Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 231 Ava: Water

The rune for water swims before my eyes, its curves and lines blurring as I try to focus. My mind, however, has other plans. It drifts to Vanessa, her soft smile as she spoke of Vester. The ache in her voice. The longing.

I know that feeling all too well now.

Lucas. Where is he? Is he safe? Is the pack safe? Do we have more funeral rites coming? Are people hurting?

Are our hospitals inundated?

Your brain is so loud I can't sleep, Selene's voice cuts through my spiraling thoughts.

Oh, I'm so sorry. Rolling my eyes at her nonexistent self, knowing she can feel it, I drawl mentally, Let me just turn down the volume on my anxiety for you. Wouldn't want to disturb your beauty rest.

Selene huffs, a sound somewhere between amusement and exasperation. Worrying about things you can't control is a waste of time. You'd be better off focusing on what's in front of you. The sooner you master this, the sooner we can leave.

She's right, of course. Doesn't make it any easier, but she's right. I take a deep breath, trying to center myself. "Okay, okay. You're right. Let's do this."

"Is it Selene?" Vanessa asks in amusement. "Whenever you talk to her, your entire face scrunches up."

Damn. Really? I've watched them all go a little vacant-eyed when they're talking to their wolves or pack members, but no one's ever screwed up their whole face to do it.

That's embarrassing.

Still, I nod. "Yeah. She's giving me a pep talk."

"You can do this, Ava. Look what you accomplished earlier today." Giving me two thumbs-up that couldn't be more cheesy if she tried, Vanessa grins. "I have faith in you."

Heat flushes in my cheeks. No matter how much care and attention I've been given in my time at Westwood, it still feels awkward and wrong to have someone so enthusiastic in their praise of me.

Good, too.

Really good.

of how I'd begun

recognize that he didn't exactly have any sinister designs to throw me back to my pack or anything—I can see how he was just an alpha

murmurs. But he is not the

No, he isn't.

been in my corner from the first moment we met. Someone who's

bonded to me. And aside from Lisa, who—despite being my best

who I was. And it's different from Selene, who's another half of

anything in return. I'm weak to that. I see that now, and it

those

to need to be smarter in the future. Make sure I'm not trusting the wrong people, all because they treat me

ache at the thought that maybe Sister Miriam isn't the best person to trust. Or maybe that Magister Orion isn't the best choice of teacher. Maybe

through our bond to soothe my ragged

Right.

The magic.

head as best as I can,

lines with my eyes. There's that place deep inside me where I felt the fire magic, but when I reach for it, it's like hitting a wall. I push

I managed it before, why not now? Visualizing the magic as a door that I need to open doesn't feel right. I tug at an imaginary handle, knock on its surface, even try

Nothing.

My shoulders slump.

now, too exhausted to keep fighting. My arms and legs shake with exhaustion, just like they did after I accessed the fire magic. But this time, I have

the trembling of overexerted muscles and the bitter taste

me with its stillness. I want to crumple it up and throw it across the room, but I resist

more to myself than to Selene. "Maybe I'm just a

isn't something you can force. It's about

say," I grumble. "You're not the one sitting here

like one,

the tension easing from my shoulders as

can't even feel her gaze

I'm convinced she's

Fire came to me in a moment of intense emotion, a vivid memory. What do