled out of the nozzle. He stopped filling the glass while he waited for the bubbles to settle, then started filling it again with, occasionally stopping when the bubbles got too high. He placed the glass on the table, I picked it up, taking a sip.
When the club down the street opened I headed down there, feeling slightly tipsy after having a fair few drinks at the pub, I walked straight on to the dance floor, the music was pumping and my heart seemed to beat to the rhythm, and I lost myself to the music, dancing through multiple songs, my body was damp with sweat and I had my hands in the air, moving my hips to the beat.
Not caring about what anyone thought or what anybody had to say, a group of girls I didn’t know danced next to me.
“Ohmygawd!” the blonde one with the blue eyes exclaimed to me. “I love your eye colour!”
“Thanks!” I replied with a smile.
We all danced together, laughing and drinking throughout the night, and when the club finally closed I stumbled back to the bus stop, it dropped me right out the front of the academy and I started heading up the driveway towards the vampire dormitory, I had this creepy sensation like I was being watched but no one was around, when a twig snapped in the woods, my head jerked to the sound, gazing intently in the woods but seeing nothing. I assumed it was nothing and continued up the path and went upstairs to my room, I was probably just imagining things in my drunken state.
I showered and dressed in my pyjamas, lying awake, tossing and turning. The silence grew on the darker it got, I unlocked my notebook, my heart softened a little as I swiped through photos of me and Sterling in Bora Bora looking happy. We were sitting in his bed smiling up at the camera
, another photo of him kissing my cheek looking so happy, another photo of him on the stand-up paddle board looking down into the lagoon in amazement, another photo of us dancing on his deck beneath the stars gazing up at each other, a photo he took of me from the deck as I floated in the water my limbs spread out like a starfish, another of us after we had climbed one of the mountains nearby, we were slightly sweaty and smiled at the camera the view of the lagoon and Bora Bora’s white sand in the background we looked so happy, another photo of me on a jet ski with him behind me on one as he grinned his thumbs up at the camera. Tears silently slid down my face and I pushed them back, selecting the photos and pressing the delete button.
Do you really want to delete these photos?
YesNo
My hand hovered over yes, I wanted to press it, I had every intention of pressing yes, but my thumb pressed no without me even thinking about it, I locked my notebook with a sigh, refusing to look at it, refusing to think about Sterling and Bora Bora. I had secretly hoped he was going to message me or try to talk to me when I didn’t reply to his messages, but he had moved on. Quickly. So, I had to move on too. I had to push my feelings aside now and forget anything had ever happened.
I barely got two hours sleep, but I woke up, groaning, still feeling exhausted, and a tiny bit drunk and hungover. I pulled on some sweats and a crop top, heading out of my room and across campus to The Hub where it was full of laughter and talking. The sound made my head hurt. I made a coffee and grabbed a thermos, swallowing the blood quickly, putting the empty cup back into the returns bin, sipping my coffee, and grabbed a muffin from the buffet table, biting into it and sitting down at the table, across from Sophia and Anna where they were talking about their night with Isaac and Nic, laughing about some movie.
“Hey,” Anna said, looking up at me with a smile.
Silverwood Academy Book 1 Page 23
