Spellcraft was better. I think. No one was looking at me at least. Which was an automatic improvement. I kept my gaze down as I went to my seat. Today we were learning the history of the Flare spell. Hopefully I can get through this without an incident. Maybe I could get a few days break? Please?

  I wasn’t going to pretend I was that lucky.

  “Miss Stewart, why don’t you do a demonstration of Flare for us?” Professor Telvis asked.

  I had several reasons not to. Rounds of whispers traveled through the class. “I don’t think that’s a good idea Professor. I think we all remember the last time I ‘demonstrated’ anything for the class.” I rubbed the spot on my left wrist.

  Jarec let out a snort of laughter.

  Professor Telvis had the decency to look nervous. “Yes. Yes, we do. But a casting a simple spell shouldn’t land anyone in the Healer’s wing.”

  He said that now. But the chances were this wouldn’t even work.

  I stood up in front of the whole class. I got a thumbs up from Jarec and a worried look from Angelina. Here we go.

  I interlocked my fingers, just as Mom had taught me when she showed me this spell, and exhaled into the space between my hands.

  To my lack of surprise nothing happened.

  Angelina let out a sigh of relief. Probably thankful my hands didn’t explode or something.

  Was that possible? I knew some fire spells could get out of control quickly but there was no way they would teach something properly dangerous to fifteen-year-olds, right? Right? Really glad I wasn’t in the Advanced Spellcraft class.

  How did I cast Fae Fire? What did I have to do to cast again?

  “Huh. Well then. Why don’t you give it one more try?”

  There were snickers from my classmates. Not Jarec or Angelina though.

  I gritted my teeth and let out a stiff breath. I placed my hands at my sides and tried again shook my head and tried again.

  Nothing.

  “Serafina? You good?” I heard Jarec’s voice but his lips weren’t moving.

  Where did this headache come from? The room was spinning.

  Angelina was standing up. “Should I take her to the Healer professor?”

  “No. I’m fine. I think I should go back to my seat.”

  “All right. It was a good effort.” He sounded unsure but I was already heading towards my seat.

  I closed my eyes and tried to force the headache away. It didn’t work.

  What was with these headaches? I almost never got them before.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” Jarec’s voice again. Crystal clear, like he was next to me. But he wasn’t. He was four rows ahead of me.

  “I’m fine.” I wasn’t. I felt like garbage. I wanted to puke.

  What the hell was happening to me? This hadn’t happened before. Even previous attempts to cast spells hadn’t done this to me.

  “We’ll talk after class.” Jarec didn’t speak after that. But the headache went away.

  Thank the gods.

  The rest of me didn’t calm the hells down.

  I took several deep breaths. But it didn’t help. Cold sweat ran through my body. What was wrong with me?

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  (*********)

  Class was eventually over. And of course Angelina and Jarec were crowding me. Ugh.

  “Guys, really. I’m fine. I have to go to the bathroom. I’ll be fine.”

  “Well, I’m going with you. Just in case.” Angelina was firm.

  “That’s really not necessary.”

  “Your eyes were turning pink,” Jarec informed me. “And you were about five seconds from fainting in front of the whole class. We have every reason to worry.”

  Why did he sound so certain? “You don’t know that.”

  “Yes. I do. Actually.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I’ll see you in class,” I told Angelina before turning to Jarec. “And you I’ll see later.”

  (*********)

  I did go to the bathroom. And Angelina did follow me despite my best efforts to dissuade her.

  “We’re just worried. And you know Awakening is a big deal, right?”

  I rolled my eyes. It didn’t matter that she couldn’t see it. “I am aware of that. We went over it just last week.”

  “I thought you would be more excited. You know there’s a lot of people who struggle to cast any real magic before they Awaken for the first time.”

  I did know that. It was an idea Mom and I had considered. But there was a difference between only being able to generate a few sparks and being unable to even activate runes. Runes powered children’s’ toys.

  I tried not to think about the music box that I could never make play.

  “You’d think the spider attack would do it,” I teased. “I mean, that’s how it works, right? Enough pressure in the right spot and the dam opens wide.”

  “Do you think something might be blocking your magic?” Angelina asked quietly.

  I did. I looked at the mark on my wrist. “I certainly don’t want to rule it out. Why are you asking?”

  “When I tried to read your future, remember how vague it was?”

  “You said you only got feelings and colors.”

  “Right. Well normally, I can get a lot more information. Pictures, visions, sounds, the works. But when I tried it with you, it felt like I hit a wall.”

  “Hmm. Weird,” I said. “Why bring this up now?”

  “I asked Professor Hector Hearth about it. He runs the Fortune-Telling club. He said he hadn’t heard of anything like that. I didn’t say your name though.”

  Another Hearth? How many were there? “I appreciate that.”

  “Ever since you got here it’s been one thing after another. I’m glad you seem to be handling all of it okay. You think it’s a…Dragon thing?”

  “I have no idea. Who knows what that Tower looks for in students? The others and I have a betting pool.”

  “You sound like you’re feeling better,” she said.

  “Yeah well…I know what the problem was. Or at the very least why I started feeling miserable.”

  There were days when I hated being a girl. Not that any other designation felt right, but ugh…

  Periods.

  The curse of the gods on those with female parts.

  Damn you Artemis.

  “Do I need to take you to the Healers?”

  “No. Nothing they can do. I’m fine. Not dying.” Just losing enough blood to put lesser mortals in a hospital.

  “You keep saying that you’re fine.”

  “Because I am!” Mostly I was grateful that the school let girls have pockets. Both in the large overcoat and in the pants. The skirts didn’t have them but I didn’t wear them anyway. Since we weren’t allowed purses and there were basics ladies needed to carry.

  “I don’t think this is a situation where if you say it enough it will become true.”

  I let out a single loud laugh. “My period just started. That’s all.” I stepped out of the stall and went to wash my hands next to where Angelina was standing.

  She wasn’t responding.

  Was that too much information?

  Angelina sighed. “Thank the heavens. I’m so glad we are not having another incident.”

  “You and me both. I’ve already hit my limit of one a week. Anything else has to wait until Monday.”

  “Don’t joke like that! Something could happen!”

  “No. Things only happen when you claim they won’t. Being ready for something to happen ensures that it won’t.”

  Angelina laughed. A fit of loud giggles and snorts.

  “Come on. I do not want to be late to History.”

  (*********)

  Lunch was better. Fried rice with tofu and extra broccoli improved my mood and while the cramps were in full force, it wasn’t anything I hadn’t handled before. Periods had stopped being scary after the fourth one. Now they were more annoying than anything else.

  A Pixie sat next to Angelina, someone whose name I wasn’t sure about. I think there was an ‘M’ in it? “So, what was that in Spellcraft?”

  “Which part?” I was stalling.

  “You nearly Awakened in the middle of class!” They leaned forward and whispered.

  I rolled my eyes. “I was cranky. And I don’t know if you’ve noticed but my magic doesn’t play nice.”

  Angelina snorted.

  “Ah. But still. Very exciting. You should be happy that you’re getting close.”

  I shrugged. “It’ll happen when it happens. Until then I can live with not being able to do certain things.”

  Like cast Flare. Or use runes. Or get my fortune told. Or teleport. Or get my own vengeance against those who have wronged me.

  Except for spiders.

  Really wish I could remember that clearer.

  Angelina suddenly snapped in front of my face. “Serafina? Your eyes,” she said in a harsh whisper.

  What? I blinked a few times.

  “Okay they’re back to normal. Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “I’m fine. Really. I don’t know what it’s doing.”

  “And that doesn’t worry you at all?” The Pixie asked.

  “It’s been doing this all day. If it was having a negative impact on me I would have noticed. Angelina, you’ve Awakened. What are your thoughts?”

  “I know my eyes didn’t glow randomly without doing magic,” Angelina said. “I didn’t even know they did that when you’re not casting a spell.”

  Helpful. “Neat. Well, if I start to feel funny I’ll head to the Healer. Deal?”

  “Has anyone ever told you that you are the strangest person?”

  I laughed. I had heard that before. Frequently. Though this would be the first time anyone said it without horror in their voice.