Page 97 of Spark of Sorcery

Briony

With half of the shadow weavers gone, the atmosphere in the academy changes dramatically.

It’s as if the tension hovering around the campus dissipates slightly. People walk with their heads held a little higher, their shoulders a little lighter. They’re freer with their words and with their actions. Even the teachers seem a little more relaxed.

The academy plods along without them and we could almost fool ourselves into believing they were never here in the first place.

Except they were. And I catch myself looking for Dray in my lessons before I remember he’s not there, or searching for Thorne out on the field. Several times I even find my feet carrying me towards their tower only to find it empty.

It’s crazy how quickly three people caninfiltrate your life like that. How used you can become to having them around. The days seem a little grayer without them, a little longer. But the days keep coming, keep passing by. One day, two days, three days, a week …

Luckily, I also have a lot more time on my hands. Time I can spend caring for Blaze, wondering what the hell that was with Fox, and reading through the books with Clare. Apart from that mention of the kid who was banished, we’ve found nothing else of interest or of help. It’s frustrating and as the days drag on, I start to feel more and more irritable.

“Jeez, someone is miserable as fuck,” Fly says over dinner, when I snap at him to pass the salt. “Those Princes can’t return soon enough, Cupcake. Someone needs to get laid.”

“It’s not that,” I say, shaking salt aggressively over my food. “We’re not making any progress with my sister.”

“Uh huh,” Fly nods, “sure that’s the reason.”

Maybe I do miss them a little? After years of no one caring for me, touching me, loving me, perhaps I was starting to get used to it. Even greedy for it. Shit, a few heady orgasms and I’m as good as an addict.

“I’m reading as fast as I can,” Clare protests.

“I know me too. It’s just frustrating that we haven’t found anything.”

“We can spend tonight going through the books some more if you like,” Clare says. “The next trial is a while away still and maybe if we combine what we’ve learned so far something might pop up.”

“Thanks, Clare,” I say, trying my best to smother my frustration. It’s not my friend’s fault we haven’t got anywhere. If anything it’s my own – what with the princes and now a baby dragon. But she’s right, maybe a bit ofbrainstorming might help us. “I have to pop back to my room for a bit, but then I’ll be over,” I tell her, earning another suspicious look from Fly who can’t understand my sudden willingness to want to spend time in my horrible room.

Maybe because I don’t want to keep my friends waiting, but I hurry back from the forest after playtime with Blaze later that evening and must not take my usual care, because there waiting for me as I step off the field and onto the path is Odessa.

She’s wearing a fur-lined coat with matching hat and muff. If I didn’t know she was from Iron, I’d assume she was a shadow weaver. Okay, she doesn’t have the magical aura about her but she most certainly has the clothes. I curl my toes inside my worn boots and hug Blaze more tightly to me inside Clare’s old winter coat. I also pretend I haven’t seen her. I don’t want an altercation, or even a brief conversation right now. My friends are waiting for me and I’m not sure how long I can keep the dragon inside my coat from wriggling and giving me away.

However, Odessa is determined to catch my attention, stepping right into my path as I try to avoid her. My heartbeat starts to thump inside my chest. Odessa would be probably the worst person in the world to discover my secret. The absolute worse. Anyone else I might be able to reason with, or influence. Potentially even bribe. I won’t be able to do any of those things with Odessa.

Maybe Blaze senses my apprehension, because he remains completely motionless as Odessa eyes me.

Please don’t notice the odd-shaped nature of my coat! Please don’t notice. Please just dismiss it as crappy Slate fashion!

“What are you doing sneaking around in the forest, Slate slut?”

I try my best to calm my nerves, glowering at her with my chin raised. If I come across all meek and passive now, she’ll definitely know something’s up.

“I wasn’t sneaking around.”

“You don’t even have a light.”

I narrow my eyes at her. “Neither do you. Areyousneaking about?”

She snorts. “As if! I’m on my way to have tea with some of the shadow weaver girls who didn’t go off on the training expedition.”

She swishes her hair like this is the greatest honor ever awarded anyone in the history of the realm. Like she’s going for tea with the Empress in the actual palace.

“Sounds lovely,” I say, with a ton of sarcasm and my biggest fake smile. Which is probably dumb considering I shouldn’t be provoking her if I want this conversation to end quickly.

She ignores my tone, swishing her hair the other way. “Kratos and the boys were keen to see I was well looked after while they were away. They asked the girls to take care of me and I’ve made quite an impression.”

“I bet you have.”