The Vortex: Prophesies

Chapter Eighteen

The elation from the Easter Ball bled always as quickly as we all expected it too, the dread and anxiety of the unknown continues to linger like a bad smell and no matter what we do it won't leave. I could scrub the castle from head to toe and still, we would all be able to feel the daunting pressure creep in.

Sure, the best thing to do would be prepare but don't dwell, because being constantly on edge and waiting for word to reach us about another attack, or mass death or a full-on war erupting outside these walls isn't easy. 

"Damn Lizzie, if you hit me with another stinging hex that strong, I might knock you out to save my limbs" Jai hisses, rubbing the spot on his leg she just hit.

I don't blame him for the annoyance growing, she has been in an awful mood for two days now, it's like we woke up the morning after the ball with a full dorm of people we love, and she refused to talk to any of us.

Honestly, she still isn't talking for the most part and when she does it's snappy or sad or a demand to switch duelling partners because the one, she has, isn't doing a good enough job. I am waiting for her to dismiss Jai and set her eyes on me, which seems like a silly idea considering the fact he is the best dueller we have.

Liylah made the right decision in flat out refusing to train with her.

"Aurora, swap with Jai, he isn't going hard enough" She huffs, marching over to get a drink of water, as she expects us to switch and I know we are all going through it, and dealing with it differently but she is starting to get on my nerves.

"You could say please" Liylah tells her, poking her head up from the 'Magical Remedies: For Beginners' she is currently reading.

"Shut up Liylah, you wouldn't even try"

"Okay!" I interject loudly, pulling Lizzie by the arm away from an angry Liylah. "That was rude" I tell her.

Pulling her arm away from me she goes back to her side of the room, "Are we doing this or not?"

"Depends, you going to tell us what is up your ass at the moment?" I shoot back.

"Scornio"

"Brakia" I deflect, rebounding her spell and making it hit her wrist, which only serves to get under her skin more, though I thought she wanted a duelling partner that would give it as good as she wanted.

We go back and forth a couple times, Lizzie's face getting increasingly red as her own stinging jinxes hit her in the arms of legs. So much that she throws an 'Oncortus' at me.

I don't throw that one back at her and send her into the wall like she kind of deserves instead blocking it and feeling a little exposed at the way everyone is staring back at me.

"Stop it Aurora!" She seethes, when I don't let her hit me.

"Liz please, what's going on?"

"Nothing!" She shouts, "Oncortus"

"Babidus" I shoot, sending her wand over to me and knocking her onto her ass, her face crumbles as soon as she does.

Both Liylah and I are abandoning our things and rushing over to her in a millisecond, Jai following close behind us. I can't fathom the amount of pain behind the cry she lets out into Liylah's neck, her body shaking and sobs wracking out of her so violently I worry she will stop breathing.

"Hey, hey!" Liylah coo's, smoothing a hand through Liz's sweaty hair, concerned eyes meeting mine. "You're okay"

I hear Percy and Jamie get back, their feet rushing over to us and sliding into our group hug with such ease, we might not know what it is that has her so upset but we can all relate to the anguish she is experiencing. Just in different ways.