Marcus observed me, closer than felt comfortable. “You’re an interesting witch. Most of us here just want to boost our power, but you show an aptitude for the subtle magics.” I shrugged—one had to adapt when their active magic was defective.
“Did you need me for something?” I asked.
He reached into his blazer pocket and pulled free a wad of cards, all covered in tiny, neat handwriting. “Here are my notesfrom my assessments. I forgot to give them to you before I left the lake.”
Flipping through the few cards on top, my eyes heated once more because this was a kind gesture from a warlock I really hadn’tput much time or energy into this year. “Shit, thank you,” I said. “Your notes are so detailed.”
He’d listed everything under each subject, giving me points of what he thought was important. “Every assessment is different,”he said, peering closer, “catered to us as individuals. But if they’re considering you for spellcaster, then you might beon a similar path.”
“I really appreciate this,” I said, holding the cards up. “I’m taking tomorrow to go over everything, so if you need to checkon me I’ll be here or in one of the element rooms.” The library had lined rooms designed to handle study with the elements.
He ran a hand through his hair, face less stoic than it had been a second before. “Look, I’m sorry I bailed at the lake, and really, at the party all those months ago. I like you, Paisley. I’ve liked you from the first moment we were introduced, but you’re hard to get to know. I get mixed signals, and I don’t deal well with those, so I tend to bail. Past damage, not yours. But in light of our impending finals and the end of the college year, I just wanted to warlock up and tell you that I thinkyou’re fucking awesome. Beautiful, powerful, and kind. If you ever want to hang out again, and give this a real shot, let me know.”
My mouth wasn’t exactly ajar, but I had not expected that speech. Sure, there’d been a flicker between us, but so much timehad passed and that flicker had died out. “Everything is complicated in my life,” I said softly, hoping we’d be able to remainfriends. “I think you’re awesome too. Powerful, kind, and not bad on the eyes.” His grin grew. “But I’m in no position tobe dating. I’m a hot mess.”
He took my rejection well. “If you need help with that as well, Paisley, especially to do with your dad, well, I have somefriends who might be of assistance. Let me know over the winter break. I’ll see you back here in January.”
“See you then,” I said, wondering what sort of friends he meant. Marcus had always been a bit of an enigma too, and maybeI’d overlooked an ally that I should have brought into the fold.
Trusting didn’t come easy, though, so I’d wait and see what the new year brought.
It was past dinner now, and I was starving, so I gathered my books and notes and dropped them off at my dorm before headingfor the dining hall. It was time to fuel up and sleep, so I could do this whole study thing all over again tomorrow.
“Ms. Hallistar, we’ll see you now.”
It was Friday morning and the butterflies in my stomach had the wings of eagles. Assessment shouldn’t be this terrifying;we could fail and have to go to another college, but it almost never happened. Assessments were used to figure out where ourskills and affinities lay after freshman year. Still, all the reasoning in the world didn’t ease up the nerves.
“Thank you,” I said stupidly, walking into the large multi-themed classroom they were using for freshman assessments. It had been spelled into six distinct areas, one for each of the major components they’d be testing me on today.
In the room were two assessors, and neither were professors I’d had before. “I’m Professor Halver,” the tiny blonde femalesaid. She couldn’t be taller than five feet, with delicate features and wispy shoulder-length hair. She looked like a pixie,if such a creature existed outside of fairy tales.
“And I’m Professor Garrickson,” the male said. He was a Black man with graying hair and a very serious expression.
Both professors wore navy robes, covering their clothes beneath, and the lack of expression on their faces really exacerbatedmy nerves.
“It’s nice to meet you,” I said, forcing myself not to fiddle with my uniform. We didn’t bring anything into the assessments,and I’d have killed for a bag to hide behind.
“We’re both independent contractors, brought in by the magical college board,” Professor Haliver continued. “We go betweenall the college first-years, and give assessments based on a national average. Are you ready to get started?”
I nodded, pressing my lips together. My throat felt too tight to contribute much more.
Professor Haliver studied a clipboard, nodding a few times. “It says that you’re showing an aptitude for spellcasting buthave energy that is reluctant to release without a little prompting. With that in mind, we’ll take you through all six areasand give grace for your energy. That’s in addition to the grace already extended for the blanket across Weatherstone.”
“Thank you,” I repeated.
She finally smiled, brief but warm. “Okay, let’s start with fire.”
The fire area was made entirely of stone and multi-layered glass. “The flame will be lit for you,” Professor Garrickson said, standing on the other side of the protective glass. “Manipulate it through the path on the wall.”
The wall was a heavy gray stone with thepathclearly sketched out in black ink or paint. A dark purple flame burned low, in an ember candle, and I knew I was finallyseeing an everlasting wick. The color of the flame gave it away. Unless extinguished with magic, it would remain alight forever.They were rare and expensive, though Weatherstone could clearly afford them.
Closing my eyes briefly, I let my energy seep slowly from me, a skill that Logan had made me perfect. Forcing myself not tothink of him, because the missing warlock was a distraction I didn’t need, I connected to the essence of the fire, to thematter that created the flames.
The heat flooded my veins, filling me with the earthy power and rage of this element. Dad was fiery in a way Mom would neverbe, and I knew why. The fire burned within him, and while at times it was small and other times an inferno, it always burned.
Slowly, I lifted my hand, wafting it upwards, and the fire followed my path, moving higher while remaining anchored to thecandle. Blocking out the rest of the world, I kept my focus on the flame, guiding it left and right, binding it to the wall,until I had almost reached the end. My energy was stable as I allowed it to trickle out in minute increments, even as it tookall my concentration to manage without Logan.
Near the top I missed a right turn and it broke my focus, until there was a fizzling pop and the flame disappeared.
