Elisa dreams of becoming a detective, so she applies to the Guardian Academy. To her surprise, she is not the only woman studying here.
Jackie and Elisa quickly become best friends and fall in love with each other.
Together, they dream of stopping...
They walked along the road in silence. Gleaming from the dark sky, the moon lit up the streaming river. Elisa always loved this path to her house – Triville was silent and calm, unlike the stone streets of Middle Lake city that were crowded and lit up with fake lights.
"After months of living in the capital, I started to forget how beautiful my hometown is," she said.
"You are so forgetful these days." Theo turned to her, his eyes glowing with red. "Especially in terms of telling the truth."
"Oh, for the Divine's sake." She waved her hand. "What happened again?"
"Nothing." He took a deep breath, and his inner fire soothed.
"Then don't be so grumpy." Elisa poked his shoulder. "I know it's stressful for you, but it's not easy for me either."
"You seem to be in a good mood."
"Because it was a good evening and I really enjoyed it. But tomorrow, we'll need to return, and the classes will start again." She gave him a sarcastic look. "Actually, you were the main reason why I hated some classes. How will it be when we get back?"
"I don't know, Sparkle. You'll probably keep lying, and I'll grumble about it."
"Even though I didn't like you, I never lied to you."
He stopped and looked her in the eye. "Right. You just never told the whole truth to use people in your games. Even people who you call your friends."
She frowned. "I don't understand. What the hell happened?"
His voice became steel. "Does anyone in the Academy know that you are a lesbian?"
Elisa pressed her palm to her chest. It seemed that time had stopped, along with her ability to breathe. She saw a lot of arrogance among men she happened to know, but each time they found a new way to kill her from inside.
"Got to know my worst secret, then." Her voice trembled, but she kept talking. "Good job, detective. You won. Now you can get back and tell everyone to make sure you destroy my future as a guardian."
"I would never do that." He gave her a remorseful look. "Maybe I shouldn't have said it like this."
"Just leave me alone." She shook her head and walked to the riverbank.
He stood alone on the road, counting his heartbeats. What have I done? He pulled his hands in his hair, trying to develop a plan to fix everything, but nothing came to his mind.
* * * * *
Elisa was sitting at the shore, facing the restless river. Her eyes were moist, and fresh tears decorated her long lashes like dew drops.
Theo sat nearby. "Ok, I'll tell you my worst secret to make us even."
"I don't care about you and your stupid secrets." Her voice was feeble.
"To get to the Academy, I stole the money."
"You did what?!" She turned to him; her eyes opened wide.
Theo sighed. "The classes are expensive, and even though I worked as a bartender the whole summer, I figured I would never earn enough. Even with all the extra shifts."
"And you robbed the bar?"
"Not like that." He placed his hands in his pockets. "Sometimes, I served rich customers, and they ordered our most expensive whiskey. After two glasses, they became taste-numb, and I sold them cheap alcohol instead. Of course, I didn't forget to charge the full price. Then, I just put the difference in my pocket."
"And you got away with it?"
"Of course not." Theo scoffed. "Our owner caught me soon, and I had to share half with him. Now I only have enough to make it through this academic year, and only if I study well. That's why I care so much about my marks and finding a summer job."
"Well, I can only try not to be one of them." He sighed. "Listen, I'm sorry I treated you like this all this time. I just tried to be on the same page with the guys whose parents are rich enough to pay for their classes. But you were the only person who impressed me from the very first day."
Elisa gave him a compassionate look. "I'm sorry, too. I don't want anyone to know who I am. Especially the guys who only look for the freak to laugh at."
"Does Jackie know?"
Elisa shook her head. "Please, don't tell her."
"So, you really like her." His heart beat heavily. "Why don't you tell her, then?"
"Because I ruin everything I touch." Elisa looked at her clear palms. Now her magic was quiet, and her fingertips didn't shine. "Only if I could find a way to deal with my power."
"I think I can help you. My Gift is among the strongest in the magic hierarchy, and I know some tricks."
"Will you do it for me?" She gave him a hopeful look.
"Of course. Why wouldn't I help my friend?"
"Thank you, Theo." She moved closer and hugged him tightly.
Her hair smelled of her favorite perfume, and he closed his eyes, enjoying the scent of lilac. His hand patted her back. "You're welcome, Sparkle."
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