Chapter 9 #2
He bounced between all of the groups, instructing them how to harness their magic, and suggesting a few simple maneuvers they could try. I was last, which made sense for obvious reasons. When he finally approached me, he jumped right into business.
“I am assuming you have no ideas regarding what your powers may be?”
I tossed my head side to side.
He sighed in discontent. “I was hoping some indication of your gift may have manifested itself to you in passing, but that was a slim chance. It's difficult to harness magic when you don't know what your magic is.” He clapped his hands together. “Here is what we are going to do, Maeve.”
Professor Stoll had me spend the morning rotating between groups, trying to wield the power of each god in the rare chance that mine manifested from attempting the others. Much to his dismay, it did not.
It turned out to be a good thing that we practiced outdoors.
A boy from Emrys' group accidentally lit another student’s hair on fire.
She suffered minor burns, which the healers were able to practice their magic on.
Most of the class was able to harness the basics of their power by using their minds and palms to exteriorize their gift.
And no one ended up dead, so that was a plus.
I left feeling discouraged with my failed attempt at discovering my power.
I would be lying if I said that I didn't feel left out, but my magic would announce itself within time.
I wouldn't see Professor Stoll again until later in the week, so hopefully by then I would have something to show him.
And honestly, the longer it took for my magic to manifest, the antsier King Hawthorne would become, which brought me an immense amount of joy.
There was a midday break during which Pia and I enjoyed each other's company under a juniper tree.
She was rambling enthusiastically about how amazing it felt to have her magic rush through her when a shadow darkened my vision.
Pia raised her eyes to the person standing above me.
I rotated my head slightly to see who it was, then rolled my eyes and turned away from him.
“What do you want?” I asked Sebastian while taking another bite of my sandwich, trying to disregard his presence.
Sebastian stepped around me and squatted down so that I was forced to look at him. “Pia, would you excuse us for a moment?” he asked without breaking his gaze from me.
She gathered her belongings a little too quickly. “I'll meet you at Kingdom History,” she said to me before scurrying off.
I tried to appear carefree about the presence of the large man crouching before me, but the intimidation in his features was enough to throw my body off center.
His eyes were glued to mine, and I held the stare as I grabbed an apple from my rucksack.
I raised it to my lips to take a bite, but Sebastian took the fruit from my hands, biting it himself before handing it back to me.
Scowling, I took it back, but let it fall from my hand and onto the grass.
The shades of blue in his eyes glistened in response to the midsummer sun as he glanced down at the fruit. His dark hair laid messily upon his head, and the fitted shirt he wore left no room for imagination—I could see every curve of his toned arm muscles.
As he raised his head, my stomach fluttered, my blood rushing to my cheeks. I may have despised him, but he still affected my body in mysterious ways.
“What do you want?” I repeated myself, remembering my anger.
Sebastian released a deep breath as he leaned his back against the trunk of the tree and sat down. “First of all, I told you that I would meet you outside after your class,” he said, lifting one dark eyebrow in suspicion.
“We are outside,” I said.
He raised his other brow. “Not what I meant.”
I shrugged. “You should have been more clear.”
Sebastian ground his jaw and fidgeted his back against the tree. “Also I wanted to explain myself. The other night—”
I didn't allow him to finish. I was still pissed about that. “I don't care to hear your explanations, Sebastian.”
“I know you don't care, but please just let me—”
“No!” I jumped to my feet. “No. You can't possibly explain, because there's no reason good enough for why you couldn't have warned me about the gala.
And you can tell me all you want that the way I feel isn't a big deal, but you don't know what goes on inside of my brain—it makes everything so much worse than it really is,” I ended my sentence in a whisper.
Sebastian rose to his feet as well, keeping his eyes locked on me. I didn't know where my confession came from, but I found myself wishing it had stayed inside.
“I'm sorry for saying that it wasn't a big deal.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “And I may not know exactly what you're going through, but trust me when I say that I understand what it's like to be trapped in your own head.”
“Oh, please.” I shook my head dismissively.
“I'm serious.”
“Are you really trying to compare yourself to me? You don't have any idea about what I've been dealing with, and as far as I’m concerned, you never will. So as I said, save your damn explanations, I don't want to hear them.” I crossed my arms over my chest.
We stared at each other. And then the asshole smiled.
He fucking smiled.
My mouth dropped open and my hands fell to my hips. “What?”
Sebastian looked up and shook his head, biting his lip to prevent a laugh.
I repeated myself in a growl. “What?”
He dropped his gaze, still shaking his head. “I just can't believe I have to put up with this shit for two fucking years.”
My fists clenched, and I suddenly felt no shame in admitting to him the hatred that lived inside of me. I was pissed, and he was going to be my outlet.
“You and I both. And while we're being honest, I have a few things I’d like to get off my chest.” I paused to suck in a much needed breath.
“The way your father forces the gifted to be a weapon of war makes me sick. The way he only sees me as his asset is disgusting,” I snarled at him, taking a step forward and shoving him into the tree out of pure outrage.
He could have very easily fought back—his size compared to mine was to his benefit, but he stayed calm and allowed me to blow my temper.
“The way you knew he was going to put me on the spot like that at the gala, but couldn't even warn me about it because you were what, grumpy? Pretty immature, if you ask me.” I jammed a finger into his chest. “Lastly, the way you just do whatever Daddy tells you is ridiculous.
You're his son—you must have a say in how the kingdom is run. You must have a say in all of this!” My arms flew up as I shouted the words in his face.
Sebastian's mouth drooped into a frown and his whole demeanor switched. “That's where you're wrong,” he whispered, backing away from me. “I have never had a say about anything in my fucking life.” He tucked his hands into his pockets and walked away.