Page 51 of Phoenix Academy: Mayhem

"You're angry." His eyes take in everything. "Good. We can work with that. I want to push you to your absolute limit and find out what it takes to make you lose control—only then can we find out the best way to rebuild that control."

Frowning at him, I hold in sharp words. "I don't think that—"

Yohan throws a book at me.

A whole ass book.I duck—the throw was wide and wild—and whirl on him, cutting my eyes in his direction. Anger fills me, from my chest to my fingertips to my toes. He had no right to do that.

I hear the crackle of flames behind me and turn to find that a straight line leads from me to the book, which is flaming blue.

"You see? Anger issues." He paces around me, picks up the book with ease, and extinguishes the fire. "I can't let you go out among humans if you're going to do that the first time you have a negative encounter."

"Most people don't throw books at strangers," I point out, crossing my arms sullenly even as an embarrassed wave of heat splashes across my cheeks. "It's not a very realistic scenario."

"Isn't it?" He stares me down. "Because you'll have frustrating moments if you go on a chase for a target with unknown whereabouts. Sullen cashiers at the hotels you and your Shields stay. The barista getting your order wrong. Men on the street catcalling you. Don't pretend as if you don't get frustrated or angry in your day-to-day life."

I know that he's right. That's the reason why I'm so angry at him in this moment. There's nothing I can say or do to show that he doesn't have a point, because he does—which just makes it suck that much more.

"So what—I don't get to reunite with my sister until anger ceases to exist? Or are we going to wait for the world to be a better place? Because that just doesn't seem realistic."

"You're going to learn how to channel your anger in ways that aren't flammable." Leaning against a desk, he raises a black brow at me. "Don't try me, Ariana Wolfe. I have time and I have patience. You will learn this—or you won't get what you want. But know that I'm hoping you succeed, not rooting for you to fail. We'll do this together or not at all. Deal?"

Reluctantly, I tell him, "Deal."

What follows is one of the most grueling and difficult two hours of my life. Yohan brings me through a series of exercises, teaching me to breathe and center control of my flames as he tests me in ways I never thought I'd be tested. Sometimes he plays the angry stranger; other times, the annoying younger sibling.

He throws pencils at my head.

Cries and wails.

Insults me creatively.

Gets in my face and stares me down until I grit my teeth and look away.

Really, it would be funny if it weren't so important. I have to get through this—to show him I can control myself no matter how far I'm pushed. Even when he plays pop songs loudly on repeat, tells me my blue hair looks stupid, and snaps bubblegum bubbles an inch away from my face.

"Does that bother you?" At this point he's just trying to enrage me. "Are you irritated, Ari?" Pop goes the bubblegum. "Why don't you make me stop?"

I grit my teeth. Swallow. Breathe deep in through my nose, and out slowly through my mouth. Then hit him with my most charming, I-don't-give-a-shit smile.

"I'm perfectly fine, instructor. In fact, I think you should grab some fresh bubblegum. Maybe something mint flavored. Oh, and put on another annoying song to go with that first one—Never Gonna Give You Up sounds like a good choice. Between that and Baby Shark we'll really have things going."

Instead of accepting that I've come far enough and ending the class, he shoots me a brilliant smile. "Excellent idea, Ms. Wolfe. Let's try both songs at the same time, and instead of bubblegum... I'll sing off key to them and we can discuss your fashion choices."

I'm going to kill him.

Not with my phoenix fire, but with my hands strangling his throat until no sound comes out.

Breathe, Ari. Think of Lizzy.The reminder of her face, sweet and innocent in life and now completely given over to the Heretic's soulless influence, spurs me to keep going. To be stubbornly calm in the face of the most irritating man I've ever met.

I won't fail this last test.

Because her life depends on it.

* * *

"Excellent. You've shown great control." I stare up at Yohan from my spot on the floor, watching with relief as he walks the room and turns off every song he's been playing through various speakers. "I'll approve your dispensation to go off-campus."

I sag a little, my meditation chant leaving my mind completely as I let go of the calm, centralized space I found in the middle of his created chaos. "Thank you, Instructor Cheng."

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