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

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.

to me. And aside from

different than Mrs. Elkins, who didn't

who's another half of

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

Selene murmurs.

going to need to be smarter in the future. Make sure I'm not trusting the wrong people,

me well.

Sister Miriam isn't the best person to trust. Or maybe that Magister Orion isn't the best choice of teacher. Maybe being here in the Fae Ward itself is nothing more than some elaborate

affection from

You're going through everything you can to avoid what's in front

Right.

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3/7

The magic.

a deep breath, I purge my head as

to the rune for

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 crack, a seam, anything. But

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

Nothing.

My shoulders slump.

feels like I'm just leaning against this invisible barrier 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,

power, no flickering flame. Just the trembling

the

its stillness. I want to crumple it up and throw

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4/7.

231 Ava, Water

giving up too easily, Selene chides. Magic isn't something you can force. It's about

grumble. "You're not the

you act like one,

easing from my shoulders as I let out a soft

trying to shake off the frustration. Vanessa is still and silent in her

me. She's probably looking anywhere except at me, knowing

I'm convinced she's an

maybe I'm approaching this all wrong. Fire came to me in a moment of intense emotion,

do I associate

of the times I've felt most connected to water. The gentle lapping of waves at the lake near the pack house,

refreshing coolness of a glass of water, after a

I'm missing something, but I can't put my finger on

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