A Class of Conjuring
Chapter 23 — Dash

I picked up one of the beakers and slammed it against the mirrored wall, breaking both beaker and mirror. The others, stunned, sat staring. Oliver grabbed the other beakers and pulled them away. He then slipped his glass computer into his backpack. He and Kyler had seen my anger before.

The back and forth of trying to figure out what to do was beginning to wear on me. I couldn't stand being in love with Cassandra and not being able to help her. Our one night together taught me I never wanted to be away from her. Sure, I understood I needed to share, which I could do, but to have her leave the academy because we fucked up just wasn't acceptable. I'd promised myself never to do this again, to never fall for another girl, because this happened. You would be so head over heels in love that it made it hard to think straight.

I thought about Cassandra, sitting in her room alone, hurting, thinking she failed. I'd been there before. I knew what it felt like. I knew what it was like not to have any family around to support you when you needed it. At least she had Braeden all those years together. Not having support around caused you to build walls. It was the easiest way to deal with your own disappointments.

"Damn it, I thought we finally had the answer to getting her powers back now," I said and paced over the broken glass. The floor crunched beneath my feet. It sounded like snow crunching. "Shit! She's going to leave." I couldn't let that happen. We couldn't let that happen. We let her down again.

Braeden slammed his hand on the table. "My ass! I'm not letting her leave." He motioned around the room. "We're not letting her leave. I didn't bring her here for failure. There's too many of us here who care about her and love her. We need to show we care. That's really what this is all about." He shook his head and lowered his face. "We've been through too much together to give up now. We need a solution."

"We've all had tough lives. Each of us," I scoffed and patted my chest. "I'd put my shitty existence up against anyone here, including Cassandra."

"That's great, Dash, but Cassandra is the reason we're here," Braeden said. "Her existence determines ours. She's given up way too fucking much to be here, and if we don't help her succeed, she'll be giving up way more. Homeless won't even begin to describe her fate if this fails. There's so much more that you all need to understand." He took a seat next to Kyler, something bugging him.

"Then tell us, Braeden," I said. "Tell us what we don't know but should." Time for him to put up or shut up. He loved barking at us about how close he was to Cassandra, so it was time to replace out just how close. Braeden's fists clenched, and for a minute I thought he might take it all back. Then he started to talk.

"You know Cassandra's parents were killed while on a mission for the guild?" he asked, and we nodded. "Well, my father's missions were always more dangerous. He knew what he was getting into each time he left the house. There was always the possibility he wouldn't be coming back. Because my mother was gone, and because Cassandra had two parents, my father allowed them to adopt me while he was still alive. It just made things easier." He stopped and took a deep breath. "My father was killed on the mission with Cassandra's parents. They were ambushed. Her father missed on one of his spells, leaving them vulnerable."

"Shit," I said. Braeden swallowed hard, and I commended him for holding it together. I couldn't open myself up like he was. People loved to use your own words against you.

"I never held that against her or her parents. My father always knew he may never come back, and that time he didn't. Luckily, Cassandra and I still had each other." He blew out a long breath. "The guild opened their arms to her, and she worked hard at making friends, friends who still care about her despite what the guildmaster says. Those friends wouldn't like hearing about Cassandra giving up. That's why I think it's up to us to make this right."

"That sucks, man," Kyler said. "Sorry, we didn't know any that stuff. I think we get it now."

"She's had a rough childhood," Braeden replied. "That's why she lacks control of her magic. When she does replace control, Challis and Edius better watch the fuck out." He thought for a moment. "And I wouldn't put it past them to having interfered in some of those screw ups she got blamed for. The things some people are afraid of may not even be her fault."

We all chuckled, knowing it was true. "The woman touches people's hearts without even meaning to," I said. "The connection we all have is undeniable."

"Damn straight," Kyler said. "I wanted to kiss her that night on the couch. I really did. But something told me to wait. It wasn't the right time. The thing about being with Cassandra, you want that moment, when it does happen, to be perfect." Everyone except Oliver nodded, though I knew his crush on Cassandra was as strong as anyone's.

"You guys sound like a bunch of lovestruck fools," Oliver said. "Don't forget we still have other potions to try. We need to get to work, or Challis' curse is never going to go away.

I tried to grab Braeden before he got to Oliver, but I missed wildly, slipping on glass and falling against the table.

"You son of a bitch," Braeden yelled and shoved him toward the door. "You tell her. You go tell her how you feel. Tell her about the connection you have with her."

"Shit, Braeden, chill out," Kyler said.

"Stop," I said. "This is exactly what Challis and Edius want. Us fighting and ignoring what we were brought here to do. We all know, including Cassandra, we are meant to be together. So, let's move on from that. Now we need to fix what we screwed up.

"No," Oliver said and twisted away from Braeden.

I let out a loud sigh. "Now what, brainiac?"

"Now isn't the right time." he said and glared at Braeden. "You assholes got to do it when the time was right. I'm going to do the same. I'll talk to her when things are how they should be."

The room stayed silent for a long moment. I considered what Oliver had said about the curse never going away. But I knew this not to be true. It would go away. "Everyone sit down," I said. Oliver was the only one to not do as he was told. "Sit, Oliver." Reluctantly, he did. "The curse will go away on its own."

"What?!" Kyler said. "Why're you just now telling us this?"

"Because there's been a lot of shit going on, okay," I said. "I forgot."

"You forgot," Oliver said and shook his head in disgust.

"Watch your ass, my friend," I said to him. "She may have already regained her powers and doesn't know it." I shrugged. "Challis had cast the same spell on me a few times. The last time she told me to quit whining like a baby, that I already had my powers back and it was just in my head."

"You're certain?" Oliver asked. "But you're not sure when?"

"I'm not." I stood and started pacing again. "I think I walked around for days with my powers back and didn't even know it. I realized later she had been taunting me. Daring me to use them, but I didn't think I could." "Why didn't you wipe her ass out?" Braeden asked. "I'd be pissed if that happened to me."

"Same reason you've stuck by Cassandra for all these years even after her screw ups," I said. "I loved her. I forgave all the shit until I couldn't forgive anymore. Why the hell do you think I've been so guarded with Cassandra? I don't want to experience that shit again."

"I get it," Braeden said, and the conversation about Challis ended.

Oliver opened Aurelius' book again. "Then we need to keep searching. Nobody goes to their next class."