“I don’t know what I think exactly. I just know I was scared to get too close to you because I felt connected to you, and I didn’t know what that meant. Then when we...kissed, I felt that we were connected, and suddenly I didn’t really care about the how or the why anymore. So now the guy part of me is torn between wanting to go back to avoiding you, and not wanting to leave your side, and the other part of me is keen to bury himself in all the research he can get his hands on to try and work out what the hell is going on.”

  Caroline laughed. While Aldrick’s uncharacteristic openness was surprising, it also felt like a weight was lifted from her. She’d spent so much time wondering why he ignored her and why she felt so drawn to him anyway. At least now, she sort of had an answer—even if it brought another ton of questions with it.

  There was a knock on the door, and before Caroline could respond, it opened and in walked the headmistress. “Mr. Vieux, thank you for keeping such a watchful eye over my niece, but I would like to speak to her in private.”

  “Yes, of course.” Aldrick turned to Caroline, “Can I come and check in on you later?”

  Caroline nodded and watched after him as he left the room. Her mood soured quickly as her aunt approached the bed.

  “Mr. Vieux’s visit must have been what the doctor ordered. You’re looking much brighter,” her aunt commented.

  “Tell me why you are so intent on ruining my life,” Caroline demanded.

  “Firstly, there’s no need to be quite so dramatic. You get that from your father, and it’s the most exasperating trait,” Marguerite sighed.

  “Seriously?” Caroline scowled, but her aunt ignored her.

  “Secondly, I would have thought you bright enough to have realized by now that making demands gets you nowhere.”

  Caroline’s mouth fell open as she stared at her aunt, “What is wrong with you?”

  “I beg your pardon?” her aunt peered at her; eyebrows raised high.

  “What gives you the right to try and control people’s lives? My life? And for what?” Caroline demanded, ignoring her aunt’s heed.

  “Everything I have done has been for the protection and preservation of my family and the Destine name,” Marguerite replied softly, but sternly.

  “Ha! Do you believe that? I think my father tried to get away from you and your control, and you didn’t like it, so you had him—us—spied on. Does that sound about right?” Caroline yelled.

  “My dear niece, you really have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  Caroline clenched her bedsheets in her hands, her aunt’s calm tone only further infuriating her. “Oh, I think I do. What I want to know is, why did you wait? If your plan all along was to steal me away to your precious academy, then why did you wait so long to do it? Why did you concoct some masterplan that saw my mother and brother taken from their own home? Why all the smoke and mirrors?” Caroline’s voice rose with every word, yet Marguerite stood there, her hands clasped elegantly behind her back.

  “Some things are best not left to chance,” she said.

  “What does that even mean?” Caroline was so frustrated. She felt like she was going to leap out of her own skin.

  “It means patience is a virtue and a lesson you could well learn. Now that I can see you are evidently much improved, I will arrange for your studies to recommence—there’s no reason why you can’t entertain your mind while your body continues to rest.”

  Caroline couldn’t believe it as her aunt went to leave the room as calmly as she’d entered it.

  “What about what happened to Amelie? Shouldn’t everyone be made aware of what happened—of what could still happen?” Caroline asked.

  Her aunt paused and turned to look at her niece over her shoulder. There was something in the darkness of her gaze that sent an icy chill racing up Caroline’s spine.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Yes, you do. Amelie—the girl who was in the locker room with me? The one who…”

  “There isn’t, nor has there ever been a student here by that name. Get some rest.” Without another word, her aunt left the room, closing the door firmly behind her, leaving Caroline more confused than ever.

  Chapter Three

  Caroline felt as though the four walls of her bedroom were closing in on her, and she knew she had to get out. Glancing briefly at the wheelchair, she debated wheeling herself around but decided the only way to see how much she’d recovered—and how much further she still had to go—was to get back on her feet. She pushed the blankets back and swung her feet over the edge of the bed. Her ribs still ached a little, but they seemed improved, even since earlier. Feeling encouraged, Caroline gently slid off the bed and walked over to the wardrobe. She figured donning her uniform would make her less conspicuous, should her aunt have her minions out scanning the academy for her.

  Opening the door, she peered out to find the corridors quiet. She had no idea what the time was but assumed everyone must be in class. Caroline closed the door behind her, feeling a sense of satisfaction as she heard the click of the lock behind her. She walked towards the rear of the academy, her hand lightly touching the wall for support. With each step that brought her closer to the exit, the better she felt.

  “Caroline!” a voice called from behind, and she groaned inwardly.

  So close!

  She turned around slowly and was relieved to find Nadine and Fleur jogging towards her.

  “What a relief! I thought you were someone coming to drag me back to my room.”

  “Well, you have a point. Should you be up and walking around like this?” Nadine asked.

  “Please tell me you’re joking,” Caroline said.

  Nadine smiled, “Only partly. Are you okay?”

  “Enough to get out of that room before I go insane,” Caroline replied, continuing down the hall without them.

  “Alright, you know what’s best. Just do me a favor, will you?” Nadine asked as she and Fleur followed.

  “Depends on what it is,” Caroline replied with a faint smile.

  “If you honestly start to feel crappy again, will you let us know, so we have time to get you back to your room? I don’t fancy getting in trouble from the headmistress, thank you very much.”

  “Why would you get in trouble? You’re not my keeper. I’m responsible for my own actions,” Caroline replied, her head held high in defiance.

  “You have met your aunt—the headmistress—right?” Nadine asked, slipping her arm through Caroline’s.

  “I suppose you have a point,” she replied as Fleur slipped her arm through the other side. Caroline was grateful for the extra support—she didn’t want to give away the fact that she already felt a little shaky, and they hadn’t even made it to the door yet.

  I just have to get outside, and then I can sit and rest for as long as I want.

  Fleur pushed open the large glass doors that opened out onto the rear gardens of the academy, with the bleachers and athletic field below. Caroline took a deep breath and savored the fresh air. Her friends gave her a few moments to enjoy it.

  “How far do you want to go?” Fleur asked.

  “Just far enough that we’re out of immediate earshot.”

  They walked over to a quaint, wrought iron swinging bench that looked out over the fields and the trees beyond them. Caroline’s thoughts wandered back to her and Corbin scaling the same trees like they were the most powerful creatures on the planet. Like they were invisible. She thought about how it had felt to kiss him, to get lost in a moment with someone.

  How quickly things change.

  As she traced a path from the forest trees back towards the fields, her eyes naturally fell on the locker rooms—or at least, what was left of them. Her mouth fell open as she looked at the debris and wondered how she and Corbin had ever managed to get out of there alive. It was cordoned off with poles and tape to keep the students away, and some clearing had already started to take place, but it was still evident that something disastrous had happened.

  “Are you okay?” Nadine asked softly as the three of them sat on the bench and got comfortable.

  “Yeah. Just seems surreal, you know?” she replied softly.

  “I imagine it does. Do you remember much about what happened?” Fleur asked.

  “Yes and no. It’s in pieces. The doctor said I did take a nasty blow to the head, so hopefully, I will remember more clearly once the swelling goes down.

  “I still can’t believe there was a gas explosion,” Fleur exclaimed.

  “Right? Like, what if the locker rooms were filled with students before or after P.E. or watching a match? How many do you think would have been injured?”

  “It wasn’t a gas explosion; you know that, right?” Caroline said. Both girls looked at her, but she continued to stare down at the remains of the locker rooms.

  “What are you talking about?” Nadine asked. “The headmistress announced there’d been a gas leak, and something had triggered an explosion.”

  Caroline turned and looked at her friend. “Firstly, doesn’t that all sound a little too vague to you? And secondly, haven’t we proven that whatever comes out of my aunt’s mouth can’t be trusted?”

  “Yeah, true,” Nadine agreed.

  “So, what did happen then?” Fleur asked.

  “You remember the girl, Amelie? The one that was super eager to meet me?” she asked, and Caroline and Nadine both nodded.

  “She was a cutie!” Fleur said, smiling at the memory.

  “No. Not so much,” Caroline said dryly.

  “Huh?” Fleur frowned.

  “She wasn’t herself. I don’t know for how long, but definitely in the time leading up to the accident, she wasn’t herself,” Caroline tried to explain.

  “What do you mean?” Nadine asked.

  “Long story short, she was controlled or possessed by Tempeste.”

  “Tempeste!” screeched Fleur.

  “Shh!” hissed Caroline, “We’re not supposed to be drawing attention to ourselves, remember?”

  “Sorry,” Fleur whispered.

  “I’m with Fleur, though.” Nadine said, “Tempeste? How?”

  Caroline filled them in on her run-in with Amelie in the forest, skirting over the details of exactly how she’d found her and Corbin together, then described her encounter with the girl in the locker room. She was surprised at how all the details came flooding back to her, as though just seeing what remained of the locker rooms was enough to unlock the memories that her head injury had buried. When she’d finished, her friends were silent as they let it sink in.

  “This is bad. This is so bad,” Fleur stated, without argument from her friends.

  “Did you tell your aunt? I mean, does she know what Tempeste can do now?” Nadine asked.

  “I didn’t tell her about Tempeste, but I’m pretty sure she knows. What was weird though is twice I’ve asked her about Amelie, and the first time she told me there’d been no one else in the locker rooms aside from Corbin and me, but the second time I asked her, she said there’d never been a student at this school by that name,” Caroline said.

  “Well, that doesn’t cry cover-up…” Fleur scoffed.

  “Right?” Caroline concurred.

  “I think the first thing we need to do is be proactive,” Nadine said firmly.

  “What did you have in mind?” Caroline asked, more than happy to have someone else take charge.

  “We need to protect ourselves from Tempeste. We have to find a way to make sure she doesn’t take over one of us. Amelie was young and not yet come into her powers, so she was an obvious first choice for Tempeste’s test run. But I think it’s safe to say her end game would be to get as close to you as possible, Caroline. Which means she’d target one of those closest to you,” Nadine exclaimed.

  “If not, try to target you,” Fleur added.

  Caroline sighed. She knew her friends were right, but with everything else that had happened since she’d regained consciousness, she hadn’t really let herself consider what Tempeste’s bigger picture might look like.

  “So how do we do that?” she asked.

  “Well, I’m not exactly sure just yet. But Zara, the new Magicques head, and I have been working on a spell to try and return Eloise’s memories back. I’m convinced the headmistress has blocked them because she knows too much—which also makes her our best call,” Nadine explained.

  “Agreed,” Caroline nodded slowly, “What does restoring Eloise’s memories have to do with protecting us, though?”

  “There’s bound to be some kind of charm, spell, or something we can cast for protection. It would be smart to enlist Aldrick, since he’s the research king, and could likely narrow our search down substantially. I don’t mean to sound dramatic when I say time is of the essence here. We don’t know how diminished Tempeste’s powers were in your fight against her—assuming they were at all”, Nadine said.

  “You’re right. Let’s go,” Caroline said, but before she could get up from the seat, Fleur clamped her hand around her friends’ arms.

  “Wait,” she said, and Nadine and Caroline looked at her expectantly. “While we’re out here and no one can hear us, what’s up with Corbin and Aldrick?”

  Caroline groaned.

  “Actually, I’m interested to know too.” Nadine sat back down and made a show of making herself comfortable.

  Reluctantly, Caroline leaned back into the bench seat and looked up at the sky, darkening with clouds moving across from the east. “I don’t really know, to be honest. It’s all too confusing. I don’t want to seem like I’m playing games with either of them, and I certainly don’t want to hurt anyone…” she trailed off.

  “Has anything happened with either of them again? Things were borderline icy when you left with Corbin for your Surnaturals training the day of the accident, but Laurent said he was really happy to see you when you visited him in the hospital wing,” Fleur said.

  “Did Laurent also mention that Corbin was on painkillers?” Caroline retorted.

  Fleur rolled her eyes, “I don’t think that’s all it was. Did something happen?”

  Caroline sighed and told them about the kiss in the forest. Nadine fanned her face dramatically until Caroline nudged her in the ribs.

  “Well, that answers that question. What about Aldrick?” Fleur asked.

  Caroline explained to them his theory that they were destined for each other, but while her friends thought it sounded romantic, she felt her stomach knot with unease. It made her feel like there was no choice in the matter, or that her attraction to Aldrick was less real for the fact they were bound together. She didn’t know what to think.

  “So basically, with Aldrick, things are more intense and serious, but with Corbin, it’s more carefree and fun?” Nadine surmised.

  Caroline nodded, “Yeah, you pretty much hit the nail on the head.”

  “Wow. The two most eligible boys in the academy and you have both of them vying for your affections. Sucks to be you,” joked Fleur.

  “Yeah, no wonder Katriane throws daggers with her eyes every time you walk into the same room as her.” Nadine laughed.

  “How is any of this funny?” Caroline asked, eyebrows raised.

  “We don’t mean to laugh; it’s serious, we know. But far out, some girls would kill to be in your shoes—at least from the outside looking in.” Fleur explained.

  “Speaking of Katriane…” Caroline stated and proceeded to tell them about Felicity.

  “Wait—Felicity Bennett?” Fleur cut in.

  “Yeah?” Caroline said frowning.

  “Felicity Bennett is your best friend from back home?” Fleur asked.

  “Yes,” Caroline replied slowly. “Don’t tell me you know her.”

  “Of course we know her. She’s a Destine Academy student, after all. We’ve known her since the first year.” Nadine said.

  “What? Why didn’t you say anything?” Caroline demanded, the revelation shaking her to her core.

  “It’s not like we knew she was the same Felicity, who was your childhood best friend. How on earth could we have ever guessed that?” Nadine said.

  “This is crazy! I mean, we knew Felicity had special circumstances—we were told her parents held high-up roles in the magic community. For whatever reason, she wasn’t able to attend the academy full time.” Fleur stated.

  “That’s right. They had a kind of distance education thing going on, and once a month, Felicity would come here for the weekend to do any practical training and stuff like that,” Fleur continued.

  “Unbelievable,” Caroline couldn’t manage to say anything else.

  “I can’t believe your aunt would do that. That anyone would do that,” Nadine said quietly. “But, it does put forward one interesting question.”

  “What’s that?” Caroline and Fleur asked in unison.

  “Just how powerful are you capable of becoming, for people to go to such lengths for you?” Nadine asked.

  Caroline shuddered at the thought.

  Chapter Four

  As she walked through the academy to the hospital wing, even Caroline was amazed at how quickly she was recovering. She only felt mild discomfort now, and the pounding headache that she’d succumbed to that morning was gone. Turning into the ward, she paused for a moment, scouting the area for Katriane or Felicity. When she thought the coast was clear, she walked over to Corbin’s bed and found him alone and fast asleep. Chewing on her lower lip, she tried to determine if she should stay and wait to see if he woke up, or whether she should come back later. Before she could reach a decision, Corbin opened his eyes and looked straight at her.

  “Hey, you.”

  “Hey, yourself. How are you feeling?” Caroline asked, perching on the edge of the bed.

  “Honestly, it’s hard to tell—I’ve been on so many pain killers. But my head feels clearer, so I’m taking that to mean they’re weaning me off them. I’ll be as good as new in no time,” Corbin said, his trademark smile lighting up his whole face.

 

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