Tangled

Unshift 231

Unshift 231

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

That's amharging

sghing me pep talk

"You can do this, Ava. Look what you accomplished earlier today? Civing 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.

That rush of warmth and affection in my heart that's brought about with a few simple words and encouragement is a little scary. It reminds me a little of how I'd begun to feel a little like I should stay with Clayton, all because he was kind to me and gave me a place to live, despite knowing that it was wrong.

Knowing him a little more now-stijl not very much, but enough to recognize that he didn't exactly have any sinister designs to throw me back to my pack or anything-Ican see how he was just an alpha struggling to do the right thing and maybe a little too clouded by the heat-mating that occurred between us.

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

heart, is he?

No, he isn't.

231 Ave Water

felt toward him; the way I wanted to lean on him and rely on him? They're the same ones I feel toward Vanessa, who's been in my corner from the first moment we met. Someone who's willing to help me, to talk to me, to listen. To get to

to me. And aside from Lisa,

than Mrs. Elkins, who didn't

from Selene, who's another

anything in return. I'm weak to that. I see that now, and it only gets clearer by the day. There's nothing wrong in appreciating those who

Selene murmurs.

need to be smarter in the future. Make

me well.

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

through too many thoughts again, Selene says, affection

can to avoid what's in

Right.

16:24.

3/7

The magic.

a deep breath, I purge my head as best

back to the

trace its 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 against it, trying to find a

the magic as a door that I need to open doesn't

Nothing.

My shoulders slump.

fighting. My arms and legs shake with exhaustion, just like they did after I accessed the

power, no flickering

muscles and the bitter taste of

its stillness. I want to crumple it up and throw it across the room, but I resist the urge. Barely. "This is pointless," I mutter,

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4/7.

231 Ava, Water

easily, Selene chides. Magic isn't something you can force. It's about finding the right flow,

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

just the one watching you act like one, she retorts, but

some of the tension easing from my shoulders as I let out a

breath, trying to shake off the frustration. Vanessa is

me, knowing the stress her regard

I'm convinced she's

Fire came to me in a moment of intense emotion, a

I associate

connected to water. The gentle lapping of waves at the lake near the pack house, escaping from yet another

it's the soothing sound of rain on the windows of Lisa's apartment. The refreshing coolness of a glass of water, after a hot day of

of it feels quite right. I'm missing something, but I can't put my finger

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