Sighing softly, I look at the small note Aunty Delsanra has included.
Keep these safe. They are for your eyes alone. Love you, Aunty D
“Thank you,” I whisper, about to sit on the bed, but stop myself. I used a spell to clean myself, but I still don’t feel clean, not until I’ve showered. I’ll shower first, and then I’ll look through these.
I safely lock the papers away in my trunk; it’s spelled with several layers, so no one can get into it but me.
Grabbing some clean clothes, I enter the bathroom. Whilst showering, I ponder over everything: Holden, Sienna, that idiot, Allie, Mama, Aunty Delsanra. I need the distraction tonight, otherwise I’ll end up getting a few white hairs early and maybe even eye bags.
The day passesby in a blur of lessons and lectures, and when the final bell rings, I’m looking forward to the quiet. But then I remember I agreed to meet Holden.
The Academy grounds have an area on the far side which resembles its own little town centre. Since we aren’t allowed to leave the Academy grounds, some things to make it a little easier to remain here were built. There is a small cinema hall, three food shops, a dessert shop, and an arcade. One of the food shops isn’t quite ready yet, as well as one other shop, but the other places are. Honestly, although I was quite critical of this idea when it was first mentioned, I’m glad they went ahead with it. Sometimes we need a little break from training, and everything opens after Academy hours and all day on weekends.
And honestly, the way it’s designed, it actually hides the Academy from view, so you’re not reminded that you’re still on school grounds.
“Where are you going?” Allie asks, dumping her bag on my bed as I finish off adding some highlighter to my nose. I have braided the side of my hair, pinning it with a small clip to the side of my head as I look down at the clothes I’m wearing with my Schattenblüte belt.
“On a date with Holden. But I prepared a few things that I’ve written down for you. There’s a list in that notebook of the tasks I want you to do today, and I think with a little more push, you might be ready to learn your witch name.”
She snorts. “I don’t have a witch name. If I did, I’d still be the lamest, weakest witch.”
“I don’t think so. Besides, your sisters don’t have a speck of witchiness in them. You do. So, stop being negative, please, and just do what you’re told.”
“Now I really don’t want to do it.”
I roll my eyes. “Fine, don’t. Just be grumpy and temperamental like your father.”
She narrows her eyes, grabbing the notebook I left for her. “I’mnotlike him.”
“Not if you awaken your witch side.” I pick up my bag and look over at her, smiling slightly. “Don’t frown like that; you look even more like him.”
“Heaven!” she growls, grabbing my pillow to throw at me. I stifle a giggle as I slip out of the room. She follows me out,notebook in hand. Turning towards her own door, she pauses, looking over at me. “I wish Si had let you help her.”
It’s quiet for a moment, and I wish I could have, too. I tried; I really did. I spent days learning about the sigils that could contain her power. I tried to get her-Stop, Heaven.I don’t want to go down that path. There’s no point in wasting time thinking about what-ifs when it’s too late to change the past. It’s time to look ahead and fix what can be fixed.
“Yeah, me too,” I reply softly before I continue down the hall, not looking back.
Si is gone, but the pain of the aftermath that she’s left behind isn’t. But slowly yet surely, I’m becoming used to losing people, becoming numb to death.
There was a time I spent days or months secretly crying about all the death around me, but… you learn to control those feelings. When you are exposed to it so often, you become desensitised over time.
Holden asked me to meet him outside by one of the entrances, so I make my way through the halls of the Academy as the students move around me, some in groups and some alone, all busy with something or the other. When someone is gone, life doesn’t stop; it continues without the one gone.
I haven’t seen Jayce much, but when I have, he’s so cold. As if he’s there, but is simply a hardened shell of who he once was.
“Hey.” I turn to see Holden leaning against the wall, arms crossed. He looks good in beige pants, a white tee and with his hair brushed back. He’s easy on the eyes, that’s for sure.
“Hey,” I reply as I walk over to him, sliding my arms around his neck. The soft tingle as his hands wrap around my waist makes my stomach flutter.
“Someone’s looking extremely beautiful,” he murmurs, his gaze dipping to my lips.
“When do I ever not?” I reply, inching a little closer at the same time he does. His lips ghost mine before he kisses me, his hands tightening around my waist.
This feels good… I sink into him, kissing him back softly, but the moment I feel something against my stomach, we both move back, and he lets out a light chuckle.
I haven’t agreed to anything past second base, and I still feel that is the right decision for now. “So, where are we going?” I ask.
“Well, we’ll go to the grill house. It’s always super busy, but I did ask them to save us a table.”
