The Young and Gifted

9. team captain

They both sat quietly in front of his desk and Ric didn't say a thing either, his arms folded in front of him, waiting patiently. "I'm waiting for one of you to explain what happened." Silence. "Because it seems to me that you were using magic in a game that explicitly prohibits that. And Kaura, you know the rules. No siphoning. Never siphoning." Even though she had her own magic, she had the ability to siphon. Lizzie and Josie were the completely siphon witches.

Kaura crossed her arms and glanced out the window. "She pissed me off."

"Yeah well, you were trying to keep us from playing the game," Hope snapped back.

"It's almost like there is a reason why I'm team captain. I make the shots. I'm sorry you're too dense to accept them."

"You're a terrible team captain then, case closed."

Ric slammed his fist against his desk, drawing attention back to him intently. "I didn't realize that I was dealing with toddlers." Both girls huffed, sinking back into their seats. "I heard that there is a saying in your family--"

"Don't," they both seethed viciously.

Ric sighed, retracting his words. "All I am saying is that actions like what happened out there are not to happen again. Not only did you visibly use magic in front of the locals, our school now has the image of lunatic private preppy students. To address it clearly, Hope, refrain from any provoking and physical fight and Kaura...we said no more siphoning. This is your last strike, I don't want to have to apply more discipline on you."

Kaura only held his gaze, completely unfazed by his threat. Hope swallowed, realizing how drained she felt from the siphon. Kaura held unto her for only a couple of seconds and she felt like her life battery was drained to 43 percent. If she had held longer, it would have been deadly. Siphoning. Uncle Kai was the first siphon in the world, Freya once told her. Not anymore it appeared, he seemed to have passed his qualities unto his offspring. She assumed the Gemini bloodline was a hotspot for the siphoning abilities.

"I trust that you two will figure this out together and that I don't need to lock you up in a room," Alaric heaved heavily and motioned towards the door. "Everyone is at the game so nobody is around. Behave." Most were either playing the game or watching.

Kaura sprang out of her seat and walked out first, Hope following behind. Once they shut the door behind them, they gave each other one short glance and parted ways to their bedrooms.

Kaura reached her room and slammed the door with a scream. Hate her, hate her, hate her. In her mind, she could hear the repeated sizzling of Hope's skin and she took a deep breath. She began to look around, throwing pillows across the room. I swear it was—

"Looking for this?"

Kaura froze, blinking slowly as she turned to face the foreign woman before her. Except she wasn't any ordinary woman. Her skin was midnight blue, twinkling with small amounts of stars. Her hair was coiled up into a braided ponytail, decked in ancient fine jewelry and her clothing as the typical Egyptian culture. She draped herself on Kaura's desk, the music player and headphones swinging on her pointer finger.

A normal reaction would have been to scream, maybe fight or run. But Kaura only blinked. Because that was all she ever did. She reached for her player and snatched it out of the woman's grasp. "I don't care why you're here, just get out of my room."

"Are you sure?" She drawled slowly with a sly grin. "You don't want to know what my capabilities are? What I can do for you?"

She scoffed and scanned the woman again. "You have a talent for body paint."