Chapter Twelve
Selene
My phone rang and I glanced down to see a picture sent as a group message to Sydney and me from Viv.
“It looks like they’re up to no good.” Sydney laughed. “Especially at nine o’clock on a Friday night.”
Our phones chimed in unison as another message came through, asking for us to come join them in the woods behind the gym.
I sighed at the mental picture of Viv and April somewhere outside in the dark.
A relaxing night in and an evening run sounded like the small piece of therapy I needed after getting Mom back yesterday.
“Should we go?” Sydney, who was sitting on her bed, looked at me.
“No.” I hopped off my bed and started to put my sneakers on.
“No?” Sydney raised a brow.
“No. We shouldn’t,” I answered, glancing around our room.
Compared to the rest of the Academy, the dorm rooms were blander with less greenery, and unlike the library, the lights were from regular chandelier light bulbs and not hollowed-out quartz stone.
They were most likely powered by the solar panels on the garage and staff dorms. The enchanted phantom fire used as candles or inside quartz was a safe option, as it contained no heat and couldn’t cause any harm.
It was disappointing they hadn’t incorporated it into the dorm rooms.
“But we’re going?” Sydney eyed me as I stood, sneakers on.
“But we’re going.” I put my hands on my hips. “I can’t let Viv get into trouble with the guards, and if they go out farther, they might be out of range for our messages to get through.”
The real reason was that I didn’t want Viv wandering the grounds at night with just April. The academy wards were strong, but so were dark mages.
“Cool. I was getting bored of this piece.” Sydney tossed her tablet aside and hopped off her bed, revealing her drawing of a beautiful tree with red flames licking at its base.
She seemed pleased to get out of the room, and I wondered if that’s why she’d already snuck out twice this week in the middle of the night.
I didn’t bother with my jacket and headed out the door. My T-shirt and pants would suffice, though night did cool down ever so slightly. We made our way past the gym, where dark woods greeted us. My heartbeat quickened. I didn’t see them, but this was where they said they would be.
“I bet they’re goofing off with magic in the woods.” Sydney snorted as she snapped her fingers. A small trill of fire shot from her index finger and thumb like a candle, emitting a small glow around us.
Yesterday, Viv had broken down in my arms. Today, I wasn’t surprised she wanted to be adventurous. Adrenaline was a distraction.
“Alright. Let’s go.” I started toward the woods.
After a couple minutes of walking, multiple flares of light shined through the woods.
I recognized the spot as we came up on it—it was where the Halloween party had been.
Wooden chairs and logs were scattered throughout, surrounded by torches.
It was too quiet. Goosebumps rose on my arms and I knew we weren’t alone. My fists clenched—
“Surprise!” Vivian and April shouted in unison as they jumped out from behind a tree.
I lowered my arms, hiding the fact that I was on the verge of blasting them with magic. I closed my eyes to help quell my nerves, and opened them again. Other students started revealing themselves from the shadows, and somewhere, someone started playing music through a speaker.
“Happy Birthday, Sal!” Viv came up to me and gave me a hug, her familiar fresh rain scent feeling like home. “You didn’t think I would forget your seventeenth birthday, did you?”
I angled my body toward Viv in hopes of avoiding a hug from April. Guilt etched my gut but didn’t linger—I wasn’t as fit for this life as Viv.
“Did you know about this?” I asked Sydney, who glanced at the students around us.
“Actually, no.” She frowned and turned to April.
I relaxed once they started talking and the attention slowly drifted from me.
“Who are all of these people?” Honestly, I had thought Viv had forgotten about my birthday. But I didn’t mind if she had, and from the looks of it, I would have preferred it.
“Well, it started with only a couple of people … April, Denise, Joseph, and me.” Viv blushed. “Then it just kinda got big.”
“Just kinda got big?” I saw Ivy and Gwen in the distance near a newly lit fire pit, the light flickering across their faces.
“I didn’t invite them. Ivy, Gwen, and Nick came on their own accord.” Viv followed the direction of my glare. “But I did invite someone you talk to.”
Viv nodded off behind me and I turned to see Ender. Though he was talking with Nick, his gaze was on me. He casually leaned against a tree with his arms crossed, seemingly carefree, but the tapping of his finger caught my attention. That wasn’t in line with untroubled.
“Thank you, Viv.” I turned back toward her. “But you know I’d much rather spend the night in … or alone.”
“I know.” Viv frowned. “I was hoping it would help distract you and help your life be a little more teenager-like. You know, take the big sis stress load off for once.”
Ha. Sisters think alike.
“Not all teenagers like parties, and I just prefer getting the stress off differently.” I crossed my arms. “Like we used to do on our weekends—have a movie night or sit out on the beach with the stars. Go for a nice run.”
“Can I make it up to you tomorrow night with a movie?” Viv sagged her shoulders.
“Sure, but just you and me.” Even though I was slightly frustrated, I wasn’t angry. She’d tried, even if it failed. Tomorrow we would discuss boundaries with her so-called presents.
“Yes.” She nodded and her smile came back. Her gaze flicked behind me and her grin grew even more. “Time for you to broaden your horizons. Looks like you have your first guest to talk to.” She nodded behind me again, but I didn’t need to look to know who was approaching.
Viv got April and Sydney’s attention and waved to them to follow her. They both had huge smirks when they realized why they were being ushered away. It hadn’t gone unnoticed the day Ender intruded on my lunch break and sat with me outside.
“I hear a happy birthday is in order.” Ender’s deep voice sent shivers down my spine and a light scent of cedar and bergamot wrapped around me.
“Happy birthdays are never in order.” I turned to face him, and my breath hitched at his nearness. “Unbeknownst to me, I apparently have a birthday party tonight.”
“You don’t approve?” Ender gave me a one-sided grin, and I had to tell my insides to cool the random spark of heat.
“Vivian outdid herself.” I should’ve seen this coming. She’d always made our birthdays as extravagant as she could. I always thought I had everything I needed—her and Mom. She, however, had still been lonely. “She tries.”
“She cares.” He shrugged. “You look out for each other.”
I didn’t have anything to add, so I nodded awkwardly. His hands were in the pockets of his shorts—more along the line of carefree—and his finger was no longer tapping.
Ivy and Gwen started toward us and I held in a big sigh, not wanting to show Ender how much their ruses irritated me. But they didn’t stop as they neared us. Instead, Ivy gave me a curt nod and continued past us.
“That’s new,” I commented. Ivy wasn’t one to have manners, especially if I was with Ender.
“She’d probably be dead if it wasn’t for you,” Ender said. “They both would be.”
“Sure.” I wouldn’t have suspected that saving her life would’ve changed her attitude toward me. She now knew I was much more powerful than I had let on, and mages tend to either fear or crave power—or both. Her nod was more along the line of respect, which was doubtful.
“She may be evil, but she has her limits.”
I couldn’t help the awful snort-laugh that came from me. Ender raised a thick brow.
“You admitted she’s evil,” I said, trying not to laugh. “Why do you hang out with her?”
“Why save her if she only makes your life more difficult?” Ender glanced at the other students gathered around. “There’s good in almost everyone—it’s just buried. Life has a way of shaping everyone differently.”
I mulled his words over. They held some truth, but I wasn’t so sure almost cut it. More like half. It was a single dark mage that had killed Mom, but there were two other dark mages present during the attack. All three were well beyond the almost category.
Ender began tapping his finger inside his pocket as he stared off at the party. A small rush of anxiety suddenly trickled along my shoulders, causing me to rub my palms together even though my hands weren’t cold.
“Want to go for a walk?” I asked, my feet practically begging me to leave.
Ender looked over at me, his forehead creased. “Won’t you be missed at your own party?”
I looked around and found my sister and Sydney. They were with April and a couple of others, all of them laughing.
“No, I don’t think so.” I smiled. It was nice to see my sister having fun. Not to mention I was more comfortable with her being out here, especially with all these students around.
I went to turn and walk but stopped before I ran into a tall figure directly behind me—and almost into Ender’s arm, which he had held up to prevent the collision.
“David.” I greeted him as Ender lowered his arm. I hadn’t heard him come up behind me.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to alarm you.” He gave me a sympathetic smile.
“You didn’t.” He had. I needed to be more alert and hadn’t realized he had approached—I couldn’t afford to not be aware of my surroundings.
“I just wanted to say happy birthday and I’m sorry I’m late,” he said as he glanced between Ender and me. “It seems like you’re on your way out, though. I don’t mean to hold you up if that’s the case.”
“No, that’s okay.” I didn’t much care to talk with him—let alone with most anyone—but he had so far been kind to my sister and me. “Parties aren’t for me.”
“Even though this one is for you?” He laughed.
“Even more why it isn’t for me,” I said, causing him to laugh even more, and I could physically feel Ender tense next to me.
“Alright, alright.” His laughter faded. “Have you seen April? She’s upset I missed the first part of the surprise.”
“Yeah.” I pointed over my shoulder. “She’s over there.”
“Ah.” David nodded. “Thank you.”
David left, and Ender and I started walking toward a path in the woods.
“You don’t like him very much,” I said once we were out of hearing range.
“He’s alright,” Ender replied, his gaze straight forward as we walked. I wanted to ask why he had tensed during the interaction with David then, but I didn’t want to pry.
I sent a message to Viv, letting her know I was headed out, but it didn’t go through.
The music and glow from the torches faded the farther we got away from the party.
A small part of my rational reasoning screamed at me that it was a stupid idea to walk alone with a boy at night in the middle of the woods—I should’ve at least turned around and told Viv or Sydney.
I went anyway.