“Why didn't you tell me?” I whispered.
She squinted and looked as if she was thinking really hard about what I was asking.
“That you’re a dragon.”
She giggled as her hands started to glow. I couldn't take my eyes off them.
“At the time you had a lot to cope with.” She laid her hands on both my raw elbows and a warm tingling sensation started to emerge from her palms. It went deep into my skin and felt as if it reached the inside of my bones.
“Why didn't you heal me the first time this way?”
She smiled. “Because it would have freaked you out, and Master Longwei suggested that a natural healing process might be the best that time, considering we were trying to keep you sane.” She stroked my elbows as if she tried to wipe something away. “There, I'm sure that feels much better.”
I looked at my scrapes and they were gone. Even the blue around them had vanished.
“Wow.” I laughed nervously. “Thank you so much.” I hugged her without thinking, and she tapped me softly on the back.
“Go, you’ll see. It's all going to be fine.” She winked and I left feeling mildly better.
Monday couldn't have come faster. I was so not looking forward to spending time with Arianna. But if she was the best at charms and spells then I had no choice. I needed her.
“Elena, you need to concentrate and for crying out loud, learn to speak Latin,” she snapped at me, sounding extremely irritated.
“It’s not my fault everything is in Latin!” I yelled back, already frustrated.
“Who do you think you are yelling at, missy? I’m royalty and it’s princess to you. We used to hang commoners for back-biting. Again, Elena. What do you do when an enemy tries to attack, and you have nothing to defend yourself with?”
“You try to shield yourself,” I whispered, feeling insecure.
“Show me,” she ordered.
“Arianna,” I said, and she gave me the eye. “Sorry, Princess Arianna, I don't know the spell that well.” I felt how my throat thickened and tears started welling up.
“Aw, are we going to cry?” She mocked me in her animated voice.
“I . . .” Nothing came out. I hated enchantments and knew I would never be able to learn any of it. Maybe I was stupid.
She chanted some things in a different language while gripping the bridge of her nose. I knew it was the words to the spell and could hear the vibration of the invisible shield taking form around her.
“It's a lot to take in. I don't even know what that means!”
“Maybe if you pay more attention in class and stop daydreaming about guys that are way out of your league, you might learn something. I told Master Longwei teaching a dragon offspring was going to be a waste of my time.” She spat out the words as if they scorched her tongue.
“You’re not really making it any easier for me. You don't even want to be here.”
“You got that right.”
“I really need your help, Arianna. Why are you so mean?”
“Isn't it obvious? You don't belong here; maybe that's why you don't get it.”
“I didn't ask to be here.” I was pissed off with her attitude. “You know what, go to hell!” I was done with her and turned to walk away when she spoke another incantation. I suddenly felt my air supply being cut off. My heart felt as if I was busy running the hundred meters. I fell on my knees as I tried to breathe, but there was no air. It was as if my lungs had collapsed and were no longer working.
Water poured out of my mouth as if I had swallowed a gallon. I started to panic as my breath disappeared and began hitting my chest as everything faded.
Far away, I could hear Lucian's voice rambling a couple of foreign words. I felt his hands on my chest as air filled my lungs and started coughing violently. “Are you insane? Arianna, you could've killed her.”
“Oh, please. I only tried to teach her a lesson,” she said, flipping her strawberry curls over her shoulder.
“What’s wrong with you?” He sounded pissed off and helped me up. My lungs burned as if they were on fire.
“Come on, Lucian. It’s not like you haven't done it before.”
“That was different. It was an exam,” he roared. He shook his head and led me away from her. “I’m so sorry, are you okay?” His tone was full of concern, and he held me tight. I felt good in his arms and I started to cry.
“This is my fault,” he whispered. “I promise I’ll handle this, Elena. She won't do that ever again.”
I was glad that there wasn’t an audience to witness my tears. It wasn’t the first time I playedon death's porch, but it didn’t mean that I was used to it either. It was weird how in the movies your whole life played out in slow motion. It was nothing like that.
It felt horrible.
I stumbled up the stairs as if my limbs were made from paper. I felt Lucian’s one arm behind me legs, and he lifted me up. Becky's smile vanished the minute we entered the room. Her face turned pale as if she had just seen a ghost.
“What the f--” She shrieked, and she helped Lucian get me onto the couch. Not that he needed it. “What happened?”
“Arianna used a moon spell on her.”
“She what!” Her eyes turned a shade darker that seemed almost pitch black.
I was glad that Sammy wasn’t here, otherwise the whole fourth floor would have heard that Arianna had almost killed me.
“She’ll be fine, I hope. I think I got there in time.”Lucian’s voice broke a little, like on the night Becky ascended. He hugged me again.
“We have to tell Master Longwei. Princess or no princess, she’s going down,” Becky threatened.
“Don't please,” I finally managed to speak. “She’s the best at enchantment, and I need the best to pass my exams.”
“Elena, she almost killed you.” Lucian's tone was full of disbelief.
“She wasn't going to. I disrespected her. She had the right to do that.”
“What, by not calling her princess?” he snapped back.
“Well, she is one.”
“I can't believe you fell for that, it’s an old trick of hers.”
“Oh, come on,Lucian. You know it’s not the reason why she used a moon spell on Elena,”Becky quipped. I finally understood what she was saying. It was because I hadn’t backed off from pursuing him.
Tears were close by again.
Becky turned her gaze on me. “You must be really desperate to graduate or really stupid.”
“Becky!” Lucian chided.
“Don't, Lucian, please,” I whispered. “Becky, I begged Master Longwei to give me a chance. I’m not going to fail. She can use whatever spell she freaking wants and believe me,she’s not getting off easily. She hates every minute as much as I do, but I will learn every single one there is, and if Arianna is the best one to teach me, then so be it.”
“Elena?” Lucian sounded concerned. I could tell that he didn't like my tone one bit.
“Lucian, I’ll be fine. I have a week to learn a spell to protect myself,” I said. “You guys think you can help me?”
“Whatever, Elena, you're nuts,” Becky snapped, and Lucian just sighed.
“Fine, there’s a basic protection spell that might do the trick,” he said.
“Thanks.”
“However, I’m with Becky. You are nuts.” He raised his eyes playfully. The corner of his mouth slightly twitched.
“Oh, do you now,” I said, and gave him a hug. “I’ll be fine”
The door opened and Sammy entered. She was returning from drama rehearsal and still had paint all over her face. I had no idea what the hell she was supposed to be.
“Oh crap, what happened?” She dropped the costume that she was carrying, and her tone was ten times worse than Becky's.