Page 329 of Sigils & Spells

“Right,” I continued. “Da was working that night, and even though it was a conflict of interest, his human bosses allowed it. They didn’t see the harm cause it was an accident. A tragedy. They said a truck driver was careless with a cigarette at the gas station where Ma was filling up her car. The station was getting a delivery of oil, you see, and when the driver tossed the cigarette, kaboom,” I muttered.

“Oh shit, Tana, I am so sorry.”

I waited for everyone to finish, allowing myself to gain strength from the steady pressure of Brandon’s thigh against mine. He dropped his hand on the table, and I moved mine closer, brushing my pinky along the length of his. His hands were so much bigger than mine. Not many people made me feel small, but Brandon Flint, the Druid dragon shifter hybrid, sure as fuck did.

“Da found trace amounts of evidence the gas station had been touched by magic. He re-energized it with a spell, captured the signature of the practitioner who cast it, and then, he started tracking it.”

“Holy shit. Your father turned into a hunter,” Magnus grunted.

“Yeah. He did. And when I became a teenager, he started training me.”

The table grew quiet after my admission. My roommates looked equal parts shocked and awed. Magnus and Enok stared at me with curiosity in their eyes. But I was not worried about their reactions. There was only one man seated there whose opinion mattered. I turned my head and gazed into molten silver eyes with serpentine slits and waited.

“More to you than meets the eye,mo spréach,” Brandon murmured.

He grinned suddenly, so breathtakingly beautiful I forgot what I was saying. Finally, I exhaled, not even realizing I’d been holding my breath. Then I made the move. I clasped his hand in mine, reveling at the way he held on, giving me just the right amount of squeeze and comfort.

“I never took the tests officially, but if I did, I’d pass at level four,” I said. “When my elemental powers revealed themselves, Da knew I would need training. He had me apply and sent me to Westwood.”

“But why haven’t you been using your magic, Tana?” Jade asked.

“Yeah, I mean you’re failing your classes. It makes no sense,” Rio added.

“Makes perfect sense,” Enid said sadly. “Tana, you’re wrong, though. Using some of your magical stores won’t deplete them like you think. You need to practice, or your fire will not only consume your enemies, it will consume you,” she said, and I could hear the fear in her voice.

“What if I’m not strong enough? Da has been taken, thrown in jail, and it’s because he got too close. I have to use the tracker spell to find him. I have to avenge my family,” I whispered, laying all my greatest fears on the table.

“Then we will help you,” Brandon vowed.

“That’s right,” Jade seconded.

Soon, everyone agreed, and my heart squeezed so tightly in my chest, I did not know what to do. The others started making plans. Maia pulled out her tablet and started making one of her confounded lists, and I laughed.

“What? It makes it easier if we know what everyone is bringing onMission Kick Someone’s Ass,” she said, as if it were totally obvious.

“Is that what we’re calling it?” Rio asked, and the two of them argued names.

“Guys, I appreciate all this,” I said, once we were on our way back to room 563W. “But really, this is my fight, my job to avenge my family.”

“Don’t even,” Rio started. “Look, we are a family. I know, I’m a newbie. Well, not as new as Enid,” she said.

Rio winked at the lavender-eyed beauty who self-consciously touched her newly white-streaked hair, and we all laughed and patted her on the shoulder and hand.

“Look, I think we were put together in the same dorm for a reason. The Council might have started segregating witches and wizards by coven after the Second Witch Wars, but I think they made a mistake. I think our differences make us stronger. We have earth, water, air, and fire, and whatever Enid is, and I think it counts.”

“Mabe, too,” Enid murmured.

“What?” I asked, tensing up at the mention of the black-haired girl who had gotten under my skin.

“Mabe is supposed to be in our room, too. Remember?”

“Oh yeah,” Maia said. “She was there and then left when Jade passed out.”

“Well, she bailed, so she does not count for this,” Jade said, reading the room correctly.

“Okay, I vote bed, then tomorrow, we let the hunter among us start doing her thing,” Magnus spoke as we entered the dorm room.

“Tomorrow is Saturday. I will cancel the extra lessons I teach for the day,” Enok said, already sending a mass email out.

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