Avery returned to the front of the class and lit one more candle for herself. She picked up the piece of paper and held both up, showing us how to angle the fire to the paper. I anticipated it would catch, but it didn’t.
“What is this magic?” Mateo called.
That earned a few snorts. Avery ignored him as she moved the candle, soot darkening the page until she lowered it. She turned the page over, showing us the marks.
“Now how in the hell did you take that tothat?” I asked, gesturing from the paper to the canvas.
There was something really special about the way her eyes lit up. Avery loved teaching, that much was clear. “There are techniques you do after this. You can use a paintbrush, a feather—really anything that can make marks to draw into the soot. You can also introduce other mediums too, like watercolors. For this one, I went over it with a paintbrush and pencil.”
Damn.That piece would sell for thousands in some of the circles I used to run in.Used to.
Avery looked around the classroom. “Now, all of you give it a try. I’ll get the water ready.”
Mateo blew out his candle and stood up. “I’ll help, Avery, if you just want to focus on teaching.”
Her teeth sank into her bottom lip as she considered his offer. “You sure?”
Mateo nodded. “I’m no artist, Blue. Let me give you a hand.”
“Ugh. I can’t believe you’re calling me that,” she sighed. “But okay. Thanks.”
I narrowed my eyes on the two of them again. Jesus Christ, they needed to get a room.
“Whyareyou blue?” someone asked.
“That’s none of your business, Betty. All right, everyone. Make some art!”
I rolled my shoulders, ignoring the ache on my right side. I’d spent an hour this morning going through the PT exercises, and I hated them. Every moment of it was excruciating. Humbling. There was a fear lodged in my chest that I’d probably hurt forever.
Wrinkling my nose, I held the paper above the flame, careful not to let it touch the paper. It took some adjusting of the angle, but eventually a plume of soot licked at the paper, creating marks like brush strokes.
“Wow,” I whispered.
“Good job.” Avery’s voice startled me, and I realized she was behind me. “May I touch you?”
I swore I could hear my brain synapses hissing. “Uh. Sure.”
“Thanks.” She leaned over me and grabbed my hand, steadying it slightly.
Her skin was soft against mine. Her fingers were long and slender and stained blue, her nails short. Heat jerked through me from her touch, but then I realized she could see my right hand was trembling and it all fizzled out into embarrassment.
“Sorry,” I muttered. “My hand shakes on that side sometimes.”
“You’re doing great, Levi.” The scent of her perfume washed over me and my mouth watered. Patchouli, rose, and berry hit me subtly like a sweet summer breeze. “There we go. Look, you’re a natural.”
“I’m not good at this.”
“You’re doing fine.”
“I’m not.” The fire was making me nervous now.
“You really are. You’re doing great.”
The praise kicked my heart rate up. I started to pull back, but the paper moved a little too close without me meaning to. The flame caught and I cursed as it lit up.
“Here,” Avery said quickly. “I’ll take it.”
“No—”
