Evira was a few down on Zayn’s side with Octana now with her, the two of them partnered. I had to blink as Octana’s pink and silver shimmering pant suit caught in the light of the room in a blindingly-bright way. As if her mermaid hair didn’t already do a great deal of that. I smiled. Thanks to Evira’s efforts with Exalt, it wasn’t just outward, performative boldness for Octana. She was coming out of her shell. She and River had even made their relationship known through the halls of the Academy now.
Zayn and I exchanged a look as we took in Vaxan contending with River’s so-called arrogance in certain situations.
“Oof, he’s gonna get a lesson there,” Zayn said. “Vax won’t stand for that bullshit.”
No, he certainly wouldn’t. Although, River Leroux might not technically bearrogant.That was the misunderstanding some people had about my dad too. River was well learned and just liked to put that out there—unlike me. Well, him being a sorcerer prodigy wasn’t a threat to the entire supernatural world like with my situation.
Zayn and I jolted as we watched River go in too hard with a mammoth blast of his taupe power hitting the plate, looking on the verge of shattering it. Vaxan reacted swiftly, though, and smothered it with his petrification, the precision incredible as he turned just enough of River’s power to chalk that fell off in pieces, then left the rest remaining so that their joined power against the plate balanced perfectly.
“Nice,” River breathed.
Vax smiled, his tone firm yet understanding as he rumbled at River, “You don’t need to impress me with displays of noteworthy power. Your feats are already well known to me. And to be clear, those that impress me have nothing to do with magical might. It’s your skill, your creative thinking. Moreover, you joining Exalt speaks a great deal to your true character.” He waved his free hand at him. “Not the showy persona you give to most.”
River flicked his black wavy hair off the collar of his dress shirt—this one a bold tangerine color. “Apologies, it’s something of a reflex.”
“As it often is for somebody with a difficult legacy to live up to. Your mother casts a long shadow as modernist Maven Coven Head.” Vax winked. “Something I am rather familiar with myself.”
Zayn and I exchanged a look. Vax rarely spoke about his parents. This was… interesting.
“Win,” Zayn spoke.
I looked to see him gesturing at Professor Wiseman. He had his eye on us because we hadn’t started the exercise yet.
I shot a quick glance over at Evira who was having fun using her glacial magic alongside Octana’s magenta blasts, and then I took position with Zayn to get down to the task at hand.
“So, what are you gonna hit me with?” Z asked. “Are you going frost, shadows, or Necromancy? Gotta know what I’m gonna be dealing with before we go into this, so we can make sure we balance.”
“Do you?”
“Do I what?” he asked, cocking his hip in his neon-pink jeans.
And, yes, as he’d stated earlier, they were tight as hell. Tighter than I’d even visualized during our text exchange.
“I saw you performing your instinctual magic again.”
His eyes lit up. “I know, right? I’m becoming awesome! Well, more awesome.”
I laughed. “Without a doubt, Z.”
He called his power to his right palm, forming a glowing fuchsia ball.
And then he hesitated and looked at me, noting I hadn’t called any part of my power yet. “I mean, it’s still new, though.”
“And?”
“And I can’t always just… do it. You guys have seen that.”
“Understood.” I gestured at the pressure plate. “Breathe, focus, and let loose, and we’ll see what happens.”
“I don’t know,” he said, his fuchsia ball shuddering on his palm.
I stepped up to him, noting that the professor was no longer focused on us now, instead drawn to a volatile situation with Christalyn and Keuric. Not the best partnership. She absolutely hated him. She was the one who’d helped me dispose of him Evira’s first day here at Loxley all those weeks back. She didn’t just detest him for me, because of my love for Evira. Anyone abusing their power or anyone got under her skin. Something she was putting into her career trajectory as she’d texted me about a few days ago—she was becoming a Guardian Movement member. The first of the Celestial children to ever be inducted into it.
“Win,” Zayn gulped as I stepped so very close, my hoodie brushing against his metallic T-shirt.
I leaned in and whispered at his ear, enjoying the little tremble that went through him. “I’ll be extra gentle. Promise, little fireball.”
He pressed his hand to my chest, fingers clenching.
