Page 15 of The Cursed Fae

I retrieved the note from my bag and handed it to Morgan. Her lips moved as she read the three lines to herself. She squinted, then her cheeks flushed, and she came to an abrupt halt. “Did Jeffers pass this to you directly?”

“Not exactly. Someone threw it at me, but I didn't see who. Why do you ask?”

She shook her head. “I don't know. There's something about these words; I feel like I've heard them before.” Morgan held the poem out to me, a frown deepening. “Stay away from Ewan Wynn. Trust me—that guy is not your friend.”

Chapter five

I Spy a Hot, Broody Guy

By the time my last class of the day rolled around, I knew to expect the unexpected. And yet, it was still surprising when the Practical Magic instructor, Professor Canterwald, informed me of the special arrangement Chancellor Keene had made to help further my magical education.

“Lazlo has agreed to tutor you,” Professor Canterwald said.

“It's nice to meet you officially, Winter. You can call me Laz,” he said, a smile tugging the corner of his lips. “We will practice in private until you get the hang of things, so you can mess up all you want.”

My gaze narrowed. “I have used magic before, you know. I'm not a total novice.”

“From what I understand, you've used some powerful magic,” Mrs. Canterwald said, a twinkle in her eye. “What you need to learn is control. That is where Lazlo comes in. He will also administer the proficiency exam.” She turned to Laz. “You have the materials?”

Something about Laz's grin confirmed my assumption that he knew little about control. He seemed more the self-indulgent kind of guy.

Laz patted his backpack. “Everything is in here. Ready, Winter?”

“Let's get started,” I said with false enthusiasm.

“Would it be okay if we used the astrology room?” Lazlo asked.

“Of course. That is nice and private.”

Tucked in a corner on the top floor of the school, the astrology room had a clear, retractable roof for stargazing. The stone walls were midnight blue with various symbols—some I recognized and some I didn't—drawn in gold. There were no desks or chairs, only stacks of pillows and a few hanging hammocks.

“Are you ready, Sable? Let's find out how good you are.”

Laz lined up four bowls that looked like the ones used for serving guacamole.

“Produce water in the first bowl.” He pointed for good measure.

“Like, make it appear in the bowl?” I wrinkled my nose. “That's not how my magic works. It's more like I see water, and I can make it do something.”

Laz rolled his eyes. “That's because you can't control it. Have you ever tried, ever focused?”

I glared. “Of course.”

There was a challenge in his gray irises that gave me an inappropriate thrill. “Then this should be no problem for you,” he said.

It was a problem for me. Had there been a glass of water, I could have transferred the liquid. Hell, I could've made the water dance a jig through the air. But making it appear wasn't happening. Fire didn't go any better. Producing flames out of thin air was something I'd done in moments of great anger and stress, but standing across from Laz I couldn't ignite so much as a flicker.

When it came time for earth magic, I finally showed I was no novice. I made the stones beneath our feet wobble, causing the hammocks to sway and Laz to stumble. I grinned in triumph. Laz shook his head.

“I was going to tell you to make the seed in the bowl grow,” he said with a wry smile. “And you caused an earthquake.”

“No, not an earthquake.” I put my hands on my hips. “I moved the slab of stone that makes up the floor in this room. Calm down.”

His expression changed. “Only the floor? You moved the floor itself?”

“Yeah. Why?”

Laz jabbed a finger in my direction. “Okay, now that's control. You focused on your magic and directed it. That's good. Now try to make the seed grow.”

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