Page 51 of Phoenix Academy: Madness

Reggie mutters, "That thing is creepy as fuck. It doesn't even look alive."

"That's kind of the point," David says. "It isn'tsupposedto be alive."

"Hush," I scold them both. "I'm trying to concentrate."

The first, hardest part, is coming up with the anger. All I feel is nervous and afraid—emotions that could help, but didn't seem to have nearly the effect my anger has had on my magic. Whether it was going after my father's followers or accidentally turning the campus into a wild zoo, I always did it when I was at my most rage-filled.

Especially when I thought about Lizzy's death.

I let myself go there: her body in the bottom of the boat, no doubt covered in leaves and dirt after being dragged carelessly through the forest. The sight of her frightened eyes as they tore me away from her and tied me down to cut me open and drain my blood. How she must've cried, struggled, and even screamed as they did to her what they did to me.

The rage fills me, white hot and overwhelming. It races through my blood and makes my heart beat fast in anger. I feel like shouting, screaming even, and all I want is a place to direct all this emotion.

So I let it pour from me in the form of my powers.

Blue flames dance from my fingertips and whip through my hair. I can't see my eyes, but I have no doubt that they're glowing blue. When I lift my hands out in front of me, towards the empty soulless thing Auerbach built, I can see that my palms are the bluest of all. Magic is pouring off of them, aimless and angry.

I give it form.

Stepping towards the simulacrum, I feel no fear of his empty eyes. I can almost even imagine the Heretic standing before me instead, and I feel invigorated and brave instead of doomed.

Reaching out with a sure hand, I brush my fingers against his forehead.

And he comes alive.

Chapter 24

I didn't realizebefore how little he seemed like he was alive. There's something indescribable that happens in people's eyes when they've got life within them. I've only seen it in the Heretic's eyes when he was consumed with fanaticism.

I see it now in the simulacrum's gaze as the madness enters him.

Apparently a lifeless, soulless thing cannot feel insane, or angry, or much of anything really. Because the instant my magic enters him, the simulacrum is soulless no more—or at least,appearssoulless no more.

His eyes are wide and wild. There's a franticness to him. It's like he's been slapped across the face for the first time. His mouth pulls tight at the corners. His breath is suddenly quickened, and if I could feel his pulse I have no doubt it would've jumped.

Even more, hehasa pulse, and breath in his lungs.

Impossible.

And yet, here's the proof in front of me. As the simulacrum's eyes glow that impossible, unnatural blue that's becoming so familiar to me, I have no doubt that something fundamental about him has changed.

Behind me, Reggie says, "Whoa."

Xavier adds, "Fascinating."

And David no doubt is glaring at the space between my shoulder blades—not that I can feel it, because I'm full of too much shock and wonder.

Before I can get too excited at my apparent soul-bestowing abilities, though, the simulacrum changes everything in an instant. He goes from shocked and maybe even alive to frothing with rage.

His eyebrows draw together. He scrunches his nose all the way up. A growl leaves his mouth. And he grabs my arms with both of his hands, strong fingers digging into the muscles.

Before I can even so much as squeak, Mage Auerbach calls out, "Gilgamesh, cease!"

I'm staring at the simulacrum's blue eyes as the soul somehow leaves his body. The blue drains from his eyes and, like a puppet with its strings cut, he falls back limply, head lolled to one side.

It all happens in an instant, and I don't understand anything that happened. Because the mage stepped in before I could figure out what was going on.

Shooting him a frown, I say, "I was fine. He was squeezing my arms, not tearing me limb from limb."

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