Instead of speaking, I gave him a quick wave and left. My feet moved me up the stairs on autopilot and I sat on the bed as soon as I entered my room.
My fingers itched to call Piper. To tell her all the things. But I couldn’t. She was happy and living her life. I didn’t need to dump my issues onto her. What if she worried about me? I couldn’t have my kid thinking she’d lose her mother because magic was scary.
So instead of reaching out, I grabbed a pillow and screamed into it. “What the fuck!”
Magic sparked beneath my skin, then a crackling noise startled me.Shit, what did I break?
“Momma.”
My noodle.
I shot up to see Edith, scales blue, staring at me from her moose.
“I’m sorry. Did I scare you?” I scooped her up and brought her to the bed.
But, before sitting down, I saw little scorched holes in the sides of my pillow.
Great, I burned it.
“No.” She slithered around my pointer finger and blinked.
I did scare her, but she didn’t want to tell me. What the hell am I doing here? My fingers tingled and my throat felt clogged.
Was I going to puke flowers again? Would I blow up our room?
This was too much. The school, the danger, the billionaire, the—
Edith’s soft voice interrupted my thoughts. “I can help.” She squeezed my finger then released. For a few minutes she tightened and relaxed in rhythm. Her scales shifting colors as I focused on her gentle pulses.
“Use your magic,” she instructed, and I shook my head at first, still feeling on the edge of a breakdown. But then Edith started glowing light pink.
My magic was drawn to her glow like a bug. Creeping, crawling inside me toward the light.
“All right.” I closed my eyes and did the first thing I’d been taught to do. Push my magic to my palm and let something grow. I could do that. I’d practiced it every day since that first class.
“Pretty,” Edith said while slithering into the bouquet of flowers in my hand.
I managed to think about Piper when she was younger dressing up. Something I feel Edith would be into as well.
The intensity buzzing beneath my skin felt less and my throat didn’t feel so constricted.
“When you’re feeling out of balance, I can help you. It’s my honor to help disperse and control your powers.” She glowed brighter.
“Thanks, noodle. I do feel better. You did a great job.” And I wasn’t lying. I didn’t feel plugged into a high energy outlet with unstable magic.
“Do you mind hanging with me today?” I asked, knowing she’d probably curl around a warm body part and observe.
“Yes, I’ll choose my colors accordingly.” She nodded and then the door opened.
Chapter Twenty-Four
You are mine
Remy strolled into the room and sat at her desk. “Figured I’d find you here. As your best friend, I feel it’s my duty to listen to you vent if you need it, then push you to class.”
I rolled my lips between my teeth to keep from smiling. She said we werebest friends. I mean our actions said it, but it was nice to hear out loud.
“That lava bear was wild! This is a lot. The magic, the school, all the stuff happening with Rylan and me.” The feelings rushed out of me, and a little squeeze on my finger brought me back. “But Edith helped, and I’m not as amped up.”
