Page 55 of Fractured Fates

He scowls at me and then without warning comes at me, tossing me high up into the air like I’m nothing more than a lettuce leaf, and then slamming me down hard onto the mat.

Stars twinkle in front of my eyes as I blink up at him.

He reaches down and picks up his towel from the mat, then flings it over his shoulder.

“Next time, stay in the locker where I put you, Pig Girl.”

“No,” I tell him simply, wishing I had the strength to drag myself to my feet. “No way.”

I’m my aunt’s niece. That’s all I need to remember.

19

Rhi

I needto remember it plenty over the next week and a half, even if I manage to dodge Spencer, Summer and their minions. I’m massively behind in all my classes and the subject of much ridicule among my peers who find it utterly hilarious that I know fuck all and can do even less.

Still, despite the daily humiliation, I fall into a routine. I wake early, feed Pip and spend time with him. Then head off for the day with Winnie. I really like that girl. She’s kind, sweet and when she’s not feeling too self-conscious, funny. I don’t understand why she doesn’t have more friends. She’s also prepared to spend her evenings helping me in my bid to catch up, showing me, among other things, how to dry my hair.

“But your aunt taught you some magic, right?” she says as we both stand in front of the mirror with soaking wet hair. “Like the fire conjuring?”

We haven’t talked much about my home life, mainly because Winnie looks a little nauseous every time she’s reminded of my previous unregistered status.

“Yes, but we had to be careful about practicing. If anyone spotted we were magicals, they would have shopped us in to the authorities. It kind of limited what she could teach me I guess.”

“I think you’re picking it up pretty quickly all things considered,” she says, slowly demonstrating the movement of her fingers as she tempts warm air over the strands of her hair.

I copy the motion, concentrating on the words she’s taught me in my head. I can feel the air brushing against my fingertips but it won’t bend to my will. I huff in frustration.

“You know it’s much easier than fire conjuring,” she says. “That is really difficult stuff.”

“I don’t even remember my aunt teaching me that. I must have been really little. Maybe these things are easier to learn when you’re younger.”

“Doubt it. You should try being around little magicals with no proper training. It’s chaos. Mom had to ban me and my sisters from using magic in the house. She got sick of finding frogs in the fridge and fish in the bathtub.”

I laugh. That sounds a lot of fun.

I try the spell again, this time managing to encourage the lightest of breezes to waft across my head.

“There!” Winnie says. “But don’t force it. Just feel it, beckon it.”

But as soon as I stop forcing it, the breeze dies away.

“A bit of practice and you’ll get it.”

“Humph,” I say, turning to find Winnie’s already dried and styled her hair.

“We’ll try again tomorrow and if you like we can go over the mind blocking again too.”

I’ve been even more hopeless at that but I appreciate all the help Winnie’s been giving me, plus the fact she’s let me borrow her cover-up and mascara every morning and shown me how to apply it.

“Would you also show me healing spells? My aunt did try to teach me those, but I’m pretty useless.”

“Probably because you have no patience.”

“Me?”

Winnie gives me a look.