Page 173 of Spark of Sorcery

She doesn’t. She holds my gaze, something steely in hers. The fear dissipated.

“I don’t know for sure. But I have my suspicions.”

“And what do you suspect?” I ask, my eyes searching hers, my fingers stroking along her jaw.

She swallows.

“I suspect, Professor, that in that lesson,” she pauses, “they discovered that my sister was special.”

It’s what she told me right from the start. It’s what she’s always said. And yet I never questioned it, never asked what she meant by that. Just dismissed her words far too easily. Because the people closest to us are always special to us, aren’t they?

But maybe that isn’t how she meant it.

“Special, how?”

“My sister could shadow weave.”

I hold her gaze, losing myself in the deep green of her eyes.

“You already knew,” I say.

She nods her head. “She showed me.” Briony closes her eyes as if she’s remembering it. “My sister could make the faintest of shadows dance across the palm of her hand. That’s all, but it meant so much to us. It was like this beacon of hope. It was our secret. We never told a soul. Not even our dad. It was going to be our ticket out of Slate – together. She planned to show them what she could do when she arrived at the academy. She believed they’d teach her how to harness her powers and then she’d be whisked away to Onyx – and she’d take me with her.” She opens her eyes and the green of her irises is so dazzling for a moment, I’m breathless. “That’s what she believed would happen. What did the book say?”

“Exactly that. During the lesson, your sister was able toweave shadows. A girl from Slate who shouldn’t have any powers at all.”

“But she did and that’s why they killed her.”

“Perhaps,” I say, and she jolts a little as if she was expecting me to argue with her.

But how can I? The trial was manipulated yet again. Once could be dismissed as a mistake. Twice a coincidence? I don’t believe in those. It looks like someone is trying to hurt Briony – and not just petty jealous students. Someone powerful. Someone like Veronica. I assumed she attacked Briony last time because she is no better than the students. Just as jealous. Just as spiteful. But now I know there is more to this story.

A lot more.

“And you?”

Her body starts to shake like before. Her words come out in a desperate rush.

“It never happened before … I didn’t know I had the power … never suspected that I could shadow weave.”

I peer towards the door. There is no one there and yet even walls can have ears.

Was I the only one who saw? Am I the only one who knows?

And if I wasn’t – if someone else saw – if Veronica saw – is Briony right? Will they come for her like they did her sister?

I lean closer, my mouth brushing against her left ear and making her shiver.

“That wasn’t shadow weaving, Miss Storm,” I tell her, my voice barely a whisper, “that was something else.”

*** End of Book 2 ***