CELESTIAL FIRE

ira

ldn't

s footsteps made no sound. It was like he floated on air. M

stared at me with th

blanket. The mark on my palm throbbed hard n

?" I asked. My voice

ok one st

was soft and low, like a whisp

"No one saw me

," he said.

t stand. Not yet. But I needed to b

o hide it," he said. "But I felt it from

hand under

know what

his head.

olds of his cloak and

ens

wasn't

hard of bl

e. Not close-just e

ow. Like embers under glass. I didn't wan

that?" I

y. "A mirror," he said

ot lik

aid. "You'

ade no

s were shaky, but I fo

e," I

didn'

r enemy, Nyx

't even

Slowly. Like he didn't

said. "When the flame

ho

dn't

the black crystal

d, "look into this. It will sh

turned a

behind him w

rozen for

touch the

n't s

e window until th

, everything

sharp. Like the magic in the walls co

again. But not just

about the As

idn't scream du

he room bow

I did scream-j

room did

reatu

. I didn't mee

fast, I

e joi

ith the Bloodfangs-his people. He didn't smile.

wh

started

asses. Not ma

odlines. Ritual th

ncils. No chalkboards. Just rooms full of floating spells

and bone. The teacher was a tall woman with hair like

d, "you'll show

fr

on't know?" s

oldly. "Your

at a circle

et the spel

cle. Glowing light spun around them.

or we

for v

for

for w

the circle with th

t was

't wan

I

d into t

ng ha

or. No

ence st

er frowne

d forwar

l no

dents w

he br

she's a

closer. "Let me

poured from her palm. It wasn'

ees b

nd burned so hot

hen-l

one

of t

e. Gold. Then bl

rcle c

pell

rch in the r

le

meone s

I couldn't breathe. I f

grab me-pu

ugh. C

voice i

. We hav

ry

ke, past the broken spell ci

o a quiet hallw

ainst the w

watching me like

that?" I

tel

n't k

oser. "Your m

fr

out slowl

me," h

ok my

and move

bandage. Rolle

yes w

al," he

odd

something I

kne

p. Not

to show he

e said. "Not even my Hou

hy

His eyes were gold

. "To carry something old. Something dan

fast. My t

ood a

l," he said. "Before they

m n

won't

e dorms together. No

here, he didn

ked at me o

n he wa

I stared at

at on my w

id if I dreamed

n't d

ldn't sle

ched

ouched it, the

't in

a field

ark red. The ground bu

iddle of it

like flame.

oked l

tronger.

ned tow

run," she sai

e you?"

didn't

ted her

ehind her turn

ues. Not

e

iv

ar

I wok

in my

ati

t ra

outside my

wasn't

e, it wa

n

t w

ming for yo

out the

was st

nd smelled

cross the mountains, a

ng had