back of my neck, but I ignored it.
Redtree began his lecture, diving in where we left off in A History of Warfare, a textbook I already imprinted and knew from cover to cover. But as he discussed the various swords used during the Roman Empire, my mind wandered, distracted by a strange buzzing.
I tried to shake it off, trying to focus on Redtree. The buzzing grew louder, like a prickly hum in my ears. I fidgeted anxiously, stretching out my hands, then tightening them again. The air was thick with tension, and I wasn’t sure why.
Stranger yet, I felt my little bracelet struggling to ward off the sensations. As if it were trying to protect me from a darker force.
I caught Xander’s gaze. He watched me, his brows furrowed together. “What’s wrong?” he mouthed silently.
I shrugged, no answer to give. Something just felt…off. I glanced around, looking for signs of it in the faces of the other students. They listened quietly to Master Redtree’s lecture, nothing out of the ordinary.
Riley.
I searched for her, sensing she might be behind this. She was centered between Calypso and Anastasia, but she wasn’t paying much attention to the lecture. She tilted her head toward me, that familiar gleam in her eyes, while twisting something in her hand. I squinted, trying to get a better look at what she wound through her fingers. A stone. It was attached to a golden chain around her neck, one I’d never seen her wear before.
As soon as Redtree was done speaking, it was time to partner up and train. Xander, sensing something was up, stopped what he was doing and rushed to my side.
“What’s that stone Riley is wearing?” I said, keeping my voice low.
Xander looked, then went very still. “Make up an excuse. Tell Redtree you’re not feeling well, then get out of here.”
Just like the day before, Riley headed in my direction. With every step she took, a red haze encompassed me. She wore a sly smile, the same one she wore when I found her with Connor. The memories came back in sharp flashes. The two of them breaking apart. The guilt on Connor’s face. The fire exploding into flames behind us. The way my fury grew until it was out of control.
Xander pressed his hand against my shoulder, pulling me to the present. “Sheridan, listen to me.” He steered me around. “Get out of here. That stone is magnifying the effects of your curse.”
As soon as he said it, I knew it was true. All of the anger, hate, and bitterness I worked so hard to keep pushed down was brimming at the surface, threatening to spillover.
But the buzz of the past grew louder than Xander’s voice, drowning him out. That night flooded back, a blur of rage, cursing, and violence. Riley and I fought like maniacs, trying our best to draw blood. Our actions spooked Connor enough to run out of there, shouting for help. I hadn’t realized it at the time, but he went to get Dad.
I still remembered the scissors with clarity. They were sitting on Riley’s vanity, the kind that came from a beauty supply store, sharper than most. She swung a chair at me, knocking it into my legs. I made a quick grab for the scissors and plunged them into her shoulder. My breath sharpened when I thought about how badly I wanted to pierce her heart. At the last moment, I shifted up. Just a millisecond within that blind fury that saved her life.
She stopped before me, carrying two swords. “Hello, Sher Bear.” She tossed one of the swords, and it landed at my feet. “Let’s train.”
I blinked, torn between the past and present.
Focus. Stay focused.
“Do you ever stop, Riley?” I cut straight to the point. “Now you’re amplifying the thing that’s trying to kill us both?”
She shrugged, unapologetic. “It can only end with death. Hopefully, yours.”
“Is this why you trapped Dad inside the house? To have ample opportunity without him getting in your way?”
“You heard about that, huh?” She chuckled, then shook her head. “No, I spelled that trap for just for fun. He deserves to stay locked inside the cage he created for me.”
“Fine.” I ground my teeth together. “You want your chance. Here it is.” I picked up the sword.
“Finally.” She breathed a sigh of relief, as if she were long ready for this.
“Sheridan, no.” Xander’s tone was full of disapproval that I ignored.
We took our places, waiting for the other class members to