“Close your eyes and concentrate. Let the magic flow through you,” Uncle Axel ordered.
Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath.
Man, I could really use some breakfast.
I want hash browns—oh, and waffles with chocolate chips and orange juice.
“Druella, concentrate!”
I flinched as he hollered at me.
Summon.
Summon.
They never told me how to summon this damn thing. They just told me to concentrate. On what? For how long? Once again, I felt a similar pulling inside of me. I hated this feeling. It always felt like something was summoning or yanking at me, not the other away.
“Druella—”
“I am trying!” I hollered, my eyes snapping open. “Druella. Druella. Druella! You can say my name a thousand and ten times. It’s not working! I am tired! I am hungry, and I want a damn shower!”
“Druella, we are talking about the fate of Wiccans—”
I could feel myself getting frustrated, a fire rising inside my throat that I just wanted to breathe out on them like a dragon. And because it was my desire, I could feel the magic, and it made me tremble. My hand clenched into a fist as the pull was strong.
“That’s right, Druella,” Uncle Axel said, still coaching, still pushing, still not listening to me.
Calm down. Calm down, Druella, I told myself, breathing in through my nose first, holding that breath before exhaling, relaxing my body.
“Druella—”
“I am done for the day,” I said to them.
“We are not finished. You barely even tried—”
My eyes snapped to Mrs. Magus in anger, and when I did, a bolt of lightning came from the still sky onto the ground beside her.
“Druella!” My uncle shook in anger. “You dare attack an elder of this coven?”
I looked back at him, and for a split second, I wondered…what could he do to stop me?
And the thought scared me.
Bad things happened to those who believed they were above all others.
“Sorry,” I apologized quickly. “I’m truly sorry. Uncle, I’m really tired. Please, may I go?”
Each one of them frowned at me. The look of disappointment was always the clearest thing on their faces.
“Go then.”
Nodding, I turned my back on them.
Sometimes, I wished I was born human or maybe…something else.
* * *
“Dru. Dru! Wake up!” She swiftly kicked my butt nearly off the bed.