Page 16 of Poison Sun

And so, slowly, I rejoin him at the table, saying nothing to give him space to open back up to me.

When you give someone space to talk, it compels them to fill the silence.

A psychological trick taught to me by my conniving oldest sister, Zara. It’s always been ironic that she has such good insight into the way other people’s minds work, when I’m the one able to see the future. Then again, I suppose it goes hand in hand with her unique magic—the ability to create blood oaths between people. In order to open people up to making risky promises, you have to first learn their deepest desires.

Come on, I think, trying to channel Zara’s energy as Blaze watches me, sizing me up. Spill your secrets.

The air crackles between us, wrought with caution and stubbornness. But I keep my eyes locked on his, waiting for his response, unwilling to let this one go.

“My father’s obsessed with magic,” he finally gives in, and victory floods my chest at the fact that I got him to talk. “He believed that through magic—specifically, the magic written in this book—he could alter the fabric of reality itself. That he could change the world’s true nature.”

I run my fingers lightly along the cover of the book, soaking in the enormity of his words.

“Believed?” I finally ask, since he originally spoke of his father in the present tense. “Is he still alive?”

“He’s alive.” Blaze huffs. “But his quest for power consumed him. He’s alive, but he’s not truly here anymore. Not really.”

“And your mom?” I ask.

“Gone.” His walls go up again, and I can tell that no matter how much of Zara’s energy I try to channel, he’s not going to say more.

It’s the same way I close myself off when people ask about my parents.

“I’ve seen what this type of magic can do to people,” he continues. “I respect its power, but I also know its potential to destroy. That’s why I’ve kept my distance from it. I didn’t want to end up like him.”

This time, when he speaks of his father, he’s angry. I can feel the heat emanating from underneath his skin, fire begging to be released.

“I understand,” I say slowly, pausing to make sure I don’t say the wrong thing. “Magic can be a double-edged sword. It offers so much, but it demands a price. Your caution makes complete sense.”

Blaze nods, the tension in his shoulders easing. “Thanks,” he says, and much to my relief, the wall between us disappears again. “But before what happened to my mom, she told me to share this book with you. So, here I am, sharing it.”

“So…” I say. “Let’s dive in?”

“Let’s dive in,” he repeats, and he opens the book, our heads coming close together as we peer down at the first page.

The proximity sends an unexpected jolt through me, like the thrill of a spell being cast for the first time.

As we start reading, there’s tension. But, as the night continues, the tension fades, replaced with a camaraderie. A partnership.

And no matter what we discover inside this book, one thing is clear: our journey is only just beginning.

Amber

I wake with a scream, my heart racing, my muscles aching.

A familiar form lingers at the edge of my consciousness. The Shadow Lord. He still haunts my dreams, but they’re just that—dreams. He can’t get to me when he’s not truly there to start with.

Meanwhile, the past two days of training with Cassandra have been a nightmare. I swear, the woman takes pleasure by seeing how much she can torment me.

Unfortunately, she’s succeeding. Because my magic has been slipping through my fingers, just like the potion after the vial cracked that fateful night in the subway.

I’ve been trying to focus on training with my daggers instead of my magic, so Cassandra doesn’t see my weakness. I’m unsure if she’s caught on yet, but if she hasn’t, she will eventually.

Then, there’s the fact that I’m going out there to fight shadow souls any day now.

It was my stupid idea. I should take it back, given my weakening magic.

At the very least, I should tell Cassandra what’s going on. Maybe she can help me. I might not like her, but technically, she’s on my side.

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