Page 15 of Bizarre Bonds
Shanty pats my shoulder. "The fact that you’re worrying about it shows that you’ll avoid any harmful effects if you possibly can. We all know that you don't want to impose yourself or your powers on anyone, Peri. Anything you do in this sealed room shouldn't affect anyone except me—and I can look after myself."
Is what she said about everyone trusting my good intentions true? Hail seems awfully upset with me. Mirage has kept his distance since the end of our mission. Jonah hasn't spoken to me outside of class.
Even Raze, who's stayed fairly affectionate, has seemed awkward.
It’s like I’m a bowl of soup with a fly floating in it, and any second they’ll all call for a waiter to take me away.
But the more I learn to control all of my powers, the more chance there is I can undo what I did, right? Then they'll see they can still trust me. We’ll throw out the fly, not the whole soup.
With the renewed rush of determination, I meet Shanty's eyes. "I'm ready to try again."
I won't think about the surge of joy that overtook me after we finished the mission. That emotion comes with too many uncomfortable associations now. The roar of fear and anger I directed at my former captor tastes much simpler.
Shaking off the anxiety that wants to wrap tight around me, I sink farther into my memories of the confrontation. The horror of seeing all the shadowkind creatures David Blaver trapped, knowing the sorcerer must be treating them as cruelly as he did me. The panic when I wasn't sure I could protect my teammates.The force of all that fraught emotion welling up inside me, ready to blare out.
An echo of the sensation ripples under my skin. I drag in a breath and focus on the sketch Shanty tacked to the wall of the small room—a rough image of the sorcerer who’s a whole bowl of spoiled broth with chunks of rancid tripe on top.
He’s dead. I’ll never have to face him again.
But if I did...
I push, and a current of churning darkness heaves out of me. It races forward in a concentrated stream rather than a vast wave and smacks into the picture.
My vision hazes briefly. I blink, yanking a few lingering quivers of energy back into my body so they can't go astray.
The picture has blackened as if I've burned it to a crisp. Whoa.
“Yeah!” I pump my fist victoriously. I’m going to conquer this problem like it’s a double-decker cheeseburger for dinner.
Shanty lets out a little whoop of approval. "Now we're getting somewhere. Wow."
I can’t hold back the grin that stretches across my face. "I really did it." I pause. "Not that I'd usually want to be blasting anyone or anything like that."
My teacher is still staring at the blackened paper. "I never would have thought you had it in you if I hadn't seen the effects myself. You do come in a deceptive package."
My satisfaction dwindles. I hug my rather squishy chest. "I don't deceive anyone on purpose."
Shanty shakes herself out of her daze and shoots me a quick smile. "Of course you don't. And hiding powers behind an innocent-looking front is a time-honored shadowkind tradition." She laughs and motions to herself. "People don't normally look at a being like me and think I'd be singing sailors to their doom."
My eyes widen. "Do you drown human sailorsnow?"
Shanty waves off the question. "Only if they really piss me off."
With the ding of the bell, she shoos me toward the door. "That was an excellent end to our session. I'll let the rest of the administration know about your progress."
Of course. Because they're all still waiting to see if more strange powers will come leaping out of me unexpectedly. If they might need to banish me no matter what I did for Rollick.
I can look on the bright side there too. Shanty has good news to tell them for once. Wouldn’t even Gnash be impressed if he saw me hurl out some of my searing power—at an appropriate target, not in a chaotic flood?
No more deluges from this lady!
I set off through the halls at an upbeat pace, wanting to share my success with someone too. My feet automatically veer toward the closest source of friendly emotions I notice.
Jonah is in his teacher's office nearby. He's in a good mood, pleased and a little proud.
I bet he just helped one of his students. That would be a very Jonah-type thing to be pleased about.
It's only when I'm a few steps from his office door that I remember he might not be all that pleased to seeme. What if he'd rather not talk to me at all, no matter what news I have?
