Page 15 of Sun and Stone (Elementally Yours #5)

15. Kenny Loggins Sucks

This can't be happening.

Fynn's hand is steady on my shoulder as he guides me into the car. I barely notice the world around me, my mind a jumble of confusion after the magical side effect I just experienced.

This can't be happening. But it is. I'm in The Danger Zone. The song may be catchy, but the Danger Zone sucks. Kenny Loggins Sucks.

I knew this was coming with the fatigue and how the magic feels farther away and harder to hold onto. I guess I hoped it would stay just ahead in the distance, close but not too close.

The city lights blur past as Fynn drives. I stare blankly ahead, trying to process everything that's happened. My time is running out to become a rockbrand wizard. The thought makes my chest tighten.

Pulling up to my crappy apartment building and getting us out of the car is all Fynn's doing. He puts a hand on the small of my back and slowly but surely gets us into my apartment while I'm practically dead-weight.

"Per, where's your key? Oh, thank you."

As we step into the familiar confines of my tiny place, I'm struck by how surreal it all feels.

What the hell do I do now?

"It's going to be okay, Perry," Fynn says. "You're not alone."

I nod, letting him know I heard him. I want to believe him, but okay feels like a very far away place right now. I have no idea how to get there from here.

Fynn's hand comes up to cup my cheek, his thumb brushing gently across my skin. The simple touch is grounding. His hand feels warm, those bright green eyes soft and supportive. I lean into him, and he wraps his arms around me.

"I'm here for you, Perry," he whispers against my ear. "I'll stay the night. I'm not going anywhere."

I cling to him, grateful he's here to comfort me and take care of me since I'm useless right now.

"Go to bed, okay?" he instructs gently, putting some space between us. "I'll bring you a cup of tea in a minute. Just try to relax."

He seems to have everything under control, so I nod and head into my bedroom.

As I collapse onto my bed, I let out a shaky sigh. Burying myself under the covers and sleeping for a few days is tempting… but there's something I need to take care of first.

Pulling my phone from my pocket, I stare at the blank screen for a long moment. Part of me feels like I'm signing my own arrest warrant, but it has to be done. I send an email to the magical testing office, informing them of my entry into the dreaded Danger Zone.

Fatigue, sluggishness, finding it harder to direct and control magic, and handful of other symptoms signal the approaching end. Then comes the Danger Zone and magical side effects. Prolonging this stage helps keep away The Point of No Return when a caster's primary token breaks. That’s when regular magic usage stops, and the only thing left before the end is one last Hail Mary.

But I'm only circling the drain, not totally boned yet. I send a message to both of the testers I worked with recently, but the man replies first. He tells me not to cast any more magic for the night and that he'll call in the morning to set up an appointment.

Okay. I can handle that. Not really in the mood to cast anyway and I'm glad I don't need to go in immediately. Maybe I'll be able to face this in the morning.

In fact, going to the testing office will be a good thing, for the first time ever. Or at least… a not as bad thing. Because now that I officially entered The Danger Zone, I can take potions.

This is good, no matter how scary it feels. I followed the rules, reported my symptoms, and now I'll receive a sustaining potion as a reward. Some casters last for years in this situation with the help of the potions that only the testers know how to make.

Others… aren't so lucky. But at least there's some hope.

The emotional rollercoaster of the day has left me drained. It takes a while before I register that Fynn seems to be taking a while in the kitchen. Come to think of it, I'm not even sure I have any tea. I should probably go help him.

As I approach the kitchen, I stop dead in my tracks. A blinding light comes from inside, and I shield my eyes. The light sputters and goes out a few seconds later.

I approach the kitchen, finding Fynn staring frozen into an open cupboard.

"Can't find the tea?"

Fynn turns, his face ashen and his eyes wide. His usual sunny disposition is gone. “Couldn’t find tea. Your cupboard is a mess. And dark, so I used my powers for more light and… and…”

I reach out and grab his hand. "It's okay. Take a breath."

He looks at me. "I'm sorry about your kitchen."

What? Not really what I expected to hear—my eyes scan the kitchen and see what he's talking about. The light didn't just illuminate the surroundings, it came with heat too. Apparently, Fynn's magic glowed intensely enough to give the walls and everything in my kitchen a second-degree burn. The fridge the cabinets, it's all a few shades darker. An area by the doorway about a foot long wasn't burned, and it's easy to see the difference between the old color on the wall and the darker shade.

No way I'm getting my security deposit back now. Good thing I only care about him.

Fynn's shaking. I've never seen him like this before. He holds up a hand, clutching his sun token. A jagged crack runs right through the center, splitting the sun in two.

“Oh my god,” I gasp.

"I... I reached the Point of No Return," he whispers.

No. He just got his magic back. And now he's at the end of the road.

~

Fynn and I spend a lot of time in bed over the next few days. Unfortunately, it’s not the fun kind of time in bed that comes with a new relationship. We sleep and hide from the world, not ready to face what’s out there.

But we still need to eat. I drag myself out of bed to get the delivery someone just dropped off at the door. While I collect the Chinese takeout, I check my phone.

Argyle: Have you been out of your apartment in the last 72 hours?

Perry: Yes?

That seems like the answer he wants and surely I’ve done something other than wallow in bed over the past few days… Wait, yes, I did go the mailboxes.

Perry: Yes! I took a walk.

Argyle: Did you actually take a walk or just go to get the mail?

Dammit.

Argyle: What if we go out this weekend? You, me, Liam, and our boyfriends. We’re all excited to meet Fynn.

I bring the food back to the bedroom, where Fynn is just sitting up and yawning. His hair is mussed from sleeping, and he looks exhausted with dark circles under his eyes. I feel the same, sluggish and drained, even though we haven't been doing much beyond sleeping and occasionally watching something.

We divvy up the food and he looks into the takeout bag. "No egg drop soup?"

"No soup in bed."

"Good call."

I pass Fynn an egg roll.

Usually, I love shrimp fried rice. The comfort food just isn’t doing the trick tonight. I take a few more bites just to put some food in my stomach and then set it down on the bedside table.

When it looks like he’s staring into space thinking some unpleasant thought, I press my leg against his and nudge him, reminding him he’s not alone.

Fynn sighs and puts rests his head on my shoulder.

"My friends want to meet you," I say.

"Now?" he asks, sounding apprehensive.

"Not right now, but soon. They correctly assumed we might need to get out of bed."

"Okay, busted there," he admits with a groan. "But these are your best friends. I'm not sure I'll make a great impression right now."

"You already met Liam and Argyle will understand if you aren’t your normally—” don’t say sunny “—cheery self. He’ll love you, so don’t worry."

Fynn picks at his lo mein noodles as he thinks about it. "Yeah, we should set something up. I need to get back to work soon anyway."

"We need to get out of bed and go on with our lives, don't we?"

"Afraid so," he says.

"That sucks," I reply.

"Yeah, but we don't have to face any of that until tomorrow."

"Brilliant."

Hiding from the world for a few more days tempts me, but Fynn and I manage to crawl out of bed the next morning and get through the week.

A new part of my routine involves visiting the testing center for my potion.

I take the small vial from the male tester's hand, eyeing the murky green liquid inside with trepidation. Holding my breath, I tip it back and swallow it down in one gulp. It's thick and gritty, leaving an unpleasant aftertaste on my tongue.

"It's bad," the tester agrees, his thick mustache twitching as he speaks. "But not as bad as tofu. My partner has me eating vegan to lower my cholesterol."

I manage a weak chuckle, though my heart isn’t in it. This potion is meant to stabilize my powers, to give me a fighting chance at earning my brand. If I don't, I'll be cut off from magic forever.

The prospect makes going to class seem somewhat pointless, but I stick to my routine and keep attending for the time being.

When I have a break for lunch one afternoon, Fynn’s waiting for me outside on the quad. Sitting cross-legged on a patch of grass without any shade, the light shines right down on him as he soaks up the sun's rays.

Sunbathing. There’s nothing magical about it but he looks content. Fynn can’t do any magic at all right now. At The Point of No Return, all casting stops and strong potions are given to fortify a caster as much as possible. A temporary token is issued, but it isn’t like the others. It’s a single serving, one use only.

He’ll have one last chance, one last act of magic, then he’ll either brand or be bound.

“You look comfortable,” I say, standing by his side so to avoid casting a shadow over him and blocking the light.

“I am, but I’m also hungry.”

He raises his arm, and I grab on and help pull him to his feet.

“While we’re here, I do know a lot of the professors. If you want, I’ll introduce you to the woman who teaches sun magic—"

Fynn shakes his head. “What’s the point? I can’t cast, and I doubt some last-minute pointers will help.”

“Well, it won’t do any harm.”

He opted against going back to school when trying for magic again. Didn't want to quit his job when he had a list of clients lined up.

"Nope," he says, taking my hand. "We said we were going to lunch and that's what we're going to do."

He’s the one bright spot in all of this. I’m lucky to have him with me as we go through this together.

We thought we met at the wrong time but maybe we met right when we were supposed to because I don’t know how I could get through this without him. Our time with magic may be coming to an end, yet our time together is just beginning.