“Amber.” Wylder’s tone flattens. “This is a private training session.”
“Oh, we’re just passing through.” Amber’s smile doesn’t reach her eyes. She looks me up and down like I’m something she scraped off her shoe. “We wanted to see if the rumors were true.”
“What rumors?” The words come out sharper than I intend and before my better judgment kicks in. Dammit, I’ve dealt with bullies enough to know I don’t care what they’re about to say, but now I’ve opened the door.
The auburn-haired witch laughs. “That you’re such an embarrassment you can’t even manage basic shields.”
Yep, I walked right into that one.
Amber laughs next. “You realize there’s no way the Goddess Mother will bless you with skills after your mother got the Hallowind bloodline marked by a demon, don’t you?”
My hands curl into fists. Heat rises in my chest, spreading outward like wildfire. “You realize how pathetic it makes you to kick another woman when she’s down, don’t you?”
“That’s enough.” Wylder steps forward, but Amber ignores him.
“I mean, really, what do you expect? You’re tainted. Your mother made a deal with darkness itself, and now you’re here pretending you belong with us.” She tilts her head, false sympathy dripping from every word. “It’s almost sad.”
“You know nothing about my mother or what happened.” My voice shakes with barely contained rage.
“I know she was desperate enough to bargain with a demon. I know she died for it and killed three other members of our coven. And I know you’ll be nothing more than a liability no matter how long you stay here and ‘practice’ being a witch.”
Amber makes air quotes when she says ‘practice’ and then takes a step closer, dropping her voice to a mock whisper. “Face it, Poppy. You’re nothing. When danger closes in, you can’t even defend yourself. In the clutch, you drop to the ground and try to swat away danger, crying for someone to save you.”
The words hit like a physical blow. Not because she’s right, but because sheknowsshe’s right. The attack the other night left me bleeding and terrified.
But there’s only one way she could know how I reacted to the Shadow Hex…
“It was you.” The realization makes my voice deadly quiet. “You hexed me.”
Amber’s smile widens. “Prove it.”
Something inside me snaps.
The rage and frustration I’ve been holding back for days—weeks—years—explodes outward in a wave of raw power. The air around me ignites with blue-white flame, spectral fire that roars to life with the force of my fury.
Amber and her friend don’t have time to react. The explosion catches them both, engulfing their bodies and throwing them backward until they hit the trunks of trees with horrifyingthunks.
Screams pierce the morning air as they roll on the ground, batting at the magical blue flames.
Something dark inside me stretches. “Who’s on the ground, swatting at danger now, bitch?”
“Poppy! Stop!” Wylder’s shout barely registers.
But I can’t stop. Power pours out of me, uncontrolled and wild, and it feels good. So good. It’s like the pressure valve of my magic has been released. It’s a relief.
And it’s so damned liberating.
“Poppy, you’re hurting them!” Wylder’s panic filters through the euphoria of letting loose. “You have to stop.”
I hear the plea in his words as he rushes over to help the girls. The fire has spread beyond the two of them, catching on nearby trees.
The moment Wylder sets Amber and her friend free from the blaze, they flee, screaming as they disappear into the smoke.
The inferno rages around us, crackling and snapping. My chest heaves as I stare at what I’ve done.
“Oh, my god. I set the forest on fire!” My cry comes out ten octaves higher than normal.
Wylder’s face is pale, his eyes wide with shock. He throws his hands toward the burning trees, and I feel the pull of his magical signature as he wraps the flames in a shimmering cocoon.
