Mana Crystal

My mind was racing as I started thinking about what I could tell her that she'd believe. She wasn't turning me in because of something I'd admitted during a lapse in judgement. I definitely couldn't tell her I was no longer human, but I had to say something believable. I could tell her about the marble melting into my hand. That was a believable way to explain why I had mana.

"I used to hang out in one of those Archaic buildings that fell through a rift," I glanced at Ethan hoping he'd play along, "I found a marble looking thing in a little crack. When I picked it up it melted into my hand. Scared the living hell out of me. I've been able to use magic ever since."

"You found a mana crystal," Savannah looked kind of stunned, "And absorbed it without dying. What did it feel like?"

"Like I was being burned alive," I looked at the door to my room.

"That sounds about right," Savannah looked at me with sympathy in her eyes, "Mana crystals don't usually mix well with normal human bodies. They usually kill a normal person, and add that person's life force to the mana within the crystal."

"Yeah well," I inhaled slowly, "I didn't die, and would rather not talk about almost dying anymore."

"I'm sorry that happened to you," Savannah looked sorry for me.

"Again," Irritation was boiling up in my gut, and quickly turning to anger, "I don't want to talk about it. Not with you."

"Jesus, talk about cold shoulder," Savannah rubbed her arms.

Her breath streaming between her teeth like steam. The air in the room had responded to my anger, and I'd dropped the temperature with my ice. I inhaled slowly as I stuffed my rage down. The temperature in the room rose several degrees. I yanked my arms off the chair since I'd frozen them to the chair.

"That's a little better," Savannah formed a small flame to warm her hands with, "This is going to keep happening unless you work on your control so we should really get started," she looked at Ethan funny, "Are you cold?"

Ethan shook his head no.

"Why aren't you affected?" Savannah looked at us both for a second, "Does it have something to do with why Wyatt knows where you are?"

"Ethan," I nodded to him when he looked at me, "I'll be working on my control with Savannah here for a while. You don't have to stay. I know how uncomfortable you are around people you don't know."

"Okay," Ethan nodded back to me, "I'll be in my room."

Ethan got up, and went to his room, and I could feel his fear ease the instant that door closed.

"Are you going to tell anyone about me?" I yawned slowly.

"No," Savannah walked over cautiously, and claimed Ethan's chair slowly, "Mana crystals are extremely rare. If you get good enough at using your magic before someone discovers you than you'll get a mentor instead of a death sentence. Talented mages are rare, and you have powerful mana hidden in you from that crystal. If you learn to control it properly you won't be a danger to those around you so they won't have a good reason to execute you."

"So," I almost yawned again, "Do I just summon one of my elements, and see what I can do with it?"

"One of your elements?" Savannah looked surprised, "How many affinities do you have?"

"Water, and air affinity," I debated on whether I was telling her too much or not, "Why?"

"Most human mages only have one elemental affinity," Savannah looked like she was thinking, "That actually explains a lot about what you just did to the room. You should practice with water. It's a lot easier to control something you can see."

I nodded as I formed a bubble of water in the air in front of me. Savannah clapped her hands right next to my ear. The water bubble popped.

"What was that for?" I snapped.

"You're not in control if your easily distracted," Savannah sat back in her seat, "Did you mean it when you said you thought about killing me?"

"No," I formed another water bubble, "I think I would've run before trying to kill anyone."

Savannah slammed her hands on the table, and my water bubble wavered before popping again.

"Have you seriously thought about killing anybody?" Savannah asked as I worked on forming another water bubble.

"Yeah," I sighed as she distracted me enough to make the water bubble pop again.

"Who?" Savannah asked.

"Luke, Conrad, and Baron," I got a fairly stable water bubble together that didn't break when Savannah slammed her fist into the back of my chair.

"Why did you think about killing them?" Savannah clapped her hands in front of my face making me flinch as my bubble broke again.

"Because they piss me off," I snapped as I stood up, "Because they beat me up whenever they get the chance. Because they're entitled jerks who think they're better than everyone else. Do I need to add more to the list?"

I clenched my fists. I wanted to punch something. I couldn't punch Savannah since she was helping me, but that only frustrated me more. I was tired, and this exercise she was making me do was frustrating the hell out of me. Savannah just observed me silently as I paced back, and forth across the room.

"Alright," Savannah stood up slowly, "I get it. Normal teen hormone stuff."

"You think that thinking about killing people is normal?" I stopped pacing relaxing my hands a little.

"I mean really," Savannah stretched slowly, "Who doesn't think about striking back when they're getting their face pounded." she sat back down, "We should keep going. You're getting better."

"Getting better?" I looked at her skeptically, "I can barely keep a little bubble of water together when you're distracting me. I couldn't even dream of making that bubble of water do anything that you can do."

"You think I was this good when I started?" Savannah slapped her leg as she smiled, "I could barely keep a flame together in the slightest breeze. I spent weeks getting my flame strong enough to keep it together to do this exorcise."