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“You don’t have to talk.”
“No.” Thessa sat up, unlaced her boots, and slipped them off. “Ineedto talk to you.”
The two witches curled up together in Thessa’s bed. Facing Leora, Thessa asked, “Promise you won’t tell anyone?”
“Tess, don’t be ridiculous.”
“I’m serious, promise me.”
“I swear across the stars. Now out with it, where were you?”
Thessa swallowed before answering. “My Summoning.”
Leora shot straight up and screeched, “What?”
“Shh.”
“What happened Tess? Tell me everything.”
Thessa whispered, “It happened around witching hour. I was called back to the library. My gift is an old tome.”
“A Night Summoning,” Leora said the words slowly.
Thessa sat up. “You’ve heard of it?”
“No, I just like the sound of it. How peculiar.”
She shook her head, refocusing Leora. “You don’t understand, I can’t conjure my magic.”
“I can barely either, that’s normal in the beginning.”
“No, I mean I can’tshowanyone.”
Leora’s puzzled face flashed with clarity. “Oh, no. Tess, I’m so sorry.”
All those nights ago, Thessa had shared with Leora her biggest fear—to become one ofthem, an Elemental.She knew the last place Thessa wanted to go was back to the capital for training.
“No, it’s not eventhat.” Worse she wanted to say, but couldn’t bear it.
Leora’s gaze narrowed. “Show me.”
Thessa spoke through her teeth. “I can’t.”
Leora cocked her head in confusion. “I’m going to tell you this again, Thessa Skiafer. You’re about all I have in Andera and I care about you, a lot. Now out with it.”
“You’re stubborn too, you know that right?”
Leora grinned.
Thessa threw her covers off and crept across the room, to the space where she’d collapsed earlier. As she pulled the tome from her satchel, her magic sparked to life. Her heart thumped in her chest, but she turned back to face Leora—whose mouth fell open.
Thessa’s words came out in a rush. “No one can know. Tell me it’s a curse, tell me I’m hexed, tell me we’ll figure it out. Tell me it’s not what I think it is.”
Leora’s mouth was still resting in that “O” shape.
“Say something,” Thessa pressed.
“I—I?—”