Page 9 of Fated for Flames

“Thanks…uh.” I paused. “What’s your name?” I asked, trying to catch my breath.

He was, shockingly, a very good coach, showing me all the poses and correcting me, patient and encouraging. I was surprised that the eager puppy had more to him than energy and, let’s face it, good looks.

“It’s Chad.”

Of course it was.

“Chad, huh? Fits you,” I laughed, a sound foreign to my ears.

“Yeah, gets mixed up with my brother Thad a lot, short for Thaddeus though. And even sometimes my little bro too.”

“Let me guess… Brad?”

His shocked face was priceless. “How’d you know?”

“Just a lucky guess.” I laughed, realizing this was the first time I’d felt alive since returning. Chad’s easygoing personality and our grueling training session had offered a much-neededescape, easing the tension I’d been carrying. For a moment, I felt lighter, like I was finally starting to breathe again.

“I’m Evelyn, by the way.”

“Nice to meet you, Evelyn.” He extended his hand, and as I clasped his, he added, “But I’m still calling you little witch.”

I didn’t know why, but I was pretty happy about that.

7

Evelyn

As soon as our training session ended, I eagerly made my way to the cafeteria.

It was quiet and empty, a rare peaceful moment in the bustling building. The smell of freshly brewed coffee filled my nostrils as I sat at a table by myself, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. It was a pleasant change, and it being Lia-free was a bonus.

Waking up early suddenly seemed like a blessing rather than a curse.

After breakfast, I returned to my dorm for a well deserved shower before attending my first class.

A sigh escaped my lips as I stepped out of the shower, my skin flushed from the hot water. My muscles, slightly sore from the morning’s rigorous workout, hummed in appreciation of the heat. I had stopped taking the elixir only yesterday and already I was feeling better…stronger. Thankfully, there hadn’t been anyseizures yet, which led me to think maybe the elixir’s purpose was something else entirely.

I grabbed a towel, quickly patted myself dry, and then turned my attention to my hair.

Tying it into a high ponytail, I looked at myself in the mirror. I missed the ease with which magic had once taken care of such mundane tasks. It used to be as simple as a snap of my fingers, and my hair would be instantly dry and styled.

I frowned at my reflection, tugging at a few stubborn strands that refused to cooperate. Without magic to aid me, even this simple task seemed daunting. To make matters worse, I didn’t even own a hair dryer. Magic had always been there for me, for everything, until now. I didn’t even care that I couldn’t use magic to heal myself faster or ease the pain, knowing that I would heal eventually. I was used to the pain; I didn’t care about that. But having to blow-dry my hair the old-fashioned way was seriously going to suck.

Shaking off my frustration, I dressed in my academy uniform: a white blouse paired with a black skirt and knee-high socks. The outfit was complete with a black blazer with gold accents bearing the academy’s crest over the heart. Despite its simple design, it carried a sense of authority and prestige.

Today was my first Herbalism and Potions class. Everybody referred to it as Potion class for short.

Ugh, potions. Not my thing.

Heading to the potions class, I couldn’t help but eye the modern monstrosity, sticking out like a sore thumb among the elegant Gothic architecture.

The story went that the original building had met its fiery end due to a potion mishap; clearly, I wasn’t the only one whose potion-making skills were more catastrophic than magical. This new, overly secure fortress, with its reinforced walls andindividually protected classrooms, promised to keep us safe from ourselves and any potential repeats of history.

With just a few minutes to spare before the start of class, I walked in, ignoring the raised eyebrows, and took the only remaining free seat, beside a nervous, lanky boy with golden-brown skin. I thought he might have been from the Verdant Coven, a smaller coven located a bit west of here.

We tended to avoid interacting with covens other than our own, though I was never quite sure why these barriers existed. At our core, we were all the same.

Our coven had expanded tremendously in the last decade, making it the pinnacle of power and prosperity, so naturally, I was used to the abruptness when I interacted with members of other covens. This invisible wall between covens was something I’d grown accustomed to, yet it never sat right with me.

---