The eve of my birthday found me sitting on my bed, staring at my hands. These hands that had recently commanded fire, that had burned Rowan's smug face when he'd tried to hurt me again. So much had happened in such a short time. My newly discovered fire powers. Zara Blackwood's betrayal. The exposure of my hybrid nature.
I should have been terrified. My carefully constructed life had been blown apart. And yet, I felt stronger for it.
"Elara, honey!" My mom's voice called from downstairs. "Your friends are here!"
My stomach clenched. I hadn't seen Seraphina or Debra since the incident. Sera had seemed accepting that day outside the hall, but people had time to think, to reconsider. What if they'd decided a hybrid freak wasn't worth the trouble?
Taking a deep breath, I headed downstairs, each step heavier than the last.
I found them waiting in the living room, Seraphina chatting animatedly with my mom while Debra arranged an assortment of bags on the coffee table.
