Mine to Fear (Mine #3)(42)

But it doesn't matter if we all still have a lot to learn. It doesn't matter if most have done nothing but cower under others’ commands. It's those reasons that will make them strong. Those reasons that will give them the will to fight and win an enemy who has held them back for so long.

The only question I have now is whether my presence here is weakening them instead of strengthening them.

When they watch me doing spells easily, they chatter amongst themselves and stare a lot. So I keep casting spells, even when I grow tired and my magic low.

“She seems to know what she's doing,” one says to Serena.

Finally. Progress. I throw out a spell that Tawny taught me last night. A bright, flashy spell that's nothing more than fuchsia coloring, followed by an almost clear spell, tinted only a little red by my emotions. The red tinted spell slips around the side. Just as the fuchsia spell bursts, the other spell stabs into the target, leaving a gaping hole all the way through the target as it burns its way through.

Phyllis comes up to me. “Do you think you could teach me that?”

“I'd be happy to.” Not happy, thrilled, ecstatic, over the moon.

As she lets me teach her, it's a nice change, but she still doesn't want to get close to me. Every time I step a polite distance toward her, she steps back three steps. She doesn't want to contaminate herself with being too near me most likely.

“The first part is easy,” I say, giving up on being close enough to really help her. I feel like I have to yell for her to hear me. “It's just using your pure magic. Throwing one strong emotion into it, and picturing it bursting in front of your target. Using it as the distraction.”

She doesn't respond, but her eyes narrow at the target. It takes her a moment before a spell comes out, bursting almost as soon as it leaves her hand. A few of the bystanders swear at the bright flash of yellow.

I blink, trying to get my sight back. “That was good. You just need to focus it out farther so you can blind your opponent instead of yourself and your teammates.”

Her only reply is to scoff. I guess she doesn't mind blinding me so much, though I'd think she'd at least care about blinding herself.

“Why don't you give it another go?” I say.

She shrugs her shoulders and puts her hand up. I want to close my eyes, but I force myself to keep them open. This time, she's successful; the yellow light is tinted with orange but shoots straight for the target, a dummy in the shape of a human made from bags and straw. Once it gets there, it bursts just like it should. She tries three more times, and the burst gets bigger every time.

“That's right,” I tell her as she finally gets the spell down. “You've got it perfect.

She shrugs again.

“Now let’s work on the second part of the spell.”

She steps back from me. “Actually, I think I'm done.”

From the tone of her voice, it sounds more like she's done with me than with learning a spell. She turns her back toward me and walks away without a word. Swell. My thoughts are confirmed when she leaves me to go directly to Cynthia. I guess I can't hope for too much in one day. It doesn't make it any easier to deal with, though.





Chapter Thirty





Jack, Bethany, and Serena join together in what's become mine and Cynthia's room, a small cavern furnished only with bedding and our clothes. It isn't the best of accommodations, but it gives us some sense of privacy. Plus it gives me a chance to voice my thoughts yet again. Though quietly so someone can't hear me through the echo.

“It's time to move to something real,” I say. “We've got to strike them where it counts, and we need to do it now.”

“Agreed,” Cynthia says.

“We do need to attack where it will hurt them, but with the least danger to us,” Jack says.

Always so reasonable. I want to huff at him, but how can I? These people have entrusted their lives to us. Not just now, but in the future as well. What's the point of fighting if we get most of them killed? I would rather die myself than have any one else do so.

“I have an idea,” I reply, hoping it's actually a feasible one. “What if we attacked one of the power plants and rescued all the people they're taking advantage of? Not only would they be losing power, but those people need to be freed.”

Cynthia says. “And they'd likely want to help us if we're the ones that freed them.”

“But would they be guarded by men and spells?” Jack asks. “There's no point in risking our lives if it's as heavily guarded as the Grand Chancellor's.”

“I can ask Nathaniel what he knows,” Bethany says.

She's always so quiet. I almost forget she's there. “Let's do that. And in the meantime, we can keep training them. It's going to take more than just the handful of us if we want to make a real difference.”

“I have another thought,” Cynthia says. “We can attack Chancellor Ryan's house.”

“We'd need to ask Nathaniel about that as well,” I reply. “I don't know if he'll be able to get that information or not.”

“No need. I already staked it out,” Cynthia says.

“You did not,” I practically shout. “You could have been killed.”