Song of Sirens

Chapter 9

My life became a cycle of coffee with Nathan, school, jogging, staying up late with Kat, and practicing magic with Isaac. And I was definitely getting better. And I was proving it after 7 weeks of this. Whatever this was.

It was a Sunday morning and the air was still chilled from the night, but the sun shone high above and came through the canopy of trees overhead. We were in a clearing in the middle of the woods.

And I was trying to move the vine growing up the side of a tree. It flinched a little to the side, and I let my breathe out and it falls to the ground, completely lifeless. I turn to face Isaac.

"It's fine, I took ages to work out vines as well." He smiles encouragingly. "Give it another shot."

"I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing, Isaac. I've flowers down, I can move the ground, but I just cant get vines. At all." I sigh and run a hand through my hair.

"Liv, calm down. You'll get it." He smiles again, his hands in his jean pockets. "Just focus on the vine, and feel it moving. There is nothing else in the world that you're thinking about, except the damn vine."

"Okay, fine, just give me a minute to relax and then I'll try." I smile and turn away from him, pulling my phone out of my jacket pocket and checking it. A text from Nathan.

 Coffee later?

I send back that I'll meet him at the gate at 3 and turn back to Isaac and the vine.

I do what he says and push all my focus onto that vine and I feel my magic stirring inside me, pushing itself towards the vine. The pathetic piece of green starts to rise upwards, and I feel the life pulsing through it. I continue to move it upwards, pulling it's tough grip off the tree trunk and away, forming a straight line.

"See, you've got it, Liv," Isaac smiles encouragingly and I grin back, happiness seeping out of me.

"Yeah, I guess I do," I'm still grinning when Kat walks through the trees and emerges in front of us.

"How are you going, Liv?" She smiles slightly and looks at the both of us in turn.

"She's got it, she's in control, just practice to perfect it now." He beams proudly and so do I.

"And then you've just got to learn bonding magic, and she'll be fine." Kat's almost bursting with excitement.

"Yeah, we're going to wait until I'm stronger, and then worry about that," I smile a little, shoving my hands in my pockets after adjusting the pink scarf around my neck.

"Wonderful, are you guys done for the day? Because I thought we could start on the Biology assignment." She smiles shyly.

"Yeah, sure, same time next week Isaac?" I send an apologetic smile in his direction.

"Yeah, I'll see you next week." He heads off, walking in front of Kat and I all the way back to the house, where he goes into his room without another word.

Kat and I walk upstairs into our room. Her and Alice swapped about 4 weeks ago and it has been great since then. And my flashbacks have stopped for now. Well, mostly. Is still slip away sometimes.

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After working on the assignment with Kat for a few hours and eating a quick lunch of salad and chicken, I sit up from the floor.

"Kat, I've got to go, but I promise we can work on it when I get back," I smile a little, apology written all over my face.

"Are you going out with Nathan again?" A disapproving expression crosses her face.

"Yeah, sorry," I stare at her, worrying that she is actually angry with me.

"It's fine, really, if you are happy, I'm happy." She laughs and I know I'm good.

"Thanks Kat, I owe you. Again," I stand and zip my boots up over my jeans and grab my coat on the way out, shoving my phone in the pocket.

"Yes, you do, and I'm going to claim it one day," she smiles and I laugh.

"I'll see you in a few hours," I close the door behind me on the way out of the room and almost run all the way to the gate and find Nathan waiting there for me, just like always.

"Hey Liv," he smiles and his eyes light up a little when he says my name and I'm sure I'm blushing a little.

"Hey," I smile and follow him out the gate and we head towards the river and a coffee shop along the bank.

"How are you?" He is one of the only people I know that can say that and sound genuinely interested. So, he always get a genuine answer.

"I'm pretty good, what about you?" I smile up at him, those crystal eyes meeting mine.

"I'm alright," he smiles a little.

We walk in silence for a while until I cannot stop myself from saying something. "It's freezing today."

"Yeah, its getting colder so much faster now." He puts an arm around me and pulls me to his side. He's never done this before. Not that I mind. "Better?"

"Yeah, it definitely is." We continue walking like that until we get to our second favourite coffee and he orders our drinks. He has memorised what drink I want by my mood by now.

We take a seat in the back and drink our way into warmth until the sky is almost completely black and night is about to settle in.

"We should get back," I smile and stand up, doing my jacket up again as he does the same.

"Yeah, probably." I put money for the drinks under my saucer as he speaks.

We walk out the front door and start walking home, before stopping about halfway home, just before we leave the river's path he stops and turns to face me. I simply look up at him, questions in my gaze and he smiles down at me, those magnificent eyes sparkling in the dim light.

He puts his hands on the sides of my neck, his warmth sinking through my scarf and tickling my skin. I realise what he's about to do a moment before he does. His lips find mine and I simply give in, kissing him back.