New Boys Can't Date The Snow Queen, Part 5

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Friday

“Ready?”

I nodded. The doctor held out a hand in front of her, palm out, about half a metre from my chest and concentrated. A little swirling sphere of magic appeared in her palm, tiny sparks flying around it.

After a moment, a tiny flicker of surprise appeared on her face. Then it was gone, and her expression went back to normal.

I waited. These chest twinges couldn’t have come from nowhere, and I hadn’t liked that brief look.

The magic faded away, and she lowered her hand. “All right, you can stand up now.”

I got up from the treatment couch, which had been surprisingly comfortable, and back to the chair, which was even more so. But I couldn’t relax, not when she clearly had something to tell me.

“There doesn’t appear to be anything medically wrong, but I did notice something rather interesting. Does your family have a history of ice magic?”

“Yes, but the last person to have it was…” Who was it? I shook my head, unable to remember. “I’m not sure who it was. Someone who died before I was born, I think. Why?”

“You have a very strong dormant ability.”

What? I sat up a little straighter, eyes wide. “Me? Is that what these twinges are – my magic struggling to get out?”

“They could well be. Nothing stops magic when it wants to appear. All the same, if these twinges get worse, make a reappointment and say it’s urgent. If it’s your magic, we’ll help you manifest it.”

“And if it’s not?” I kept my voice slow and calm.

“If it’s not, we’ll help you.”

I left the practice, my mind in a whirl and the wind blowing through my hair. It had been a long time since a de Winter had ice magic, and the doctor hadn’t even been sure if I’d been able to use it. Dormant was the word she’d used; did that mean it might never awaken?

My dad needed to know about this.

I pulled my phone out of my bag – and frowned down at the screen. There was a missed call from him.

He’d tried to call me yesterday. How could I have missed that? How hadn’t I seen the little red dot on my phone today?

There was also a text, asking me if I wanted to talk.

It was quarter to six; he should have finished working by now. I pressed the right button, put the phone to my ear and kept walking while I waited for him to respond.

“Hello, Claire.”

“Hi, Dad. Sorry I missed your call.”

“This is just a quick check-in to see how you are. I know you’re used to being on your own, but if you feel isolated, please tell me.”

I was isolated – had been for two years – but what good would it do to tell him that? All that was needed now was a little more patience and then that mirror would be gone.

“I’m fine, Dad. Trust me, if I wasn’t, I would have told you.” I kept walking down the street towards where I’d parked the car. Warm lights behind the shop windows beckoned to me, and the Christmas displays had never looked more enticing.

When would I start to feel welcome in that world again?

“How are you doing?” I asked.

“Today’s been a very busy day. Got into several arguments disguised as debates, and the session ended in complete disaster. I’m trying to relax now and clear my mind. Why not tell me about this committee you’re on; I take it you’ve had your first meeting by now?”

I nodded, then remembered he couldn’t see me. “It went very well. We’ll present our ideas next week; I’m looking forward to that. I’m in charge of decorations, with Blake Starfyre.”

“Blake Starfyre is on the committee as well? That doesn’t surprise me – his parents are both highly involved in society events, and his mother’s got excellent planning skills.”

If I didn’t tell him now, I would have to wait until the next phone call, and that might not be for a while. “Dad, who was the last person in our family to have ice magic?”

“Don’t you remember that? It was your great-grandmother.”

“Well, I went to the doctor’s today and apparently there’s a dormant strain in me. I don’t know if it’s going to manifest or not, but I wanted to let you know.”

At that moment, I passed by a coffee shop. Larisa sat at a table close to the window, talking to a boy with dark hair that almost touched his shoulders. I stopped, frowning, phone still held to my ear.

Was that Blake?

“…aire? Claire, can you hear me?”

I shook myself and started walking again. “Yes, sorry, lost the signal for a moment. What were you saying?”

“I was saying to contact a specialist immediately if you think your magic is starting to emerge. Sometimes, the process can be a little…unpredictable.”

“I will. Talk soon, Dad.”

“Will do. Oh, and I slipped a little something into your account yesterday – just in case you need a new dress for the ball.

For a moment, I found myself blinking hard. “Thanks, Dad.”

“Bye.” He ended the call.

There was the car. I unlocked it and got inside, then adjusted the rearview mirror until I could see my reflection better.

What was wrong with me? Larisa and Blake could have coffee with whoever they wanted; it was none of my business, so why did I feel so jealous of my best friend? I never had before.

Reaching down into the right pocket of my handbag, I pulled out my comb and slowly ran it through my hair.

The jealousy grew fainter and fainter with each stroke.

***

I spent most of the weekend either working on my assignments or working on the mirror. One of the jagged gaps finally closed at half-past one a.m. on Sunday; I practically staggered down the stairs and into bed without bothering to take my clothes off or doing anything else.

That night, I dreamed about putting together a jigsaw with sharp edges. No matter how hard I tried, the pieces just wouldn’t fit together. One tiny piece kept slipping out of my fingers and I couldn’t hold onto it.

Eight hours later, I woke up with the worst headache I’d ever had in my life. But I didn’t let that stop me at all. It couldn’t stop me.