I waited at the coffee shop with Aidan this time, hoping I might run into Lumi again. I gave up on Maverick doing his job of watching me and simply hoped nobody would recognize Aidan with his hoodie over his head.

  I was feeling coffee today. A Frappuccino, to be precise. Aidan decided to order a lemonade after he heard me boast about it last time.

  Unfortunately, the whole time we were there, Lumi never showed. I guess it would be weird to expect her and Zuri to come here every morning.

  Aidan and I walked back to the apartment in silence, both sipping our drinks. From his expression, I could tell he thought the lemonade was too sour. I was shocked that I had finished my entire drink by the time we got back. Oh well.

  Maverick and Zephyr decided I should train again today, now that I had gotten my strength back. So, we returned to the same field we were in before.

  I felt less dizzy than usual when we arrived, but something felt really… off.

  “We’re going to try Zephyr’s hypothesis again,” Maverick explained.

  Crap, I knew I shouldn’t have chugged that frappe. My heart was racing, and I felt restless.

  “I imagine you’ve learned your lesson from last time and won’t set all of us ablaze this time, hm?” Maverick continued.

  Something was really off — as if I could feel every nerve inside me react to every little movement I made.

  “Why don’t we start with— Elaina!”

  I screamed out, my body buzzing as if having been electrocuted—or tazed—or something! All I knew was that I had never experienced buzzing pain like this before!

  “Listen to my voice, Elaina.” Zephyr crouched down in front of me—or at least I thought it was Zephyr. It was a blurry white figure in front of me, and I knew Maverick only wore black. “You’re okay. You’re safe. Nobody is going to hurt you—not even Maverick.”

  I nodded, or tried to nod, I didn't entirely know if I had succeeded. I was trying so hard to block out any thoughts of panic. It's okay, Elaina. You’re here with Maverick and Zephyr; they’re going to protect you. If your magic gets out of hand, they’ll find a way to stop it. But for right now, you have to learn how to do it yourself. You can’t rely on them forever.

  The buzzing stopped, and my limbs finally relaxed, though they felt very tired. It felt like I had run a marathon in the few seconds my body was buzzing. I took a few hesitant gasps as if trying to remember how to breathe without laboring.

  “Let’s just take it slow today, okay?” He grabbed my hands in his—his expression warm and earnest.

  “Yeah.” I smiled back. But… Something felt different.

  I pulled my hands out of Zephyr’s and placed my palm upwards. Using the slightest amount of energy, a small fire ignited to my astonishment. The heat it emitted warmed my hands without burning them. It was comforting—beautiful, actually. Was this how magic was supposed to feel? I had completely forgotten. It didn’t help that the first time I had truly triggered my magic, I hadn’t even realized it.

  “You did it!” Maverick exclaimed loudly, startling me in the process. The fire immediately melted, and my body became encased in ice.

  I panicked even more. Why was there a block of ice around my head?! I couldn’t see—couldn’t hear—and I was panicking! Panicking! Panicking would only make me create more ice!

  Heat enveloped my hand and wrist before a burning sensation hit. I tried to recoil, but the rest of my body was still encased in ice. I could vaguely make out two figures talking—no, fighting—before the rest of the ice melted. I shivered from how cold I was before landing in Maverick’s arms.

  “You’re welcome.” Zephyr sighed through his nose before reaching out to heal the burn on my wrist.

  “You’re the one who burned me.” I narrowed my eyes at Maverick.

  “Sorry. I was just trying to get you out. How was I supposed to know the fire would burn you?” He was a jerk as always.

  “Your magic seems to be unusually unstable this morning. Have you done anything different?” Zephyr asked.

  “Uh, not really? I mean, I did have coffee this morning.” I shrugged.

  “Coffee?” Maverick narrowed his eyebrows at me.

  “Caffeine has the additional effect of heightening your senses and providing energy, doesn’t it?” Zephyr asked. “Perhaps it affected your magic.”

  “You mean drugs can help me learn magic?!” I shouted, my voice practically echoing through the field. Oh, I felt so stupid.

  “…In a manner of speaking, yes.” Zephyr straightened his glasses—his expression unamused.

  “I’d say the opposite.” Maverick crossed his arms. “You might be able to access it easier, but it’s also a lot more finicky. You’d be more likely to set a building on fire or freeze over the Pacific Ocean.”

  “Pfft. I couldn’t do the latter.” I crossed my arms.

  “Trust me, I’ve achieved far worse.”

  “Huh?” I blinked, suddenly worried.

  He shook his head. “I’m banning you from coffee. And chocolate. No caffeine until we return to Meridia.”

  “But Meridia doesn’t even have caffeine!” I whined.

  ”Exactly.”

  The two decided to cut my training short, claiming I was an accident waiting to happen. Maverick forced me to drink an entire gallon of water before returning to the apartment, scared that I would somehow blow our unit up.

  “Y-you’re back already?” Aidan asked.

  “Too many drugs.” I shrugged.

  “W-what?!” Aidan’s voice cracked.

  “The coffee I drank earlier—it messed with my magic. First, I convulsed as if I had been struck by lightning, then I encased myself in ice. And then Maverick set my wrist on fire.”

  “Maverick!” Aidan snapped, fire forming in his own fists.

  As if on cue, Dimitri shifted into his human form and gently took my wrist in his hand, examining it for any injuries.

  “She’s fine,” Maverick rolled his eyes. “Zephyr already healed her.”

  “You really should take better care of her.” Dimitri dropped my wrist to snarl at Maverick.

  “I’m not a doll.” I crossed my arms. “But I would appreciate Maverick not setting me on fire in the future.”

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  “Sorry for trying to save your life.” Maverick stretched his arm out and bowed dramatically.

  “Is Finn still locked in his room?” I frowned. He had been spending more and more time in there since Dimitri came along.

  “Yes,” Aidan answered. “How long are you going to be living with us?” He narrowed his eyes at Dimitri.

  “Until we’re back in Meridia. And then I’ll be living with you at the Magisteria Fantastique.” Dimitri forced a smile.

  “Nobody calls it that,” Aidan muttered.

  I sighed. Part of me wished I had never gone out that day. Maybe then things would go back to normal.

  The day passed in a blur, mostly because I tried to tune everything out. I finally got to use the TV for once and play the game that I (Maverick/Sylvis) purchased. Aidan and Dimitri offered thrilling commentary worthy of the 80s. Something, something, “Whoa! Nice graphics!” And then they proceeded to bicker over the pronunciation of “dinosaur.” One said it correctly, the other insisted it was “deenosaur.” I ignored their pleas for help.

  At some point, I must have dozed off because when I woke up, the two of them were playing a racing game with each other. Dimitri was leaning over, sweat pouring down his face, while Aidan was sitting on the top cushion of the couch, his feet propped up on the seat as he swayed back and forth with his controller.

  “You didn’t miss much,” Maverick said, noticing I had woken up.

  “Who’s winning?” I yawned.

  “Neither. They keep failing to place and have to repeat the race again.”

  The sound of shouting, cheering, and a slapping noise broke my train of thought. I turned to see Dimitri and Aidan beaming and high-fiving each other. Apparently, they were both so happy to move on to the next track that they no longer cared about their rivalry.

  That was until the next race. The trash-talking started again, and they were both hunched over their controllers. Thankfully, Zephyr called for dinner. The two shouted in unison: “Not now!” Maverick tried to use his magic to turn off the TV to no avail. He opted for the old-fashioned way, but Aidan swiped the remote with his foot. I shook my head at the three and decided to set the table.

  “Can you get Finn? I have a feeling he’ll listen to you,” Zephyr asked me quietly. Or what sounded quiet over the other three shouting.

  “I’m not really sure what you mean, but okay.” I sighed. I had a feeling he wouldn’t change his mind for anyone.

  I walked over to his room and knocked on Finn and Aidan’s door. “Hey, dinner’s ready.”

  “I’ll grab it once everyone finishes theirs,” Finn replied from the other side, not bothering to open the door.

  “No, you’re going to eat with us,” I insisted, knocking even harder this time.

  "Will Dimitri be there?"

  "Yes."

  "Then I'm not coming."

  I had it. Mustering up whatever little coffee remained in my system, I melted the doorknob and kicked the door open.

  Finn stared at me wide-eyed. "You know the door wasn't locked, right?" Actually, that thought hadn't occurred to me, no. Finn burst into laughter, nearly doubling over in his seat. "All right, you've convinced me." His smile was wide, and I couldn't help but feel relief that my stupidity had managed to change his mind. Who knew it would be that easy?

  And then I quickly regretted it.

  Dinner was... awkward, to say the least. Dimitri decided to remain in his human form, which seemed to irk Finn.

  Zephyr gracefully placed his fork and knife on his plate and wiped his mouth with the inside of his napkin. Clearing his throat to get everyone's attention, I could tell he was trying to fill the awkward silence. "Dimitri Venerabilis, correct? How long do you plan to study magic before returning home?"

  "Four years." Dimitri smiled politely. "Meaning I have one more year."

  "If you're waiting for us to return to Meridia, I'd be more than happy to speed up the process and escort you home personally." There was an edge in Maverick's voice.

  "You're much too kind." Dimitri forced a smile. "But I'd like to see how things play out here."

  Maverick slammed his fist against the table, his cutlery making a sharp sound as they collided with his plate. "Can you at least get your own apartment, dude?"

  "I fear it just won't be the same without Miss Ella's company." Dimitri turned to smile at me, causing unknown feelings to bubble up inside me. Finn and Aidan looked particularly peeved.

  "Elaina is more than just her title, I hope you know." Finn squeezed his cup so hard that I thought it would break the same way Maverick's cup had that one night. I had never seen him so angry before. It wasn't like Finn could read his mind either. What had him so worked up?

  "You could say she lives up to her title of Lady Venia. But what would you know about titles?" Dimitri smiled gleefully, causing Finn to actually break his glass this time.

  "Now, now; I'm sure Finn had a respectable upbringing." I tried to calm the two down. He had to have if Aidan envied him so much.

  My hands burst into flames when I heard Dimitri snicker.

  "More than you, I'd wager," Finn stabbed his fork into his squash. "You were raised to be a yes man to your father—the perfect puppet."

  "I'm not a puppet." Dimitri clenched his own fists. "I'm proud to be the heir of Venerabilis—to be my father's son!"

  "Really? What are you expecting to happen when you return home? For your father to just hand over his title of lord to you just like that? You've fought your whole life for his attention when we both know your sister is superior in magic—the only thing that matters to him—"

  "Stop!" Dimitri slammed his fist on the table, hard enough to send the steak and vegetables on his plate flying. Maverick wasted no opportunity seizing the steak for himself. "I'm his first choice! His firstborn! I'll fight with everything I have to prove myself Venerabilis' rightful heir!"

  "And when you do, will you still be yourself? Will your choices still be yours? Or have you become exactly what your father wanted of you, and that's why he saw you fit to be heir?" Finn's gaze was dark and serious. Why did this conversation mean so much to him? Did he know Dimitri before? It seemed like he had if he couldn't read his mind and he knew this much about him. What wasn't he telling us about Dimitri?

  Dimitri excused himself from the table, shifting into his dog form and heading for my room.

  "W-what was all that about?" Aidan asked the question I was too scared to ask myself.

  "He ticks me off. That's all." Finn rolled his eyes, shoving the rest of his food into the garbage can before leaving his plate in the sink for Zephyr to wash.

  "Do you know him? I mean, before all of this?" I asked.

  "I know of him."

  So that ruled out my earlier theory.

  Not finding the current company enjoyable, I decided to return to my room, hoping to get to sleep early. Unsurprisingly, Dimitri was already curled up on my bed—his tail pulled to his head.

  "Tell me about Finn," I said, taking a seat next to him.

  The mattress shifted beneath me as Dimitri returned to his human form."If you want to know about the bastard, I'd just ask him." He pinched the bridge of his nose.

  "Why do you two hate each other?"

  "Why do you assume we do?" He offered a lopsided grin. "I for one don't hate him."

  "You seem to know how to push each other's buttons."

  "An Earth term, I imagine?" His eyebrows furrowed, my saying completely going over his head.

  "Yeah. It means you know how to rile each other up."

  "It's really not that hard to get under Finn's skin." He shrugged.

  "Or yours, I imagine." I sighed through my nose.

  "I'd like to think I'm better about it."

  There was an awkward silence between us; neither of us seemed to want to continue the conversation.

  "...I thought you said you couldn't shift for a few hours?" I asked, realizing how quickly he had shifted from his dog form to his human form.

  "That was the other night," he answered. "After having consumed food which expedites ether recovery, the amount of time it takes to shift reduces."

  "I see..."

  We entered another silence. He seemed so calm and relaxed, even if his tone didn't always match his body language. The whole time he had been here, he was the exact same: poised, calm, and confident. The only time he’d slipped had been today at dinner. Other than that, I couldn't tell what type of person he was. He only ever let us see this one side of him. Still...

  "I don't think you're a bad person." I broke the silence.

  "Your friends seem intent on disposing of me." He smiled again, though this time I could see the sadness behind his eyes.

  "That being said, you're definitely not making it easy for us to trust you. There's more you're not telling us—I know it. When you trust us a little, we'll trust you. Or... Maybe I should be the first to extend that trust." I glanced down at the floor—at my slippers—clenching a fistful of my blanket in my hands. I wanted this to work. I wanted the six of us to be able to get along with each other, especially Finn and Dimitri.

  I began talking to him about my life on Earth—about Rose, Carol, and Matt. He seemed concerned about Matt's lack of personal finances and expressed distaste for his parents not owning a business, but he seemed to understand what I loved about him.

  Loved...

  It felt so weird. That I hadn't been able to talk to Matt all this time. How long had it been now—two, three months? I’d lost track of time. But time didn't seem to be the only thing I was losing.

  "Why don't you tell me about—" I was quickly cut off.

  "Nope." He pressed his finger against my lips, stopping my words. "I'll consider this as payment for what I told you about my background. Goodnight, Elaina." He smiled at me before shifting back into his dog form.