to an end, Nathaniel dropped his arms from around me. Anxiety crept up into my chest at my sudden vulnerability. I hadn’t said a single word while we danced, and it seemed idiotic for me to try to come up with a clever quip now. It was hard to breathe. I took a step back.
“I need some air,” I said, giving him a shaky smile.
Without waiting for his response, I rushed across the dance floor and walked out through the heavy doors of the Assembly Hall. The cool night air hit my face, and I instantly felt a little better as I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths.
“Are you okay?” I heard Nathaniel’s voice ask next to me.
I opened my eyes to his concerned face a few steps away.
“I’m fine,” I assured him. “It was just getting too stuffy in there.”
There were around fifteen to twenty other students congregated outside near us, their chatter like an excited flock of birds. Some of them were horsing around, while others shouted over one another.
Nathaniel glanced at them and back at me. “Come on. I know a place that’s quiet.”
He came closer and offered his hand to me. I looked at him nervously, but after two heartbeats, I took his hand in his, and he led me down one of the pathways away from the Assembly Hall.
We reached a small courtyard with a beautiful water fountain in the center. Nathaniel led me to a bench in front of the fountain, and we sat side by side. Neither of us said anything for a while.
The stars twinkled like diamonds in the sky above us, and a cool breeze blew through my hair as I looked around in awe at the beauty surrounding us. Though it wasn’t far from the dance, the music was faint enough that I could hear the sound of the water trickling down from one basin to another. The warm glow of small lanterns illuminated the courtyard’s trees and flower beds, their vibrant colors standing out against the dark night sky. The serene atmosphere was so peaceful, like being in another world entirely.
“Do you feel better?” Nathaniel finally asked, breaking the silence.
“Much better,” I replied as I tried not to look him in the eyes, fearing the emotions that would bring up again. “Thanks.”
“Is that a tattoo?” he asked, pointing at my shoulder.
“This?” I turned so he could get a better view of my right shoulder blade. “No, it’s a birthmark.”
The thin straps of my dress exposed the dark purple birthmark that was about two-and-a-half inches long. I wasn’t a big fan of growing up with a misshapen triangle on my back, but it was usually covered up by everyday clothes, so I often forgot it was there.
“I don’t have the courage to get a tattoo.” I chuckled lightly. “At least not yet, anyway.”
“It looks like an arrowhead,” Nathaniel remarked, leaning closer to get a better look.
“Hmm.” I stretched my neck to peer around my shoulder. “I guess it kind of does. I think it looks like a warped Christmas tree.” I smiled at him, the banter about my birthmark making me completely forget to avoid looking at him.
The light from the water fountain glinted off of his face, casting a soft glow around his features and giving his hazel eyes an even more mysterious sparkle. It skipped along his dark hair, creating the illusion of gold and amber colors in it. His toned frame silhouetted against the water fountain, the light creating a halo around his broad shoulders and enhancing the definition of his arms and chest. His black suit clung to him in all the right places and did little to hide the expanse of muscle underneath. His lips curved up into a gentle smile as he looked back at me, and for a moment, I thought I could see the depths of his soul.
“You look pretty too,” I finally said and immediately flinched when my words came out.
Did I just call him “pretty”? Ugh, this is why I didn’t want to look at him! Can I crawl into a hole now, please?
“Pretty, huh?” He raised a bewildered eyebrow.
“I mean…” I stuttered, looking away from his intense gaze. “Inside, you said I looked pretty. I meant… thanks for saying that.”
He smiled with amusement at my fumbling words.
“Pretty sure I saw a smile,” I noted, trying to turn the attention away from my nerves. “See, smiling isn’t so bad, right?” I nudged him playfully.
Nathaniel held back a grin. “I told you – I’ll smile when there’s something worth smiling about.”
I gave him a defiant glare. “We’re back to this again? Fine. What would make you smile then?”
His finger slowly traced circles on the back of my hand, sending a spark of electricity dancing across my skin. His eyes trailed down to my lips before meeting mine again. My breath caught in my chest.
He leaned even closer to me, his breath hot against my ear. “If I could kiss you,” he whispered huskily.
My heart skipped a beat as a rush of heat flooded my cheeks at his unexpected boldness. As I slowly tilted my head up to meet his tempestuous gray eyes, he gently placed one hand on my cheek and leaned in until our lips were just inches apart. His other hand moved to the small of my back and pulled me closer as his lips gently brushed against mine.
The soft kiss, tender and inviting, lingered for just a moment, long enough to send a wave of warmth through my body. He pulled away slowly but kept his hands lightly on my skin and studied my eyes, searching for any sign of objection, not sure if I wanted him to stop or keep going.
I looked at him. His kiss was like a firework, igniting a fervor within me that I had never felt before. My eyes filled with a newfound desire, and my heart beat faster than ever before. I knew exactly what I wanted. Breathing a little more heavily, I pressed my chest against his until our lips were almost touching again and whispered, “Nate.”
I leaned in and pressed my lips to his, deepening the kiss. Nathaniel responded eagerly, his hands moving to wrap around me. Our mouths moved together in a fierce, heated embrace, each of us desperate for more.
Nathaniel’s muscles tensed around me tightly, pulling me even closer to him. His desire built as his tongue traced the outline of my lips, begging for entrance. I parted my lips, granting him access, and our tongues met in a dance that left me breathless. His kiss tasted like punch, and I couldn’t get enough of him. His body pressed against mine, his strength and power enveloping me. I ran my hands through his hair, wanting to feel as much of him as possible.
I gasped softly as Nathaniel’s hand slid up my thigh, unable to contain the shudder of pleasure that coursed through me. I wanted him more than anything. My breath quickened in anticipation of what he would do next.
But before I could find out, a piercing shriek filled the air, interrupting our moment of passion. We quickly pulled apart, looking toward the direction of the scream.
“What was that?” I asked with alarm.
Nathaniel stood up abruptly. “I think it came from the Assembly Hall.”
The first scream was from a female voice. Now, the air reverberated with a chorus of ear-piercing screams. Terror spread through the crowd like wildfire, sending an icy chill up my spine.
“Celine and everyone…” I looked at Nathaniel with concern.
“Stay here,” he said. “I’m going to see what’s going on.”
Is he serious? “No way. I’m coming with you.”
Without arguing, he grabbed my hand, and we sprinted toward the dance.
The screams echoed through the quad as a stampede of students poured out of the Assembly Hall, tripping and shoving each other in a panic. Chaperones tried futilely to maintain order.
“Do you see any of them?” I asked while scanning the crowd for our friends.
“Not yet,” Nathaniel replied.
Suddenly, the girl in the long sapphire blue dress, who had been sitting with Nathaniel at the table earlier, flew out of the hall’s front doors over the panicked students. Her previously delicate and attractive face morphed into a menacing scowl. Her skin turned a ghostly white hue. Her eyes sunk into dark sockets and filled with malice as her lips curled into a cruel sneer.
She had grown to three times her former size, and the lower half of her body was engulfed in a dark and swirling cloud of smoke. The now-tattered dress billowed around her like a sinister cloak as the air around her crackled with malevolent energy. The only way I could think to describe her was an evil spirit.
“What the hell?” Nathaniel exclaimed, grabbing my arm, his fingers digging into my flesh. “We have to get out of here!”
My eyes scanned the chaos. A girl stumbled and fell, and two boys hauled her up, half-dragging her away. But others weren’t so lucky. A flurry of black lightning struck the building. Chunks of concrete struck one boy, and he crumpled to the ground. Two girls took to the air, blasting the evil spirit with cosmic beams as another boy lifted fallen slabs off of some of the injured.
I yanked my arm from Nathaniel’s arm. “We have to help them!”
Nathaniel grabbed me again and pulled me behind him. “We can’t fight that thing! You can barely use your powers!”
A flash of movement caught my eye. A girl with curly red hair in a pale green dress ran straight for us, fear etched into her freckled face. The sight of another lightning bolt crackled overhead.
“Look out!” I screamed.
She leaped out of the way, the bolt just missing her. She shrieked, stumbling in her restrictive satin gown.
Instinctively, I ran toward her to help her up when a flicker of darkness caught the corner of my eye. The evil spirit surged forward with an ungodly force, its arms grotesquely long and gangly as it reached out toward both of us.
The sounds around me faded to an eerie quiet for a few moments, the world crawling by in slow motion.
“I don’t understand why—” the girl wailed, her breath hitched and her face crumpling. “Why is it coming after me?”
I desperately tried to close the distance between us, close enough now that I could see the terror in her piercing green eyes.
A spear of black lightning pierced through the sky, shooting straight for us. My heart slammed against my ribs. No time to react, to summon my powers.
Instantly, Nathaniel was in front of me. He flung out his arms, and a shield of energy flared to life above me just as the lightning struck. Shimmering gold threads of light hummed and crackled, rippling above us and intertwining to form an impenetrable honeycomb. The lightning ricocheted off the shield in a shower of sparks. The force of the impact sent us tumbling to the ground, but he kept the shield above us.
I lay there for a moment, dazed. My body jolted as the sky roared with another deafening clap of thunder. From within Nathaniel’s protective barrier, I lifted my head up at the girl, who was still too far for us to reach, just in time to witness a blast of dark lightning erupt from nowhere, striking her down in front of my eyes. Her body twitched and spasmed as black electricity coursed through her veins until she fell lifelessly to the ground.
As lightning ripped across the sky once more, the evil spirit swept over us before dissipating into a wispy fog of darkness, along with the body of the girl.
A wave of horror rushed over me as I lay paralyzed in fear, my body shaking uncontrollably.
Nathaniel’s shield disappeared as he groaned and pushed himself up. He turned to me, eyes blazing. “Are you hurt?” His voice was rough gravel. When I didn’t respond, he wrapped his arms around me and lifted me up. “Eva, are you hurt?!”
For a moment, I glimpsed the fear beneath his anger. Fear for me. My heart twisted for him, and I shook my head. Not physically, at least.
Trembling, I gripped Nathaniel’s arm as I stared at the destruction around us. Broken glass and rubble littered the quad, several trees were uprooted, and a gaping hole marred the front of the Assembly Hall. My heart pounded, racing like a caged bird desperate for freedom. Tears streamed down my cheeks, and a sob caught in my throat.
How did this happen? We were supposed to be safe here.
“Easy,” Nathaniel murmured, pulling me loosely into his arms. “Breathe.”
I sucked in a shuddering breath, clinging to him as I took in the sight of injured students being tended to by professors and medical staff. Blood, so much blood. Bruises, broken bones, the anguished cries of the injured. Were there more dead?
“That girl,” I whispered. Panic rose in my chest. “It’s my fault she died.” I began to sob.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Nathaniel gently turned my face up to his, wiping away my tears with his thumbs.
“But if I hadn’t frozen—if my powers had worked when we needed them—”
“Stop it. You did everything you could. We both did.”
“But I—”
“No buts.” His eyes grew fierce. “There’s nothing else you could have done.”
“All students, please return to your dorm rooms immediately!” an academy staff member’s voice ordered through a bullhorn.
“Come on,” he said softly. “Let’s get you out of here.”
I swallowed hard, wanting to believe him but wrestling with my guilt. For now, I pushed away those thoughts and the memory of the terror I saw in that girl’s eyes.
Nathaniel’s strong arm encircled my waist, his firm grip guiding me away from the courtyard.
My feet moved as if on autopilot. Fear numbed my entire body, my vision clouded and my thoughts scattered, unable to make sense of what had just happened. A heavy weight filled my lungs and brain as if they were made of lead. The other people around me were barely visible through my tears.
We walked in silence through the empty halls, the usual bustle and chatter replaced by an eerie stillness.
When we reached my dorm, Nathaniel paused outside the door. “Will you be all right?”
The concern in his voice nearly undid me. I blinked back fresh tears and nodded. “Yes. Thank you for staying with me.”
“Always.” He brushed his knuckles along my cheek, his touch light yet lingering.
The door suddenly opened, and Celine stood in the doorway, her dress in shambles as much as mine was. “I thought I heard you out here,” she said and pulled me into a big hug.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” I whispered.
“Did you see everyone else?” Nathaniel asked.
“Yeah, we were all together. Even Sara had come by to say hi right when it happened,” Celine replied. “We helped other people get out while we could, but the professors made us leave. Everyone is fine.”
“Thank goodness,” I sighed with relief.
Nathaniel touched my arm. “Get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
I nodded, still in a daze, as Celine led me into our room.
“Good night, Nathaniel,” Celine said and shut the door on one of the best and worst nights of my life.
