Page 58 of Wicked Dove
I’m tucked away in Institute Thirteen and nowhere near the man who tried to harm me. I swallow the lump in my throat as I’m reminded that I didn’t experience a nightmare, but a dark memory from my past. I shiver, sitting upright in bed with my back plastered against the headboard and my knees tucked under my chin.
My back burns, making it clear that Rion’s acknowledgment of my scars is what triggered it to haunt me tonight. I don’t need the memories to flash across the back of my eyelids; I have the constant reminder against my skin.
Later that night, when my father got home, he burned and hurt me in ways that man never could have. Why? Because I didn’t pay his debt like a good little girl. The heat intensifies at my back, another reminder as I take a deep breath, failing to ground myself as one thought flickers through my mind. Maybe if I had activated my magic then, I could have siphoned their evil to use it against them.
Instead, I’m left with scars that will never heal.
Staring at my reflection,my uniform does nothing to hide the pain I feel. The remnants of my nightmare hang heavy under my eyes and the slump to my shoulders makes me look defeated, no matter how much I try to stand tall.
I’m already tired and over this day, and it hasn’t even begun yet.
“You’re eager for the day,” Ocean hollers, leaning against the door frame, snapping my attention to her.
I offer her a half smile as I run my hands down my blazer. “I’ve been awake forever.”
Her eyebrows pinch in confusion as she steps farther into the walk-in closet. “Are you okay?”
I nod. “Yeah, I just had a bad dream and couldn’t get back to sleep.”
She might be the closest thing I have to a friend around here, but that doesn’t mean she needs to know everything that lives in my head.
“That’s the worst,” she mutters, squeezing my upper arm in comfort. “I had a dream that you had a baby crocodile in here, and despite my better judgment, you convinced me it would be a good thing, which I’m sure it was until it got out of its tank thing and charged at me.”
“Uh… that’s weird,” I mutter, and she scoffs.
“Well, it only got worse when I was hollering for you to help me and you just kept yelling ‘One minute’ from the bathroom like I wasn’t dying,” she adds with a snicker, and I grin.
“I’m sorry the dream version of me did that to you,” I say with a playful pout, and she swats my arm.
“Anyway, about yesterday,” she blurts, the air changing around us as I brace for impact. She doesn’t mean yesterday specifically; she means when she saw me hurt Tiran. I shudder at the memory. “I wanted to make sure you were alright. That looked like a lot and I can’t imagine how it felt, but it definitely drained you. You were passed out when Kael finally let me up here.”
“Kaelletyou?” I repeat, ignoring the fact that Rion may also have played a part in draining me.
“It was nothing,” she insists, waving me off, and I shrug.
“Honestly, the whole thing just left me more confused,” I admit, glossing over it the best I can as my gaze drops to my palms.
“About your abilities?” she asks, and I grimace.
“Yeah.” Guilt trickles down my spine. I don’t know why, and I know it’s not actually my fault, but it twists me up in knots.
“Well, I think that was awesome,” she states, eyes wide with a hint of wonder, and I gape at her.
“I’m supposed to have benign magic, Ocean. That’s the only reason they kept me alive.”
She waves me off again. “Don’t worry, Kael gave me a lecture on keeping my mouth shut. Honestly, I’m surprised they didn’t just have Thorne erase my memory too,” she admits, and I can’t deny the fact that I’m just as surprised. “Regardless, I’m glad they didn’t. I’m here for you, but seriously, thank you. You had my back out there. No one has ever done that before. That makes you my friend.” She says it with such clarity that it takes a few seconds for me to remember how to speak.
“Thanks, it was nothing,” I mumble, but she sees right through me.
“No, it’s something, but I won’t make a big deal out of it because you’re blushing already,” she says with a wink, making my cheeks heat more, and it’s my turn to wave her off.
“Give me two minutes and I’ll be ready. Are you set to go? I bet you’re starving, I know I am.” She turns away from me, reaching for her uniform, and I slip into the main part of the bedroom, giving her some privacy. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” I state, making my bed as I consider how good Thorne’s magic worked yesterday.
What if Willow, Tiran, and their friends take one look at me and remember? Then I’m definitely dead. I take a deep breath, trying to shake the feeling off, but it’s futile.
Thankfully, Ocean appears, ready in her uniform as she silently heads for the door. She swings it open, waving for me to step out, but I’m frozen in place at the sight of Kael, Rion, and Thorne all waiting in the hallway. Ocean follows my line of sightand quickly slams the door shut before turning to me with her arms folded across her chest.
“What’s going on?” I ask as she nervously nibbles at her bottom lip.
