by Katie Dunn
At that moment, our pizzas arrived, and we fell into silence. Marion and Devon talked quietly to each other. Harvey looked uncomfortable but Tam didn’t seem to notice as she flirted with him. Elliot seemed tense and quiet, so I didn’t know whether he was open to conversation or not. Since he was the only other person I could talk to without interrupting another conversation I decided to give it a shot.
“What is your problem with water myths?” I asked wanting to know the history behind the feud. Elliot scowled at his pizza and I waved my hands at him, wanting to reassure him that he didn’t have to answer. “You don’t have to explain, it’s none of my business. Sorry I asked.” I took a bite of my pizza, trying to show him it was no big deal.
Elliot sighed, and his scowl was replaced with resignation. “No, I’m sorry. It is well known that water and fire myths don’t get along because we are natural opposites. However, my feud is not with all water myths, just Laneli.”
I remembered Marion mentioning water and fire were natural opposites and I also figured his feud was with Laneli, but why?
“Her and her friends have no qualms about controlling people with their songs, and one time it got way out of hand. She made my best friend betray me and end up getting expelled. There was no evidence of enchantment, so my friend took the fall. I know it was her though, and I have been fighting her ever since.”
Anger rose up inside me. I had only been there a week and already I had seen Laneli’s mistreatment of people and power. “Why doesn’t she get expelled? I saw what she did to Ian but all they did was put a guard to watch her.”
Elliot shook his head, the same anger I was feeling showing on his face. “Her mom works at the school so she gets away with more than she should.”
I sat back in shock. Her mom works at the school. Well, that explains why she keeps getting chances to redeem herself. I looked to Elliot and saw sadness under his anger. I laid a hand on his arm causing him to look into my blue eyes and see the sincerity in them.
“Just know that I will never use my siren abilities for personal gain. I’m sorry about your friend.”
Elliot nodded. “Thanks. I trust you. Especially after what you did for Ian.”
We stared at each other a moment longer, heat seeming to rise between us. A look of confusion and desire shown in his copper eyes and I was sure an answering look shown within my gaze. He leaned forward a little and my breath caught. What was he doing? Was I ready for this? I barely knew him, yet I feel like I have always known him. The sound of metal crashing on the table ruined the moment and I looked over to see Marion looking guiltily at the pizza pan that she bumped. I sat back and nervously bit into my pizza, hoping my cheeks were not flaming.
If there was anything I took away from the night, it was that I knew I should never listen to rumors. That and the fact that I now had a crush on a certain dragon blessed. Rumors twisted the truth and did more harm than good. It was always good to go directly to the person being talked about to find out the truth or ignore the rumor. Now that I understood Elliot more and realized his feud had more meaning than just water versus fire, I wondered what the truth was behind the
rumors about Harvey.
Chapter 8
Heating Things Up
I was glad I invited Harvey and Elliot to dinner, and that Tamara could join us. I told her to bring Rae next time so we could have a girl’s night out. Panda was not happy when we returned and since that night, she had been determined to follow me wherever I went. For the rest of the weekend, I ended up relaxing and finding out how to feed Panda and how to stop her from following me to the bathroom. Now, the weekend was over, and I was back to having to worry about school.
Myth history was officially my favorite class. I had learned more about different kinds of water mythological beings than ever before. We were still on the water unit and today we finally talked about sirens.
“Sirens in the earliest mythology were depicted as having the body of a bird and the head of a woman. Over time, those depictions changed but usually, the being was always part bird, part woman,” Mr. Jamens began. “Some myths describe sirens as half human, half fish, almost like a mermaid. No matter what the physical description was, one thing was always consistent. Sirens had the ability to lure humans to their deaths by enchanting them with their singing.”
I received some stares from my peers, but I ignored them. I did not have to follow the siren path of leading people to their deaths. I tried picturing what a bird woman would look like. All I could think about was a chicken with a human head. I looked down to my baby goat lying near my seat. If birds were a big part of sirens, then why was my familiar a goat? The other form of a siren, an enchanting half woman half fish seemed to ring truer in my mind. A flashback to Hawaii came unbidden to mind. I was seventy percent sure I saw a flash of scales when I was being tossed around in the water. However, that still did not explain the goat.
Mr. Jamens continued his lecture by discussing the stories of sirens with Demeter, Odyssey, and the Muses. I took tons of notes and found myself picturing all the stories in my mind. Myth History was the only class that seemed to fly by. The next three classes were slow and boring, but I got through them until finally it was lunch time.
My favorite time.
I was now knowledgeable of the layout of the school, so I was able to make my way to the cafeteria efficiently. Our usual table was empty when I arrived, so I grabbed some food and sat down, feeding pieces of a sandwich to Panda while I waited for Marion and Devon. My phone buzzed as I was searching the room for my friends. I sighed when I saw the message.
Hey, I’m going to eat in the library today. Gotta study! -Marion.
Well, I guess I will eat alone then. I hated eating alone. As if summoned by my thoughts, a tray dropped onto the table next to mine causing me to jump and place a hand over my heart. I looked up to see shoulder length dark hair and dark eyes.
“May I join you?” Harvey asked.
I gestured to the empty table letting him know it was open and he could sit. Harvey sat across from me and pulled his tray closer. He ripped off a piece of tomato from his burger and leaned down under the table to feed it to Panda. I smiled at the sweetness of his action even though Panda didn’t need any more food.
We ate in silence for a few minutes and I couldn’t tell if it was comfortable or awkward. Harvey picked at his food and fidgeted with the tray. He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, looking as if he wanted to talk but couldn’t find the words.
After the third time of opening and closing his mouth I spoke up to encourage him, “What’s on your mind, Harvey?”
“There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you.” He fidgeted with the tray some more, avoiding my eyes.
My heart started racing in dread and anticipation. It sounded as if he was about to ask me out, but I did not want him to. Harvey had been turning out to be quite sweet and not at all scary like the rumors kept saying. He was handsome in a way that I was not used to seeing and seemed to like hanging out with me and my friends. However, I didn’t think I would ever want to be more than friends.
“Har-” I started to say in a soft voice to let him down easy, but his next words stopped me.
“I was wondering if your friend has asked about me.” Harvey looked nervously at me.
My brows drew together, as I tried to figure out what he was talking about. “My friend?”
Harvey’s cheeks reddened leaving a bright splash of color against his dark clothing. “Um, yeah, the one from the other night. Tamara.”
A slow smile spread across my face until I was grinning crazily at him. “Oh. My. Gosh. You have a crush on Tam?”
Harvey looked around to see if anyone heard me. “Um, I wouldn’t say that. Never mind about it.” He grabbed his tray and stood.
I put my hand on top of his to stop him from leaving. “No, no it’s okay. I won’t tell anyone. I haven’t really talked to her since that night.” I tried making eye contact, but
he avoided my gaze. “I could find out how she feels if you want.”
Harvey took a moment to think about it. He sat back down and bit into his burger. I waited patiently for him to give me an answer as I ate. Finally, he met my eyes. “Sure. Just don’t tell her what I said. Recon only, ok?”
I mock saluted him. “Yes, sir.”
His nervous expression was replaced by a smile at my silliness. I was glad we had something to keep us friends and not make things awkward. We ate the rest of our lunch then dropped off our trays and left the cafeteria together but separated at the end of the hall to go to our classes.
I arrived at gym, receiving the usual judging stare from the coach for arriving one minute before class started. It wasn’t my fault that class started exactly five minutes after lunch or that the outside gym area was across campus from the cafeteria. Thankfully, I was never the one to receive the full display of a judging stare and tapping of the watch because Elliot always arrived after me.
Elliot came to stand beside me and this time I didn’t move away. Last week, I made it my mission to avoid him and his hatred, but I now knew that he didn’t mean to react in an angry way and that his hatred was for Laneli. A hatred that I shared.
“Now that everyone is here,” coach started with a pointed stare in our direction, “I want us to begin combat. Anything goes so use your gifts, fighting skills, anything. Today is about assessing where you are and how I can help you throughout the semester.”
Excited muttering filled the area though I had no idea what they were excited about. I was terrified. I had no fighting ability unless you counted Mortal Kombat or Super Smash Bros. and I was not going to use my siren ability. That left a nonexistent water affinity I could use so it looked like I was doomed.
“When I call your name, you will move into the circle and begin,” coach ordered. “First up, Darsden and Camilla.”
Two people stepped forward and faced each other while we stood in a circle around them. Without any warning, Camilla disappeared and a moment later Darsden was tackled to the ground by an invisible force.
“What myth is she?” I whispered, not expecting anyone to answer.
“Sylph,” Elliot answered beside me. “An air myth”
I looked up at him, but he had his eyes on the fight. Darsden got up from the ground and in the blink of an eye he was behind Camilla squeezing her. She flickered back into view then jumped in the air, taking both of them many feet off the ground to hover in place. I stared with a slack jaw at the show of elemental power. Darsden looked panicked as his feet dangled. He slipped and caught her waist stopping his fall, but Camilla wrapped a wind tunnel around them trying to knock him off. Darsden opened his mouth and bit her leg. With a pained squeak the wind died and they both fell from the sky, landing hard on the ground. With his super speed, strength, and biting I figured at that point that Darsden was vampire blessed. Darsden got up but Camilla was still knocked out. Coach made a mark in his book then signaled a couple of people to grab Camilla to move her.
“Good show of abilities. Remember people, you can also punch and kick.” It was disturbing to see coach enjoy the violence we were inflicting on one another.
A few more fights occurred allowing me to see a wide variety of abilities and myth blessed. I watched as a harpy blessed used her nails to tear through the clothing and skin of a golem blessed. Thankfully, the golem blessed could heal himself with some clay. My ears nearly bled from the scream of a banshee blessed and my heart almost stopped from the howl of an amarok blessed.
“Next up, Elliot and Serena,” coach called out.
My heart stuttered. I had to fight Elliot? Big, tough, prone to bursts of fire, dragon blessed Elliot?
I was going to die.
I told Panda to stay by the edge then faced Elliot in the middle of the circle just as all the other people before us did. My palms were sweaty, and my heart raced. Elliot gave me an apologetic look before conjuring a fireball to his hands and making scales break out over most of his skin. It was weird and terrifying to see a lizard man in front of me holding fire. I also saw wariness from him but couldn’t tell if he was afraid to attack or was afraid that I would use my siren ability on him. Now that we knew my siren gift would work on him, I didn’t blame him for being wary.
I tried to control my breathing and connect to the water energy within me. I felt myself accessing the siren ability, but I forced it down and searched within for an affinity with water. If I could just douse his flames, then I would have a level playing field. Elliot threw a fireball at me breaking my concentration. I ducked down and rolled to the side causing grass and dirt to stain my jeans. I grabbed some dirt and grass from the ground and threw it at Elliot. He easily dodged it, but it gave me enough time to get in close to him and punch him in the face.
I clapped my aching hand over my mouth in shock at what I just did. Elliot frowned at me and rubbed his jaw but didn’t seem fazed by my attack. Then he started laughing. I looked at him in confusion then anger when he didn’t stop. How could he laugh when I just punched him and got a sprained wrist as a result? That wasn’t fair.
I used my other hand to punch him in the belly. I didn’t get far because he just grabbed my wrist and yanked me forward. I lost my balance and stumbled into him. He wrapped me in crushing arms that started to heat up with fire. He was going to burn me!
I struggled to get out of his hold, doing everything including stepping on his feet, punching him in the belly, and kicking him in the shins. None of it worked. The heat was going to make me have heat stroke and burns all over my arms if I didn’t do something fast. I still refused to use my siren gift, but it was starting to look like that was my only option. The fire was flickering on his arms and hands now and I could smell burning hair. The coach needed to end the fight before I was a charred heap on the ground. The warmth of the fire wrapped around me until I screamed. I screamed so loud that people around us flinched away. I did not scream out of fear or pain though. I screamed out of anger.
I was trapped in dragon blessed arms that were on fire and I felt helpless. I did not want to have to rely on my siren gift to take away Elliot’s will. I should be able to take care of myself in a different way. I heard coach telling Elliot to let go of me and the match was over, but it sounded muffled. A roaring sound in my ears caused a migraine and my vision started to go black. My chest burned and felt constricted like it did when I was in the water.
My throat started burning and something was putting immense pressure on my lips from within until I couldn’t keep my mouth closed anymore. I felt Elliot release his hold on me and ask if I was okay, but the roaring was louder, and the burning was hotter despite there not being any more fire on his person.
I opened my mouth thinking I was about to puke all over Elliot, which would have ended my life in a completely different way, but fire poured out instead.
That’s right. I was breathing freaking fire!
When it was all out of my system, my temperature fell instantly to normal leaving my body to collapse and go into shock. Elliot rushed to my side asking what was happening, but I couldn’t hear him. My ears were buzzing, and my vision was fading. The last thing I saw before I passed out was coach and Elliot kneeling beside me with the class in the background trying to see what happened. I’m pretty sure I also saw a giant hole in
Elliot’s shirt with charred edges.
Chapter 9
Dual Myths
A beeping noise broke through the haze of my mind. I blinked until my eyes adjusted to the light and looked around a clean, sterile room with a heart monitor near my bed. I wasn’t one of those clichés in movies that couldn’t remember anything after being unconscious. All those memories of burning from the inside out, chest constricting, and breathing fire were unfortunately easy to recall.
“Hello?” I called out.
I was surprised that my voice came out clear rather than scratchy. I would have expected breathing fire to have some kind of negative effect on
my throat.
I wanted answers about what I did and if Elliot was alright. I went to sit up but a pain in my hand made me hiss. I looked down to see my right hand wrapped in bandages. I must have hurt myself when I punched Elliot in the face. That’s embarrassing.
A middle-aged woman with blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail and crystal blue eyes outlined in heavy mascara moved aside a curtain and appraised me. “Well, well, look who’s up. I knew it wouldn’t take you long,” she said in a cheery voice and pasted on a bright smile outlined in pink lipstick. “I’m Nurse Lydia.”
Beyond the curtain I could see more beds that were filled with students. The nurse bustled around the bed with a thermometer to take my temperature.
“I never liked the second week of school. Too many kids coming in here injured from those battles that fool of a coach makes them do. You’re lucky you have a high fire tolerance otherwise you’d be in here for a whole lot more than a fever and a bruised wrist.” Nurse Lydia held out a device and urged me to put my finger in it. She stared down at the thing until it beeped then wrote the data on a sheet by my bed.
“Fire tolerance?” I asked remembering the lesson about natural opposites in my tutoring with Marion. “How is that possible?”
“Your guess is as good as mine, ducky,” the nurse said. “That’s why I notified Mr. Drakari as soon as you were brought in. I will call him, so he can head over here now.” She shuffled away leaving me to ponder the new knowledge.
A furry animal jumped onto the bed nearly crushing my stomach on its landing. “Aw, Panda you stayed with me.” I pet her on her nose then shifted her, so she was sitting by my side rather than on top of me.
“I heard you were awake,” Elliot said as he walked into my line of sight.
He had a fresh shirt on, and his black hair was just as spiky as usual, but annoyingly he had no bandages. Not that I was wishing him harm or anything. I just felt that since I hurt my hand with his face then he should have a bruise or something from my attacks. Although I am relieved to see that my belching fire had not affected him.