“I’ve been studying.”
“No, I mean can you do it yet?”
“Well…” I searched for something to distract him and found only orb after orb of colorful smoke. Is that all this boy did—study and spell?
“You can’t!” His eyes bugged out in surprise and then shrank down into pride. They sure weren’t glazed over now. He looked at my hands. Cheeks flushing, I shifted my right arm behind my back slowly.This is why boys are the worst.
“What? Are these really yours?” I sputtered, but I already knew the answer.
“Yeah. Wanna see?” He jerked the container up. “This was my first freeze spell.”
He would open itin here? I knew this boy was dangerous. When one is first learning, magic either needed to be confined in an orb or cast in an open space. His room suddenly felt even smaller.
“Don’t! You can’t.”
He straightened. “Yeah I can! I’m a wizard.”
More like spoiled brat.
“I’m a witch too. I just haven’t gotten my powers yet,” I said.
He crossed his arms. At least the orb wasn’t about to be opened. I had saved myself by that much. “I bet you are not even a witch.”
“Am too.” I reached for my left sleeve to show him my Touch, but his laughter stopped me. Heat flushed my cheeks, hot coals pounded in my chest. “Take that back or else!”
“But if you can’t—”
I didn’t let him finish. I hurled myself toward him.
I meant to just make him lose his balance and maybe his grip on his precious orb, but in my frustration my hand slapped his cheek—with force. Jatin stumbled backward, falling to the floor with a thud. He yelped and the crystal-filled orb tumbled across the room.
Feet thumped up the stairs. I crouched, my anger wilting and blooming into fear as the footsteps approached.
“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it.” My throat constricted in regret. I really didn’t mean it.
Jatin held a hand to his cheek as he stared at me wide-eyed. At least he wasn’t crying.
“Let me see?” I edged closer when he continued to peer at me like a lifeless statue. I peeled his hand from his face and sighed. Nothing. No mark. No nothing. Well, it had only been my open palm.
“Youhitme.”
“I’m sorry.” He was nowhere near crying, but I felt the hot press of emotion about to erupt in my own eyes. I had hit the future maharaja of Naupure. Even though it was an accident,I was as good as dead.And I guess a part of me deserved it.
Jatin’s door was open, so our parents had no trouble hustling over the threshold.
“What happened?” Father asked.
“Is everyone okay?” Mother asked not a second after him.
I scanned between Maharaja Naupure lumbering over us and Jatin sitting there, still shocked.
“Adraa?”
“I…I got mad and I didn’t mean to, but I—”
“She didn’t do anything,” Jatin said.
For one breathless moment, we all stared at him as he snapped out of his daze and got up off the floor.