The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy
Chapter 0414

My jaw drops open and I huff a disbelieving little laugh. "Jackson, I can't make flames."

"The flashpoint of wood is far lower than the temperature at which glass melts, Clark," Jackson replies, raising an eyebrow at me.

I narrow my eyes at my mate, not liking this smug new attitude. Or that he's right.

"What...what's happening?" Seraphina whispers, looking at me and then up at Jacks.

"Ariel is going to do magic," Jackson whispers back, ducking his head low in pretend secrecy. "Want to see?"

"Yah!" Sera exclaims, still in a whisper, looking at me eagerly.

I just sigh, and roll my eyes, and flop my hand out towards my mate, wanting to hold his. But all my bravado just covers up my anxiety. I mean...can I really do that? Jackson, all confidence, slides his hand into mine. And then I concentrate, breathing out slowly, working to fall into a meditative state like mom does when she accesses her gift.

And I think I hit it - though I don't know how I know - my eyes going half distant and half focused as I stare at the wood. I concentrate on it, breathing in the smoky, crisp, deliciously charred smell of the fire. And then I pull on something deep inside myself, exhaling long and slow. I'm concentrating so hard that I barely notice as a long stream of smoke begins to drift upwards from the log on which I'm concentrating.

Jackson's hand tightens on mine, excited -

And then all of a sudden - flame.

I gasp as the little red blaze sparks to life, and then I laugh, turning to Jackson, delighted. He laughs too, staring at me in awe, thrilled, as Seraphina throws her arms up with a big whoop. I shriek and throw myself into Jackson's arms, grabbing Sera into my own, gibbering nonsense in my excitement about how cool that was and how amazed I am and how now I'm going to set everything on fire all the time -

Jackson laughs with me and I can feel down the bond that he's as excited, thrilled, and fascinated as I am. "Little fire goddess," he murmurs, raising a hand to cup my cheek. And then he shakes his head like he can't believe I'm real and leans in for a kiss. I laugh, even as I kiss him back - probably a little too passionately, forgetting completely that my little cousin is there.

But she reminds us, of course.

"Ariii," she whines, smacking me hard on the arm with her little palms. "Let me go, let's do it again! What else can you melt!?"

I break away from Jackson, beaming at him before turning back to the smallest Sinclair. "I don't know, baby," I say, giggling in my excitement. "Let's find out! Where's all that chocolate you brought over?"

"There's my baby!" Cora calls about an hour later, coming into the living room a little swifter than she normally would. Which is normal, I suppose, when your youngest child disappeared from your room and could be wandering anywhere in the palace. "Mama!" Sera calls, dashing towards her mom, her hands and her pajamas covered in streaks of melted chocolate.

"Whoa, baby!" Roger calls, coming in after Cora but moving fast to step in front of his wife, crouching and holding out a hand towards his youngest child. "What did we say about touching adults when our hands are sticky and disgusting?"

"We said do it!" she shouts, laughing like a little demon and running right for him, her hands stretched out.

"Defiance!" Roger growls playfully, snatching his baby girl around the waist and flipping her upside down. Jackson flinches a little at how loud Seraphina shrieks, looking at me with a worried glance. But then he settles, accepting it as an apparently normal part of child rearing when he sees me simply laugh and lick some melted chocolate off my finger.

"Clean that thing up," Cora says to Roger, waving at her daughter as she continues on her path towards Jackson and me, her cream-colored nightgown and robe floating around her rather majestically. Roger gives Cora a salute, tossing Seraphina over his shoulder as he heads out of the room to take her to clean up and get changed.

"Did she come in here and bother you?" Cora asks, hands on her hips, peering down and our scattered morning snacks with curiosity.

"No bother," I say, grinning up at my aunt. "She's so cute. Plus, it's always fun to see Jackson terrified."

"I'm not terrified," he protests, appalled, but Cora laughs and just pats him on the head.

"Seraphina's little puppy," she coos.

"This puppy thing is not sticking," Jackson grumbles, brushing Cora's hand away and making her laugh harder.

"Is it time!?" Mom asks, peeking her head out from her bedroom suite. "Is it Midwinter!? Can I come out!?"