Burnin' Up | J. Saltzman - Legacies [1]

T E N

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Stella stays in her room as the school bustles with grieving students. Today is Remembrance Day—the day when each student writes letters to the dead, hoping to say something to their loved ones who will never reply.

Stella groans at the blank page before her. Her black pen twirls around in her fingers. Piles of crumpled, half-written letters lie near the trash.

With a shout, Stella crushes the paper in front of her and chucks it at the trash. The tips of the paper curl in as if it was burned. She grabs onto a pillow and places it against her face before she screams.

When she pulls away from the pillow, she sees ash marks where her fingers once were. Dropping the pillow back onto the bed, Stella turns her hands over as the smell of smoke fills the room. Her fingertips are blackened from a fire that was not there.

She takes a shaky breath and blinks to rid herself of the flames. But the ash does not disappear: this is not a dream.

A knock draws Stella's attention away from the uncontrollable fire of her magic. With a frown, she approaches the door and turns the handle.

She pauses as a shiver runs up her spine. Shaking her head, she tries to focus on the visiter instead of the coolness spreading over her mind. She pulls the door open.

Hope stands at the threshold with a soft smile on her face. "I have a surprise for you," she says. Without waiting for an answer, Hope takes hold of Stella's wrist.

For a moment, Stella sees Hope flinch, her fingers pausing on her skin. But Hope shakes it off and only grips Stella tighter.

Stella does not have it in her to laugh as Hope pulls her through hoards of students and faculty. The magic of the Salvatore school seems to avoid Stella as she moves through the halls. Even when she walks outside, she cannot feel the hum of energy and nature surrounding her in a cocoon of power.

"What's the surprise, Hope?" Stella asks, finally pulling her wrist away from her cousin. Hope pauses and turns to face Stella as the Hale girl crosses her arms. "I have a letter to write."

Hope sighs. "And how's that going?"

Stella does not respond.

"Exactly. So, instead of freaking out or overthinking it, just be happy for the surprise." Stella narrows her eyes as Hope grins. "I had nothing to do with it."

"With what?" Stella asks. Hope's grin widens. "Hope!"

"I'm sorry! I'm just excited!" Hope waves her hands in front of her as if she were a child receiving a present. "I guess it's a surprise for both of us."

Stella opens her mouth to demand answers, but the moment she looks beyond Hope, her jaw goes slack. Tears line her wide eyes as she steps past Hope and breaks into a sprint to meet the black Camaro parked beside the school.

The driver picks up her head, and a smile appears on her face. Her leather jacket sways in the breeze as she pushes off of the car.

The woman catches Stella as the young witch jumps into her arms. The elder witch kisses Stella's cheek as she sets her down. Vanilla and cherries fill the air as the nature around them prospers with the ancient magic.

Stella inhales deeply as a single tear runs down her cheek. "I missed you, Mom," she says.

Lexi pulls away from her daughter to look at her fully. She runs her eyes up and down Stella's face and body, a careful assessment for injuries. The smile never leaves her face. "I missed you too, darling," Lexi says with a laugh. "I hope you don't mind me visiting for a few days."