Bitter Magic

by Raven Steele

  “I remember finding holes in her walls where she had punched them. I had never seen an Aura get that angry before. None of us had. One day I came in here and found her crying. She kept saying, “I can’t control it anymore,” over and over. I tried to comfort her, but she wouldn’t be consoled. The next day I found her. There was blood everywhere.”

  She stood, her hands shaking, and pointed to a spot across from the bed. “Right there. That’s where she did it.”

  “Did what?”

  She swallowed loud enough for me to hear. “Killed herself.”

  The air in the room turned thick, and it caught in my throat. Tessa was pale, and I felt my own head begin to spin.

  I dropped to the bed next to her. “Why?”

  Tessa shook her head and stared at the floor. “I don’t know. Nobody does. It’s the first case of an Aura suicide. Ever.”

  “So that’s why the other girls keep giving me a hard time about my room,” I thought out loud.

  “The other girls don’t know it was suicide.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The teachers told them she died of unknown causes.”

  “And they bought that?”

  Tessa raised her eyebrows. “Could you see any of the girls here questioning them?”

  “No, I guess not.”

  “They didn’t let anyone in here for several weeks while Lizens remodeled the room. I scrubbed the floor for hours, but there was still a stain so we had to put in carpet.” For the first time her voice cracked.

  I put my arm around her. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Sophie told me not to tell, said there would be consequences.” Her bottom lip began to quiver.

  “It’s okay. I promise I won’t say anything.”

  “I hate keeping this secret. And I hate this place and what it does to people.” She began to sob, her shoulders shaking violently. “So many lies.”

  I held on to her—rather, she clung to me. I rubbed her back. “It will be okay. We’ll fix it, I promise.”

  I continued to say soothing words until she stopped crying.

  When the bells chimed, she pulled away. “I’m sorry. You’re going to be late.” She dried her eyes with a tissue from my nightstand.

  “I don’t care. Some things are more important.”

  She smiled at me. “Thank you.”

  “Have you always lived here?” I asked.

  She nodded. “This is our home.”

  “Are there other Lizens outside of Lucent?”

  “There are more colonies, but at the other Auran schools in Ireland and Australia.”

  “How come there aren’t more of you?”

  She hesitated, twisting her hands in and out of each other. “We have a difficult time having children. Something in our genetics.”

  “I’m sorry. Maybe there’s something medically that can be fixed?”

  She shrugged, her eyes sad.

  “Has your kind always served Auras?”

  “I don’t know. We don’t keep a history.”

  “That’s weird. There’s got to be something. I’ll look around in our library.”

  “But why?” She scowled. “It won’t change anything.”

  “Knowing the past can be very powerful. You never know. The Lizens could have once been a powerful society where Auras served them.”

  “I doubt that,” she said with a hint of bitterness in her voice.

  “Do you hate it?”

  She looked at me. “It doesn’t matter. I have no other choice.” She stood and approached the door. “I really should be going.”

  “Um, okay. Do you want to hang out some time?”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t think that would be proper, but thanks.” She reached into her pocket and tossed me a folded up note. “Oh, and this is for you.”

  After she left, I opened the letter. As I suspected, it was a note from Christian. It didn’t say much, but his words gave me comfort. “I’m here for you,” it said.

  I dropped to my bed and curled into a ball, thinking of him, Tessa, . . . and the girl who had killed herself.

  It was a beautiful Sunday morning. At least, that’s what I told myself. I was determined not to let the events of the dance ruin the last of my weekend. It was going to be great, despite the fact that the black sky and pregnant clouds screamed rain. Again.

  I needed to do something fun today, something normal. I quickly dressed and walked down the hall to May’s room. It took her a moment to open the door.

  “What’s up?” she said through a big yawn.

  “Do you want to do something today? Go to town, shop a little?”

  She frowned. “What time is it?”

  “Nine.”

  She turned around while smoothing back her dark hair, which she had been growing out, and looked at a clock on her wall. “I would love to, but I have to meet with Dr. Han at noon.”

  “On a Sunday?”

  “I know, boring. He’s having my class meet with another Fury, and this was the only time the person could come.” She shrugged. “We’re discussing what it’s like for Furies on the ‘outside.’ Maybe Kiera could go with you.”

  “Doesn’t she hang out with her dad on Sundays?”

  “That’s right. She does.” May played with her hair. “I wish I didn’t have this thing. I could really use some shopping time.” Her eyes narrowed. “How are you going to go shopping without transportation?”

  “Sophie said I could borrow her car sometime. In a minute, I’m going to find out if she meant it.”

  “So you’re going by yourself?”

  “Probably, unless—” A thought occurred to me. “I have to go, but I’ll see you tonight.”

  I skipped the elevator and took the stairs to the fourth floor, where all the teacher’s offices were. My guess was Sophie was still here despite it being the weekend. She never spoke of going anywhere else.

  My hunch was right. Sophie was in her office with Abigail going over paperwork.

  I stuck my head into the doorway. “Hey, Sophie.”

  She looked up. “Good morning, Llona. Do you need something?”

  I cleared my throat. “Um, can I borrow your car? I’d like to do some shopping in Cold Spring.”

  Sophie’s face scrunched, and it looked like she was about to say no, but Abigail interrupted her. “What a wonderful idea! You should do lunch while you’re there too. There’s the cutest restaurant right on Main Street.”

  Sophie glared at her, and when she turned to me, I batted my eyes. She exhaled. “Fine, but be back before dark.”

  I gave her a quick kiss on her powdered cheek. “Thanks, Sophie.”

  Before leaving I winked at Abigail. She winked back.

  I left the building and walked across campus to Lambert House, where the Lizens lived. The building looked just as nice as the others on the outside, but the inside definitely needed some work. Rugs on the wood floor were frayed, and black scuffmarks scratched the pale white walls.

  I crossed the small lobby to an older woman sitting on a worn, cornmeal-colored couch. Her leathered face and hunched over frame were evidence of a long, and probably not easy, life. Her right arm was completely covered in dark green scales, and her eyes, slightly covered by a few stray strands of gray hair, stared down at something on her lap.

  “Excuse me?” I asked.

  Her head remained down, but her eyes slowly met mine. The motion creeped me out, and I shivered. “Hi, um, I’m looking for Tessa?”

  “Are you lost, Aura?”

  “I’m looking for Tessa,” I said again.

  “Did she forget to do something for you?”

  “No. I just want to talk to her. Please, do you know where she lives?”

  Her tired gray eyes drifted upstairs. “351.”

  I hurried up the stairs to the third floor. The poorly lit hallway helped hide the outdated wallpaper and the holes in the carpet. I found this out the hard way by tripping over a large section that h
ad come unglued and was curling up on its end. Why was this place in such ruins?

  I exhaled a breath when the door to 351 opened. Behind it, a petite woman’s green eyes widened. Definitely Tessa’s mother. She had the same dark hair and patch of brilliant scales on the side of her face.

  “Hi,” I said, “I’m looking for Tessa?”

  “Is something wrong?” she asked, with a hint of panic in her voice.

  “No, not at all. I just wanted to hang out with her. Is she here?”

  Her mother tilted her head, eyeing me up and down. I must have passed inspection because her face brightened. “Tessa is in her room. Come in, come in. I’m so glad you came to visit. I’m her mother, Lilly. And you are?”

  “My name’s, Llona. Llona Reese.”

  I stepped into the room. Two great mirrors on opposite ends made the small living room appear much larger. An old floral sofa looked out of place next to a circular cherry coffee table. On its top, flowers in full bloom filled an antique-looking vase. With little to work with, Lilly had done a beautiful job creating a warm and inviting environment.

  Lilly turned toward a hallway and called, “Tessa! You have a visitor.” She looked back at me. “I thought I knew all the Auras, but I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”

  “I’m new.”

  “Did you transfer from one of the other schools? In Ireland perhaps?”

  I shook my head. “No. I lived in Wildemoor and went to a public school before I moved here.”

  Her eyebrows lifted. “How is that possible?”

  Gratefully, I didn’t have to answer. Tessa walked in, giving me the same expression her mother had just given me. “Llona, what are you doing here?”

  “Just wanted to hang out. Is that okay?”

  She glanced over at her mother and then back at me. “I guess. Come on back.”

  I followed her down the hallway to her bedroom.

  “You two have fun,” her mother called after us.

  “Wow! Cool pictures,” I said as soon as Tessa closed the door. Superheroes, painted or drawn on canvas, hung on her walls. “Did you do all these?”

  “Yeah. I know, nerdy.”

  “No way! I love superheroes. These are incredible.”

  “Really?”

  I nodded and continued to admire the paintings. Tessa had taken her time with each one, sparing nothing on details. “These really are good.”

  I looked back at her. She was sitting on her bed, tugging at a loose thread on her bedspread. “Seriously, you should work for Marvel or something.”

  “With this face?” She broke the string with her fingers. “No, my only job will be serving Auras, no offense.”

  “None taken.” I sat on a chair in the corner of the room. “I don’t get it.”

  “Get what?”

  “What’s the big deal? So you have some scales on your face? I think they’re pretty. It makes you look . . . retro.”

  She snorted. “Right.”

  “I’ll prove it to you.”

  “How?”

  “Come with me.”

  “Where?”

  “Let’s go do lunch, wander around Cold Spring. I’ve heard it’s a really cute town.”

  She practically wilted. “No way.”

  “Just this once. Come with me. I bet you’ll be surprised how accepting people can be.”

  She shook her head. “I can’t.”

  I let out an exaggerated sigh. “Sure you can.”

  “No, really. I don’t think I can even if I wanted to.”

  “Are you saying they keep you prisoner here?”

  “Of course not. It’s my kind, the Lizens. They don’t want any attention drawn to us. I think they’re afraid we’ll be shipped off and studied in some underground lab.”

  “For having a few scales? I’ve seen far stranger-looking people than you guys, believe me.”

  She shifted nervously. “I don’t know.”

  I smiled, knowing I was wearing her down. “Come with me, please? We’ll only be gone for a couple of hours.”

  “What will I tell my mom?”

  “I’ll tell her we’re going hiking or something.” I couldn’t believe I just said I’d lie. Surprisingly, it didn’t bother me like I thought it should. Something to think about later.

  She glanced up at a picture of Wonder Woman on her wall and studied it. “Okay, I think I will.”

  I threw my arms around her. “Awesome!”

  Twenty minutes later, we were driving toward Cold Spring, the closest town to Lucent Academy. Tessa gripped the side of the car. Her knuckles were so white I thought I might be looking at bone.

  I placed my hand on her arm to transfer Light, but for some reason decided not to. The thought of using it like that made me feel uncomfortable, like wearing a coat in summer.

  Instead, I said, “It will be okay. I promise, you’ll have fun.”

  She agreed, but she still looked tense.

  Our short trip to Cold Spring turned out to be beneficial for both of us. It was just the break I needed. We ate inside an old, colonial-style house that had been converted into a restaurant. Black and white photos of people, probably the town’s founders, hung on the walls. They looked happy. I noticed Tessa studying them closely and wondered what she was thinking.

  Halfway through lunch, I began to grow anxious. I tapped my fingers on the wooden dining table and bounced my knee up and down. My energy was off the charts for some reason. What I needed was to go running, and soon.

  As for Tessa, her whole countenance seemed to have gotten brighter, especially after the waitress complimented her cool “tattoos.” Tessa relaxed after that and opened up, telling me of her challenges as a Lizen. She admitted she wanted to go to college, like actually go and not get an online education like many of the other Lizens. I admired her bravery and told her so.

  “Can I tell you something?” Tessa asked me when we returned to Lucent.

  The lobby of Chadni Hall was empty, but I could hear girls playing in the recreation room not far away. I thought about joining them, maybe beating someone at a game. I wouldn’t mind beating something.

  “Sure,” I said, looking past her.

  “I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, but you remind me of her.”

  “Who?”

  “Britt.”

  I looked at her, eyes narrowing. “The girl who killed herself?”

  She nodded.

  “Talk about a mood buster,” I said. “I’ve been compared to a lot of things, but never a suicidal freak.”

  “There you go again. That’s what I mean.”

  “What?”

  “Sometimes you say horrible things. Things an Aura, or even a normal person for that matter, would never say.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I’m just kidding.”

  “No, you’re not, and even if you were, there are other things too. Britt was short-tempered and moody, like you, especially at the end. She lied too.”

  “So what are you saying?”

  “Something’s going on with you, and I just don’t want to see what happened to her, happen to you. You’re not being yourself, and it worries me.”

  I stepped closer to her, heat burning my gut. “How would you know? You don’t know me.”

  “Maybe not, but I do know Auras, and you are not acting like one.”

  Every nerve ending vibrated within my body. “And you’re not acting like a Lizen. Shouldn’t you be making a bed or something?”

  She stared at me for a moment, then blinked as if holding back tears. “Right. See you.”

  After she left, I stormed up to my room and slammed the door. Why did everyone think I had to be such a goodie-goodie just because I was an Aura? Did being at Lucent mean I couldn’t have any fun? I inhaled deeply. The smell of my room, a rich, metallic blood odor, no longer made my stomach roll. It made my mouth water.

  Chapter 15

  I slumped against the wall and slid to the floor. I stared at the window, w
aiting for the inevitable night to come. Hours passed. I was practically willing the light from my room. I was so transfixed that I didn’t answer when I heard May knock on the door and call my name. And then, slowly, as the sun set, darkness crept toward me. I smiled.

  The moment my room was entirely black and I could hear no movement from within the school, I opened the window. The faint sound of hundreds of heartbeats rose from the forest. They seemed to be calling me. The creatures of the night.

  I leapt from my window and hit the ground running. I kept to the shadows, avoiding light at all costs. After jumping over the rock wall in one bound, I tore through the forest, searching for the one thing my body seemed to want. The desire was so strong, it overrode the voice screaming warnings in my head. I thought of Christian, but I couldn’t stop.

  A strong heartbeat lured me to the left. I stopped and listened. The rhythmic beat betrayed a large animal hidden within a nearby clump of trees. I stealthily made my way to its secret spot. Within ten feet a deer bolted, but I was faster, spurred on by the new and powerful force within me. I tackled it to the ground, my knee on its gut, my hand pressing its head to the ground.

  I stared at its struggling body beneath me in both awe and horror. I had taken it down. I had the power to destroy its life.

  The vein in the animal’s neck pulsed. I wanted to stop that pulse.

  I closed my eyes tightly. I don’t want this. This isn’t me. But . . . if it wasn’t, then why did every part of me want to destroy the life in my hands?

  My eyes opened. What did it matter anymore?

  With both hands I lifted the deer’s head and prepared to twist.

  I screamed a terrible cry to prevent myself from hearing the sound of the deer’s bones breaking, but my scream was cut short when something slammed into me, knocking me to the ground. I tried to get out from under it, but whatever had pushed me off the deer was much stronger. I swung my legs up to try and kick at it.