After class, I had a few spare minutes and went to change, before meeting Mavis at the Stone Circle. The past few weeks, we had been trying to get my shield to come forward. She was eager to meet the ten Sophies.

No matter how hard I tried, they didn't want to appear. It was so frustrating and I felt I was back at square one.

"Sophie, close your eyes," Mavis carried a slight frustration in her tone and it put me more on edge, but I did what she said. "See your shield and let them appear."

"We've been trying this. It's not working," I whined and opened my eyes.

"You are not trying hard enough!" Her hands jerked. The scowl that knitted her eyebrows made me ground on my teeth. Her words quivered my muscles and my heart pounded behind my rib cage.

Hard enough! "What you are asking me is putting me back on that table when I thought I was going to die!" Angry tears pricked my eyes.

Mavis's shoulders fell as she blew out a gush of air. "It's not what I mean, Sophie. Of course, I don't want to make you relive that horrible night. But you need to bring out your shield at will. Learn how to control it!"

"You think I don't know that. I would give anything for them to appear. They felt so real, like they could think for themselves. Every one of them was flawless, took on my appearance and Enzo found it difficult to know who was the real me. They protected me in every way possible. I want to meet them, too, so, me not wanting it enough is not the problem here."

She nodded, and her left eye twitched. She did that whenever she was thinking hard. What was going through her mind right now? Her gaze flickered to me. "I think we still might have to take you to the stones. This shouldn't be so difficult, Sophie."

"The stones in Scotland?"

Mavis nodded.

My gut turned and twisted. Remembering the stones at Misty Hill, the feeling I felt of not good enough, worthy enough of Magic, weighed on my gut.

"They will open you," Mavis said and put her hand on my shoulder.

I kicked at the poles of weed that showed between the stone path. "So we are back to square one, me not being open."

She nodded. "You said it was painful, Sophie. Your fear and your want to manifest your shield is the fact that you and those kids are still alive. Your shield appeared when you needed it the most. The problem is, you need to wield your shield at will. You might still be closed. It shouldn't be this hard."

I rubbed my face hard. I wasn't open yet. Great.

"Alex!" Mavis's eyes darted past me and her face went pallid. Her mouth gaped as her eyebrows knitted. Her tone carried a lot of worry.

I turned around and in the distance; the team carried someone to the academy. Fear got hold of my chest and pulled it in all directions as Drake's face popped inside my head.

"Let's go."

I ran behind Mavis. My heart pounded again as something was wrong.

We caught up with them as Hank and a few of the medical staff put Maverick on a magical gurney. It hovered in the air as soft leather straps wielded around his body. It moved into the academy as a few bystanders twittered.

Maverick's one arm was in shreds, like something wanted to tear it off by his sockets. His face was a pulp.

"What happened?" Mavis yelled.

"Later," Alex said, but the worry pulled his eyes and made his jaw muscles pumped.

"Sophie, I'm sorry, we have to call it—"

"Yeah, of course." Tears pooled in my eyes.

"Don't worry, Hank's magic is pretty strong. He will have Maverick fixed in now time." Mavis walked with huge strides next to Alex inside the building.

Xander appeared in the doorway. He held a bloody shirt in his hand. He looked lost as he stared at the ground and at the bloody shirt in his hands.

I walked to him and touched his arm. "Hey, are you okay?"

He jumped as his gaze flickered to mine, and then he shook his head.

"Go get Brooke," I yelled at one bystander and the girl with the short brown hair, a grade or two lower than us, nodded and left. I let him through the hedge and found the nearest stone bench. Xander plopped down on it as I took the spot next to him. "What happened?"

"Drake." He wiped his face hard and my entire body jumped on alert.

"What about Drake? Is Drake okay?" Speak, dammit!

"He froze, Sophie. He never froze. If it wasn't for Lindy, who was close by, Maverick would've been dead today."

It was the dark fire. They couldn't give up on Drake now. "Where is he?"

"He went to the woods. He is beating himself up about this."

"Xander!" Brooke's voice yelled, and she ran toward us, sitting on the bench. When she reached him, I got up.

She haunched in front of him and her eyes lingered on the shirt.

"I have to go," I spoke and Brooke nodded. I turned around and ran through the hedge, past the statue that I still believed was Alex, and left the hedge.

My legs pushed me forward as my palms sweat and my gut turned. I ran down the path that led to the training courts and the Graduates' quarters.

Gigantic trees sat on my left, and I took the path that led to our spot.

He wasn't here, and just as I was ready to turn around, a figure sitting by the lake caught my eyes. His entire body hunched over as he looked at the water.

I walked toward him and my heart broke at the soft bob on his shoulders.

We knew it was going to become hard; a dark curse kissed him.

Pine needles and leaves crunched underneath the soles of my shoes as I neared, and Drake sniffed.

My heart broke as I saw a soft bob from his shoulders. When I reached him, I haunched down and placed my palm on his back.

"Don't," he said and sniffed. He refused to look at me.

"Okay, I won't. Are you okay?"

"I'm not. If Maverick dies."

"He will not die—"

"Sophie, you didn't see him," he growled the words at me.

"Matter of fact, I did. Mavis did too. She said that Hank will fix him. There are potions besides his healing touch, Drake. Hank is the best at healing."

"I fucked up!"

I sighed. The yelling annoyed the living crap out of me. It was something that happened more lately, too. "A dark Griffin unleashed his fire on you. What did you think will happen? We all know what is going to happen, Drake. We know none of it would be easy. Everyone knew that."

"Be easy!" He looked at me, and tears glistened in his eyes. "Maverick almost died. He could still die, Sophie. Who is next, huh? You, Lindie, Alex?"

"Stop. I'm not leaving you just because of Dark Fire. We will find a way—"

"There is no way!" He shouted. "When are you going to hear—"

"Parvati said there is!"

"Parvati should've held her tongue. There isn't a cure anymore."

He knew what it was. "What is it?"

"It doesn't exist. It's a waste of time." He slapped the air.

"Exist?" I frowned. It had something to do with the Phoenix. I sighed.

"I'm going to turn dark, Sophie. There is no cure. I even got a letter from the king. The mission he wanted me for... I'm no longer needed."

"Wow, so King Avery gave up on you? It's the end of the world." I tried to make my tone dripped from sarcasm and Drake glared at me. "I'm not King Avery! I won't give up. We are going to get you better, I'll find a way."

He laughed and wiped the tears from his face. "You'll find a way. You don't even know how to get your shield to show. How are you going to find a way?" He got up and stormed through the trees toward their quarters.

I ground my teeth, and my nostrils flared.

One, two, three, four, five..... "That was nasty, by the way! But I'll let this one slide since you have Dark Fire. It's not you speaking!"

I took a huge breath. The words hurt, but I knew it wasn't Drake. He was under a lot of stress, and he was beating himself up because of what happened to Maverick. It scared him that the next time it could be me. Pushing me away was the first thing I expected.

I despised the king more and more. Now, when Drake needed him the most, that was when he kicked him the worst. I kept wondering if there might not be some truth to Enzo's words. That he was doing it to get rid of King Avery.

Well, he could push as much as he wanted. I wasn't King Avery.

Let me know what you think. I hope you guys like Chapter two. Thanks for reading.