World on Fire | J. Saltzman - Legacies [4]

T H R E E

Josie's skin itches too much to be normal. Her skin bears red marks from her nails clawing at it, but she covers most of it with clothing as she paces in front of the cage, biting her lip hard enough to taste blood.

"You know what won't help them?" Lizzie drawls from her spot on the floor, magic flowing from the school into her veins. "Hovering. Our job is to do nothing unless there's a problem, so maybe you should load up on magic, like me, and try to stay calm."

"Can you stop telling me how I should feel?" Josie snaps as she passes Lizzie in her pacing.

"Ok," Lizzie stands and crosses her arms. "You're clearly mad at me. So, what's up?"

"I'm not mad at you," Josie mutters as she runs a hand down her face. "I'm mad at me, I'm mad at everything."

"Just let go, Chosen. Why keep it confined when it can be free?"

"I'm mad at the gods and at this whole fate thing and that Stella is stuck in Malivore's head right now distracting him when he wants her dead!" Heat climbs up the back of her neck as she clenches her hands into fists. "And I'm stuck out here, and I can't do anything while she's going through who knows what. You saw how he was, he wants to torture her."

Lizzie sighs and chances a glance over at the cage before she comes up to Josie and grips her shoulders. "I know you're mad," she says. "I'm not too happy about this either. I mean, Aaron's just starting to be tolerable again, and he's in there with her. Trust me, Aaron will keep her safe. He feels bad enough about everything that went down, so he's not gonna leave her to fend for herself."

"That's not gonna stop me from worrying." Her gut twists almost painfully as she sits down on the bench behind her, holding her stomach as she leans forward. "I just can't keep thinking about this."

"Good." Footsteps echo around the gym as Vanessa walks in holding a tray of snacks. "We all could use a distraction, huh?"

"I thought you were taking care of the school?" Lizzie asks as Vanessa sets the tray down and sits next to Josie.

The werewolf eyes the cage before plastering a smile on her lips. "What Lahey doesn't know won't hurt him. Plus, I need to yell at him anyways for letting Stella do this. As her therapist, not a smart move."

"You said distraction?" Josie asks as she pulls her knees up to her chest and picks up a cookie.

"Right," Vanessa sighs and holds up a magazine. "I found this. It's got a compatibility test, even if it's bogus. Since we're the only ones awake, let's see how compatible we are. Lizzie, you ask first." Vanessa tosses the magazine to Lizzie.

She rolls her eyes but nonetheless opens it to the right page. "Would you rather have a vacation home in the mountains or on the beach?"

"Both," Josie replies instantly. There's no question in her mind.

Vanessa frowns. "I'd say mountains. Something about the cool air."

"You would say that," Lizzie quips. "Mine's the beach, not that you asked."

"Aw, is Lizzie Saltzman feeling bad about something?" Vanessa asks. Even if the words are taunting, something about her demeanor makes Josie think she is sincere. Maybe this is why Stella likes her.

Lizzie narrows her eyes. "Let's just go to another section." As she flips through the pages, Josie adjusts in her seat, her stomach feeling cold as the hair on the back of her neck rises. "The five q's of love. Number one: Have you ever had a relationship that you were absolutely certain was meant to be, but it all turned out to be a mirage and broke your heart because life is cruel?"