The Ice Twins - Nikki Jefford Page 0,7

Ronin. I’d always hoped that power would be passed on to me. As a young elf, I’d pictured Lark with heating magic and me with cooling. Fire and ice—the perfect pair. But it turned out Lark was gay, and I couldn’t even keep a straight male happy for long.

What a load of pits!

I kicked one pebble after another the whole way home. I considered going over to Fraya and Alok’s cottage, but I was more in a drinking than a talking mood. A glance at the sky, and the blinding sun that had emerged through the clouds, reminded me that it was too early to imbibe.

I took a nap instead before heading to the Pitch and Roll after sunset.

I preferred the funky bars in the middle of town, but they weren’t within walking distance. Nope. I had to nurse my heartbreak with a pint, on a stool, at a sticky counter.

Two pints later, the buzz kicked in.

Good call skipping dinner, I told myself.

The following morning, I took a long shower and paid extra attention to my hair and makeup. Later that afternoon, Principal Lemonwick was meeting with all the Meadowbrook teachers to discuss the next school year.

I put on a swingy navy dress and tied a pastel scarf around my neck.

“You are beautiful and talented and fun and independent,” I said to my reflection in the mirror. “There’s someone better out there,” I added. “A wonderful male who deserves you—me. Whatever. Stop talking to yourself in the mirror.” I stuck out my tongue.

It was too early to go to the meeting, so I took a detour to Daisywhirl Hall to see how things were coming along. I didn’t expect anyone to be around in the middle of the day. Our volunteers usually popped in when they could at night.

Nonie wasn’t there, which was an instant relief soon snuffed out by the appearance of Thessalia. Head tilted back and legs in the air, she was swinging. I thought I caught a smile on her lips. It dissolved as soon as she noticed me. The beautiful blonde threw her feet forward, halting her movement. She white-knuckled the ropes, crushing the carefully twisted ivy in her fists.

“Oh,” she said with an accusatory glare. “I didn’t think you’d want to show your face around here anymore.”

“Why is that?” I asked, folding my arms over my chest.

Thessalia smirked. “Ren’s taking Nonie to the reunion ball instead of you. That must really hurt, especially with only six days to go and no chance of finding an alternative date to the event.”

Her sharp words were like hot pokers through the gut. My skin prickled and burned. But it was my head that simmered the most.

“Wasn’t your two-year anniversary coming up?” Thessalia asked, digging in deeper. “So close.”

“I guess we’ll both be going stag,” I shot back.

Thessalia’s blue eyes turned glacial. “Unlike you, I have a date,” she said crisply.

I took a step closer and lifted my brows. “Oh? Did Lanson hire someone to stand in for him?” I asked before I could rein myself in. I should have stopped there, but I didn’t. Thessalia had picked the wrong time to be insolent. “I guess you already know what it feels like to be single, since your mate is never around.” I regretted the words the moment they left my lips. They felt like swallowing a handful of pits.

Thessalia’s eyes narrowed to slits. “You are going to regret that.” She lifted her chin and tossed her hair back before storming away.

“I’m sorry,” I called after her. “I was being insensitive . . . the same way you were.” Dang it. My mouth had a mind of its own. Why was it so difficult to behave like an adult?

Guilt gnawed at my heels every step of the afternoon. It wasn’t until I joined my fellow teachers in the lounge at Meadowbrook that I managed to forget about my altercation with Thessalia. Usually, Meara was one of the first teachers present, but I saw no sign of my friend when I entered the shared space with its mismatched armchairs, small tables, and kitchen.

I said a polite hello to three of the older teachers. They seemed to have their own clique going on—one I’d forever be too young to join, no matter how many years passed. Two of the youngest female teachers sat in the armchairs, heads nearly touching as they leaned forward, whispering back and forth. I took a seat on a chair at an unoccupied table, catching whispered snippets