Page 79 of Firestorm
I’d yet to see Mia use her ice affinity. The solid crystal spike in her hand gleamed in the dim lamp light, flashing when another streak of lightning cracked overhead.
“W-what?” Willow’s voice quivered as she raised her hands defensively. “You think…is it Landon?”
No. It wasn’t Landon. That fucking idiot wouldn’t be able to hide this well from me.
I trembled with thinly controlled rage, but there was nothing I could do. I couldn’t attack the mystery person. I couldn’t go into their mind unless I really was ready to kill them.
I’m going to fucking melt your brain when I findyou, I promised the shadows with a menace I hadn’t felt in years.
But then…just like that…my shadow dissipated.
My adrenaline quickly waned, my knees buckling.
Willow caught me, hauling me back toward the door while Mia trudged forward, sending bursts of ice into the shadowed copse.
No one was there.
Chapter 25
Skye
The main hallwas empty except for me, it seemed. I tapped my foot impatiently from where I waited outside Mr. Craig’s office. I sat on my hands with my head bowed, my eyes trained on the floor but seeing nothing at all.
I was beginning to think I was losing my mind.
After myepisodea few nights ago, Willow and Mia were beyond concerned about me. They both had good points. While they’d reassured me they were definitelynotjudging me for how I’d reacted toward Lana threatening Aiden, or how I’d rocked Landon’s shit when he grabbed me during our sparring session, they both felt that those situations mixed with what’d happened with my shadow warranted a visit to the counselor.
I’d relented, because all those situations put togetherdidmake me seem especially unhinged, and I’d been skipping my required counseling sessions as is. Even though no one had contacted me about it, I felt my luck was coming to an end.
I was also eternally grateful that Mia had felt the same presence I had. If she hadn’t, I was pretty sure they would have had me committed. I couldn’t blame them, either. I’d done some crazy shit in my lifebut running out into the freezing cold rain while barefoot, screaming at an invisible presence was pretty up there.
The worst part? I wasn’t even mad anymore. I’d come back from class the next day to find a bouquet of irises bundled together on my desk and…somehow I knew the shadow was sorry. That it hadn’t meant to mock me, and that I’d misunderstood something.
Now I felt like an idiot. Panic always was my worst enemy.
I blew out a breath, sending some of my baby hairs up into the air around my face. I quickly tried to smooth them down, even though I wasn’t trying to impress anyone today.
My counselor, Mr. Craig, was Willow’s older brother by a few years. I hadn’t met him yet, but I felt calm and comfortable with Willow, so I trusted this mystery counselor. At the very least, he’d be professional enough not to care about a ragged ponytail, right?
I kicked my feet back and forth, silently sighing as the ticking clock in the hall agitated the itching sensation beneath my skin.
Part of me felt silly to be approaching a counselor about this situation now that the issue had resolved.
I’d never had much luck with counselors. Ben had been a psychologist, and he’d always prattle on about control and emotional intelligence and emptying my mind, while Levi wanted me to focus on control of my affinities and understanding how my emotions affected them.
I sniffed and wiped a sudden rogue tear that threatened to fall. I used to hate when Levi would push me to practice my affinities. I never imagined he’d be gone one day and I’d be missing his nagging.
I swear, he’d said something like that once, too.
‘One day I’ll be gone, and you’ll wish you’d listened to me.’
I’m sorry,I thought, knowing there was no way he’d ever hear me.I should have listened.
Mr. Craig’s door opened then, startling me out of my thoughts, and a student I recognized stepped out into the hall.
Pale green eyes peeked out through a heavy, dark fringe. She wore an insufferable, plaid schoolgirl skirt with a simple button-down white top. She looked exactly the same as she always did, exactly how she’dlooked a week ago when she apologized to me even though I’d almost suffocated her.
“Thankssomuch, Mr. Craig. I’m looking forward to our next session.” Lana said sweetly. Her coy grin faltered when she glanced at me, and she took a staggering step back, like I’d jump out of the chair and claw her eyes out any moment. I almost smiled.
