21. Juniper

Juniper

I’m not seeing what I think I am.

I repeated it as I watched Ellery chase down one of the most stunning women I’d ever seen. As I watched him take her outside. As I watched them embrace.

Though I kept saying it, my eyes were seeing something completely different. Something I felt like I couldn’t deny. As I looked at her further, I realized she was the woman from the photo posted right before mine. It was obvious she was one of his previous engagements, and why wouldn’t she be?

She had lush black hair, beautiful porcelain skin, and the body to match it all. Not to mention she seemed competent. At least the other women I met seemed like they wouldn’t match his wit, but she gave such a powerful impression that I knew she would.

My eyes watered as I left the balcony and went to the bar. I ordered a water with shaking hands, trying to calm myself.

“Did you see Veronica and Ellery?” some older woman at the bar asked. She was talking to her companion, and I was sure had no idea I was there.

“Of course, it’s about time those two worked it out. I always knew they were meant for each other,” the other one said.

“And we’ve all seen the scandals of them, it was a matter of time before they were told they needed to settle down together.”

The room spun. I all but ran away from them. I needed to get outside and get some air. I pushed through the crowd, trying to get some space. Not only were my emotions all over, but I could feel my magic trying to break free as well. My emotions hadn’t affected my magic since I was a child, I’d learned to control that quickly, but right now it just felt so overwhelming.

“Hey, are you okay?” Rachel asked as she caught up to me. I hadn’t even noticed she was following me. “I was at the bar, I heard them. There’s nothing to worry about. El and Veronica—”

“I’m fine,” I said quickly. “I just need some air.”

I knew I snapped at her, and I didn’t mean to, I just couldn’t focus on another thing right now.

“O-okay,” she said, letting me go. I would apologize later, but I couldn’t think of that right now. I had to get out of here.

There was the entrance, I was so close. I made it out and quickly spotted Tiffany and Arthur standing next to one of the ice sculptures. It was of Boreas, which seemed like a strange choice without any knowledge of the mythology, but he was the god of the north wind and winter. It was a perfect choice, and it looked amazing. Just like the others, it had to stand at least eight feet tall. She looked like she was crying. As much as I wanted to comfort her, I couldn’t do anything right now except escape.

Then, as if it were happening in slow motion I saw it. The statue was leaning. Not only was it leaning, but it was falling. And the way it was falling would drop it right on top of them.

“Watch out,” I shouted, but it was no use.

Arthur looked up, but there was no way to move them in time. He still spun them, ready to take the brunt of the fall, but I couldn’t just let it happen.

I quickly spoke a spell—hoping it was the right one, the same one I used to catch things. My magic surged inside me, prepared to spring free.

A purple beam hit the statue and made it explode into such small shards it started snowing inside.

Arthur looked up, realizing they hadn’t been crushed and glanced around in confusion, until his eyes landed on mine. My hand was still glowing from the excess power and I worked to quickly extinguish it.

A gasp from behind me made me realize a crowd had gathered. At the front of it was Ellery with that horrified look I hoped to never see.

“June…” he started.

It was too much, it was all too much.

“I-I’m sorry,” I said before rushing out.

I ran, not grabbing my coat or the rest of my things. I had to get out of here. I probably had to dye my hair and leave the country, but right now I needed to focus on getting out of here.

In preparation for all the guests there were high end cabs lined up, ready to take drunk people back to their lodgings. I hopped into one of them, and told him to drive me home.

He was surprised I was asking to go so far, but I gave him my card and told him to charge whatever he needed. Agreeing, he shut the sound proof divider and began driving, putting me far away from my worst nightmare.

I called my mom first. I knew she wouldn’t answer with her phone being off for the cruise, but I just needed to tell her I was coming home, and I was going to stay at her house. I tried not to cry during my voicemail, tried to hold it together, but by the end I was sobbing.

Then I called Casey. She was up and I spilled my guts about everything. The money I lost for us, the feelings I never got to express, my grieving for the relationship I would never have.

Exposing my magic to everyone.

She let me get it all out before speaking. “Damn, June. That’s fucked.”

I couldn’t help it, I barked out an unhinged laugh. “I know.” Casey tried, but she wasn’t really the comforting type.

“So what are you going to do? Are you coming home?”

“No, I think I’m going to go to my moms. I just need a few days away.”

“That’s fine. I’ll be here when you get back. And June, you did the right thing.”

The tears began falling again. I thought I did the right thing too, but that didn’t mean it didn’t ruin everything.

“Thanks, Cass.”

We hung up and I set my phone down, looking out the window.

My phone vibrated once but I ignored it. Then it went off again. And again.

I finally picked it up, seeing Ellery pop up a bunch of times. I couldn’t answer him, couldn’t face him right now.

I turned my phone off and pressed my face to the glass. Hoping to find sleep and learn this was all just a dream.