Burned

Chapter Twenty-Three

It had only been five days since I broke up with Daniel. It didn't feel like only five days had passed since things were normal. Except, they had never truly been normal. I would never have a normal relationship, especially when it was with Daniel -- who was Cursed. 

All I wanted was to be a normal girl, fighting with Daniel about something stupid and mundane. Instead, every time I thought about him, I pictured his fangs digging into some poor girls neck. I couldn't get the image out of my head. It made my stomach uneasy.

Today, he was coming back to Salem. I would have to face him at school, which I was dreading. I shouldn't have agreed to talk to him today. It was the right thing to do, but that didn't mean it was easy. My nerves were jumbled together like a mess of cords all tangled. I had to keep reminding myself that it was Daniel -- I knew him. 

Except, that didn't feel true. I never would have guessed this was something he was capable of. As much as I tried, I couldn't find it in my heart to forgive him. Hell, I couldn't even consider it. It was too much -- he had done too much. There were some things you couldn't forgive, even if you wanted to. Sometimes, it wasn't a choice to make but a choice made for you.

"Are you nervous to see him?" Ivelyn asked, nudging me slightly. Science had just ended, which meant I was on my way to have a class with Daniel. I hadn't seen him yet, which had been nice. 

My sigh answered her question.

"It's going to be a long day," was all I said. Ivelyn was still pissed at Daniel, even more than I was. However, her fiery rage had simmered since she and Troy had started sleeping with her again. Apparently, he wanted to get back together but she was on the fence. 

I wish my only problem with Daniel was that he was going to leave in a year. But that wasn't the case, in a year Daniel and I would be in Senior year. I would have to see him in the halls for another two years. It felt like both a short amount of time and forever. 

"You talk to him after school, right?" She tried again to get info out of me. I knew she was just asking me for her own personal motive. I figured the Coven would follow me and Daniel when we talked. No one trusted him, yet they all kept saying they knew we would get back together.

I knew it wasn't true.

There was no way, it was like that Taylor Swift song. 

"That's the plan," I dragged out. 

"If you want us to go--

"I'll manage," I gestured to the Amulet. "I've got my own form of backup." It came out so swiftly I didn't think anything of it. Until Ivelyn raised an eyebrow. "I mean--

"Would you really use that against Daniel?" Her eyes briefly looked at the Amulet. I always got the vibe that Ivelyn wanted to wear it. When I first put the Amulet on, people around me seemed affected by it. Especially, Ivelyn who's eyes fully dilated in the midst of such power. 

The way she looked at it today was as if it were a bomb about to go off. 

She didn't know it was just a hoax. 

"I will if I need to," I held my chin up. 

"I doubt it," she scoffed. I hurried to catch up with her. I grabbed her forearm.

"I have," I wanted her to know how serious I was.

"No you didn't," she searched my eyes. "Shit, you did! What happened? How did it feel? Did he get hurt or--

"It happened in the school parking lot. Erik saw and that's why he knew first. I think it hurt Daniel pretty badly, but obviously, it didn't kill him. I guess I didn't use it at full strength because my Gran's journal says it will kill anything and anyone. I guess--