Page 60 of Savage Desire

Another knock reverberates through the wood as I throw my door open to find Bryony standing there. Her eyebrows are knitted together in confusion, her lips pursed tight, and the tension doesn’t ease when her eyes latch on to mine.

“Hey,” I breathe, banding my arms around my middle nervously as she stares me down.

She sucks in a deep breath, standing taller with the movement before she nods at me. “We need to talk.”

“We do?” I ask, stepping back to let her in without hesitation. I notice how she makes an effort to give me plenty of space before settling at the foot of my bed.

I remain by the door, closing it behind me as I wait for her to find whatever words she’s searching for. She taps her thumbs nervously on top of her laced fingers, nipping at her bottom lip as she glares at my floor, but the moment she lifts her gaze to mine, she speaks. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Tucking a loose tendril of hair behind my ear, I tilt my head. “Today has been a long day, Bryony. I’m going to need you to elaborate,” I admit, even though technically I’ve lost half of my day, but that’s beside the point. The mental drain is still there.

“You’re a mind witch, a center,” she explains, and I gulp. Disappointment washes over her face. “It’s really true, and you didn’t say anything.”

Despite my best efforts, my defenses rise. My hands slip from my waist to land on my hips, my ire rising with every breath I take. “I didn’t realize I had to.”

Her eyes widen, and her thumb-tapping pauses. “But why wouldn’t you? I’m supposed to be your friend. I can help you. Don’t you trust me?” The look on my face must reveal exactly what I’m thinking. “That’s it, isn’t it? You don’t trust me.”

I sigh, feeling the tension in my neck ease as my arms drop to my sides. “I do trust you, Bryony, you’re my closest friend here, but truthfully, everything that went down with The Renegades… it left me a lot more cautious. It reminded me that I can trust too easily and I shouldn’t be doing that in a new place, especially not a place that is literally oriented around surviving the blood kin curse. Trusting someone isn’t as simple as just saying it. I wish that was all it took. Everything is being thrown at me from all directions, all I want to do is trust everyone’s intentions, but there’s more to this place than that. We’re all made up of some cursed DNA that snatches fate and destiny from our grasp and throws caution to the wind. You could be my blood kin. Have you thought about that? We could be the closest friends to ever exist, but what happens if we are? I literally arrived here with what I thought was a friend, only for her to be revealed as a vampire, and she immediately left me in the dust. Is that what’s going to happen when we turn twenty-one too?”

She blinks at me, likely unprepared for the barrage of words pouring from my lips, but they’re all valid concerns. There’s no denying it.

“I understand all of that, Polaris, but why keep your magic a secret?” I shrug, and she sighs. “It’s because I’m a Renegade, isn’t it.” It’s not a question; it’s a statement. She already knows the truth.

My chin falls to my chest, a hint of guilt coursing through me. “Professor Juniper said?—”

“Juniper? What does this have to do with her?”

My eyes dart back to hers. My jaw falls slack as I watch the confusion shift over her face and I sigh. “She didn’t say anything I didn’t already know or experience from The Renegades, Bryony.”

Her lips purse, her argument cut short on her tongue. “I told you I was Bryony first, Renegade second.”

“Technically, you said a blood kin first,” I correct her, and she gives me a pointed look.

“That’s beside the point. I’m yourfriend, Polaris. If Professor Juniper is so great at advice, is she at least aiding you in grounding your magic?”

I avoid her gaze and she sighs. “I’m disappointed, Polaris, but I get it. I do, I just… you don’t have to go through all of this alone.” She rises from the bed, the movement drawing my eyes back to her. “Could we be blood kin? Yes, but until I know that for a fact, then I’m going to act like we’re not. Life is cruel enough; surely it can’t do that to us, too, you know?” I nod in understanding and she offers me a tight smile. “Being a center, a mind witch, is completely different than any other witch. Lucille would…” Her words trail off and my gut clenches.

“I’m sorry for your loss.”

She nods, the movement stiff. “It’s… hard. We’re supposed to be ready for this kind of thing, but it seems impossible. Now we’re a broken coven without a center to ground us and no purpose. It’s strange.” I smile, allowing her to express herself even though I can’t really relate.

“What does that mean for you guys going forward?” I ask, and she folds her arms over her chest.

“That’s not a priority right now. We’ve paid our respects and are in mourning for the next few days. Then all of The Renegade covens will gather to discuss the situation.”

I frown. “All of The Renegades? I thought it was just six members?”

“Each coven consists of branches, six in each. We’re small fish in the vast Renegade pond,” she explains, and I gulp, absorbing the new information. She sighs again, shaking her arms out as she nods at the door, and it’s clear she’s not willing to discuss it anymore. “I came by because I needed a distraction,but it seems everything has found the path back to my troubles. Want to focus on yours instead?” she asks, piquing my interest.

“How?”

She shrugs. “If Juniper hasn’t discussed everything you need to know about being a center, then maybe you need to take the matter into your own hands and find it for yourself.”

If I thoughtthe hidden library in Professor Sommers’s class was impressive, then this is undoubtedly otherworldly. Is that even a thing? I don’t know, but it’s… beautiful.

Standing just over the threshold of the academy’s main library, I scan my eyes from left to right and back again before repeating the action. Each section is color coordinated to reflect the colors of the supernatural quadrant about which the books are written. Similar to the dorm buildings, the colors transition from onyx to gold, bronze, and silver. The floor even changes materials to match. Candles float in the air, illuminating every row as a twinkling night sky hovers above, despite the sun still shining outside in the late evening.

I want to absorb it all, every ounce of knowledge, but my first focus has to be to follow the sandy road. I’ve allowed my intrigue of wolves and vampires to steer my attention previously, but tonight and every step going forward has to be about understanding myself.

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