Page 13 of Overwhelmed By Magic

Within the last few hours, I have determined that I, nor anyone else, truly knows anything about essence. I’ve now seen two colors that shouldn’t exist. Harlow is most definitely not a spirit and whatever is currently following us is older than my grandparents. Which, unless they are Versipelles or vampires, I have no idea why they would be so old.

“What’s got you spooked?”

“You seriously can’t see the essence?” I hiss as I just make it to the bus stop as the bus is pulling up. I frantically point behind me, Harlow grimacing at the tangible aura. It flows toward me, wrapping around my shoulders again, a shiver running down my spine as it caresses my body. It’s a little strange but welcomed at the same time. “I don’t know what—who it is but-”

I don’t even finish my sentence when Harlow grabs the essence, disappears into the void, and then returns without it. My jaw drops in shock. Just another thing that tells me Harlow can’t be a spirit. This man just grabbed essence like it had been a ribbon and tossed it. I have no idea what it will do to the holder of that essence but I’m relieved that it’s no longer following me.

The ride back to my campus apartment is silent, Harlow trying to get my attention and failing. For the most part, he doesn’t really talk to me in public. It’s a lonely existence, knowing that he’s at my side but can’t fully enjoy our time together. Becoming fully tangible and letting everyone else see him would be the most disastrous result as then everyone else would also know he’s not a spirit.

I focus on readying for my own graduation, throwing myself into another shower, unsure of how to address what happened at Astral Academy.

“Are we going to talk about it?” Harlow muses as he appears in front of me. He’s not completely in our plane of existence, avoiding the heated spray. His tongue plays with his lip rings as he observes me.

I shake my head. “No, we’re not talking about it. Let’s just enjoy these moments together before they take you away.”

Harlow snorts. “They aren’t taking me anywhere. They didn’t even give me the ‘I failed’ speech because I didn’t go. I don’t need to hear it.”

I growl at his stupidity, stepping out of the shower to dry myself off and find the outfit my mother bought for the occasion. A growing feeling that all of this will fall apart won’t leave me alone but dwelling on it will just make it worse. By the time I grab my suit jacket, Harlow is standing in front of me, those usually electric blue eyes worried as they search mine.

“You know I’ll always be at your side, right? Skye, babe, listen to me. I know there are things you aren’t telling me. I know that you hurt more than you show. I know those fucking nightmares are getting worse and those burns around your wrists are becoming more irritated by the day. I know that you see and catalog more than I could ever hope to and that beautiful brain of yours is always working on overdrive. I also know that you’re scared and you are allowed to be.” He steps forward, wraps his arms around my waist, and then drags me into his chest. One of his hands smooths down my hair several times as his lips move to my ear. “Skye, you will always be mine regardless of whatever laws they make today, tomorrow, and for eternity. Now, let’s go see you make that speech and wow everyone with your intelligence.”

My shoulders fall as he holds me. He always knows what to say and knowing that he sees me despite the troubles I’ve tried to hide brings relief rather than embarrassment. Unfortunately, I don’t believe for a second that the Magila council won’t scour the city for a missing failed Magila.

“You’re late!” My mother hisses as she drags me toward her. I hiss in pain as she nearly twists my arm from my socket. The pain is quickly replaced by laughter as I see that she’s dressed in her Sunday best, a baby pink suit jacket paired with a velvet skirt and stockings. Pretty sure that outfit went out of style decades ago but not for her. She frantically looks around me and then waves a small packet of burning sage around my head. “He better not be here.”

“Even if he was, sage is an annoyance to him. Not a barrier.”

Harlow snorts at my side, the bastard invisible to everyone but me. “I’d like to snatch that shit from her and beat her over the head with it.”

I bite my tongue lest I burst out laughing at his comment. My stepfather approaches and slips the sage from her hands. “Janice, breathe. This is Skye’s moment, one we are so proud to witness. Let’s find our seats.” I’m ushered into the front row beside the valedictorian, finding my labeled seat.

Salutatorian.

“You earned that shit,” Harlow whispers in my ear as he stands by my seat.

I manage a small smile, ignoring my mother as I ignore the president’s speech. Not soon enough, the valedictorian and I are called to the stage to present our speeches for the graduating class. Harlow is proudly sitting in my seat, smiling up at me as if I'm his entire world. I wished I had been able to do the same for him, cheering as he crossed the stage but that’s gone from us now.

I’ll take this moment and cherish it.

It isn’t even halfway through my speech that I feel the temperature drop several degrees, my words cutting off as the doors to the arena burst open, Dmitri, himself stepping inside. The man demands our respect, red tendrils swirling around his body as he glides forward. His movements are effortless and smooth, the man embodying everything essence stands for. In this moment, however, I realize that his monopoly on the Magila council has made it so that essence feels like this unattainable thing, a thing we should both revere and be terrified of.

Many people want to be a Magila or at least associate with one because Mother Nature’s gift has only chosen a few. It’s way more than that, isn’t it, though?

Any happiness floating through this place is instantly sucked out as Dmitri and two other Magila on either side of him waltz up the aisle. His eyes scour the seats, the vampire stopping inches from my reserved place. A seat that Harlow is currently occupying.

My heart drops into my stomach as Dmitri reaches down and digs his fingers into my stepbrother’s shoulder, Harlow instantly turning visible. A collective gasp rings through the crowd as Harlow is pulled to his feet, the man mouthing ‘I love you’ before he is wrangled to face Dmitri.

“I have never in all my years dealt with someone as problematic as you. Skipping classes. Running off to your human boyfriend? Harlow Bardot, you disgust me. I don’t understand why Mother Nature allows her gift to be given to the likes of you when you squander it so efficiently. Since you couldn’t be bothered to attend your own little ceremony, I shall do it here.”

Harlow doesn’t struggle but I can see his aura thickening. He’s fighting the urge to truly disappear, to run away into the void he knows so well but that will only add fuel to the fire.

“Harlow Bardot, you were classified as the element spirit, designation spirit but you have failed on both fronts. Even in remedial classes, you failed to prove yourself as anything more than a nuisance. You will be attending Grimrose Academy until your element and designation can be determined.” Dmitri leans down, spitting his last words but every person in the arena can hear the disgust lacing them. “Do you have anything to say?”

“Can I at least watch them graduate?”

“Now, why would I make allowances for someone like you? No, I’d rather take you now before you decide to slip through my grasp again. There will be no next time. Say goodbye to your lover.”

Harlow doesn’t turn around—to protect me or spare me his emotions, I’m not sure. Either way, I feel the cold caress of his essence before it disappears, Dmitri all but dragging Harlow out of the arena. The silence is deafening as the doors close, my favorite person in the world no longer at my side. Everyone is waiting for my reaction, my parents are staring in disbelief, and the valedictorian is shooting lasers at the side of my head for ruining her graduation.

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