Page 44 of Savage Torment

“I’m pretty sure that if you backed off, there wouldn’t be a spectacle,” I grumble back, handing the water bottle to Bryony as I force myself to stand. She shakes her head as if I’m wrong, but I know I’m right.

She revealed my magical abilities to the entire class, letting everyone know I’m a mind witch. I saw the look exchanged between Bryony and Foster, and I hated it, but I hate the fact that I’m sure she’s doing this on purpose even more—for that exact reason.

Knowing she did this to Lucille doesn’t do anything to ease the tension inside of me; if anything, it makes it worse because Idon’t want to be a replica of her, but that’s all Juniper is going to push for.

She clears her throat, planting her hands on her hips as she taps her foot. “Polaris, if you can’t do this alone, you must consider a coven.”

And there it is. Thinking it is one thing, hearing it is something else entirely. I should have seen it coming. I shouldn’t have pissed her off, then maybe she wouldn’t have thrown me in the deep end. Deeper than that, she’s exposing my secrets to the entire class, which I’m sure will flood through the entire academy in no time. Which I’m sure will be just another thing people use to try and manipulate me.

Although, it has offered me a way to tap into my abilities that wasn’t possible before. I’ll be grateful for that fact later, I’m sure, but right now, I’m far from it.

I steady my gaze on hers. “I don’t need a coven,” I say calmly, and she scoffs.

“I think you’re mistaken.”

I shrug, hoping to come off as nonchalant as Wylder did when he did it earlier. “I think you’re asking too much too soon.”

“If you were part of a coven like The Renegades, you would have control over this right now,” she says, and I frown, tired of her constant insistence on linking me to a coven.

“Why are you more focused on this than on actually helping me strengthen my magic?” I snap. It doesn’t make sense. Her role is to empower us as witches, not to match-make us with covens.

Don’t get me wrong, the offer is enticing. The idea of having complete control over my magic is everything, and likely the boost I need in my confidence to survive this place, but my morals… this would change everything, and my morals are all I have left.

“Because strengthening your magic is risky without a coven to ground you,” she says, and I drag my hand down my face.

I’m not going around this circle with her again. Not today. Not when she’s drained me to practically nothing.

“I’m not having this discussion right now,” I declare, feeling somewhat empowered for standing up for myself, but that feeling is short-lived as she shakes her head at me.

“You should.” She closes the gap between us, wrapping her fingers around my upper arm as she pulls me toward her, and my spine stiffens, pain coursing through my limbs as my defensiveness finally surfaces.

Despite the aches, I push her away, shaking my arm out of her grip as I glare at her. Rage fills my eyes as my nostrils flare and the sand in my hand slips through my fingers. But instead of grains falling to the ground, flames do.

Holy fuck.

I yelp and jolt backward, just like most of the other students in here, as the flames burn bright, quickly reaching nearly as high as my waist. Juniper swiftly takes control of the situation, muttering a few soft words under her breath. The flames diminish to nothing, but a fire still burns in the professor’s eyes as she looks at me.

“You’re proving my point.”

Defeated, I raise my hands in surrender. “I can’t do this right now.” I can’t let this woman pressure me when I’m just not ready.

I bolt for the door, snatching my backpack as I go. I nearly buckle under the weight of my grimoire, but that doesn’t stop me from putting one foot in front of the other to escape this batshit crazy woman.

Fortunately, no one stops me, likely because they saw how uncontrolled my magic is at the moment. For me, it’s just another addition to my ever-growing list of problems. Problemsthat are learning to swim in the despair I desperately hope they drown in.

As I feel the mid-morning breeze on my skin while stepping outside, I can’t help but worry that she’s right. But even if she is, she needs to let me figure it out on my own and find my own way.

Diamonds are created under immense pressure, but it’s impossible to rush the process.

14

POLARIS

My feet carry me of their own accord away from the main academy building that has been nothing but Hell on Earth since I woke this morning, and hopefully in search of calmer surroundings.

I didn’t think it could get any worse after Bianca, but Juniper, a professor no less, proved me wrong.

If one thing is clear today, despite my poor confidence levels, it’s that I’m done taking people’s shit without pushing back.

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