Chapter 5 Cayden #3
I blinked repeatedly, trying to figure out if she understood what she had said, while Seth’s cheeks turned pink. The urge to punch him again filled my fists, and I messed up my rune.
“Ah, I did. My Majekah only manifests if I trace something with curves, hence the tattoos,” Seth said, keeping the conversation clean. “How does your Majekah work?”
Quinn’s shoulders fell. “Honestly, I’ve spent most of my life trying not to make it work.” She clasped her hands together. “If I try, I might black out and wake up in a new scenario. So far, this one’s been frustrating, but not so bad.”
Black out. The words echoed in my head, along with her jumble of crazy. My body moved before my brain could stop it. I shoved the Wundarboard into Seth’s hands and scooted Quinn over, so I stood between her and Seth.
A sudden urge to hold her rushed through me, but I kept my hands to myself. “Blackouts happen when there’s too much buildup.”
I glanced at Seth, glaring daggers at me, then at Winston watching us.
I itched to draw runes that would make my words audible only to Quinn, but the moment I cast, I had no doubt my time in the Architect’s ranks would be over.
I didn’t know if I wanted to be here, but I wasn’t willing to go back to my compound and face my past.
“I had blackouts as a kid, too,” I said softly. “Magic needs to flow and move. When was the last time you used magic? Specifically, your Majekah?”
Quinn bit the side of her cheek. “A few days ago, I think.”
“A few days ago?” My eyes flew wide. “Is that just your Majekah?”
She shook her head.
My jaw dropped. “You should be using magic constantly. Everything’s powered by magic, by us. You power the lock to your room. Surely, you opened and closed your door.”
“Oh, right, I did.” Quinn furrowed her eyebrow. “But I put my hand on it, and it opened. I didn’t do anything.”
I took a calming breath, trying to decide if she was honestly clueless or messing with me again. She didn’t twirl her finger in her hair this time.
“If it’s the same as my door. Then it’s designed to take what it needs automatically.” I rubbed my face. “You should be sending your magic all over the place. It keeps you warm. It’s how you create light in the cauldrons and the heat cone… and cook in your kitchen.”
Quinn pursed her lips.
We both turned our attention to the Wundarboard, which was currently smoking. Tendrils of Seth’s magic flew out of the top in the shape of birds. A check mark appeared on our second-to-last task.
“I’ll figure this out,” Quinn said quietly.
I, as in, on her own.
My stomach twisted.
For the first time in my life, I was on my own. I was smart, capable, and better than most of the people here, but underneath all of that, I was also terrified.
A sudden need to hold her and be held overwhelmed me.
I crossed my arms to keep from moving. My daughter…
no. I cut off the memory before her tiny infant body could haunt me.
When I lost my child, I lost my faith, which had been my world.
I blindly and willingly followed my Prophet and walked in the Sun God’s light.
Every action I took was right because it was his will.
Who was I without his love guiding me?
I glared at Quinn as if she alone was responsible for everything before turning my focus back to the list and our final task. After reading the directions twice, I groaned, having no idea where to start.
Quinn took the list from me, and her fingers brushed mine, sending tingles down my arm.
“Fill the Wundarboard with the fifth element,” she read out loud.
“I thought there was no fifth element,” Seth said. “Magic replaced fire. I guess my gran always said it was spirit or maybe death?”
Death.
I pulled the Wundarboard out of Seth’s hands and glared at it, only to see my angry eyes glaring right back at me.
My slicked-back hair, smooth jawline, and crisp clothing covered in wealth showed the world exactly who I should be.
Who I should want to be, the face in the reflection dissolved into a lost mess, but my mask of indifference remained.
Quinn tugged the board out of my hands. “Didn’t you say magic is subjective? Does it matter what it is? Or are they testing for what we think it is?”
My heart thumped in my chest, an idiot, or possibly the smartest of all of us.
“Smart.” Seth stepped toward her again.
No. I was absolutely not having it. Quinn hadn’t moved toward Seth once since we started working together.
She hadn’t returned his attention, and she didn’t want it.
I slipped in front of her, making sure I could still see her out of the corner of my eye, and let every shred of my confused emotions mix into a big pot of raw anger.
“She’s not interested,” I said, my voice barely audible.
Seth set two fingers along one of the tattoos on his forearm and slid into a fighting stance.
Quinn was a baby lamb, and Seth was a wolf.
We squared up, my fingers already casting while his tattoos glowed. A fight is exactly what I needed right now. An enemy, something I could destroy.
Fuck trying to make allies.
Every person in the courtyard turned to us as we prepared to launch at each other.
Completely clueless, Quinn closed her eyes.
Her adorable face scrunched up again. Something pulled at my magic as if a child pulling on their parents’ coats to get their attention.
Before I could give it, Seth’s ribbons of power launched toward me.
White runes tattooed on key points of my joints activated with his assault.
Shields of power burst to life, ripping through my shirt and defending me.
I brought up my hands and shoved the rune I’d completed forward.
Seth’s ribbon bounced off my shields and ricocheted onto the grass, making tufts burst and fly into the air. My first rune collided with his stomach. He doubled over, but not before one of his ribbons snaked behind me, tying my other hand, still holding an unfired rune, to my leg.
I cursed and flung myself forward. My fist impacted his face, breaking his nose with a satisfying crack.
His magic, tying my arm down, loosened. I pulled my arm out.
The rune I’d drawn with my second hand was another ranged blast of force.
Instead of using it, I punched his face again.
I didn’t need magic to kick the shit out of this asshole. My fists would be enough.
Someone grabbed my shoulders, pulling me back. When that didn’t work, two more people grabbed my arms, pulling me off Seth.
“You are family!” Winston stepped between us, and I shook off the men holding me back, glaring at the world. “You have power placement in an hour. I suggest you leave each other alone and prepare for it.”
I turned to find Quinn gone. The Wundarboard and easel lay in the grass, a ruin of metal and scraps.