Soul Fire

8.2

Honestly, Bloom was grateful that afternoon for the quiet school as she grabbed a mop and went to work. They had been sweeping and dusting for the past two hours, their muscles sore from the manual labor.

The girls had gone to breakfast and classes in the morning on Friday, before everyone departed after the lunch hour. Obviously, their professors were instructed to give them alternative assignments. Which meant that there were a lot of readings, and some additional homework. If any of the students noticed the nullifying bracelets on the girls' wrists, they didn't say anything.

"You know," Stella said, a mischievous smirk on her face. "Griselda said no magic, but she didn't say anything about no additional help." Stella was lounging on a nearby beach, her mop forgotten by her side.

Bloom scoffed, dipping her own mop into the soapy water and splattering it on the shining marble tiles. "what did you have in mind?"

"I vote that we invite the boys, obviously."

Bloom stopped mopping. "The specialists?" Bloom placed a hand on her hip and raised an eyebrow incredulously. "The oh-so-mighty purebred warriors? Doing household chores?"

"First of all, little miss progressive earthling," Stella wagged her finger at her, "males are more than capable of doing household chores. And secondly, if we get done- when- we get done, we can have a little party."

"You realize that we're not entirely unsupervised, right? The groundskeeper is still around somwhere." 

"The groundskeeper happens to be the laziest gnome you will ever meet in your life and would prefer to spend the evening holed up with some mulled wine or something. Plus, his residence is at the very edge of the campus." She chuckled as if it was the dumbest thing she'd ever heard. "Trust me, not gonna be a problem."

Bloom rolled her eyes, and continued to mop, her back muscles protesting. "Invite whoever you want, I don't care."

Stella took that as permission to stop working, because she left the room entirely, forcing Bloom to finish mopping all by her lonesome. Bloom gritted her teeth. Whenever Stella returned, Bloom was going to pummel her.

Musa strolled in, a fresh bucket of soapy water in her hands. "Where'd Stella go?"

"Don't get me started." Bloom groaned, rolling her eyes. "She's convinced herself to invite the specialists over."

Musa set the bucket on the floor, some water spilling over the sides. "Great." Musa grunted, "That way when we get caught, we'll be punished for eternity."

Bloom snickered, and focused on the menial task at hand. Back and forth, back and forth.

It had been strange, waking up and still feeling disconnected from that warmth inside of her. But she woke up feeling better, more adjusted and less disjointed than she had last night. Bloom couldn't help but think about how simple her life had been, without having to struggle for control constantly. Before danger and thrill and fear had become normal parts of her life. Before exploring that strange and exhilarating power that thrummed in her veins.

Now that Bloom had tasted it... that intoxicating and enthralling well of magic, she didn't know if she could ever let it go. If she'd ever want to, even if it meant she could go home, even if she could have Seth.

Seth.

His name sent a pain wracking through her chest, and Bloom had to stop working for a minute to recenter herself. She missed him. So much. She wished she could talk to him, just hear his voice.

"Are you okay?" Musa had stopped mopping , and her head tilted to the side as she looked at Bloom.

Bloom nodded. "Yep." And got back to work.