Page 46 of Magic in the Woods
“It’s not stupid, that’s amazing. I wonder what other things you can create with your earth magic.”
The door to our room flew open before reverberating off the wall the knob hit as a silhouette of wind-blown ringlets filled the doorway. I stood, helping Brooke to her feet, our bodies immediately crouched in a defensive stance.
“He wasn’t looking at me…he was looking at you!” Petunia screeched, launching herself toward me.
Brooke slid between us, wobbling on her good foot. “Petunia, take a breath,” she said.
“I just saw him come from our room. You haven’t competed yet—you don’t get to hog his time!” Petunia spit as she spoke. Iwatched where it flew, worried it might’ve been mixed with some of her poison.
“He was helping me,” Brooke said. “I hurt my ankle, and he was helping Dafni get me back to the room.”
“Liar!” Petunia screeched. “You didn’t win! He wouldn’t be wasting his time helping you.” She began walking back and forth, pacing like a caged animal. Our room wasn’t large, so it only took her five steps to make it from one wall to the next.
“It’s true! He was helping us,” I said.
Petunia pointed her finger at me. “That doesn’t explain why he was staring at you through the whole task!”
“He was?” Brooke asked. I widened my eyes at her.Don’t encourage her.She cleared her throat. “Wait…Petunia, how could you even be able to tell who he was staring at? There were so many witches on the bleachers.”
“I could just tell. And then he watched her run down the bleachers toward you. He followed her.”
“I don’t want his attention,” I said with both of my palms raised and facing her.
“Dafni’s telling the truth,” Brooke argued. “You should’ve seen them in here just a bit ago. She was the one that kicked him out.”
“She got some special time with him. She isn’t playing fair,” Petunia whined.
I cleared my throat, stepping out from behind Brooke. “I’m not playing at all. This isn’t a game to me.”
“Good. Less competition.” She flicked her index and middle fingers at me, sending a gust of air at my center. I buckled, my head hitting the brick wall behind me.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Gideon
The first evaluationhad been a blur. I didn’t remember much of anything besidesher.She stuck out in the crowd with her red hair in the sea of blondes and brunettes. Like a beacon, my eyes were drawn to her, and once they focused, they’d refused to let go.
Robinson had to prompt me several times on stage to show off my fire magic—the magic all male witches had. I’d been too busy staring, locked in onherto notice. The way her eyes had darted around. The way she’d yelled out encouragement to her friend who’d been competing and then dropped back down into her seat, biting her lip while everyone else had continued yelling and cheering. She wasn’t like the other witches here. She didn’t wish for blood, for someone to fall. Nor did she cower, too afraid to do anything but look beyond her own situation.I could tell she was watching everyone, holding her breath hoping everyone would be okay.
Who’d won? I had no idea. It didn’t matter. They didn’t matter.
I only cared about the sparks on her face, the way she spoke to me, like I wasn’t some stud whose only purpose was to…ugh.
I didn’t like to think about that.
I just liked to think abouther.
She didn’t trust me. It was understandable. I wouldn’t trust me either. I’d been raised by the Coven, given everything, held accountable to nothing.
I only had to abide by one rule: I couldn’t leave.
It’d been the same way my entire life. The nanny witches who’d raised me had never said no. They’d never raise their voice at me for fear I’d cry and they’d get punished.
It wasn’t until I was older and wiser that I’d realized the only thing they’d say no to was me leaving. I’d tried for years to find an escape, each attempt busted by a witch who’d been tasked with watching me—one of my keepers.
The last couple of years I’d given up on escaping…on finding a way out. I’d fallen victim to my circumstance and had accepted it.
Until her. Until the sparks on her face had lit a fire within me. There was a way out—there had to be. A place outside of this hell where we could be free, together. Dafni was the ember to the kindling that would light the Academy and the Coven ablaze. I wanted to be the one holding her hand as she struck the match… Maybe she’d ask me to use my magic to light the flame. I’d gladly do it.
