X: Look At Me Now

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X: Look At Me Now

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X: Look At Me Now

X: Look At Me Now

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Reese had been in Mykonos for a year now. A flash of a year. A year she had spent feeling like a tape on fast-forward. No sound. No concrete images. Memories were rare, too — she could barely recall the details of most of the major occurrences these past twelve months.

The initial days were overwhelming.

Rumors spread like wildfire in the orphanage which meant Reese garnered a notorious reputation before she'd even arrived. Witches from every coven imaginable lived in the hallways, each with their own bit to say on Reese's heritage and the circumstances that led her to their doorstep.

She felt their scrutinizing gazes, the weight of their expectations, and the whispers that followed her every move.

It was an intricate game. A challenge to find her place among them; to adjust herself to the social groups and power dynamics of the coven.

And in hindsight, it should've captured her attention.

But it couldn't.

Not when the mere flicker of a flame was enough to send shivers down her spine, igniting the memories of the one event she could recall. The fire. The screams. The acrid smell. Magic was nothing but a reminder of her shortcomings: her weakness; her failure to do anything to help mom and dad; the root of their issues.

(She found no interest in her classes, either.)

She supposed Azzie noticed.

That's why there were no candles on her birthday cake.

It was a simple chocolate cake, lathered in brown frosting, 'happy birthday reese' printed in dark pink icing. Azzie baked it herself, solely because baking it at home offered the opportunity to add a . . . special ingredient to the batter.

See, Ravens never missed an opportunity to party as it is.

And the teenagers? Training with them?

They never missed an opportunity to party and get high doing it.

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