One of the creatures was still down after our recent attack, and the other two were slowly advancing. Selene knelt, placing a palm to the ground and closing her eyes. Cracks spread around her hand like a spider’s web, and a fissure broke through theearth, trailing toward the creatures. It ran underneath their stone-stubbed feet, and a rift formed behind them, the dirt falling in on itself.
“Now!” she shouted and glanced at me. I nodded, realizing her intentions.
I breathed deeply, focusing all my magic. With a giant push of my hands, I sent a forceful gush of wind toward the two creatures. The wind sent them toppling backward into the crater. The small internal frosty hum of my magic faded, the entirety of it depleted.
The magic-charged air stilled, creating a blanket sensation. The air along my arms should’ve risen at the abrupt change, but it didn’t. The thin blades of grass and pebbles at my feet began to shake, and a loud pop echoed through the air like thunder. The edge of the mountain behind the creatures cracked like something out of a movie.
Selene had her hands out, palms facing the mountain. Sweat laced her forehead and her cheeks were flushed. Her mouth moved, whispering words I couldn’t hear. In a swift motion, she brought both hands down. Boulders came tumbling down like a landslide and covered the rift, piling a good twenty feet above ground.
I looked back at Selene. She clutched the ground, fisting the dirt as she held herself up. It took a moment to come out of my stupor and race over to her. I reached out as she tilted her head up, her expression unreadable. She hesitated before taking my arm. Her hand brushed against my skin, sending a small shock through my arm.
That was new … and different.
I pulled her up and we froze with my arms underneath hers, her face inches from mine. The heaviness of the charged air still didn’t make my skin crawl. It was like the inferno of her magic and the iciness of mine happily intertwined as it dissipated.The only sound in the quiet forest was our breathing, and the beating of my heart drummed in my ears. I swore I could feel her heartbeat like my own. Her rich brown eyes looked at me as her mouth parted, accentuating her cupid’s bow. She was breathtakingly beautiful.
“Sal!” Headmaster John shouted as he emerged from the forest, Aura right behind him. Murphy trailed behind him with more guards. Selene tugged out of my grasp, her cheeks reddening even more.
Differentfelt good.
Chapter Eight
Selene
Ishookmyhead,clearingthe mixed thoughts and emotions jumbling my brain. Using that much magic must’ve exhausted me to the point its fumes were altering my brain function because nothing else could explain what I had just felt. The air was charged, and when my arm touched Ender’s, a little electric zap went off.
But I had felt it in my chest, not just where our skin had met.
Aura prowled over with dark eyes and hackles raised, hissing at the rocks behind me. This was the first time I’d seen her so hostile.
“Are you both okay?” John asked as he reached us.
“Yes.” I answered too quickly.
Ender watched me, and I didn’t like it. He had seen more than I wanted him to, but it was the only way to save the academy and stop the rock creatures—at least two of the three. The third still lay in a heap off to the side, no doubt about to pull itselfback together. But had my actions jeopardized Viv’s safety at the academy? I should have just let the guards take care of it.Stupid.
“Good.” John’s gaze narrowed behind me, taking in the scene. “Take your sister and go to the gymnasium with the other students in lockdown. You too, Ender.”
“My sis—Viv!” I yelled as I spotted her among a few guards. She shrugged and made her way over. “What are you doing here?”
“Wanted to make sure you were okay.” She looked between me and John, who shook his head, then opened his mouth to say something but stopped when the unburied rock creature stirred.
“Go. Now,” he ordered the three of us. Even Aura glared at us as if she was giving us the command.
I composed myself, hiding my exhaustion, and nodded. I tugged Viv back toward the academy, Ender following suit. They had enough hands and would be fine against just the one. I wasn’t about to show anyone else what I could do—and I had exhausted almost all my magic. Hopefully, they thought most of the damage and magic in the air was from the creatures and not from two students.
I spared a glance at the head trainer as we passed. She had been with the group in the jungle the day the headmaster had found us, and with this incident, there was no doubt she would have her suspicions of us, if she didn’t already know. The little lizard sat on her shoulder, its head twitching to the side as it watched us.
We made it to the end of the tree line leading to the academy. The massive structure that housed the gym came into view, but I strode right past it, toward the main building.
“Where are we going?” Ender asked from behind me.
“We’re”—I pointed between Viv and me—“going to the cafeteria. I’m hungry.”
Ender didn’t break off toward the gym. Instead, he kept his stride a few paces behind us.
“What did he see?” Viv whispered, leaning in close.
“Enough,” I said, keeping my voice low. “I’m more concerned with what the headmaster will think.”I can handle Ender.
