J's magic vanished and the girl sluggishly raised her head. As she looked at me, I felt the flesh around my wound heat up. 'It hurt you.' A whisper came from the back of my mind. 'Now it's slow and weak.'
I circled around the couch to get behind her. She tried to keep her eyes on me. The twisting of her body was met with the creaks of her leather clothes. I hesitated for just a second, but her gaze cleared up. She reached for something in her pouch, but I was quicker. I snatched her hands and put my knee on her back, to stop the writhing. As I pushed my other leg down, trying to hook it around her foot I was met with a longer travel than expected. She was much taller than me, making holding both her feet and hands impossible.
She whipped her head back, catching me in jaw.
'Pain!' the voice shrieked in my head, and I fought to keep the heat that was rushing to my palms contained. I saw the dancing flames again, all throughout the room, jumping from chair to couch, playing like a puppy. It was comforting. But the color soon shifted, and the joyful yellows and oranges turned into a flurry of burning hair and skin before my eyes.
I pushed away from the girl, retreating to the wall. I grounded myself with the cold of the concrete. I can't let those visions come true.
The girl stood on her shaking legs, staring me down, like a wild animal. Her beanie flew off in the attack, so now her curly chestnut locks sticked to her sweat-covered face.
"Ava?" A meek voice came from the door. The girl must've recognized it, because the next moment the stepped back, combing her hair back to place.
Lizzie peeked around the corner, and I saw her eyes widen.
"Cassy? What… Ava, what's happened here?" She was grabbing the corner of the half wall, her fingertips whitened. She teetered in the corridor.
"Ah, hello Lisanne." Cassidy greeted the surprise guest and ushered her inside. Her stride was fairly confident, considering the high heels and the beating her joints just got wrestling with me.
"Are you two… alright?" Lizzie's eyes kept jumping between us. "Should I get the nurse?"
"There's no need for that. I have everything under control." She smiled, pushing the confused girl in a chair. "Would you care for a cup of coffee perhaps?"
"I…yes, thank you." She muttered.
And with that done, the girl in the spy outfit strode into my kitchen and presumably started brewing coffee.
"What are you doing? I heard such awful noises coming from here."
With my back against a wall and my hands bursting with magic, I felt way too stupid to answer that without getting in more trouble.
"I have requested Avalynn to test out my new pet project." Cassidy came back quicker than I expected. She waltzed right before Lizzie, then spun like she was on the red carpet.
"Fireproof clothing. Protects against both magical and real flames, applicable to fabrics as thin as 3 millimeters."
Lizzie looked just as confused as I was.
"That's…wow. I didn't know you did magic design."
"I dabble." She shrugged gracefully before sitting on the same sofa J did minutes ago. It was good Lizzie couldn't feel the still lingering aura of her boyfriend.
"And did it work? Could you get through it Ava?" The sudden mention of my name caught me off-guard.
"Yes…No?" I mumbled, realizing that I was still full-on 'hug the wall and don't be seen' mode.
"You don't have to be so modest dear, I clearly have to work on some points before attempting this again. But I have certainly learned a lot." She smiled.
"What are you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be in class?"
Lizzie looked at me, then sank into her chair a bit more. "I'm feeling a bit under the weather so I'm staying home."
"Again? Are you sure everything is well? I can recommend a great doctor. She does both magical and physical exams."
"Thank you so much, but I'm sure it's just something seasonal. I'll be fine."
Something beeped and Cassidy got up.
"I'll get that. You should sit down in the meantime, darling, you've done quite a good job already. No need to stay so vigilant."
I shuffled to the other side of the cursed sofa. My shoulders started to stiff up a bit and burning in my thigh got stronger. What the hell was that pointy stuff made of?
Cassidy returned with three cups of steaming coffee. She served it to Lizzie first, then offered me one.
"No, thanks. I've just about had enough of strange liquids for the week." I snarked.
Lizzie jumped in her seat.
"Oh my goodness. J told me about that. Are you okay? I was so worried."
"I'm fine I guess."
"Did something strange happen to you?"
"Nothi…" I started, but Lizzie cut me off.
"Oh yes, Dam gave her some Tranquimagus and it had some weird side effect on her."
"Really now? They've plastered all over media how safe it was. What happened exactly?"
I wanted to stop this conversation before the spy chick finds out more, but short of jumping on Liz and covering her mouth like a five year old I had no options but to sit it out in quiet and hope she doesn't have all the details.
"Dam said it was really strange, like it started out okay, but then instead of being focused and sharp like I always get, she acted like a drunk."
"Is that what happened?" Cassidy turned her head, waiting for my confirmation.
I shrugged. "I don't remember."
"Dam is so freaked out. He's been trying to talk to the manufacturer but they keep evading him." Lizzie continued with enthusiasm.
"If it's true, you have a pretty solid case on your hands. You can sue them for a fair amount."
"I don't wanna get involved in this. And it's not like I have proof."
"You have the word of the crown prince. And I'm talking millions." Cassidy was relentless.
"No." I shook my head. "And drop this topic."
"Then tell me Avalynn, what if this happens to an other girl? Someone who doesn't even have this amount of proof, not to mention the backing of the Blackblood family? What if they aren't as strong or lucky as you were? Do you know what they could do?"
"Go to court and fight it out?"
Cassidy grabbed my chin and yanked on it so I'd face her.
"They would keep as quiet as a mouse, because if they spoke up against a multi-billion dollar company they could just as well be signing their last will." She was in my face and I wanted to push her away. She radiated anger.
"Please stop!" Liz jumped up, pulling on Cassidy's shoulder. It was a brave move.
For a moment, I thought I'll have to wrestle her to the ground again before she took it out on poor Lizzie, but surprisingly, she retreated on her own.
Without a word she stood up and grabbed her stuff. The scorn was still carved on her face but now it was cold and calculated.
"Avalynn, you will go to Damian and clear this situation with him. I will see to that this grave matter is brought up at the right places."
And with that, she left us, walking out the battered door.