I whirled around, ready to attack her but Zyacus held me tight.
“Enough, Jennika,” Zyacus snapped. “You’ve been down this road before and we all know you got your face beat to a pulp last time.”
“Ooooo,” the students jeered. They wanted us to fight. It’s probably why they asked the question about marriage in the first place.
“I’d kick your ass in front of everyone a second time but I actually care about Zyacus and this is his birthday party. We’re here to have fun.” I clenched my fists at my sides. “If you can’t be respectful, I’ll have you expelled.”
“Yes, use your powerful position to get your own way like a coward,” Jennika said and turned her back to me.
The ground began to quake as my magic surged to an uncontrollable level. My skin burned hot as the power within me roiled and clawed to break out, to annihilate the source of my rage. I could kill her. End it and be done with her for good. In that moment all I could see was my enemy that needed to be destroyed.
Students stumbled on uneasy ground, as my chest heaved and my arms shook. I wanted to scream as the power came to the edge of overwhelming me.
Gentle hands gripped my shoulders and Zyacus’s soothing voice washed over me. “I’m here for you. Stay in control.”
He knew from earlier what it could look like if my power exploded out of me. More than anything I didn’t want to hurt him. I slammed my eyes shut and took in deep breaths, holding them briefly.
When I felt in control, I set my sights on Jennika and threw out an invisible rope that wrapped around her neck and drug her to me. Pulling away from Zyacus, I wrapped my hand around Jennika’s arm and spelled the two of us to a deserted part of the academy. Slamming her against the outer stone wall by the throat, I pinned her there. “Expelling you is me being lenient. That is me giving you a way out.” I lowered my voice to a raspy growl. “Because if you stay, I will kill you.” I’d never sounded so venomous in my life. It surprised me how much I sounded like Madison.
Her eyes widened and her throat bobbed beneath my grip. She tried to speak so I released her and took a step back, ready to blast her if she got any ideas. She was trained to fight after all.
“I will go,” she said with tears filling her eyes.
“And if I hear about you even breathing a word to Zyacus I will hunt you down and make your death look like an accident.” I didn’t know what had come over me. It seemed my new power came with a side of ruthless.
Jennika’s face fell into her palms and she cried as she ran through a side door of the academy. And she had the nerve to call me a coward? She didn’t belong in this place anyway. No one from Delhoon would run away in tears.
Instead of using magic to go back to the party, I made the long slow walk. I needed time to cool off and clear my head. And as I did a small part of me felt bad for what I’d said to her. Ugh, why should I feel bad for her? After what she said to me she deserved it.
Without realizing it my walk brought me close to the orchards and the pull from my crown within. I halted when the cage of thorns came into view. Had it moved? I could have sworn it was further in and… hadn’t Professor Nimblewatt hidden it with magic. Yet here it was in plain view. My crown glittered inside somehow lovelier than it had been before. The jewels glittered in the moonlight, and I could be mistaken but it seemed to have a halo of light around it. Its beauty begged me to pick it up and wear it proudly.
It was my crown after all, why shouldn’t I get it? Set me free. Put me on, it whispered as I drew closer. Or did it? Perhaps it had been my imagination. Inanimate objects didn’t often talk. Yet, I quickly found myself beside it, stooping down to eye level. Reaching my hand inside, within mere inches of touching it, I froze. What am I doing? I jerked away and stumbled onto my behind. I scrambled back and got to my feet. Set me free. Put me on, it repeated. I turned, running as if it chased me. I must be losing my mind.
With my legs carrying me as fast as they could, I only slowed when Zyacus came into view walking the path alone. He lifted his head and appeared in front of me seconds later. “Where did you go?” he demanded. “What happened to Jennika?”
I lifted a shoulder. “She’s leaving.”
“Did you hurt her? I need to know if there’s going to be—”
“I thought you didn’t care about her? What does it matter?” I all but growled.
His jaw muscles clenched and his eyes shifted. The black pupils grew and the normally ice-blue went silvery...Woah, that’s strange.
Nostrils flaring, he yelled, “It matters because her father is a powerful man in my kingdom! But of course you don’t care because it’s not Delhoon.”
I bit down on my lip to keep from yelling back. After a moment of silence I sighed. “No, I didn’t hurt her. I did however threaten her life. And you can be mad if you want but I won’t apologize.”
A half smile pulled at his lips. “I would never expect you to apologize. I’m actually surprised you didn’t give her another beating after what she said. I would need to explain to Entari Freyloc and my father if you had, that’s all.”
The blue overtook his eyes again making me wonder if I’d imagined the change.
He offered his hand. “Come on. Let’s try to have a better evening.”
As
