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"Whatever you're thinking about right now."
I clear my throat, the memory of our encounter gone, and twist so we're standing face to face. I could tell him what I was thinking about just now, but he made it abundantly clear last night that he didn't want anything to happen between us. Part of me wants to ask him why he rejected me, but my stubbornness and wounded pride won't allow it.
"I'm ready," is all I say in response to his inquisition. I can sense his hardened, curious stare, but he doesn't say anything else other than, "Listen to your surroundings and trust your magic."
I nod in understanding. And although I can't see him, I instantly feel his absence when he stalks off toward the bleachers. Though his light breathing has faded, his leather and pine scent lingers. Such an odd feeling of being able to sense someone's presence with or without visual confirmation, as if there's a connection deeper than sight.
Just as Atlas instructed, I quiet my mind to listen to my surroundings. My magic hums beneath my skin, and I smell the smokiness of the fire wielders standing on the opposite side of the room. I slowly puff out a nervous breath, shedding my anxiety. The second their hands ignite, I hear them, and once again panic begs to stir within me, but I repress those feelings, and wait. Wait for them to launch their assault. Wait for the balls of fire hurled at me to come closer.
Just as I sense the fiery assault nearing me, the most amazing thing happens. My magic spreads from my hands and ricochets through my entire body. I throw a shield in front of me and hear the blasts smash against it. Without a moment's hesitation, I drop the shield and shoot light from my hands, zipping it across to the senior fire wielders. One of them hisses a mumbled curse and dives out of the way of my returned strike. The second wielder must have side stepped the blast and launches a second ball of fire at me. This time, I'm not fast enough to throw up a shield. I'm able to twist my body out of the fire's direct path but still feel the painful burn brush past my upper arm. I scream as my flesh burns, but as quickly as the pain erupts, it's stifled.
Hands grab me and pull me against a muscular chest. Surprisingly, despite the scent of my burnt flesh and the smokiness of the magic wielders, I can smell Atlas the second my cheek hits his chest. "I'm sorry," he sounds devastated, horrified even. Gently, he slips his fingers underneath the blindfold and yanks it off my head. I blink several times rapidly, trying to adjust to the light filling the space. But once my eyes settle, I meet Atlas' concerned stare. "Are you alright?"
I follow his line of sight and see the blistering wound on my bicep. It's angry and red, but I don't feel any pain. "I'm alright."
"Let's get you to the medical wing. They'll patch you up." Atlas releases me from his strong grasp and looks down at me. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have forced you to do this lesson. You need more -"
"I want to try again," I interrupt him, drawing a stupefied glare from him.
"What did you just say?"
"I said, I want to try it again. Put the blindfold back on."
"Princess -"
"Professor," I challenge. I refuse to back down on this and by the defeated and exhausted look on his face, he knows I'll fight him on this for the rest of the day, if I must.
"You are incredibly stubborn; you know that right?" He picks the blindfold up off the floor where he dropped it.
"Maybe I just like arguing with you," I tease, and I finally see a slight uptick in the corner of his mouth. "Tie it."
Obediently, he does as I ask and refastens the wrap around my eyes. I take my stance and once again wait for the fiery barrage. Just like the previous time, I hear the ignition of flames licking up their arms, smell the char of the fire hurled my way, and this time, I don't put up a shield to protect myself. If training with Nyx has taught me anything, it's how to avoid being struck. I let my magic, the instincts of my body take over, and dip, dodge, twist and contort limbs to avoid each and every flame the wielders have launched. I spin, feeling the buildup of my power itching to be released, and blast streaks of light at the two fire wielders. Both of them scream before diving out of the way. The explosion across the room is deafening and I don't wait for Atlas to come take the blindfold off me. I rip it from my head and see the catastrophic damage my magic is responsible for.
Thankfully, neither fire wielder is injured, but I can't say the same about Atlas' desk. The mahogany table is split in two and wood shavings scatter across the floor. Pieces of parchment are raining down on us like snow and I don't see his chair anywhere.
Atlas comes into view, circling the area his desk once sat, and rubs his chin with great interest at the destruction. I take a few steps toward him, "I'm so sorry, Atlas, I didn't mean -"
He whips around to face me, pride in his eyes and a grin playing across his face. "You are truly amazing!"
I halt my advancement. I must have heard him wrong. "What did you say?"
"You, your magic, your power. You are amazing." He motions to what used to be his desk with excitement. "You split my desk in half!"
I scratch behind my ear and grimace. "I didn't mean to – "
"Princess, I'm not upset." He shakes his head and approaches me. "You trusted your magic and it's growing more powerful. Before you were only able to shoot bursts of light, but now, your light streaked across the room like a lightning bolt, and you split a solid wooden desk clean in half. I've never seen anything like this before."
"You aren't mad?"
"Mad?" He scoffs, dumbfounded. "Desks can be replaced, but witnessing what you just did will forever be burned in my memory." He grins, and I'm not sure why he's smiling that way until he says, "Professor Riggs is going to be supremely disappointed he wasn't here to see this."
"And that makes you happy?"
"Is it wrong of me to want to have some part of you to myself?"
"And which part would that be, Atlas? My body or my magic?"
His eyes turn molten, and his shoulders stiffen. He finally inches closer, whispering, "What if, I desire your heart?"
