The students began to file out of the classroom. Janina and Zoya both bit their lips, clearly noticing Kamine’s lack of a turn.
“Go ahead,” Kamine said, stretching her legs. They had grown stiff after she had sat for nearly two hours. “I’ll catch up with you later.”
They nodded nervously. Zoya even rubbed Kamine’s shoulder, and wished her good luck.
Professor Grimot used his powers to move all the rocks back into neat piles. He could lift many at once, with not a grimace of discomfort. Kamine dreamed of the day she could move just one with such ease.
“Professor,” she said. He turned towards her, his eyes widening, as if finally noticing that everyone else had left, perhaps even confused why she was still here. “Do you have a moment?”
Kamine could tell he had the urge to say no, but she continued on before he could reject her. “I was wondering why I didn’t have a chance to practice today.” She tried to sound innocent, not angry. She didn’t need his hostility, or to fuel his hatred of her.
A rock floated above her head, and she winced when it grazed her curly hair.
“You clearly don’t take this seriously, so why should I waste my time.”
“I spent last night torturing myself to try and trigger my powers. Is that not serious enough for you?”
“Thinking that inflicting pain will make your powers come out is stupid, and naïve.”
Her mouth gaped open. It was unbelievable that he thought so little of her. “I have read numerous accounts from past Undertaking participants that their powers amplified during it because of their fear. It was not crazy to try something so extreme.” She crossed her arms, her point made.
He just laughed—actually laughed—his shoulder-length, wavy hair shaking as he did. “Reading is not going to solve your problem.”
“Problem?”
“Something is holding your powers back, and the only person who can unearth that is you.”
“So, what, I’m supposed to just practice by myself with zero guidance for the next few months? Do you not think that is what I spent my whole life doing?”
“Not by yourself. With me.”
What was this man saying? “That is the point of this class! Yet, you ignored me.”
“Not during class,” he clarified. “Just you and me.”
She blinked, stunned by the offer. “Is this approved by the Headmaster?”
“I don’t need her approval.”
Kamine prepared to retort, but she stopped herself, and thought about it. Private lessons might actually be the solution.
“I could see you thinking, Kammy—”
“Kamine.”
“Accept. Or face the reality that your village might be left in ruin.”
“You’re so confident in yourself, aren’t you?”
He lifted a heavy rock using his hands, his arms straining against his white shirt. Kamine ignored his corded forearms with little success. He extended the rock, offering it to her. Kamine put her arms out, and he dropped it into her grasp. She fell immediately to the ground, the rock almost crushing her hands completely before she could swipe them from under it at the last moment.
“You’re desperate, and that makes you willing to try anything.”
Kamine didn’t like the sound of that. But he was right, and she hated it. She could always back out if it wasn’t working, right?
“Fine,” she said. “When do we begin?”
Six
