The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy novel Chapter 414

My jaw drops open and I huff a disbelieving little laugh. “Jackson, I can’t make flames.”

“The flashpoint of wood is far lower than the temperature at which glass melts, Clark,” Jackson replies, raising an eyebrow at me.

I narrow my eyes at my mate, not liking this smug new attitude. Or that he’s right.

“What…what’s happening?” Seraphina whispers, looking at me and then up at Jacks.

“Ariel is going to do magic,” Jackson whispers back, ducking his head low in pretend secrecy. “Want to see?”

“Yah!” Sera exclaims, still in a whisper, looking at me eagerly.

I just sigh, and roll my eyes, and flop my hand out towards my mate, wanting to hold his. But all my bravado just covers up my anxiety. I mean…can I really do that? Jackson, all confidence, slides his hand into mine. And then I concentrate, breathing out slowly, working to fall into a meditative state like mom does when she accesses her gift.

And I think I hit it – though I don’t know how I know – my eyes going half distant and half focused as I stare at the wood. I concentrate on it, breathing in the smoky, crisp, deliciously charred smell of the fire. And then I pull on something deep inside myself, exhaling long and slow. I’m concentrating so hard that I barely notice as a long stream of smoke begins to drift upwards from the log on which I’m concentrating.

Jackson’s hand tightens on mine, excited –

And then all of a sudden – flame.

I gasp as the little red blaze sparks to life, and then I laugh, turning to Jackson, delighted. He laughs too, staring at me in awe, thrilled, as Seraphina throws her arms up with a big whoop. I shriek and throw myself into Jackson’s arms, grabbing Sera into my own, gibbering nonsense in my excitement about how cool that was and how amazed I am and how now I’m going to set everything on fire all the time –

Jackson laughs with me and I can feel down the bond that he’s as excited, thrilled, and fascinated as I am. “Little fire goddess,” he murmurs, raising a hand to cup my cheek. And then he shakes his head like he can’t believe I’m real and leans in for a kiss. I laugh, even as I kiss him back – probably a little too passionately, forgetting completely that my little cousin is there.

But she reminds us, of course.