Unshift

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.

16:25

232 Ava: Bursting In

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

The volume of his words has me flinching, but there’s no mistaking the excitement in his tone. He’s practically vibrating with energy as he continues, words tumbling out in a rush.

“I knew it! I knew you were special, Ava Grey! Do you have any idea how long it usually takes trainees to access their magic? Weeks!

Sometimes months!”

His enthusiasm is almost infectious, but I’m still reeling from the sudden intrusion. Marcus follows Magister Orion into the room, taking up his usual position in the corner. His face is impassive as ever, but there’s a hint of amusement in his eyes.

Vanessa relaxes her defensive stance and moves to the opposite corner, still on high alert but recognizing that we’re safe. I’m grateful for her protective instincts, even if they weren’t needed

this time.

Magister Orion’s still going 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 expression shifts

from excitement to mortification.

“Oh. Oh, dear. This is a terrible mistake. I’m in your…” His 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 response, he’s out the door, slamming it behind him with as much force as when he entered. The silence

that follows is deafening.

16:25

232 Ava: Burstant in

I exchange bewildered looks with Vanessa and Marcus, trying to process what just happened. Did that really just occur? Or did I fall asleep during meditation and dream the whole thing?

A polite knock on the door breaks the stunned silence. Vanessa moves to answer it, and I have to stifle a laugh at the absurdity of

the situation.

“Magister Orion,” Vanessa says, her voice carefully neutral. “How may we help you?”

“My apologies. I… ahem. May I please have permission to enter Miss Grey’s chambers?” His voice is subdued now, a far cry from the booming enthusiasm of moments ago.

Vanessa glances back, catching my eye, and I can see she’s struggling to keep a straight face. “Of course,” she says, stepping

aside to let him in.

Magister Orion enters, his massive frame somehow seeming smaller than before. His face is beet red, and the dancing flames above his head have disappeared. He clears his throat, looking everywhere except at me.

“Miss Grey, I must offer my sincerest apologies for intruding upon your personal chambers without so much as a by–your–leave. It was terribly rude and unprofessional of me. I allowed my excitement to override my manners, and for that, I am truly sorry”

The formal language and contrite tone are such a stark 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 remorse in his voice.

St Aubing b

“It’s.. it’s okay. Magister Orion, I manage to say, trying to keep my voice steady. “I understand you were excited about the magic thing.”

He nods, still looking uncomfortable. “Yes, well, that’s no excuse for such behavior. I assure you, it won’t happen again.”

An awkward silence falls over the room. I glance at Vanessa and Marcus, hoping for some clue on how to proceed, but they both

seem content to let me take the lead.

“So,” I begin, searching for a way to break the tension, “about that fire magic…

Magister Orion’s eyes light up, but he visibly restrains himself from launching into another excited tirade. “Yes, of course. Perhaps we could discuss it in a more… appropriate setting? The library, perhaps?”

I nod, relieved to have a direction. “That sounds good.”

“Of course, of course,” he says, backing towards the door. “I’ll await you there.”

As soon as the door closes behind him, a hysterical giggle escapes. “Well, I say, looking at Vanessa and Marcus, “that was…”

“Interesting,” Vanessa supplies, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “I never heard that the Fae have such conservative

mores.”

“I’ve heard the exact opposite,” Marcus muses. “But then again, the knowledge we have is contained in storybooks. We have very little contact with anyone associated with the Unregistered

Communities”

36.25

27 Ava Thesi

Standing up, I stretch out the kinks from sitting so long, “I guess we’d better not keep him waiting. Who knows what he might do if he gets too excited again.”

Vanessa snorts, a sound that’s both amused and exasperated, “It’s not like he’s going to barge into your bedroom again, Ava”

I raise an eyebrow at her. “You sure about that? Did you see how he got when he thought I’d done fire magic? It’s like nothing else in the world exists when he’s talking about it.”

Marcus makes a soft sound of agreement. “Magister Orion seems oblivious to anything outside his interests.”

“I mean, did you see those little flames dancing over his head?” I ask, gesturing vaguely above my own. “It was like he didn’t even notice them. And the way he just burst in here…”

She gestures above her own head. “The fire seems indicative of his excitement. Perhaps it’s something you need to remember for fire, Ava? If he can summon little fire things when he’s at that level, maybe you can, too.”

Fire is explosive. Perhaps an exaggerated level of happiness can also be like fire, Selene offers. An adrenaline rush brings heat, too.

Interesting. It would be much more pleasant to think of something like that than the feeling of skin burning and melting off my bones. Shuddering a little at the vague remnants of those old dreams, I snatch the runes off the bed. “Let’s go. We can ask Magiter Orion about it instead of playing guess–how–to–magic.”

“Can he even teach anything without the approval back from all that paperwork?” Vanessa muses, falling in line behind me as I

16:20

232 Ava: Bursting In

head out of the room and down the staircase to the bottom level.

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