Chapter 28
“You shouldn’t have doneit,Angel.”
Angel wanted to fold her arms across her chest and glare at her teacher, but shestillhad to keep up her cheery front, so instead she tapped her chin with her finger. “My magic was going to destroy Izmar village, MasterEvariste.”
“It was not.” Evariste sat across from her, an eyebrowraised.
They were home—in the front salon, to becorrect.
Two weeks had passed since Angelique had so poorly blown her pre-evaluation. Only three days ago had Evariste finally allowed her out ofbed.
“The village was never in any danger,” Evariste said. “Raw magic isunharmful.”
“In the notes on my pre-evaluation results, it says Lord Enchanter Lazare felt the sheer power of my magic would perhaps be too overwhelming for the village,” Angeliquesaid.
Evariste, who seemed to be just barely holding onto his usual good cheer, frowned. “Who gave you the notes for yourresults?”
“Enchanter Clovicus did when he visited yesterday,” Angeliquesaid.
Evariste smiled—but it was rather toothy and forced. “Isee.”
Angelique avoided his gaze and instead pet Roland—who was sitting on her lap. She slightly smushed the hair on the top of his head, but the cat must have been feeling sorry for her, for he didn’t complain and only flicked his tail in irritationonce.
It’s not a good sign ifRolandpitiesme.
Evariste sighed. “Angel, even if your magic was dangerous—which it wasnot—there’s a reason why other enchanters and enchantresses observe the evaluation. We could have protected the village ifnecessary.”
Angelique scratched an itch on her arm and didn’t dare look up at her teacher.If I meet his sad eyes one more time, I’m going to bawl.Her body still ached. Thankfully it was only a dull pain right now, but the way Evariste explained it, she had nearly fried her mind and her entire body by forcing it to reel back in magic that had already beenexpelled.
It was, as Enchantress Lovelana had said in her report,Simply not done.At least, not on ancient testing grounds where stupid rocks had the power to mold your magic however theywished.
Angelique scooped Roland up so she could cuddle him to herchin.
“Mind the fur,” he fussed, but he didn’t even threaten to bite her when she kissed one of his blackears.
“Angel, your magic can be used to cause harm, but that doesn’t make it inherently dangerous,” Evaristesaid.
I can’t repeat this. Not again.Angelique let her forced smile drop. “We’ve had this conversation a thousandtimes.”
“Because you don’tlisten!”
“No, because you refuse to see the reality of my magic,” Angelique argued. “My core magic is only good for pain and suffering! I’m grateful that you have taught me how to twist and change it so I can do other things with it. I’m so happy that now Icanuse it for something besides pain. But despite what you believe, it is not a goodthing.”
“Angel, I can help you,” Evariste promised in his musical voice. “Once you unleash your magic as it is supposed to be, I’ll walk with you inthis.”
For a moment, Angelique wanted to believe him, but then she shook her head. “Every time you tell me to use my war magic, it has ended in bloodshed. I don’t need you to defend me or pretend it is beautiful. I don’t need anything from you! You just have to understand that I will not useit!”
Evariste jolted back, as if her words were a personal attack. His easy smile fell from his lips, and for a moment he stared at Angelique withhurtbright in his eyes. The moment passed, and he shook his head. “You will have to in order to pass theevaluation.”
Angelique stood, Roland dangling from her arms. “All I have to do is show off enough magic that I can makeenchantress.”
“Angelique, youcannotrestrict your magic! The crystals won’t allowit.”
“We’ll see.” Angelique felt a muscle jump in her cheek, still angry about the rocks and the way they had torn her control fromher.
“No, we won’t!” Evariste spat, surprising Angelique with the fury in his voice. “Do you not understand? You nearly killed yourself when you stopped your magic. We don’t even know how you survived! You cannot do that again.” His green and blue eyes glowed with barely controlledrage.
Angelique stared at him, surprised by his anger.Why has this upset him somuch?
