No one argued with me.
“Until then though, you need to rest and return to school,” Louis told me sternly. “It’s important that you keep learning, strengthening your abilities and skills. It’s helping you control your powers, whether you think it is or not.”
I eyed him, because there was more than what he was telling me. Somethingextrain his tone, but I was too frazzled to question it right now. I knew his advice was good, but I couldn’t imagine being able to concentrate in class when I knew Asher was out here, slowly dying.
“I’ll come back tomorrow and every day after that,” I murmured to myself, putting that out in the world like a promise.
“Providing Atlantis doesn’t rise and you’re required there,” Axl said.
A few of the guys groaned at his bluntness, but I shook my head. “Asher is my priority at the minute. Atlantis will have to wait.”
Of course, I wasn’t naïve enough to think that just because I said it, it would happen. But a girl could hope.
* * *
I’d basically missedthe rest of my first week and the weekend, so I was back to classes on Monday. Well, most of me was, because I was still a little weak from the blast, not to mention stressed and not sleeping over Asher, so it was a bedraggled version of me that ended up at Sword and Sorcery that morning.
Simon hugged me as soon as I entered the room. “I saw everything,” he said in a hushed rush of words. “It was the scariest thing I’ve ever witnessed. I was so sure that you were dead.”
His voice broke, and I squeezed his hand tightly. “Sorry to have scared you. Apparently people are not done trying to kill me yet.”
It was kind of amazing that I hadn’t been asked to leave the Academy, because I was definitely a threat to the students here. I was bringing a lot of danger their way. Because of me Asher was…
I couldn’t even think about it, so I focused on the lessons, determined to learn everything I could and be powerful enough one day to never be in this position again. We spent most of the lesson trying to exert our will and power over different weapons. I managed to get my throwing knives through every target, and I even used a few of the short blades, which were not as heavy as the big swords I still didn’t have the muscles to lift.
By the end of the class, I was tired but satisfied. I hadn’t screwed up once, and even though no weapons felt really right in my hands, I was gaining control over a lot of them. Next class was Herbalism, and I was relieved to see Larissa waiting at the edge of the building for me.
“Girl, you look like crap,” she said with sympathy, hugging me tightly. “Maybe you should have taken today off as well.”
I shook my head. “I’d only spend all day lingering near Asher’s tank, so it’s better to stay busy.”
However, being in Herbalism, knowing Asher was so close by, made it very difficult to concentrate. We had the same teacher as last year, Fleecia, the blond-haired, blue-eyed, perfect-looking fey.
“Good morning,” she started, and introduced what we were focusing on today, which was a continuation from the last lesson that I’d missed when I was almost dying.
“We’re focusing on healing plants this year,” Larissa told me. “It’s one of the hardest disciplines of magic and herbalism, but also one of the most important. Last week we searched out jejuna, which is a mushroom-looking plant that grows under a thin layer of dirt. It’s great for eye issues, sometimes eaten raw or cooked, and also mashed and placed on eyes for different maladies.”
Larissa showed me the notes she took last time, and I quickly copied what I thought was important. This lesson we were finding jejuna’s much rarer cousin, juni. From the image, it was a yellow toadstool-looking plant that originated in Faerie. It liked damp, warm places, and was often found under the loose bark of certain trees.
“It can actually restore sight to those who have lost it,” Larissa said as we wandered off.
“When you find the juni,” Fleecia shouted to the departing students, “cut only the smallest sliver and bring it back with you. The text demonstrates how to do so without damaging the plant. Anyone who damages a juni will be in big trouble.”
The threat was real, and I took my time examining the images closely, noting the angle you needed to slice. “If this plant is so rare and important, why are we cutting it at all?” I asked, pushing through some leafy ferns.
Larissa followed. “Because this year we’re actually making everything that we study, and if we get it right, it’ll be used in the actual healing of supes. We find the plants, make the healing potions, and then hope we didn’t fuck it up.”
Great. No pressure. Definitely no time to be distracted by Asher.
14
Even during very important lessons I couldn’t stop worrying about Asher. Thankfully, Larissa was there keeping an eye on me, catching my arm when I tripped over exposed tree roots, stopping me falling right into a bunch of the green-and-purple-leafedmest ivy, which was the supernatural world’s version of poison ivy—only it turned any bare skin that it touched into black angry patches that itched and oozed for days until the poison eventually worked its way out of your body. I shuddered as she wrenched me back using her vampire strength.
“Girl, you’re totally out of it,” she said, shaking her head.
I rubbed my arm. “Thanks for the save. I just … can’t focus with Asher so close. I don’t understand why this keeps happening to us. It’s like the fates want to keep us apart. We can’t catch a break.”
Larissa wrapped her arm around me. “It really sucks, seriously, but you need to try and remember one thing. Nothing, so far, has worked in keeping you apart. You’re already proving to be stronger than the fates. Just keep fighting.”
