Then she’s striding to the main building, leaving me alone at the base of the volcano.
The storm swirls inside me, restless and hungry. But I shove it down and head to the dining hall, where I’ll have to sit across from Evie and address whatever the hell just happened in the Fury Loop.
One match survived.
A hundred more lies to go.
JADE
Later that night,I step into the cool air of the passages, where Logan’s waiting for me about twenty feet in.
One look at his face, and I know I’m in trouble.
“What the hell happened during your duel?”
Hello to you too. Yes, I’m fine, thanks for asking. Just got slow roasted by my best friend in front of the scariest professor at the academy, all the other first-years, and a Council investigator. Typical Friday.
“I’m doing great,” I say instead. “Really wonderful. Never better.”
“Jade.” He closes the distance between us. “There was a lightning strike. Helen’s recording orbs were destroyed. The match was called for ‘safety concerns.’”
I open my mouth to make a joke about the weather being unpredictable this time of year, but I’m so damn tired that even making a joke sounds exhausting right now.
So, I tell him everything.
“I didn’t mean to do it,” I say when I’m done. “But her heat was sucking all the air from my lungs, and the storm responded, and now Helen’s surveillance system is a pile of smoking ash.”
Logan’s quiet for a long moment.
Then, he smiles.
It’s not his polite proctor smile, or his carefulI’m-hiding-somethingsmile. It’s an actual, genuine smile that makes him look almost boyish.
“You destroyed her entire recording system.”
“I—yes? But I didn’t?—”
“In the middle of a duel.” He sounds almost delighted. “While being recorded by a Council investigator.”
“It was an accident.”
“It was brilliant.” His eyes are bright, and he’s looking at me like he’s seeing an entirely new version of me. “Reckless as hell, but brilliant. Helen has no footage of your electricity manifesting. No proof of anything unusual about your magic. She just has a freak lightning strike that destroyed her orbs.”
Warmth blooms in my chest at the pride in his voice, even though I should probably be more concerned about calling down lightning in front of my entire class than about making Logan proud.
Priorities, Jade. Priorities.
“I’m glad you approve.” I laugh nervously and take a relieved breath, since I’d been preparing for a lecture all day. “Anyway, are we hitting the Siphon Sphere tonight? I need to be ready for Felix next week, and after today I’m pretty sure my emotional control needs some serious practice.”
“We’re not training tonight.”
I blink. “We’re not?”
“There’s a Forge Party.” Logan’s eyes narrow the way they do when he’s three moves ahead. “Everyone’s celebrating the ‘good news’ about Oliver and Thad.”
Right. The party. People were talking about it at dinner, but I was too busy replaying my near-death experience to pay attention.
“Where is it again?” I ask.
