Serene's view

I shouldn't have gotten so angry. I shouldn't have let my sister's obliviousness get to me. I shouldn't have let my powers influence my feelings and nearly make me hurt my older sister.

But I did.

And I liked it.

A lot.

For the first time ever, I finally felt my powers. Normally whenever I use them, they're hesitant to come to me, sort of cautious and lazy as they respond to my commands. Today, just now, I didn't even have to think before they came roaring through my blood, whispering encouragement to my every thought and emotion.

It sort of scares me, but not nearly as much as it should. Not nearly as much as it scares Lucy and Brietta. A leftover effect from any time I use my powers is that if I concentrate enough, I can... sense people. One of the things my mother never learned how to do with her powers, and it was one of the first things I mastered.

Now, however, it's been dialed up to eleven. I can sense everything.

It's not so much as sense as I see them. An image in my brain that shows me how much fear people are feeling.

And right now, Lucy and Brietta are white-hot.

We finally stop in the courtyard, where Freshmen are gathering for Lunch. Brietta whirls on me, grabbing my shoulders and examining my face with careful eyes.

I smile nervously. "See anything?"

She grunts and releases me. "No. You look fine. What happened back there?"

Ever so carefully, I dip into my power's sight again. My friends are still white in a world of grays and blacks, but I can now focus and see their fear is directed towards my emotions, not my powerful reaction. I dissolve my hold on my shadow sight, laughing at my friends a little more cheerfully than I can manage at the moment.

"It's fine." I promise, well aware of the fact that Lucy has a sort of radar that can sense when her friends are lying to her. Right on cue, her eyebrow jumps up suspiciously.

"Mm-hmm." Brietta says skeptically. "Your sister just dissed your power control---which is awesome by the way, how you got her off of you---and you're 'fine'." She finger quotes the word 'fine', her silver eyes glaring at me. "You're totally lying, Ree."

I keep my smile up, barely. "Nope. One hundred percent fine. Yep."

They both keep staring.

"Okay, whatever, so I'm not totally in love with the idea that my sister thinks I have no control..." I scowl. "But... I'm good. I promise."

I'm not lying here. I really do feel fine. I'm still angry at my sister, but most of me is occupied with marveling at the extent of my powers, an extent I'd never felt before.

Brietta puts a hand on my shoulder. "You promise?"

"Yeah."

Brietta turns to Lucy for confirmation. Lu regards me carefully, not saying anything for a few seconds, but she eventually shrugs. "I think she's okay. Not ideal, but you really need to get to third hour, Bri."

Brietta opens her mouth to argue, but the warning bell rings suddenly and her jaw slams shut, miffed. "Fine. But I'll expect a full update in fourth hour, Ree!"

"Will do." I give a mock salute with two fingers to my temple. She laughs and turns away from us, sprinting across the lawn to make it to her third hour, Zoology, on time.

"Think she'll make it?" Lucy asks worriedly.

"It's Bri." I remind my friend. "Even if she doesn't, anyone who has to argue with her knows she'll win."

"Unless it's with you." Lucy teases, poking my shoulder with her finger. We share a laugh, and I shake my head, amused at her.

"True. Now, are we going to eat or what?" I ask, looping my arm through hers.

Lucy giggles. "Yes, please. I'm starving."

Arm-in-arm, we make our way toward the lunch hall. It's fairly new, only a few years old, built just before Jenna came here for her Freshman year. A huge dining area large enough to house about three or four schools, with dozens of tables and designated lunch lines for meal types from at least half of the kingdoms.

Lucy makes a beeline for Tiana's lunch line, with beignets and gumbo and a dozen other things my friend adores. I smile and leave her there, heading straight for Snow White's line, which is serving cinnamon apple pie as the dessert. I love cinnamon apple pie more than anything, the way the sugary apple filling melts on my tongue along with the flaky crust.

I snatch two of the slices along with my boring cheeseburger and white milk. The lunch lady gives me a side-eye but says nothing as she rings my meal up. Lucy is still waiting in the long line for gumbo, balancing a tray of beignets on one arm to wave ecstatically at me, her mouth already covered in powdered sugar.

I laugh, shaking my head at her with a smile on my face. Lucy is a sucker when it comes to Tiana's desserts, just like her mom. My parents have told the story millions of times, the first time Gil and Brit went out on a date and he brought her to Tiana's Palace, where she practically fainted at the smells alone.

My smile fades as I think about my parents. I really hope Janessa doesn't tell my parents about what happened. They, like her, will probably assume it was a loss of control, not a gaining of it.

And the last thing I want is my family to think I have no control over myself. 

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IDK if I've already said this, but I listened to the Broadway cast of "Hunchback of Notre Dame" AND OH MY FREAKING GOSH I LOVE IT my favorites are "Out There" "The Tavern Song" and "A Place of Miracles "<3

Edit: so I MAY have found a way to MAYBE record Ellies solo in the second book... And one I have yet to release for later in the book 😜 but I'm debating it, because I don't really have the BEST voice, but I don't want anyone else doing them. That make sense? Idk. I'll probably do ir, in which case just don't judge. Thanks!