Page 109 of The Tribrid Princess and the Taste of Chaos
I try, even though everything feels too much. I focus on his touch. Imagining us by a river… the moon is up. He’s holding me, and I divert the chaotic energy towards the river. Letting it flow freely but orderly-
“Fuck off!” someone snarls, and I feel the surge of rage from them and then my control snaps. I feel the surge of power swirling around me. A few shouts of surprise from the students tell me my power is disturbing them, too.
Jayce nods. “Take a break. Come back when you feel up to it.”
I nod before turning and jogging out of the training hall.
I suck in a breath when I manage to put enough distance between the hall and myself. Sighing, I massage my temples. I failed. Again.
Taking a seat on one of the benches that are scattered across the school, I lean my head against the wall behind me and take a deep, steadying breath. How long did I last in there?
I glance at my Schattensicht, surprised when I see the time. Just over thirty minutes. That’s pretty good. A shadow falls over me, and I look up. It takes me a moment to process the tall young man with sandy blond hair with natural highlights and brilliant blue eyes.
“Sienna?”
“Seth?” I stand up in surprise, not expecting to see him here and remembering how we left things the last time we were together. I suddenly wish I could hide away.
He smiles slightly, if you can call it that. “It’s been a while. How have you been, Si?”
It has, he has a light shadow across his jaw that is more angular than I remember. I can see tattoos peeking out from the top of his uniform, similar to mine, but the deepest shade of blue, rather than black. An earring flashes at the top of his ear, another thing that’s new.
“I’ve been good,” I reply. “You?”
“Been better.” He flashes me that small smirk that I once fell for. An awkward silence falls between us, and I look around the hall, searching for something to say.
“How come you’re here?” I ask, trying to break the tension that has settled between us.
“Some reports from Scotland. You know I’m a tracker, right? Or have you forgotten that, too, since you shut me out?”
Are we doing this now?
He’s smiling, but I can tell he’s still hurting, and guilt rushes through me.
“No, of course not.”
Seth is the younger son of Lola and Rose. Lola was myfather’s beta; their older son, Shane, is 22, and they adopted Seth when he was four years old. He’s 19.
I had been dating Seth when Dad passed away, and just like everything else, I shut him out. I refused to let him near me for fear I’d hurt him, and then he had to leave for his training; he attends Mystic Academy. After that, if he visited, I avoided him as much as possible. Only I can’t do that right now, not when he’s standing before me.
“You look great, by the way. Did you dye your hair or is it still getting redder?”
“Yeah, it’s gotten lighter,” I answer, feeling suddenly self-conscious.
“Hey, you ok? You look like a deer caught in headlights, especially with those gorgeous doe eyes.” He reaches over, and I freeze when he places two fingers beneath my chin and tilts it up, just the way Jayce does, but only there’s no intense spark, and my heart isn’t beating out of excitement but panic.
What if Jayce appears?
I step back, my heart thumping with nerves.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Don’t let me keep you, I’ll… see you around.”
“Yeah, I’m here for a couple of days. Exchange of information and battle reports, you know how it is.”
Oh no…
“Awesome,” I say.
I was considering going back to try again, but now I feel even more jittery and out of control. All I want is to get away from Seth. When he looks at me, it feels like he’s peering right into my soul, or is it because he has seen inside?
