Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 231

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.

me a little of how I'd begun to feel

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 struggling to do the right thing, and maybe a little too

like him, Selene murmurs. But he is not the one who stirs your

No, he isn't.

ones I feel toward Vanessa, who's been in my corner from the first moment we met.

me. And aside

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

in return. I'm weak to that. I see

appreciating those who care

future. Make sure I'm not trusting the wrong people, all

the thought that maybe Sister Miriam isn't the best person to trust. Or maybe that Magister Orion isn't the best

to soothe my

Right.

The magic.

best as I can, turning my attention back to

inside me where I felt the fire magic, but when I reach for it, it's like hitting a wall.

builds quicker than before. 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 to kick it down

Nothing.

My shoulders slump.

to keep fighting. My arms and legs shake with exhaustion, just like they did after

of power, no flickering flame. Just the trembling of overexerted muscles and the bitter

in my vision. The water rune sits there, mocking me with its stillness. I want to crumple it up and throw it

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

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

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

watching you act like one, she retorts, but there's no real bite to

the tension easing from my shoulders as I let out a

silent in her corner, and I can't even

ever, I'm convinced

to me in a

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