50. Mavrik
Mavrik
The Perks of Chasing Fireflies
My fingers trace my lips as I stare at her door.
Thea kissed me.
I had not expected that. I’d heard kisses described as fireworks or dancing tongues. Either those people were doing it wrong or this kiss was — well, fuck, it was astounding. Dizzying at first, like I had no air to breathe, then the world reoriented itself.
When I opened my eyes and looked at the new center of gravity, she cried.
My footsteps echo loudly up the stairs and I walk in a daze to my room. My bed squeaks as I collapse onto it.
It wasn’t my fault.
She kissed me.
Right? She did kiss me first.
Yes, she had to. She turned my face. I don’t remember anything after that.
Was she just… No. She was crying because I’m not who she’s looking for.
The banshee.
A matter of life and death.
Is that why she trains so hard?
Is she being chased by this banshee? Has one already keened for her?
No.
She wouldn’t kiss someone she thinks will kill her.
And that kiss.
But still she cried.
The alarm on my phone rings out. Time to go train with Thea.
I don’t think she’s going.
Still I change and run to the training grounds. Keeping myself busy as the time of her arrival comes and goes. After spending nearly my entire existence training alone, I seem to have forgotten how. After less than ten minutes, I’m bored.
After an hour of a lot of waiting and not much exercising, I head to the cafeteria.
They have fish and chips today and I eat a few bites as I wait to pay.
My mother’s family is from England and we usually spend a month there each summer.
The coven house is amazing with huge lands, and I used to love exploring the woods.
Until the Briarhold Massacre cursed me.
That’s the real secret of my shadows.
I follow them as they swarm excitedly around Thea’s seat, as if checking in each corner to see if she’s hiding there. When I sit down they reluctantly return to my side of the booth.
The fish and chips don’t taste as good as I’d expected. Bland.
I must lose track of time because my food is cold and I hear Zair’s voice. My watch says it’s almost nine. Without waiting for them to see me, I toss my food and head to my dorm. As soon as I’m ready for bed the shadows start yanking.
“No.”
They swarm around me angrily then yank again.
“She doesn’t want to be around me,” I tell them as I slip on my shoes and follow them anyways.
Thankfully they don’t press, letting me sink into the shadows by the stairs and watch her door.
I barely get any sleep before it’s morning and time to go get ready.
I meet up with Zair as we walk towards Thea’s dorm.
Thankfully he isn’t a morning person so doesn’t seem to notice my mood.
He does notice hers.
Her eyes are bloodshot and puffy, like she’d cried all night. She doesn’t talk as we walk and he keeps glancing over to check on her. The only reason I notice is because I’m doing the same thing.
Was the kiss that bad?
No. Stop making it about yourself Mavrik.
After warmups, I decide to make myself scarce anyway and head to train with Bernard.
His hyena loves to chase my shadows and Bernard hates it because whenever we fight he’s of two minds.
Which is why he loves to fight me, because it makes him work on something he doesn’t normally have to fight with.
When I take off my jacket, Bernard’s eyes get huge.
“What’s that?” He points to my arm.
My brand. What the hell?
“Shit, it’s not what you think,” I lie. “I gotta go.”
I run from the gym and pull out my phone. My father doesn’t answer. Neither does my mom. I’m already on the nightblind side of the school, so I race to Mavis’ dorm. Trying to keep calm as she answers the door. She looks a mess, hair sticking up in places it shouldn’t.
“What do you want?” she snaps as a greeting.
“I think something happened to Father,” I explain and show her my brand.
“The illusion is gone?”
“Yes!” I practically shout. She grabs my arm and pulls me into her room. Moving with an urgency now. The only way that the illusion hiding my brand could fail is if he was dead.
She calls him twice. The worry evident on her face when she looks at me.
“It’s early, maybe they’re asleep.”
“Caelum wakes up early,” I suggest. “Do you have his number?”
“No, but I have the maids!” She dials quickly.
“Amelia,” Mavis greets. “I need you to go check on my parents, they aren’t answering.”
We both wait, ears pressed as close to the phone as is possible without us touching. The knock sounds.
“Mr. Merritt,” Amelia calls out.
“What?” Father yells out and I let out a breath of relief. I don’t listen as she explains and then as Mavis talks to him. When the phone is passed to me I brace myself.
“The illusion is gone?” he asks like that wasn’t the whole reason we called.
“Yes.”
“Did anyone see it?” The important question, concealment.
“A shifter in combat,” he growls under his breath.
“Do you think he’ll talk?” Father asks.
“No, he’s a werehyena, they’re death adjacent,” I explain.
“Good. I don’t know when I can get there to cast a new spell. If I skip my meeting this morning I can drive up.”
The scythe brand stares at me from my wrist. I pull on my rarely used magic and hide it.
“I did it,” I tell him. “We only called because we were worried something happened.”
“Are you sure, illusions aren’t your specialty and that one took a lot of work to hide.”
“I can cast them on myself fine.”
“Alright, well good. I really can’t miss that meeting.” It almost sounds like care. “I’ll cast a new one over Thanksgiving anyways.”
He hangs up with a goodbye for Mavis. We stand staring at each other for a few moments until her alarm sounds.
Without a word, I let myself out and head to my dorm. When I get in the shower, I drop the illusion.
I always liked the brand. The shadows did too. They’re why my father struggles so much with the illusion charm. Because in my heart I don’t want it hidden.
It means I got a second shot.
I used to think that I’d wasted it. Twenty one and can barely talk to people. Never kissed someone.
Until Thea.
She makes me feel alive.
But she isn’t. She moves through the day like a zombie. Zair adds me to a group chat with Benson and Dylan as we keep an eye on her all day. She spends Misfits staring at a wall before leaving and walking straight to her dorm. No stop for food. No going to the library.
I’m just sliding down the wall outside her door when she cracks it open. I wait but nothing happens. Standing, I step inside. She’s laying on her bed, staring at the tallies on her wall. I shut and lock the door before leaning against it.
“Sorry I didn’t let you in last night.”
“Don’t—”
“No, I need to say this,” she interrupts. “I’m disappointed that you’re not him. Because he’d show up and sleep outside my door just to make sure I’m okay.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
She starts crying and I cautiously approach, wrapping my arms around her as she falls apart.
“I’ll always be here for you,” I promise. “Did you know fireflies dim during times of trouble, then come back and shine brighter.”
She cries harder, cuddling against me until the tears become sleep.