Page 72 of Cruel Destinies

Oh.

Niko’s eyes nearly jumped out of their sockets, but his posture betrayed none of the alarm his eyes so clearly screamed.

Now was the moment. Tobias told me to fail at using my siren voice. I didn’t know what repercussions would follow for doing as Tobias said, but I trusted him enough to believe the outcome would be worse if I didn’t.

I stepped toward Niko, who looked as though he might soil himself if I came any closer. Niko was directly between General Dracul and me, blocking my face from the general’s view, so I thought it safe enough to wink at Niko.

Then I took a deep breath in and out as if preparing myself and said, “Stand on one foot.”

Of course, nothing happened, and Niko’s brows creased in uncertainty as he stared at me.

I cleared my throat and repeated the words. Again, my tone sounded like my voice, nothing musical or magical about it, and Niko continued to stand there with both feet planted firmly on the ground.

I coughed a few times and then stepped around Niko to face the three in chairs. “I’m sorry, I can’t seem to access it right now. I’m still learning.” I feigned bashfulness and looked away.

The look of disappointment was clear as red letters on General Dracul’s face, but he stood and said, “That’s alright, Miss Walker. These things take time. I trust your teachers will make certain you master these skills.” He forced a fake smile, then strode past Niko. “Come along, Candida. Until we meet again, Miss Walker.”

With Niko in tow, the general marched out of the small training room.

Now alone with Caesar and Celeste, I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding.

“You failed on purpose,” Celeste said with a coy smile. “Why?”

I shrugged, thinking it best not to say I did it because a guy told me to. “I just sensed it was the smart thing to do.”

“We can only hope,” Caesar said, looking distantly at the floor. Then he looked up at me. “You did very well, and now you deserve some rest. Why don’t you head off to dinner?”

I nodded.

“And I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow to work on that siren voice, as you clearly need the practice.” Celeste’s smile was crooked and jocular, making me smile wide in return before I left the room.

I could only hope that I’d made the right choice in following Tobias’s advice.

Chapter 23

Ashlyn

The gym had become my new favorite place. It was the only place where my mind could be completely clear. And as long as I didn’t incinerate an unwitting student, Dad was thrilled by my new obsession.

With my headphones plastered on, I felt like my old self again, pre-Niko. Only now, I knew how to tap into my phoenix form. With enough focus, I could use my phoenix vision to hit my target without shifting. I even felt more balanced, as if my wings were always out, making me lighter on my feet.

Training was addictive. I looked forward to the rush I felt every time I entered the gym. But most importantly, it kept me secluded. If I had my headphones on, everyone knew to leave her alone, which was exactly what I wanted. How ironic that I had once been shunned because I couldn’t control my powers, and now that I could and everyone liked me, I wanted nothing to do with any of them.

Luckily, the gym was empty this evening, so I could enjoy my blaring rock music and physical exertion in peace.

After an hour of sparring with a dummy, I jogged to the target range on the other side of the exercise equipment. There were different levels to choose from, but I had only gotten through one of the medium stages. I’d tried the hardest difficulty once,but it kicked my ass. So I’d made a goal: I wouldn’t try my hand at testing out of the sim until I mastered the hardest stage—more than once.

“Down with the Sickness” by Disturbed began rocking in my headphones while I stared at the panel. I navigated the options on the screen to choose the type of targets I wanted—too bad the faces of certain ex-students weren’t an option. I picked the default clay pigeons, and feeling ambitious about my speed, I entered in seventy-five miles per hour. And difficulty? Medium-hard.

I went to the starting spot and jogged in place as the screen counted down from ten, steadying my breathing.

I moved along to the beat and cleared my mind, thinking only of my fire. The heat came to life in my stomach, and I brought it to my fingertips in record time. When the number hit three, I prepared myself, holding the balls of fire like they were baseballs. The panel went blank, then a target flashed on the screen with a bullseye.

I blinked to focus my phoenix vision. With it, I could easily track my moving targets. Clay pigeons shot out at a dizzying speed, but I hit every single one. I ducked and jumped to catch my marks, adrenaline rushing through me, forcing my heart to race. I used to be afraid of losing control, but now I was on fire!

The panel finally blinked to inform me that the drill was over. I pulled off my headphones and was startled by the group of shifters who stood watching me. I hadn’t even noticed their arrival. My classmates awkwardly clapped, which made me want to bolt from the room. With a few nods of acknowledgment, I brushed past the onlookers to grab my bag.

I didn't bother to wipe the film of sweat off my face, and I was sure that my hair was no longer tight in my ponytail. I couldn’t care less, though. I only wanted to get back to my room to shower and get ready for dinner.

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