turn. She shivered and sat on the floor next to her grandfather
who was reading a book by the fire. The sound of crackling wood and
the insistent tap of needles at work was the only sound.
Her grandparents didn’t leave the house much through fear of
the mobs coming to get them. They were far more fragile if they
couldn’t use their power. It didn’t matter, if the mobs wanted them
they only had to come by force. Her grandparents wouldn’t use their
power, but she would use them to save her family. She would risk
it.
She should have risked it to save her mother. She hated that
this regret gnawed at her. She could have saved everyone. If she
had then Jack would be her husband. They would have fled the
country leaving behind everything, but at least they would have
been together. That was a small price to pay for
happiness.
“ I’m going for a walk,” she mumbled to her grandparents. She
stood up, wanting fresh air and space to think, and walked towards
the door. Opening it, she heard her grandmother clear her
throat.
“ Please don’t go far; we do not want you to come to any
harm.”
Cora nodded as she walked out of the front door and along the
dirt path. She’d specifically not chosen the path that led to
Jack’s cottage. She couldn’t risk seeing him, couldn’t risk
rupturing her already battered heart.
As she walked along the path she could feel the cool nip in
the air that brushed along her bare arms, she hadn’t thought to
cover them and the cool breeze wasn’t helped by the wind that
circled her body, a wind that sensed how uneasy she felt. Taking
deep breaths she tried to trick her element into thinking she was
okay. It didn’t work; she only heard the laughter from
it.
Turning the corner she was faced with three boys and two
girls. She halted, the wind swirled around her faster. Prepared.
The two girls jumped behind the boys and cowered dramatically like
they expected her to do something to them. She would love to
release her element, then they would do more than cower. Cora felt
like smiling even though it wasn’t the time to smile. Why should
she hold back something that defined who she was? Why was it
considered a bad thing?
“ Please, do not hurt us,” one of the
girls whimpered, her flame red curls danced on her head as she
laughed.
“ Pllllleeeaaassseeee, don’t hurt me,” the other girl joined
her.
“ I’m just out for a walk, please leave me alone,” Cora
muttered.
“ Oh, don’t let us stop you, I fear if we did, you may use some
spell to curse us.”
Cora glared at the boy who’d spoken. She just wanted to be
left alone, why didn’t they understand that?
The boy was taller than his friends. This probably made him
the leader. She noticed the blonde tips of his hair touching his
shoulders as bright green eyes narrowed into slits as they glared
at her. It clicked now. He was the boy that Jack had taken care of
last year. He must have some personal vendetta against her because
he’d had his nose knocked out of shape. He’d also lost some of his
respect. If she remembered correctly, he was the trouser
boy.
The only difference between then and now was the fact that she
didn’t have Jack to save her this time. His words echoed in her
head... ‘next time those boys come for
you, I’ll be ready.’ Jack wasn’t here and
she couldn’t use her element. Her heart clenched
painfully.
“ I don’t know how to curse,” she mumbled as she made a move to
pass them.
The children thought she was being funny but she was being
serious. She didn’t know how to do spells or use potions. Her
mother hadn’t taught her, she only had her element to
use.
The taller boy grabbed her arms much to the surprise of his
friends who stepped back away from her. The boy was either brave or
stupid. She didn’t know which label to give him, yet. She pulled
her arm free, growling. The wind surged around her pushing at
him.
“ Okay, now you’re mad,” the boy teased, “show us what you
who was reading a book by the fire. The sound of crackling wood and
the insistent tap of needles at work was the only sound.
Her grandparents didn’t leave the house much through fear of
the mobs coming to get them. They were far more fragile if they
couldn’t use their power. It didn’t matter, if the mobs wanted them
they only had to come by force. Her grandparents wouldn’t use their
power, but she would use them to save her family. She would risk
it.
She should have risked it to save her mother. She hated that
this regret gnawed at her. She could have saved everyone. If she
had then Jack would be her husband. They would have fled the
country leaving behind everything, but at least they would have
been together. That was a small price to pay for
happiness.
“ I’m going for a walk,” she mumbled to her grandparents. She
stood up, wanting fresh air and space to think, and walked towards
the door. Opening it, she heard her grandmother clear her
throat.
“ Please don’t go far; we do not want you to come to any
harm.”
Cora nodded as she walked out of the front door and along the
dirt path. She’d specifically not chosen the path that led to
Jack’s cottage. She couldn’t risk seeing him, couldn’t risk
rupturing her already battered heart.
As she walked along the path she could feel the cool nip in
the air that brushed along her bare arms, she hadn’t thought to
cover them and the cool breeze wasn’t helped by the wind that
circled her body, a wind that sensed how uneasy she felt. Taking
deep breaths she tried to trick her element into thinking she was
okay. It didn’t work; she only heard the laughter from
it.
Turning the corner she was faced with three boys and two
girls. She halted, the wind swirled around her faster. Prepared.
The two girls jumped behind the boys and cowered dramatically like
they expected her to do something to them. She would love to
release her element, then they would do more than cower. Cora felt
like smiling even though it wasn’t the time to smile. Why should
she hold back something that defined who she was? Why was it
considered a bad thing?
“ Please, do not hurt us,” one of the
girls whimpered, her flame red curls danced on her head as she
laughed.
“ Pllllleeeaaassseeee, don’t hurt me,” the other girl joined
her.
“ I’m just out for a walk, please leave me alone,” Cora
muttered.
“ Oh, don’t let us stop you, I fear if we did, you may use some
spell to curse us.”
Cora glared at the boy who’d spoken. She just wanted to be
left alone, why didn’t they understand that?
The boy was taller than his friends. This probably made him
the leader. She noticed the blonde tips of his hair touching his
shoulders as bright green eyes narrowed into slits as they glared
at her. It clicked now. He was the boy that Jack had taken care of
last year. He must have some personal vendetta against her because
he’d had his nose knocked out of shape. He’d also lost some of his
respect. If she remembered correctly, he was the trouser
boy.
The only difference between then and now was the fact that she
didn’t have Jack to save her this time. His words echoed in her
head... ‘next time those boys come for
you, I’ll be ready.’ Jack wasn’t here and
she couldn’t use her element. Her heart clenched
painfully.
“ I don’t know how to curse,” she mumbled as she made a move to
pass them.
The children thought she was being funny but she was being
serious. She didn’t know how to do spells or use potions. Her
mother hadn’t taught her, she only had her element to
use.
The taller boy grabbed her arms much to the surprise of his
friends who stepped back away from her. The boy was either brave or
stupid. She didn’t know which label to give him, yet. She pulled
her arm free, growling. The wind surged around her pushing at
him.
“ Okay, now you’re mad,” the boy teased, “show us what you
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