Spindles and Spells by Laura Greenwood

Author:Laura Greenwood
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Drowlgon Press

Chapter Twelve

The dancing instructor claps, and we all fade away from the dancefloor and back to the rows of benches to the side.

I pick up a glass of water on the way, downing it almost in one go. The dance we're learning is a lively one, and I can feel the sweat sticking to my skin beneath my dress. I'll have to go back to my room to freshen up between now and lunch, but I expected it. At least while I'm focusing on the new steps, I'm not thinking about the room and the spindle that wanted me to touch it. The calm I felt with Rapunzel has more or less vanished while I'm away from her.

"You look troubled," Ara says.

I smile at the new girl, and try to ignore the guilt welling up inside me after ignoring her for the past few days while I sorted through all of this.

"It's nothing." I glance towards the dance tutor to make sure he's still talking to the other students. He likes to give notes and pointers to some of us after a dance, and he'll be doing it for the next ten minutes or so. It'll keep him busy for a while.

I sit on the bench and stretch my legs out, resisting the urge to take my shoes off and rub my toes. Normally, I only dance at balls and events, which tend to come with enough champagne to make me forget how much my feet ache with all the fancy steps.

"You can tell me, you know," Ara says, coming to sit next to me.

The urge to tell her everything floods through me. But why? I don't know her. I'm supposed to be her student guide, but that's all. We haven't spent much time together. Perhaps I should change that. It is my job to make sure she settles into the academy.

"How have you been finding everything?" I ask to direct conversation away from me.

She shrugs. "It's like I expected, nothing new."

"Did you go to one of the other academies before this one?" I ask, surprise coming through every word. As far as I'm aware, none of the other academies even come close to what Grimm can achieve, in terms of prophecy avoidance, or lessons.

"Oh, no. My Mother homeschooled me. But she prepared me for what it would be like here." She shrugs as if it’s of little importance.

"Oh."

"So, what's bothering you?" she prods.

I sigh. So much for me changing the subject. I should have known that wasn't going to work. I find the urge to blurt out all my secrets has returned. Is it something Ara is doing to me? No, it can't be. No one has that power except for the fairies who don't enter normal society after a war several centuries ago.

"You can tell me, I won't tell a soul," she promises, mimicking a cross over her heart.

I crack a weak smile, but continue to fight the urge.

I'm saved by the dancing tutor clapping a couple more times and bringing our attention back to him.

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