Page 15 of Queen of Vengeance

They didn’t make it…

Defeated, I slumped my shoulders and headed toward the auditorium.

I didn’t want to have to do my first potion competition alone, but?—

Before I could finish my thoughts, I heard heavy and quick footsteps barreling down the hall. I spun so quickly that I almost knocked myself off balance.

Relief washed over me as I saw Zane and Jax charging at me like a couple of bulls.

“Where in Lunaira’s name have you been?” I reprimanded them as they stopped before me, hands on their knees, to catch their breath.

“We were—” Zane was about to speak when Jax smacked him. Zane immediately went quiet and dropped his head so I couldn’t see his face.

“It doesn’t matter. We made it.” Jax snapped back at me.

“Did you? You still have to drop your ingredients list at the front. Everyone is meeting in the auditorium already to begin the competition.” My aggression came more from concern than it did from actual anger.

“Here, give me your ingredients list. I’ll turn them in for you. Just get to the auditorium.” I grabbed their papers from their hands and bolted down toward the front of the winding building. I figured in their state, they wouldn’t have been able to run at full speed. I had a better chance of turning them in and making it to the auditorium before it was too late.

My stomach twisted into knots.

Instead, I was overjoyed despite risking my spot in the competition.

My face flushed with warmth, and a small smile pulled up the corners of my mouth.

Jax Ransom. Even as disheveled as he looked, he was still the most handsome thing I’ve ever beheld.

I smacked the two lists before the Aquarian attendant and darted back before he could ask further questions. I was almost there. I was going to make it!

“All right, students. All the contestants have now been accounted for. Everyone else, please take your seats.” The announcement came over the intercom just as I entered the auditorium.

My jaw dropped as I realized I had missed it just by a hair.

Zane was the first to notice me standing in the doorway, stunned.

“Wait, what about Lea?”

Headmaster Katrina narrowed her snake eyes at me. Her tan scales shimmered under the lights as she turned fully to face me. “Tardiness will not be accepted. I’m sorry, Miss Nadir. You’ll just have to wait until next year.”

Her long pink tongue would stick out with every “S” as headmaster Katrina spoke.

Suddenly, my heart was pounding in my ears.

My throat tightened up.

My mind went all fuzzy, and my palms became sweaty.

But I’ve been practicing…

My head slowly moved in an uneven nod as my eyes dropped from hers.

“Very well. The rest of you take your assigned stations. We will begin momentarily with the prewritten potion prepared for you by your potions professor, Mr. Traigue.” The headmaster moved away from me, and I stood there, prepared to waste away on the spot.

Everything I had worked so hard to prove just went down the drain.

I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t bring myself to do anything other than look up at the two idiot boys responsible for this.

However, my mood changed when Jax smiled and mouthed a “Thank you.”

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