Tangled

Unshift 232

Unshift 232

232 Ava: Bursting In

"But I didn't do anything," I protest. "I just sat here."

"It doesn't matter," Vanessa says, just as Selene says the same thing in my head.

I swear I can hear a smile in my wolf's voice. Sometimes doing nothing is the hardest thing of all.

I look down at my hands, half expecting to see water droplets forming on my skin. But they look the same as always. "Did I really do it, though?"

I don't know. I'm not a wizard.

Pausing at that, I scowl at the air, since she's not near me. "Then

what was all that advice about?"

A hunch.

What the hell.

It worked, didn't it?

Can't really argue with that.

The door flies open with a resounding bang, and I nearly leap out of my skin. Before I can even process what's happening, Vanessa's between me and the entrance, her body coiled and ready to strike.

My heart's still racing when Magister Orion bursts in, his massive frame filling the doorway. But it's not his size that catches my attention this time. No, it's the tiny sparks of flame dancing above his head like a bizarre halo. I blink, wondering if I'm hallucinating.

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232 Ava: Bursting In

"Fire!" he roars, his voice booming through the room. "You touched fire!"

there's no mistaking the excitement in his tone. He's

Do you have any idea how long it usually

Sometimes months!"

but I'm still reeling from the sudden intrusion. Marcus follows Magister Orion into the room, taking up his

still on high alert but recognizing that we're safe. I'm grateful for her protective instincts, even

this time.

on about magical potential and rare talents when he suddenly stops mid-sentence. His eyes dart around, taking in the room as if seeing it for the first time. The realization dawns on his face, and I watch as his

from excitement to mortification.

words come out in a stammer, his face flushed as red as the fire dancing above his head. "My sincerest apologies, my lady!" Before I can even form a

that follows is deafening.

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232 Ava: Burstant in

just happened. Did that really just occur? Or did I fall asleep during meditation

polite knock on the door breaks the stunned silence. Vanessa moves to answer it,

the situation.

Orion," Vanessa says, her voice carefully neutral.

have permission to enter Miss Grey's chambers?" His voice is subdued now, a far cry from the booming enthusiasm

let him

smaller than before. His face is beet red, and the dancing flames above

by-your-leave. It was terribly rude and unprofessional of

contrast to his earlier behavior that I'm not quite sure how to respond. Part of me wants to laugh at the absurdity of it all, but another part recognizes the genuine

St Aubing b

it's okay. Magister Orion, I manage to say, trying to keep my

still looking uncomfortable. "Yes, well, that's no excuse for such behavior.

over the room. I glance at Vanessa and Marcus, hoping for some clue on how to proceed, but

to let me

way to break the tension,

we could discuss it in a more... appropriate setting? The library, perhaps?" I

of course," he says, backing towards the door.

him, a hysterical giggle escapes. "Well, I say, looking at Vanessa

of her mouth. "I never heard

mores."

the knowledge we have is contained in storybooks. We have

Communities"

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27 Ava Thesi