Chapter Twenty

I woke up in my bed at the middle of the night. Soft breaths filled the room, and when I sat up and looked around me, I saw Apollo, Strider and Fred were fast asleep. A shiver cascaded through my spine, and when I heard growls inside my head, I knew what caused it.

I hate Apollo, she hissed, enraged, once she felt I was awake. How dare he take my powers away from me and put them inside of you instead?!

It was all clear now. He just wants to help, Tempest, I said, not believing I had to defend the asshole, but wanting my Spirit to calm down. He wants us to work together as one unit -

Bullshit! He wants to destroy me! She yelled, making me dizzy. He wants to turn you against me so I could become your little puppet who hold the powers for your free use, like he does with Pyro! I will not let that happen!

I don’t want to tame you or anything like that, I thought back, annoyed. I just want to know how to share this power that was given not just to you, but to me, too.

But I don’t want to share! She screamed, causing a headache.

That’s too fucking bad! I shouted back, and she didn’t respond, instead seethed quietly. I had no more energy to deal with her now, so I went back to sleep.

The next morning, Strider, Apollo, Fred and I went together to the dining hall. Strider was chatting lightly with me throughout the trip, but before we entered the room, I asked him if he was all right.

He looked at me with his carefree smile and said, “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Because your mother just died,” I whispered.

He stared at me for a few moments, his smile dissipating, and a pained expression settled on his face. “I’d rather not be upset in front of everyone, Angela,” he said quietly, “that’s why I try my hardest to be happy, you understand?” His blue eyes scanned my face.

I nodded. “I understand.”

After we finished putting food on our plates we sat at the table with everyone, and which had now become my table, too. I couldn’t stop myself from glancing at my ex-friends’ table, and found Hazel and Charlotte sending me death glares - probably from jealousy about the fact Strider was talking to me. There was nothing I could do about it, though, so I averted my gaze back to my table.

After breakfast, Strider and I went to Chemistry class. We sat together, as always, and he entertained me with funny stories that happened to him in a few chemical experiments he tried out on his own.

I laughed, but stopped abruptly when a familiar shadow entered my sight. Strider and I raised our heads at the same time to see none other than Charlotte. “Angela,” she said quietly, her face blushing under Strider’s careful watch, “I need to talk to you.” She glanced momentarily at Strider, blushed even deeper, and returned her eyes to me.

I stared at her without wincing, this time. I was well and truly over with Charlotte at this point. “I don’t need to talk to you,” I told her quietly. “You made yourself very clear.”

She narrowed her eyes. “If I want to talk to you, then I will talk to you - “

“She said no,” Strider cut her off, narrowing his eyes. “Leave her alone.”

Charlotte’s blush was at the crimson stages by now. “I-It’s…” she stuttered, unable to speak with Strider looking at her like this.

He, on the other hand, was extremely unaffected. “Go away,” he said, irritated.

My ex-best-friend didn’t think twice; she turned around, her shoulders slumped, and left. I glanced at Strider. “You shouldn’t have been so mean to her,” I scolded him in a low tone.

He stared back at me determinedly. “She hurt you. I can’t let her hurt you again.”

I arched an eyebrow. “Since when do you care?” The question escaped my mouth before I could think it through.

He didn’t smile, his expression didn’t soften, but his hand suddenly cupped my cheek, and he gave me an inscrutable gaze. My breath hitched and my eyes widened with shock at his actions. “You’re my friend, Angela,” he said quietly, “I protect my friends.”

It took me a few moments to breathe - he’d completely caught me off guard - and once I did, I said, “I can protect myself. I’ve done it very well before we became friends.”

The wolf nodded. “I know. But now that you have me, I’m going to aide in this quest of protecting you.”

I couldn’t help but smile a goofy little smile. “How noble of you, Stridey,” I said, amused, “do you also want to carry me princess-style and put me in a tall tower to keep me safe?”

Something I couldn’t quite fathom passed through his eyes, but it was immediately replaced by a smirk, his hand falling from my cheek. “Very funny, Angie.”

I rolled my eyes, going back to the subject. “I’m not defenseless, Strider, and I can take care of myself,” I stated. “Next time let me handle this, okay?”

He studied me for a few moments before he said, “We’ll see.”

I would’ve continued the argument had it not been for the teacher, who’d just announced a surprise quiz, and so took my thoughts off what had just happened.

Just before lunch, I told Strider I needed to hit the toilet. I told him to wait for me in the dining hall, and he agreed and left.

Once I was in one of the stalls, I was in the middle of doing my things when I heard two familiar voices talking outside near the sinks.

“...And I just can’t, Cora,” I heard Samantha, for my dismay, and her broken voice made my heart jolt. “It’s so hard to see him so distant, as if he doesn’t believe in all this…”

“You shouldn’t have told him you love him, Sam,” Cora said accusingly. “He might be controlling fire, but he has a heart of ice - he has no idea what emotions are. It’s not your fault he rejected you so brutally.”

Samantha sobbed. “But I just know it’s him!” she called, her voice choked with agony.

Cora’s voice dropped a couple of octaves, to my surprise, and turned threatening. “You can’t just say things like that carelessly, Samantha. We don’t talk this way about Mates.”

“But I just know he’s mine!” Samantha wept. “I know! My wolf knows! He’s the only one who doesn’t!”

“But it’s not possible, Sam!” Cora snarled, angry now. “Humans can never be our Mates! Your Mate is a wolf, not Apollo!”

“B-But he’s not a n-normal human!” Sam shot back. “He’s immortal! He’s the Spirit of Fire!”

“Do you even hear yourself?!” Cora snapped. “The guy hurt you! Stomped on your self respect! We both heard his cruel rejection loud and clear! How can you still want him after he’s done nothing but hurt you?!”

Another sob, and then Samantha started crying loudly again. “I’m so in love with him, Cora…” she said, “I want him so much until it hurts everywhere…”

“Sam,” Cora’s voice softened. “Don’t cry like this, he’s not worth it…”

“I want him so fucking much…”

“I understand, sweetheart,” Cora said quietly, “I understand…”

I knew I couldn’t hide in my stall forever, so I opened the door silently. The two were with their backs to me, seated on the floor in a hug, Cora caressing Samantha’s shaking body. I left the room on my tiptoes so they wouldn’t sense me, and once I was outside, I felt rage taking hold. Even though there was no love lost between Samanth and I, no one deserved to have their hearts broken like this. Especially when it was all about Apollo.

I was on edge when it was time for my personal practice with Apollo. Strider informed he and Fred wouldn’t be there today, and the timing couldn’t be more perfect.

When I reached the backyard, Apollo was already there. “Oh, good, you’re here,” he drawled when she saw me approaching him, his voice as mocking as ever.

Tempest growled.

“How dare you?!” I found myself yelling.

He looked at me condescendingly. “How dare I… what?” he asked with a bored look.

“How dare you hurt Samantha like that?!” I fumed. “I thought you had some sense of humanity somewhere, buried very deep inside, but you’re so fucking emotionless!”

His dark eyes narrowed. “My relationship with Samantha - or anyone else, for that matter - is none of your business, girl,” he said threateningly, “so don’t stick your nose into this too far or - “

“You should’ve heard how she was crying in the toilets!” I snapped. “It was a cry of someone whose heart just broke - and you didn’t just broke it, but you shattered it to fucking pieces!”

He rolled his eyes. “Don’t be so dramatic, girl,” he said warningly, “and control your temper, or Tempest will take over and both of you destroy the world or something.”

His bored tone only made me madder, and Tempest snarled. “You’re the filthiest, cruelest, and saddest person I’ve ever met in my entire life!”

Suddenly he was right before me, looking down at me with his eyes burning blue and flames engulfing his hands. “Don’t push me, little girl,” he said lowly, causing goosebumps to rise all over my skin. “I’m not as lenient as Strider or Fred. I’m not your friend. I’m your teacher, and I will not accept being spoken to like this. I’m much older than I look, if you remember.”

“Huh!” I snorted. “As if the number of years you’re alive matters when you act like a fucking asshole!”

“Shut up!” he snapped, losing any ounce of cool he might’ve had, flames covering his entire body, making a burnt smell. “You don’t know what I’ve been through in my life! You know nothing! All you care about is your own hide! You know nothing about this world, nothing about emotions! You think that what Samantha feels is a heartbreak, then I have news for you: what she feels is nothing, nothing, compared to the number of time my heart has been broken throughout my life!”

I stared at him, stunned, my mouth gaping a little in terror. I’d never seen Apollo so mad he lost control of his Spirit. Fire came from every cell in his body, his eyes were far bluer than I’d ever seen them, and he was shaking from fury.

Tempest growled inside me, and I felt her wanting me to lose control like him, but of course I couldn’t let her. Instead, I got over the shock and snapped, “All of this is fine, but it’s still not a justified reason to break someone’s heart!”

“Who are you, little filthy girl, to tell me what emotion is?!”

“Don’t underestimate me because I’m younger than you!”

“You stupid little bitch - “

“Asshole - “

“Go to hell -

“Go fuck yourself!”

We stared at each other, enraged, Tempest making the earth quake while Pyro was burning the grass, and after a few moments of a glaring contest, we both turned our backs to each other and left, not bothering to look back.