Page 32 of Heiress of Fire

The twins faced each other, reaching for each other’s hands and closing their eyes before taking a deep breath.

The room was silent until a song of crunchiness emerged into the training room. Vines began to slowly grow from the entrance. They curved and stretched across the stage. The glass window beside Leilani and Caleb exploded into little shards then branches crept deeper into the room, curling around Davina, Cara, and the Soldier’s legs. Ivy twisted itself onto the gray walls of the training room.

Her eyes reached Beacon who was trying to pull away from the branches that seemed to be growing tighter at his every pull.

“Enough!” Beacon yelled.

As the twins freed their hands from each other, the ivy that wrapped around Davina and the others immediately loosened. Without removing his gaze from Leilani, Caleb flicked his wrist and made a vine grow high enough to tickle Beacon’s ear. Beacon slapped the vine away from himself and glared at Caleb.

Caleb and Leilani snickered as they stepped toward the wall.

“Morozov.”

Snow nodded and marched to the middle of the training room. The icy Neptulan turned on her heel with her hand extended toward the room. Ice began to surround all the vines that Caleb and Leilani had grown.

Davina saw how Leilani and Caleb frowned. Snow held a fist and the frozen vines exploded into little ice shards, scattering across the stage. The ice shards then flew to Snow’s hands. She held onto them tightly before they grew into sharp daggers.

She threw the daggers up. The weapons floated midair as they multiplied into different versions of swords and knives.

Snow flicked her fingers out and the ice shards became shiny blue snowflakes which fell with a fresh icy breeze upon the others.

“Good job. Youngest Levina step forward.”

Any bit of resentment that she held against Ron for his irritating comments from the day before, shattered completely.

Davina felt her world stop moving as she slowly turned to him. Ron lowered his gaze as he walked onto the stage. Davina wondered whether the others noticed the slump in his shoulders and the tremble in his fingers.

A small part of her wanted to go to him and embrace him, to be able to comfort him and remind him that she believed he was capable, but she remained in her place. That would only embarrass him more, even if they were the only two people in this room.

Davina glimpsed his cheeks reddening as he centered himself on the stage. Ron was so brave to step forward despite how much he struggled with his abilities.

He held his hands out with his eyes closed.

Whispers between Amir and Isaiah caught her attention. Isaiah covered his mouth as he spoke into Amir’s ear. Amir only shook his head. Were the Chief Leaders capable of making fun of someone who struggled with their abilities? Weren’t the Chief Leaders instituted to be helpers for those who struggled?

Davina scoffed before turning to Ron, whose fists began to glow a very bright orange. Did he have the power of fire? But then where did his fire powers come from? If both of his parents were from Mistral. If Beacon and Bane, Ron’s other older brother, had the ability of air.

For his sake, she prayed for the fire to come forth, for him to finally be successful in demonstrating an ability other than a pair of heated hands, which she knew he was desperate to escape from. She watched him as he strained for the fire to appear.

“Almenara.” Master Abigail’s voice cut through the air. Davina watched the defeat in his eyes, his chin held slightly low as he walked off the stage.

Davina was quick to walk past him, letting her fingers graze his. He jolted as she smirked at him. She didn’t care if the others saw, this was about him because he needed to know that she believed in him. Even if it was something so small as the touch of their fingers. It was something. It meant far more than words ever could.

Hopefully, he received that message through the look in her eyes. She walked to the center of the stage.

“You did great out there, man.” Caleb set his hand over his shoulder.

“A grump like you will have their fire manifesting at every hour,” Beacon laughed.

Davina watched him struggle with the thoughts in his mind, pulling on a mask to hide his shame from the others. “It’s whatever. I don’t care,” Ron responded.

He played the part of being careless, acting as if it didn’t bother him when it was in the inner core of every Bellatorman to activate and practice their abilities. A spark of magic was planted within their souls. Each had the choice to reject or accept the gift, but the spark never left. It was much like receiving a gift box and never opening it.

Now it was her turn to show her abilities. But truthfully, she was afraid about how far her abilities could go. She didn’t want to figure out how much further the fire could take her because sometimes it felt like it would consume her completely. All ten of them watched her intently as she positioned herself in the middle of the stage.

She lifted her hand and created a mild purple flame above her palm. Abigail held no expression on her face as she spoke, “You can do better than that.”

Davina sighed, allowing the flame to grow in might.

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