He did, lines edging the corner of his eyes as he looked at me and then glanced down. He gasped but didn’t tug his hand away from mine. I rested it on top of his palm. Fire breezed around my hand, no more than a mere warmth smothering it.
“You did it,” I said.
“I did.” He grinned, this time fully. The darkness surrounding his irises didn’t vanish, but they lightened. It was small feat with a small flame, but a huge step. “Are you able to help me once or twice weekly?”
I nodded, agreeing to help him control his fire magic.
“Thank you.” He sighed.
“Now let’s head back inside where it’s warm.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Selene
Mybackpacksankintothe ivory comforter. Today was the first day of the spring semester—which I thought was odd since it was still winter—and all the students were back from break. It was only a little over a week since Christmas and a few days since the start of the new year, but the snow had already melted and the weather was warmer. The days had been spent hanging out with my friends, running with Ender, and helping David with his magic.
Sydney grabbed her leather jacket from the back of her desk chair. It was fire red, almost matching the tips of her blonde hair. She had asked me to help her dye it the other day before classes began, and it reminded me somehow of the little dragon in Singapore, even though he’d been black, not red. I hadn’t seen him since.
I loaded up my bag with the books I had picked up from the library the day before and slung it over my shoulder, ready to go.
Sydney chewed at her bottom lip, then glanced at me, her brow quirking upward as she assessed me from head to toe. “Is that your outfit for your first day of your last junior semester?”
I tugged at the hem of Mom’s hoodie and glanced down at my parachute pants. The outfit was comfortable despite being slightly on the warm side.
“Yes?” I donned my bag and headed for the door.
“Only you could pull that style off.” She nodded at my clothes, then followed me out the door. I didn’t object, as I could not care less about what I looked like—I only looked in the mirror when I brushed my teeth. Meanwhile, Sydney rocked jean shorts and a black halter top, finished off with her red jacket.
As soon as we stepped into the dormitory hall, it was like my first day all over again. The stares, the hushed whispers, and the tingling sensation that went down my spine as words were exchanged behind my back. The only difference was everyone cleared out of my path, smashing themselves against the walls.
I scanned the grounds as we made our way to class, searching for Ender, but I didn’t see him. The small hum of chatter stopped as we stepped inside the main academy hall, each student’s head swiveling to face us.
“Whoa.” Sydney paused at the entrance.
“Is this what it feels like to be popular?” I joked, squirming in my skin.
“What?” Sydney raised her voice, spinning in a circle. “You’ve never seen an ether mage before?”
Everyone glanced away, the chatter slowly picking back up.
“Hey.” I nudged her arm. “Was that necessary?”
“It worked, didn’t it?” She shrugged. “It’s not like no one knows what your element is by now. Will you be okay?” She looked at me, and I nodded in response. “I’ll see you later in class.”
She headed off toward her locker, and I pivoted toward mine. At the beginning of last semester, I was glad that her locker wasn’t next to mine; now, I wished it was. Sydney had become an unexpected friend I could trust.
The hinges on my locker door let out a short screech as I opened it and I tossed my backpack inside, grabbing the books I would need for my first class, English.Boring.
“Good morning.” Ender leaned on the locker next to mine, his hands shoved into his jean pockets. “Care for some company?”
“I would love some company.” I closed my locker door and I couldfeelthe other students looking in my direction once more. Something itched at the back of my neck and the weight of their glares suddenly grew heavy. A sudden rush of anger rose inside me, but it vanished, replaced by a dizzy spell. The hallway blurred and I pressed a hand against my locker.
“Hey.” Ender grabbed my books with one hand and set the other on my shoulder. “Are you okay?”
I drew in a deep breath and held it for three seconds before letting it out.
Ender’s jawline—and the rest of his handsome face—became less blurry as my vision cleared.
