Chapter 113

~ARLINA~

"She's here."

Selene's warning came a second before I felt it.

A wave of weird feelings washed over me. My skin crawled, my stomach turned, and my power surged without permission.

Nessa was walking across the quad, heading straight for the library where Selene and I were studying.

"We should go," Selene said.

"No. I'm not running from her."

But my body disagreed. My hands were shaking, my breathing was getting shallow, and the books on the table started to vibrate.

"Arlina, your powers—"

"I know."

I tried to pull the power back, to contain it like Patricia had taught me. But it wouldn't obey. It was reacting to Nessa's presence like a warning system I couldn't shut off.

The windows rattled and my water bottle lifted off the table.

"We need to leave before you blow out every window in the building—"

"I'm fine."

I wasn't fine. My chest was tight, my vision was swirling, and I couldn't catch my breath.

Nessa stepped into the library. Her eyes found mine immediately across the room.

And she smiled. Like she knew exactly what she was doing to me.

My power exploded outward. Every book in a ten-foot radius flew off the shelves. The windows cracked. Students screamed and dove for cover.

"Arlina!" Selene grabbed my arm. "Breathe. You need to breathe."

I couldn't. Couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't do anything except panic.

Nessa was still watching and smiling.

"She knows," I gasped. "She knows what she's doing—"

"Then let's not give her the satisfaction. Come on."

Selene dragged me toward the exit. Behind us, the library was chaos—books everywhere, broken glass, students trying to figure out what happened.

And Nessa, standing in the middle of it all, looking unfazed and calm.

Outside, I collapsed on a bench. My lungs burned, my chest hurt, and my power was still crackling under my skin.

"That was a panic attack," Selene said. "You had a panic attack."

"I know what it was."

"Has that happened before? When Nessa's around?"

I nodded. "Every time. Every single time she's near me, I feel like I'm going to die."

"That's your powers trying to warn you. They sense the magic on her."

"What?"

"Think about it. You're telekinetic. You manipulate energy. Nessa's using magical energy to control Zayne. Your powers can probably sense it."

I looked at my hands. They were still shaking but the panic was fading now that Nessa was gone.

"So what? My powers are trying to protect me from her?"

"More like they're trying to tell you she's dangerous. But you're not listening to them."

"I don't know how to listen to them. I can barely control them."

"Then maybe it's time to learn." Selene pulled out her phone. "Patricia said your powers are tied to your instincts. If they're reacting this strongly to Nessa, there's a reason."

"The reason is she's using magic to destroy my life."

"Exactly. And your powers know that. They're trying to help you fight back."

I thought about the panic attacks. The way my telekinesis surged whenever Nessa was near. The windows breaking, the books flying, the complete loss of control.

What if it wasn't loss of control? What if it was my power trying to attack the threat?

"I need to learn to work with my powers instead of against them," I said slowly.

"That's what Patricia's been trying to tell you."

"But how? I can't even be in the same room as Nessa without having a complete meltdown."

"So we practice. We figure out how to channel the power instead of letting it explode everywhere."

"And if I can't?"

"You will. You have to." Selene stood up. "Because Nessa's not going away. And if you want to save Zayne, if you want to break whatever spell she's got on him, you need to be able to face her without falling apart."

She was right. I knew she was right.

But the thought of being near Nessa again, of feeling that wrongness wash over me, made me want to curl up and hide.

"I don't know if I can do this."

"Yes you can. Your powers are already trying to fight her. You just need to learn to direct them."

"What if I hurt someone? What if I lose control completely and—"

"Then we make sure you're in a safe place when you practice. Away from people, away from anything breakable." Selene helped me up. "Come on. We're going to talk to Patricia. If your powers can sense Nessa's magic, we need to figure out how to use that."

We headed toward Patricia's office. The whole way, I kept thinking about Nessa's smile. That knowing, cruel smile.

She was enjoying this. Watching me fall apart, watching Zayne suffer under her spell, watching everything go to ruin.

And my powers had been trying to tell me from the beginning that she was dangerous.

I just needed to learn how to listen.