Awakened (Unbound, Book 3)

Chapter Thirty-Seven

"Hey, Duvessa, could you help me with this?" Maible smiled sweetly, holding the dead plant out towards Duvessa. "You know, I can never do it because of my... problem. You'd think I'd be gifted with a green thumb as compensation, but whatever." She forced a laugh. "I thought maybe you could do it? You know, bring it to life or something."

Obviously, Maible was trying to be covert, but I was thankful no other students were present when she only half-succeeded.

"Get Nora to do it for you," Duvessa sneered, raising an eyebrow in my direction as though she'd just issued a challenge.

I shrugged and wiggled my fingers in her direction. "It's all yours," I offered. "Unless you can't? I mean, I'm sure that Devland wouldn't mind curing Maible's plant for her, would you, Dad?"

Devland swung his gaze in our direction the moment I called him dad. It was something that he didn't hear—ever—and I knew it would surely pique his interest. If that wasn't a hint that something was happening, I didn't know what else to say other than to point it out directly. I wasn't above doing it, but this was a much cleaner route.

"Yeah, sorry, but she can't help," Maible whined perfectly, looking between me and Duvessa with earnest. "I need your help, please. My mom said I had to water it every day, and I forgot. She'll be seriously pissed if I kill her favorite plant. My dad bought it for her."

"Oh, fine," Duvessa groaned. "Why don't you just figure out your own stuff is beyond me. The only chick I know from the community without powers."

"Oh, thank you!" Maible held the plant out and Duvessa stepped forward, hands outstretched. "I knew you would be able to help!"

Duvessa smiled at me and then closed her eyes, showing off by not having to incant aloud, though I saw her lips moving slightly, giving away her ineptness. She wasn't as far advanced with spellcasting as she wanted people to believe after all. My mother had taught me that the really good spellcasters could perform easy tasks like this without speaking. It's what she had taught me, though practicing hadn't been part of the lesson. It was different than visualization because the spellcaster still had to recite the words in their head and couldn't just imagine what they wanted in order for it to be willed. Like when Devland had heated my water bottle, he'd probably used a spell for heat and directed it. I would have been able to imagine the bottle hot again.

"What's going on, Noreena?" Devland whispered, coming up from behind me.

"Shh," I said, swaying slightly as her magic started to surface. It was a good thing Devland had stepped up behind me, grabbing hold of my shoulders to steady me on my feet.

I felt as though someone had taken a sledgehammer to my guts, hitting me over and over until my insides felt like they were on my outsides. It was much, much worse than the cramps I'd felt, but worth every second if it meant clearing my name and ensuring that nobody else would come to harm.

"There you are," Duvessa preened, gesturing with both hands to the vibrant plant while I barely managed to stand.

"Thank you." Maible smiled sweetly. "My mother seriously would have laid an egg if she saw what I'd done to it."

"You used powers?" Duvessa's eyes widened.

"No, of course not," Maible said. "Like I said, I forgot to water it. You know, feed the plant?"

"Right."

Devland let go of my shoulders and gave me a questioning look. I shrugged and leaned sideways towards Calin as I dug out the note that I'd made him the night before to direct him to the pipes and match it to Duvessa. If that didn't work, I told him to connect it to the so-called accident in the towers. Everything was finally working in my favor and according to a plan that I had set. The prankster was the one who was finally being pranked.