Page 36 of A Grave Not Made For Mourning
“No,” Calista cuts me off, running her fingers through loose hair. “Just give me time.”
“You almost had it.” My tone is gentle.
“Do not speak calmly of what you know nothing about!” Her head snaps up, eyes dark with frustration before she collapses on her bed.
“Get out.”
“Calista—” I start, but a sudden gust of wind sweeps through the room, silencing me. The furniture trembles. The windows groan in their frames. My breath catches, but Calista doesn’t look at me. She stares at the floor, her gaze distant as her irises glow yellow.
As she steadies her breathing, the wind slow fades, retreating with her anger.
“I’ll work on it.” Her voice is strained.
“Thank you.” I step toward the door, my words feeling inadequate.
I don’t think I should leave. I wouldn’t have a year ago. But Calista doesn’t want me here, so I exit, shutting myself in my room.
Sitting on my bed, I focus on the plants on my windowsill, at the leaves spilling from their pots. As much as I try to focus on their life, the tension leaks from me, tears clinging to my eyes.
So I close them.
I’m still on my bed, still in my room—only now, I’m not alone. The boy is next to me.
His presence steadies me as he pulls me close to him, his hand stroking my back.
“You haven’t gotten a dress yet,”he whispers. A kind way to divert my attention, but it doesn’t work.
“What if Calista can’t lift the glamour? What if I never find out what Ma was involved in?”
His fingers glide along my shoulders.“You know Calista is powerful. Give her time.”
Calista doesn’t need time. With a word, I could change her mind. Make herwantto lift the glamour. More than that—make her believe she can.
Isn’t that the easiest way to get something done?
I shake my head at the boy.“Maybe time isn’t what she needs.”
I don’t realize how the words sound until they’ve left my lips. Instantly, I hope he didn’t hear. But even if I hadn’t said it, he would’ve known. Heisme.
“I thought that wasn’t you,”the boy whispers.
“It isn’t.”The words are unconvincing to even myself, so how could I convince him? I wipe my cheeks, even though there are no tears. I was crying in real life, not in my mind.“It will be a last resort.”
“If it’s a resort at all, it’s a part of you.”
I turn to face him, and with a flick of my finger, his image dissipates like smoke. Sitting alone in the room of my mind, I sigh.
Chapter 8
Buried in My Mind
One Year Ago
I
n the Elemental Magic classroom, Calista stands alone at the center, sunlight pouring through the newly repaired skylight above her. Between her hands, she holds a yellow ball of light, larger than the one she showed me the day we became friends. But like then, it isn’t transparent. The air churns inside relentlessly, creating a tornado, rather than the bubble of pristine air it should be. The edges of the sphere begin to ripple and shift, distorting to an uneven oval.
I try to breathe, not wanting Calista to think she’s scaring me. As I clutch the rose amulet at my chest, I think of Ma and her words. The rose is an amulet of protection. So, when emotions become too tangled around me, I hold onto it, searching for safety.
