24. Lets Get Magical

Let's Get Magical

A s we sit together, the three of us talking and scheming, Derek suddenly grins and brings up, "So, Zaria, what about that five-phase plan you mentioned? You know, the one to ruin Kyla's life in five easy steps?"

Sebastian leans in, looking intrigued. "Five phases? Do tell."

I chuckle, leaning back on my bed, feeling the fire of revenge flicker stronger in my chest. "Oh, you were phase four, Seb. But since we've already yanked you out from under Kyla's control, I'd say you're officially off the list."

Sebastian grins, clearly pleased with himself. "Happy to be of service."

I start ticking off the phases of the plan on my fingers. "Phase one: her hair." I smirk, remembering the glorious disaster of Kyla's ‘perfect' blonde locks. "That one was fun. But we've moved past it. "Next up," I say, leaning back in my chair with a smirk, "Phase two: her social status." I glance at Derek, who nods knowingly. "Technically, it's done. We're just waiting for Kyla to slip up now."

Sebastian, lounging casually on the bed, raises an eyebrow. "Done? You two managed to break her social circle already?"

Derek chuckles, clearly enjoying this moment. "Yup. Zaria and I set it up perfectly. See, Kyla feeds off her popularity like it's her personal power source. Without it, she's nothing. All we had to do was pull the rug out from under her with her little army of followers."

Sebastian looks intrigued, leaning forward slightly. "And how'd you manage that?"

I hold up Kyla's cloned phone, the one Hank helped us set up. "We've got everything—every snide remark, every insult, every time she's torn her so-called friends apart behind their backs. We've been watching her slip up for weeks now, and it's all right here."

I scroll through the messages, the evidence clear as day. "Kyla's been running her mouth to Sam and Bethany, thinking they're in on it, but she's also been trash-talking them behind their backs. Once her friends realize she's not as loyal as she pretends to be..."

"...they'll tear her apart themselves," Derek finishes, grinning. "We don't even have to do much. She's already done most of the damage herself."

Sebastian's smirk widens. "And I'm guessing you're just waiting for the right moment to let the bomb drop?"

"Exactly," I say, leaning forward. "Phase two was all about isolating her. Making her circle of friends shaky. They think they're all tight, but we've been slowly revealing who Kyla really is, little by little. All we need now is the right opportunity for her to mess up publicly, and it's over for her. Phase three: her grades. Everyone knows she's cheating. We just have to expose it. If we mess with her perfect GPA, she'll start losing it. I've already disrupted one of her tests, I'll just have to keep doing it."

Sebastian chuckles darkly. "A little academic chaos? I'm in."

I continue, adding another finger. "Phase four, well, that was you, Seb. Kyla thought she had you wrapped around her finger. But now that's blown up in her face."

Sebastian grins, all sharp teeth and wicked delight. "Glad to have played my part."

"And phase five," I say, holding up my last finger, "is her reputation as a witch. She's been stealing my spells, passing them off as her own. We expose that, and she's finished."

Sebastian leans back, arms behind his head. "I like this plan more and more."

I smirk, but then a wicked thought hits me, and I can't help but voice it. "You know… tomorrow night, Kyla's treating Sam and Bethany to dinner at that fancy place downtown. It'd be a shame if something important to her social status fell apart during that dinner."

Derek's eyes light up, and he practically jumps in. "Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

Sebastian tilts his head, intrigued. "A little public humiliation, perhaps? I'm all for it."

I shrug, trying to play it cool, but the idea is too good to pass up. "Let's just say... I've got a plan. But I'll need both of you there to pull it off. Feel like joining me for dinner tomorrow night?"

Sebastian gives me a slow, wicked grin. "You had me at ‘plan.'"

Derek chuckles, but there's a glint of something darker in his eyes. "I'm in, too. This is gonna be fun."

The room is buzzing with excitement now, and I can already picture Kyla's face when her perfect little world starts to crumble. Tomorrow night is going to be... interesting.

As we sit there, exchanging ideas and banter, I feel that fire in me growing stronger. It's not just about revenge anymore—it's about taking back control, about showing Kyla and her little posse that I'm not someone to be messed with.

Tomorrow, Kyla's world starts to fall apart. And I'll be there, front and center, to watch it all unfold.

The day has been long, dragging on in that particularly cruel way time does when you're waiting for something exciting. Classes were fine—I guess. Well, as fine as they can be when your brain is half focused on potion formulas and half focused on how you're going to mentally destroy Kyla by dinner tonight. Priorities.

Cauldron Concoctions with Professor Grimble? Ugh, don't get me started. Another day of mucking around with various ingredients, trying to keep the room from exploding. Not that I'm bad at it, but honestly, the man drones on like he's reading a grocery list. "Add a pinch of dragon scale, stir clockwise, blah blah blah." I'm amazed I didn't fall asleep into my cauldron.

Then, there was Chronicles of Arcane History with Professor Elowen, where I was forced to listen to her passionate, yet entirely unhelpful, lecture about ancient magical treaties. She talks like we're going to need to draft a treaty by the end of the week. I don't care who signed the Accords of Fylaria three hundred years ago, Professor. Just give me the study guide.

By the time I got to Enchantment & Spellcrafting with Professor Nyx, I was ready to hurl my textbook at someone. Not that it would help—Nyx would probably enchant the thing to bounce back at me. We spent half the class learning how to make our spells "more elegant." I don't know about you, but I think function beats elegance when someone's trying to hex your face off. But hey, what do I know?

Now, as I trudge back to my dorm, I'm completely wiped. You'd think magic would give you a bit of extra energy, but nope, still just as exhausting as regular school. I'm genuinely half-expecting to walk in and see Derek or Sebastian lounging on my bed, but no such luck. I mean, I know they have their own roles to play tonight—Sebastian playing his part as Kyla's "loyal" boyfriend and Derek doing whatever wolf-boy magic shifters do to stay under the radar—but I can't help but feel a bit disappointed. It's strange, really. I've gotten so used to their constant presence that being alone almost feels… weird.

But tonight is about more than just hanging out with the boys. Tonight is about taking Kyla down, and I'll be damned if I don't look my best while doing it.

I toss my bag onto the bed and head straight to the mirror. Hotness level: must be maxed out. I start with my makeup—just a little extra flair. Winged eyeliner sharp enough to slice through Kyla's ego and some deep red lipstick that matches my favorite stockings. Perfect.

Speaking of which, I slide into a pair of my nicer red stockings, the ones with the little lace detailing at the top that I reserve for special occasions—or in this case, a night of calculated social warfare. Next, I grab my black dress, the one that hugs just right. It's simple but effective—enough to make an impact without screaming I'm trying too hard.

My hair? Curled, of course. Loose curls, nothing too fussy, but enough bounce to make a statement. Just in case things get wild, I toss a few hair ties into my handbag, along with my trusty hiccuping potion. I can practically see Kyla gulping down that bubbly little disaster-in-a-bottle, and the thought brings a grin to my face.

I check myself in the mirror one last time. Alright, Zaria, you look good enough to crush a queen bee. Perfect.

With a deep breath, I head out the door. Tonight's the night I've been gearing up for, and I'm not holding back.