Page 19 of Two Who Live On

“Mr. Frost?” Carter asked, eyeing his surroundings.

The students in the proctoring room stared, confused and uncertain what was going on with Carter.

“He’s fucking lost it. They all have.”

Quelling Kenzo’s mind and the strategy he’d started weaving together for them, I returned to Jennifer and Carter.

“I said branches weren’t off the board, but you each have powerful control over your roots. Utilize that.”

“I suck with my roots,” Jennifer thought. “The only one I’m half decent with is—”

She clapped her hands together, casting sensory around them, and pinpointed the incoming fiends.

“Jamius,” Jennifer pointed to the few remaining wisps, “throw them this way.”

Jamius scrunched his face as his final copy splattered into watery goop between the fiend’s jaw. It used its sticky tongue to lap at the magic soaking into the ground. Ignoring his nerves, Jamius swept the wisps further out, scattering them. It was invigorating and gave himthe confidence to banish a few as well. That rejuvenating boost came from Carter’s vitality.

“Wait,” Jennifer said, a plan in play.

Another fiend leapt from the trees into the rock terrain, chasing the remaining wisps that bobbed about. Carter pieced together Jennifer’s plan and cast banishment toward the first fiend that’d arrived. It’d grown strong off Melanie’s flame control and Jamius’ copies. Despite all his precision in the root magic, only bits of tar shattered to nothingness. Taking a deep breath, Carter unraveled the tether of vitality he’d linked to his teammates and channeled everything into his banishment.

I smiled. It was sloppy, but he’d destroyed the fiend, leaving only a handful of white wisps. Jamius and Melanie handled them.

“Wait,” Jennifer said again, prepared for the last two fiends to arrive.

Fighting over the remnants of the first fallen fiend, the pair was distracted, and Jennifer explained her plan to her coven mates. It was far from perfect—messy as fuck, in fact—but the four of them managed to group together, and each of them banished a fiend.

After they’d finished, I called them up to the proctoring room. I wanted to congratulate them all, convey how impressed I was, but their kinder classmates had that covered with cheery compliments.

“You went into this all wrong but managed to pull together a half decent strategy in the end. That was very impressive.” I eyed them as they lined up by the door. “Which of you would like to explain areas for improvement? I have quite a few in mind.”

Carter stood taller than the rest of his team, more slender and lacking the confident pose I’d grown used to. His blond bangs were damp with sweat, and his tight smile didn’t hide the anxiety he avoided dwelling on in close proximity to me. Gripping the back of his neck with a shaky hand, partly from nerves but mostly from howmuch magic he’d exerted, Carter led the discussion on areas of improvement. That in itself was proof of growth—he’d not only learned mid-task how to alter where he’d gone wrong and fix it, but he’d acknowledged it.

After each of them reflected, I checked my watch.

“Let’s take a break and resume this in the afternoon class. It’s almost time for first block.”

“They get the whole day to prepare?” Melanie pouted. “Figures.”

“Really such a shame.” Yaritza flipped her hair, walking past Melanie. “I’m jealous. Would’ve loved to show off my magics this morning, especially considering my stars don’t burn out.”

Melanie ground her teeth.

“Time’s short,” I said, “but if you’re that eager, I’m sure I can whip up a solo round for you.”

“NO.” Yaritza grinned, her cheeks twitching from the forced enthusiasm. “I can wait. Working on my patience and all. Sort of becoming my best virtue, out of so many others. I really just, you know, um, know how much this lesson is about teamwork, and I want to have teamwork. Solo is so selfish. And I’m not shellfish; I’m a star. Get it?”

“Rambles, you’re in my way.” Kenzo shooed Yaritza who blocked the door.

I shook my head at her flimsy excuse and allowed her and the other students to wander out of the proctoring room, making use of what time we had left to their own desires. Reaching for my phone, I paused.

Caleb’s concerns over the ranking system spiked. Whether as a way to avoid checking the barrage of the notifications on my phone, reminding me of all the ways I didn’t fit into Enchanter Evergreen’s world, or guilt for how difficult it’d be for Caleb moving forward, I went to have a discussion neither of us wanted. Explaining this wouldburst all the enthusiasm he’d carried in his growth since arriving at Gemini Academy.

“I know you were curious, perhaps even a little concerned, about the Spring Showcase.” I stepped outside the proctoring room, joining Caleb who lingered close to the door, jotting notes.

“Not concerned.” Caleb stopped writing and twisted his wrist, staring at his Cast-8-Watch. “I just want to make sure I’m practicing the right things.”

“There’s no wrong practice, it’s all going to help prepare you for licensing and graduation, but those are far off goals, and you want to prioritize this goal. I understand.” I cleared my throat. “I’d planned on covering this in the afternoon, but since you’re curious, I can give you a bit of a heads up.”

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