Delmare was looking at the translation notes. “Emma, the grimoire specifically says this spell is foradvanced sorceresses only,” she said. “That’s past graduation. You’re barely at Second Year level.”
“I had to try!” I flung the glass vial of the healing potion down, and it shattered on the floor. “We havetwo yearsto find the Crystals of Harmony before everything goes up in smoke. If we don’t find those stones and open up the portal to Edinmyre before then, all the fae turn to dust. We don’thave timeto waste!”
“It’s going to be for nothing if you kill yourself before then,” Delmare said scathingly. “Be a little patient. We’ll find them.”
I crossed my arms and simmered. Patience was never one of my strong suits, and this was a major problem. We had the wolven stone and the dragon stone already, but there were four more stones to locate. Time wasn’t on our side, and I feared I wouldn’t be powerful enough in two years’ time to stop the portal from closing once the hourglass ran out.
“That spell is just too strong, Emma. You’re going to have to try again when you become a more advanced sorceress,” Kiara said. “We’ll find the stones a different way.”
Rage flared within me. I didn’t have time to wait to be a better sorceress. I needed to find the stonesnow.
I just wanted a break. From this world. From everyone. I worried that if I stayed here, I’d yell at my friends out of frustration, and they didn’t deserve that. I couldn’t treat them badly just because I had a bad day. It wasn’t their fault we were on a deadline and Ethan was being a prick. If I wasn’t in control of my emotions, I shouldn’t be around them.
I grabbed the grimoire from Kiara, and the journal from Delmare. “Just give me some space, guys. I’ve gotta chill out.” I flung my bag over my shoulder and ran out of the alchemy lab, before they could stop me.
I wasn’t sure where I was going, only that I wanted to be alone. I wandered around campus by myself. It only made my mood worse, and I wasn’t sure why— until the answer hit me like a dump truck as I was walking through the campus gardens.
There were couples everywhere. People were making out in corners of the castle and messing around behind the sculptures in the gardens. Wherever I looked, fae were either hooking up or going on dates. I knew the whole point of being a fae was to find your soulmate, but it was more than a little ridiculous.
I felt a wave of nausea as I watched an alicorn couple suck face by the gates. Gods, wasn’t there a damn person at this university who wasn’t blissfully in love? It was like everyone was rubbing my breakup in my face. I couldn’t remember this many couples last year on campus. Was I just noticing now because they cherished what I had lost?
School was obviously the wrong place to change my mindset. I didn’t know where else to go. The forest wasn’t safe, as it was full of monsters. I could go into Dolinska, but I’d more or less face the same problem with all the old people, and that’d be even grosser.
“Excuse me, do you have a minute?”
A stranger’s voice behind me caused me to turn. I was face to face with a sheepish boy with a mane of messy red hair. He had large glasses, which hid his green eyes, and he was taller than me by a few inches. He spoke with a slight Irish accent— unusual for an Arcanea.
Behind him was a beautiful girl, with silver hair and crystalline eyes. She was so gorgeous to look at that a shudder ran through me at her appearance. I saw the wolven mark on her hand. She and the redhead had to be a part of my Faction.
“My mate and I were playing a game with our friends,” he began. “We have an uneven number, and are looking for someone to sub in.”
He thumbed behind him, to a couple of boys in the distance. They waved, and I had to suppress a scowl. The last thing I felt like doing was hanging with a bunch of randos.
“Um… I’m sorry, I’m not really in the mood,” I began.
“Come on. Just one game.” The redhead flashed a smile at me, and the kindly look his mate gave in response made me want to cave.
“Lay off the poor lass. If she doesn’t want to play, we’ll smoke you outnumbered.”
Another voice caught my attention. An auburn haired wolven boy towered beside me. He had brawny shoulders, and a trimmed beard peppering his chin. The way he held himself was noble, and… dare I say it… sexy.
His accent was Scottish. Another foreigner— like me, I supposed. It was nice to know I wasn’t the only student who transferred into Arcanea University from another country.
When the stranger gave me a wink, my mood uplifted, and I said, “Sure. What are we playing?”
“Fae ball.” The redhead conjured a glowing yellow light in his palm. “It’s like volleyball, but more fun. I’m Arthur. My mate is Vara, and Scottie McHots over here is Finlay.”
“Youwishyou could be as sexy as me,” Finlay purred, and my insides fluttered.
“Emma,” I said. “But I bet you knew that already.” Everyone knew who I was, due to my connection to Ethan.
“We don’t pay much attention to the papers,” Vara said. Her voice was full of light, and mature. It soothed me to listen to her talk. “We just thought you looked like an athlete.”
“Well, I am one.” I followed Arthur to the nearby court. There was a net set up at the edge of the gardens. On the court were two boys— a dragon shifter, who was smaller than I was, and a tall alicorn. They stood on opposite sides of the net and bounced a glowing ball of light back and forth, like they would a volleyball. The alicorn looked a little familiar to me, but I couldn’t place where I’d seen him before.
“I’m gonna get it, Jasper!” The little dragon jumped up and did a spike, but the alicorn hit it back, and the dragon shifter went scrambling to catch it.
“You’re going to fall on your face, Ozzie.” Jasper laughed as he watched Ozzie rush to the other side of the court, and trip. The ball of light fizzled out once it hit the ground, and Ozzie let out a sad groan.
