Read Online Spearwood Academy Volume Two (The Spearwood Academy Book 2) by A.S. Oren - Free Book Online Page B

his hand through his hair and looks at me with
those beautiful blue eyes. “Triton, you’re making me nervous.”
     
    He sighs. “I’m sorry. I
don’t mean to. I just don’t know, exactly, how I want to say this.”
     
    “Well, just say what you
want to say.” My fingers grip at my thighs. What in the world is he going to
say? Am I going to like it? Or hate it?
     
    Finally, he takes a seat
next to me. He looks at me and bites his lip. “Avvi, no, Avalon. I like you.
More than just a friend. I like you, a lot.”
     
    My smile must be a
mile-long. The Sun god has blessed me. “I like you too, Triton, a lot.”
     
    His smile is just as big
as mine. He touches my cheek, my heart hammers against the wall of my chest. He
leans in, ever so slowly, and hovers just over my lips. “Can I kiss you?” He
all but whispers. I give a small nod of my head and close my eyes. His warm
lips touch mine. I’m floating on a cloud. We pull apart and I look at him. In
my thirteen years, I never imagined my first kiss would be this perfect. I
reach out and take his hand. I am over the moon.

Arranged
Marriages and a Funeral
    “ Was there a reason you wanted to go down memory lane
with my first kiss?” Something about saying that feels like a lie. ‘ You’ve
never been kissed on the mouth a day in your life,’ says a voice in the
back of my mind. I shake my head. Where did that come from?
    “I didn’t mean to show that
one, I apologize.” Something in his voice tells me he is lying. I have known my
dad long enough to be able to tell when he isn’t telling me the truth. I’ll let
it slide. I want to see what else he’s going to show me.
    “Carry on.”
    I’m fourteen, perhaps,
fifteen years old.
    Dad and I stand next to
our indoor pool. A thin coat of ice covers the top. Chilled breath billows out
of my mouth. I’m in nothing but a simple sports bra bikini. Dad holds up a gold
coin and flicks it far off into the center of the pool. As soon as it
disappears under the surface, I run to the edge of the pool and jump.
    I’m so used to doing this
training, I don’t even feel the cold anymore. The gold glints yellow and it
takes me no time to find and grab it. I’m out of the water before my lungs can
even begin to hurt. “Fifteen seconds. You’d be faster if you were strong enough
in your air magic. You wouldn’t even have to get in the water.”
    I lower my head. “I know.
I’m working hard at it, but I just can’t grasp it beyond the feather. Yet,
that’s the only element that responded to me during my Picking.”
    “You’ll get the hang of it.
I’ll hire you a tutor when you get to Spearwood. I’ll make sure he’s the best
at magic and specifically Air magic.” He tosses me a tank top and shorts.
    I put on the tank top,
over the sports bra. “Thanks, Dad. Sorry you have to go through all that trouble
for me.” I put on the shorts.
    “Nothing is too much
trouble for my princess. Come back inside with me. Your mother should have some
pound cake waiting for us. There’s something she and I want to talk to you
about.”
    “Oh, that sounds ominous.
Should I be scared?” I move to walk beside him, we link arms.
    He pats the top of my
hand. “No, it’s a good thing for all of us.”
    Once inside, we sit down
at the kitchen table, keeping it informal is how we have always done it around the
house, when there are no guests. Mom serves each of us a slice of pound cake,
her favorite, and a cup of rose tea. The rich smells make my mouth water. I
take a small, dainty bite of my cake and look up. Neither of my parents have
touched their tea or cake. I put my fork down. “All right, tell me what the
news is, I don’t think I can stand the suspense anymore.”
    “We’ve made a decision
about your future,” says my mother.
    “My future? What kind of
decision?”
    “We’ve arranged for you to
get married after you finish your stay at Spearwood. On paper, you are
engaged.”
    I swallow hard and my
hands form