Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 229 Ava: Fire

Bureaucracy in the Fae Ward moves with the pace of a paralyzed sloth, leaving me with an itchy feeling between my shoulder blades, as if staying here is the worst decision I've ever made.

Selene spends most of her time slinking around the Fae Ward, finding pockets of space with less wards to sneeze over. Vanessa and Marcus stick with me, with Vanessa sharing my bedroom.

Our first lesson doesn't happen for three days. Why?

Application for Unlicensed Magus to Practice Dangerous Magic Within Residential Areas.

It's an actual title of a piece of paperwork Magister Orion had to file. Apparently, new wizards (though the official Fae-paperwork term is magus, unknown origin) are deemed a deadly force. Whoever runs this place has a serious stick up their butt about me learning magic.

"I don't like it," Vanessa says, staring out the window. "They'll have your name on official paperwork. We have no idea how deep Renard's influence lies."

"It's only within the Fae Ward," I point out, like I have the other thirty times she's mentioned it. "If they're going to find me here, the paperwork won't be the only reason."

Marcus, of course, is quiet. We already know how he feels. He hates it and doesn't trust the paperwork, either.

Not that I disagree with either of them—it's just that, like them, I feel stuck.

doesn't help that I've been unable to reach Lucas for three days. Knowing that they're fighting over there, not knowing the full

stress has all of

you made any progress?" Vanessa changes the subject to sit on the bed beside me, where I'm surrounded by five papers with different runes written on them. Unlike the magic book I'm still kicking myself over for

looking them over again and again. There's nothing that happens when I touch them; no tingle or

and told me to find the elements within me that correspond to them. With such vague

how I try to commune with a

to center, to focus only on what matters.

a dubious look—it's not like I haven't tried that before—I grab the one that means fire,

center myself. The sounds and scents of the world fade away, leaving only the sensation of my own body, its thudding

touch it. Nothing happens. I try to visualize tugging at it, like pulling on a string, but it remains stubbornly distant.

supposed to access this power if nothing works? Taking another deep breath, I force myself to relax. Maybe

silence of my meditation, my thoughts drift to the rune for fire sitting on the paper in front of

Burning.

but of another. A dream? A vision? Whatever

couldn't

I want to pull away from the memory, to escape the torment, but something holds me there. This is important.

pain. No name, no self, just pure sensation. And in

The bright core of magic within me pulses in response, as if recognizing a kindred spirit. For the first time, I feel