Wow, Adrian actually asked? He had a history of simply inviting himself along on outings. I hesitated, still confused after our heated moment at the sorority. He’d never mentioned it again, though, and his concern now touched me. I texted back that he could come along and was rewarded with a smiley face.
I didn’t entirely know what to wear to “magical training,” so I opted for comfortable layers the next morning. Adrian gave me a once-over when he got into Latte. “Casual mode, huh? Haven’t seen that since the Wolfe days.”
“I don’t know what she has in mind,” I explained, doing a U-turn on his street. “Figured this was best.”
“You could have worn your AYE shirt.”
“Wouldn’t want to get it dirty,” I said, grinning.
That was partially true. I still thought the fiery heart he’d painted was exquisite. But each time I looked at the shirt, too many memories seized me. What had I been thinking? That was a question I’d asked myself a hundred times, and every answer I came up with sounded fake. My preferred theory was that I’d simply been caught up in how serious Adrian had been about his art, how the emotion and passion had seized hold of him. Girls liked artists just as much as bad boys, right? Even now, something stirred in my chest when I thought about the enraptured look on his face. I loved that he possessed something so powerful in him.
But, as I told myself constantly, that was no excuse for climbing all over him and letting him kiss me—
None of those did any good. To Adrian’s credit, he continued to withhold any commentary about that night. Finally, I found distraction in telling him about my trip to San Bernardino. Rehashing the conspiracy, rebel groups, and break-ins pretty much killed any passionate feelings I still had. Adrian didn’t like the idea of Alchemists working with Warriors or of the tattoo controlling me. But he also didn’t like me walking into danger. I tried to downplay the near impossibility of breaking into the St. Louis facility, but he clearly didn’t believe me.
Ms. Terwilliger texted me twice not to be late to our meeting. I kept an eye on my watch, but the care of a Mustang was not something I took lightly, and I had to take my time at the mechanic’s shop to make sure the Mustang was in pristine condition. Adrian had wanted to go with basic tires, but I’d urged him to upgrade, convincing him the extra cost would be worth it. And once I inspected them, I congratulated myself on the choice. Only after I was satisfied the car hadn’t been unnecessarily scratched did I finally allow him to pay. We drove both cars back to Vista Azul, and I was pleased to see my timing was perfect. We weren’t late, but Ms. Terwilliger was waiting on her porch for us.
We designated Adrian as our carpool driver. “Jeez,” I said when she hurriedly got in the car. “Do you have somewhere to be after this?”
The smile she gave me was strained, and I couldn’t help but notice how pale she looked. “No, but we do have a schedule to follow. I cast a large spell this morning that won’t last forever. The countdown is on.”
She wouldn’t say any more until we reached the park, and that silence unnerved me. It gave me the opportunity to imagine all sorts of frightening outcomes. And although I trusted her, I suddenly felt relieved that Adrian was along as a chaperone.
Although it wasn’t the busiest place, Lone Rock Park still had the occasional hiker. Ms. Terwilliger—who was actually in hiking boots—set off across the rocky terrain, searching for a suitably remote space to do whatever it was she had in mind. A few stratified rock formations dotted the landscape, but I couldn’t really appreciate their beauty. Mostly I was aware that we were out here when the sun was at its fiercest. Even if it was almost winter, we’d still be feeling the heat.
I glanced over at Adrian as we walked and found him already looking at me. From his jacket pocket, he produced a bottle of sunscreen. “I knew you’d ask. I’m nearly as prepared as you are.”
“Nearly,” I said. He’d done it again, anticipating my thoughts. For half a heartbeat, I pretended it was just the two of us out on a pleasant afternoon hike. It seemed like most of the time we spent together was on some urgent mission. How nice would it be to just hang out without the weight of the world on us? Ms. Terwilliger soon brought us back to our grim reality.
“This should do,” she said, surveying the land around her. She had managed to find one of the most desolate areas in the park. I wouldn’t have been surprised to see vultures circling overhead. “Did you bring what I asked for?”
“Yes, ma’am.” I knelt on the ground and rifled through my bag. In it was the spell book, along with some herbal and liquid compounds I’d mixed up at her request.
“Take out the fireball kindling,” she instructed.
Adrian’s eyes went wide. “Did you just say ‘fireball’? That’s badass.”
“You see fire all the time,” I reminded him. “From Moroi who can wield it.”
“Yeah, but I’ve never seen a human do anything like that. I’ve never seen
I wished he didn’t look so awestruck because it kind of drove home the severity of what we were about to attempt. I would’ve felt better if he’d treated it like it was no big deal. But this spell? Yeah, it was kind of a big deal.
I’d once performed another spell that involved throwing a painstakingly made amulet and reciting words that made it burst into flames. That one had a huge physical component, however. This spell was another of those mental ones and essentially involved summoning fire out of thin air.
The kindling Ms. Terwilliger had referred to was a small drawstring bag filled with ashes made from burnt yew bark. She took the bag from me and examined its contents, murmuring in approval. “Yes, yes. Very nice. Excellent consistency. You burned it for exactly the right amount of time.” She handed the bag back. “Now, eventually you won’t need this. That’s what makes this spell so powerful. It can be performed very quickly, with very little preparation. But you have to practice first before you can reach that point.”
I nodded along and tried to stay in student mode. So far, what she was saying was similar to what the book had described. If I thought of all this as a classroom exercise, it was much less daunting. Not really scary at all.
Ms. Terwilliger tilted her head and looked past me. “Adrian? You might want to keep your distance. A considerable distance.”
Okay. Maybe a little scary.
He obeyed and backed up. Ms. Terwilliger apparently had no such fear for herself because she stayed only a few feet away from me. “Now then,” she said. “Apply the ashes, and hold out your hand.”
I reached into the bag, touching the ashes with my thumb and forefinger. Then I lightly rubbed all my fingers together until my whole palm had a fine gray coating on it. I set the bag down and then held out my hand in front of me, palm up. I knew what came next but waited for her instruction.
“Summon your magic to call the flame back from the ashes. No incantation, just your will.”
Magic surged within me. Calling an element from the world reminded me a little of what the Moroi did, which felt strange. My attempt started off as a red glimmer, hovering in the air above my palm. Slowly, it grew and grew until it was about the size of a tennis ball. The high of magic filled me. I held my breath, scarcely able to believe what I had just done. The red flames writhed and swirled, and although I could feel their heat, they didn’t burn me.
Ms. Terwilliger gave a grunt that seemed to be equal parts amusement and surprise. “Remarkable. I forget sometimes what a natural you really are. It’s only red, but something tells me, it won’t take long before you can produce blue ones without the ashes. Calling elements out of the air is easier than trying to transform one substance into another.”
