Words left me as I approached, however, and it took several moments of me just standing there awkwardly for Riley to finally say, “Hey.”
“Hey,” I replied before sitting down on a plastic chair at the other end of the table her sofa was next to.
It was the seat furthest from her while still being at the table.
“Do you know when the others will get here?” I asked, not sure how long I could stand the awkward silence that stretched between us.
Riley shook her head. “No, but it might be a while. I think their classes were right across campus.”
I nodded, putting my bag down next to me before reaching inside for a book.
If I was going to sit here in awkward silence, I would need something to distract me.
But to my surprise, as I opened to the page I’d folded the corner of, Riley spoke up once more.
“So… How are you liking Ember?”
It took me a few moments to process her words, and another few to even begin to think of a response, but she waited patiently for my reply.
“It’s nice. Better than Human school, at least. Everyone seems pretty chill about me being Litcorde.”
She nodded. “Yeah, I’ve found it way more accepting than our old school was.”
“Yeah. Kind of makes me wish that I’d known about magic before. That I hadn’t been stuck at school on my own for so long.”
Riley cringed, looking away. “Yeah, I wish you’d known as well. I’m sorry for not telling you. I really wanted to, but I didn’t know if you would ever actually get magic, and if you didn’t… Well, my coven can be really strict about telling Humans the truth. It doesn’t always go well.”
I frowned. “I wouldn’t have freaked out on you, Riley. You were my friend.”
“I know,” she said quickly. “I know that you would have been fine about it, Liv. And I know that you never would have told anyone if I asked you to keep it a secret. But… Well, it wasn’t pressing before I came into my magic, and as soon as I did, my mum decided to send me to Ember. It seemed best just to not tell you, though I always regretted not being able to give you a reason for why I left.”
“It’s okay,” I said with a shrug. It wasn’t, but I didn’t want her to feel bad about something long past.
It wasn’t as if she could change it now, anyway. And I didn’t want to risk her sudden want to talk to me disappearing if I decided to have a go at her about something that had happened years ago.
“No, it’s not. Maybe if I’d told you the truth, you would have realised that you had magic of your own sooner and you would have been able to come to Ember with me. I missed you, Liv, and it would have been nice to have you here with me.”
I bit my lip as the walls I’d built up around my heart since I’d first seen her here crumbled to dust.
She really wanted me here with her. She’d never wanted to leave me in the first place.
I looked away as tears threatened to well in my eyes and I cursed myself for being such an easy crier.
Eventually, I blinked them away and turned back to her. “I missed you too. I missed having you with me at school. It wasn’t the same without you there, and… Well, I never thought that I would have to go it alone. I mean, hell, remember when we agreed that when we got older, we’d go to university together, and just live with each other, rather than get husbands?”
Riley smiled. “Yeah, I do.”
I smiled back at the memory before it took on a sour note.
I’d been all for that plan as a kid, but now?
Now I had a curse to break, and while it didn’t necessarily involve marrying someone, it did mean the kind of dating Riley and I had always agreed we hadn’t wanted.
After all, it might have gotten in the way of our friendship, and we had never wanted to be those girls. The ones who forgot their friends for boys.
Of course, that might have been an oversimplification made by children, but as Dana and Viktor finally arrived, it had my mind firmly on Noah.
“Hey guys,” Dana said as they arrived, grinning from ear to ear and it took me a moment to realise that her grin was directed squarely at the two of us. “Having a nice chat?”
Riley’s cheeks turned pink as she gave a half-shrug. “Yeah, I guess. Just catching up.”
Dana examined her friend for a moment before nodding and turning to me. “Well, how was your first Potions lesson, Liv? Did Ms Bennett have you making a healing potion? She always starts new students with healing potions.”
“Yeah, actually, she did. And Noah was there, so he helped me with it. He also asked me to go on a date with him on Friday. So, you know, I guess I’m one step closer to breaking that curse.”
Riley frowned. “Curse? What curse?”
I shrugged. “My ex cast it on me. Apparently, I have to find someone to love, or it might do some serious damage. And Noah seems nice and he likes me so, you know, he seems like my best shot at breaking it.”
“I… I see.”
Dana examined Riley once more, but then turned back to me. “Well, I know a thing or two about potions, so if you have any questions, just let me know.”
“Actually, there was something I was wondering…”
Dana and Viktor spent the rest of the free period talking me through my questions about potion-making, though my focus was only half on them, the other half wondering why exactly Riley had gone silent again.
I turned to Viktor as soon as we arrived back in our room that night, needing to distract my brain from Riley’s silence with something else.
And his issues with Noah were right there…
“So, are you really okay with me going on a date with Noah?” I asked, only half asking to distract myself, but also half asking because I really wanted to know. The last thing that I wanted was to alienate one of my few friends because I’d misread his issues with his old friend.
He nodded. “Of course. Like you said, this is your best chance to break your curse.”
I bit my lip. Despite what he said, his jaw was tight. He definitely didn’t seem okay.
“I asked Noah about him not talking to you anymore. He said that he did it not just because he wanted to be a Master Slayer, but because he worried that you being close to a Slayer would mean that you wouldn’t be able to get citizenship to the Underworld.”
Viktor frowned. “Citizenship to– Why would he think I wanted that? I’ve lived on Earth for as long as I can remember. I probably got here hours after I was born. It’s my home. Why would I leave?”
I shrugged. “He said something about finding your biological parents.”
Viktor sighed, running a hand through his hair. “He… Really?”
I nodded, not sure what else to say.
Viktor shook his head before pacing up and down the room.
I sat down on the edge of my bed, giving him as much space as I could.
Eventually, he stopped and turned to me. “I guess I mentioned the possibility of trying to find them a few times. But I was never sure that I wanted to do that. I’m still not sure. My parents – the ones who raised me – used to work as prison guards. Imprisoning magical beings isn’t easy, especially powerful ones, but Queen Freya built a facility to keep her enemies in, and she lets other species use it. Some of those species – like the Guides – insisted on helping to guard the prison to make sure that it wasn’t inhumane. I don’t know anything about my biological parents, other than that my mother was a prisoner there. She asked my adoptive parents to take me away when she gave birth. They wouldn’t tell me anything more about her, and I’m not sure that they even know anything about my father. So, yes, I guess sometimes I wonder about who they might have been, but I’m pretty sure that I won’t like the answer, so I’ve never pursued it.”
“Well, maybe you should tell Noah that. Maybe then he’d get less weird about talking to you. He really seemed to regret the fact that you don’t talk anymore.”
Viktor frowned at the floor as he sat down on the edge
of his own bed, before finally looking up to meet my gaze. “Really?”
I nodded. “Really. I’m not saying that you have to give him a chance if you don’t want to, but… It seems like you both miss each other.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Okay, I’ll try talking to him. I guess if you and Riley can start talking again, we can try as well. Speaking of, what was going on with that?”
“I don’t know. She just started talking to me and… Well, it was just like it used to be. So, I guess things are fine.”
Viktor nodded before getting up and moving over to his bag, pulling out his books and flicking through them.
I moved over to the desk and sat down, opening my laptop to get started on my homework.
But before I did, I turned to Viktor, whose open books suggested that he was doing the same. “Hey, Viktor?”
“Yeah?”
“If you ever want to talk about… Well, about not really knowing your parents and having conflicted feelings about trying to find them, I might know a thing or two about that. I didn’t know about magic because I got it from my father and, well, I never met him.”
“I’m sorry. That sucks.”
“Yeah, it does, doesn’t it?”
Chapter Six
Viktor and I arrived at breakfast the next morning to find Riley and Dana already there, talking about something that had them both in tears of laughter.
“What’s so funny?” Viktor asked as he and I sat down with our food.
Dana turned to him with a grin. “I was asking Riley about the things she and Liv used to get up to as kids. Apparently, they almost got on a TV talent show until Riley’s mum had to stop it so that Riley didn’t end up having her face everywhere.”
I frowned as I sat down and turned to Riley. “Wait, I thought we couldn’t go because you were grounded.”
“I was. For filling out the form and almost going.” She gave me an apologetic shrug. “Witches live for a few centuries at least, so having your face broadcast for everyone to see makes it way more likely that people will recognise you in a hundred years or so and wonder why you haven’t aged.”
“Oh, so that’s why you were always so funny about social media as well.”
She nodded. “And why I always tried to talk you out of posting. I wasn’t worried about pervs online like I said, just that people might notice that you didn’t age if you also came into your magic. Which you did, so I guess I did you a favour.”
“Wait, are you saying that I will also live to be a few hundred years old?”
“Yeah, Slayers don’t live as long as Witches, but it’s long enough to be worried about stuff like that.”
“Well, thanks for looking out for me, I guess.”
Viktor turned to us. “Okay, but you have to tell me what you were going to do on this talent show. Were you in a band?”
I shrugged. “Not a very good one. It was mostly Riley. She played guitar and sang, I just sang along slightly out of tune…”
Riley’s eyebrows shot up into her hairline. “You’re kidding me, right? I could manage a few chords on my guitar, but I couldn’t sing for shit. You were the one with the vocal talent. I was honestly afraid that if we did get on, they would tell you to ditch me and just sing on your own.”
“What? They never would have done that. Not least because you would have made for more interesting telly. I was way too boring and plain.”
“Were not. And you were the one who wrote all of the lyrics.”
She turned to the others. “She also spent ages learning how to tune a guitar because I could never do it on my own.” She then turned back to me. “I’m so sorry, I should have known that my mother would never let me be on the show, and I should have just let you go alone.”
I frowned. “Why would I have wanted to do it alone?”
Before she could respond, a shadow fell over the table, and I turned to see that Noah had arrived with a sheepish smile. “Hey. I’m not interrupting, am I?”
“No,” Riley said as he sat down next to me. “You’re not interrupting at all. We’re just telling some old stories.”
Silence stretched out for perhaps a moment too long before Viktor turned to Noah. “They were talking about performing together. It… It actually reminded me of our competition for who would play piano at our end of middle school performance.”
Noah just stared at him for a few moments, presumably shocked at his friendly words after his previously silent attitude.
But then he smiled. “Well, I’m not sure that it was really ever much of a competition. You were clearly much better than me.”
Viktor shrugged. “Yeah, but our music teacher liked you more. All the teachers did.”
“That’s because they were idiots.” At that, Noah turned to me. “So, were you two talking about a musical performance?”
I nodded. “But it’s nothing, really. I don’t even play an instrument.”
Riley turned to me with a smile. “I mean, like I said, it’s arguable that I didn’t either.”
I shook my head. “You know that’s not true. But it’s fine. I never really wanted to be a musician anyway. I just had fun making music with you.”
Riley glanced away at that, and I wondered if I’d said something wrong.
But Noah spoke up again before I could figure it out. “Maybe you and I could try to make some music sometime, Liv.”
“I… Like I said, I never really wanted to be a musician anyway. I gave it all up years ago.”
Before he could say anything else, the bell rang, telling us that it was time for classes.
I wolfed down the end of my food before picking up my coffee and making my way to class. Apparently, the teachers didn’t mind you taking your drinks with you, and I’d been thankful for the extra caffeine boost.
Noah followed me down the corridor, however, gently touching my arm as we rounded a corner, gesturing to a small seating area to the side that was sitting empty with everyone on their way to classes.
“Hey, can we talk for a moment?”
I frowned, but followed him into the space. “What is it? I don’t want to be late.”
“I know, I’ll just be a minute. I just… You and Riley…”
“What about us?”
“You weren’t really talking before. And now you are…”
“She’s an old friend. I guess it was just weird when I showed up here.”
“Right. A friend. That’s it?”
My frown deepened. “Of course. What else would be going on?”
He just frowned at me and I gave an exasperated sigh.
“Is this some kind of magic thing that I’m not getting? Are you checking that we’re not, I don’t know, some kind of magically bound sisters or something?”
His frown finally lifted and he smiled as he shook his head. “No, sorry. I just… You seemed close.”
“Well, yeah, we’re friends.”
“Right… Well, I should let you get to class. Though, while we’re here and on our own…”
At that, he took a step closer and I tensed at the sudden move, unable to meet his gaze now that he was just moments away from me.
“I know that we haven’t been on our date yet, but… Can I kiss you?”
I hesitated for a moment before kicking myself. This was what I wanted, wasn’t it? This was how I was going to break the curse.
So, I nodded, and he leaned in to kiss me.
I tensed further, sure that my muscles were moments away from breaking bones.
But then he pulled away, and it was over.
For once, I actually focused on my morning classes, desperate to think about anything other than what had happened with Noah.
Desperate to think about anything other than that kiss.
Even algebra.
I braced myself as I made my way to lunch, my shoulders practically up to my ears as I tensed, ready to see him again.
Thankfully, I spotted Dana over by the sandwiches and rushed to greet he
r.
“Hey,” I said as I picked up my plate and deliberated over my own choice of lunch, hoping to delay having to see Noah again for as long as I could.
“Hey,” Dana replied before turning to me. “So… You and Noah. I saw you in the corridor on my way to class.”
“Oh, um… You did?”
“Yeah. So… You really like him, huh?”
“I… Of course, I do. I wouldn’t be doing all of this if I didn’t.”
“...Right.”
Something sounded off about her tone, but I couldn’t decipher it, and she finished grabbing her lunch before I could figure out how to ask.
I lingered at the table for a moment longer than she had, looking to buy just a little more time.
Eventually, however, I became hyper-aware of people milling behind me and realised that I couldn’t hesitate much longer without someone snapping at me.
I grabbed a sandwich at random before heading back to the table, sure that I wouldn’t be able to eat it anyway.
When I arrived at the table, Riley and Viktor were already there, sitting one seat apart, while Dana sat at Riley’s other side.
So, I took the seat between Riley and Viktor.
Dana raised her eyebrow slightly, but I pretended not to see.
I just wanted to catch up with my friend again. And Noah wasn’t here, so it wasn’t like I was obviously avoiding him.
No, I’d made no promises to sit next to him, so this was perfectly fine.
Riley smiled as I sat down. “Hey,” she said. “So, what exciting new magical class have you got this afternoon?”
“Magical History, I think.”
“Ah, so nothing practical.”
“No, but I’m looking forward to maybe understanding a little more about the magical world. I feel like I’m still catching up…”
“Yeah, I guess it might be overwhelming if you didn’t grow up with this stuff.”
“‘Overwhelming’ is definitely one word for it. I just… I’m just annoyed that I didn’t know about it before. Maybe if I had…”
My hand went to my shoulder, just above the marks the curse had left me with.
Starlight & Shadows: A Limited Edition Academy Collection by Laura Greenwood, Arizona Tape, Juliana Haygert, Kat Parrish, Ashley McLeo, L.C. Mawson, Leigh Kelsey, Bre Lockhart, Zelda Knight Page 29