Fire Games: A Young Adult Fantasy (Arcturus Academy Book 3) Page 25

  “Hello?” Gage’s voice sounded flat. He knew it was me.

  “Gage.” My throat closed up and his name came out as a cough.

  “Hi.” He let out a long, slow sigh.

  “I’m sorry.” I sniffed, then hiccupped. “I’m really, really sorry.”

  “I know you are. Tomio is, too.”

  “He called you?”

  “On my way to the airport. Listen”—he took a slow shaky inhale—“I know, this sucks.”

  I nodded and wiped my nose, thankful we weren’t using video chat. I probably looked like a muppet with swollen eyes and a red, puffy nose. How could Gage sound so calm? There was physical pain in my heart with every contraction.

  “I should have tried harder to find you, but I figured since the games were over you’d be coming back to Saltford soon. We won’t have a school to go back to in the fall.”

  “Actually, we will,” I choked out, feeling my chin tremble. “Eira’s death was a ruse.”

  Gage was quiet for a long time, then incredulous. “She’s alive?”

  “Yes. She’s absolutely fine.”

  He let out a breath and the relief in it was palpable. “Well, that’s crazy and amazing. So… how?”

  “It’s a long story. One I’ll tell you in detail if you meet me at Flagg’s in a few days?”

  My heart bobbed like an inflatable toy in water at the thought of seeing Gage so soon, but my mind was backpedaling, taking me back to that moment with Tomio. The moment I’d felt what one was supposed to feel. Should I be trying so hard to salvage this?

  “Maybe. Yeah,” Gage replied.

  I closed my eyes, weak with relief and confusion.

  “Let’s not put pressure on ourselves to be anything more than friends. Okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “It was just a kiss. My parent’s relationship has survived much worse, and I think they’re stronger for it. So, I have hope.”

  “Me too,” I croaked, but even as I said it, I wondered. Was I being truthful or was I just wanting the pain to stop? I still believed our fire didn’t want us to be together. Why would it randomly change its mind?

  I sniffed and reeled in the desire to break down bawling. Gage didn’t sound angry anymore. He was willing to be friends. That was enough to live on until I got home.

  “Text me when you’re back and we’ll make a date,” he said, then added hastily, “just coffee between friends. Yeah?”

  “Yeah.” I smiled through my tears. “You’re wonderful, you know that?”

  “Well, one of us had to be,” he murmured.

  I cringed as his words pierced me. He was still angry, and he had every right to be. I began to agree with him when he spoke again.

  “I meant between Ryan and me.”

  “Oh.” I looked up, blinking. “Have you spoken to him?”

  “A little. He’s up to something. But I can’t talk about it right now. They’re calling for final boarding. You tell me about the games and I’ll catch you up about Ryan when we see each other.”

  “Okay.”

  “Bye, Saxony.”

  “Bye, Gage.” I wanted to tell him I loved him but pressed my lips together. This was confusing enough without deepening the emotional waters we were wading in.

  I waited until the phone went dead then tossed it aside. Sprawling on my back, I pulled my pillow over my face to muffle the sound of my tears.

  Epilogue

  Fifteen minutes later and hoping I was all cried out, I went to my desk for a tissue, sniffling. I was dabbing at my eyes and blowing my nose when a knock came on the door.

  “Yes?” I honked into another tissue.

  Cecily poked her head in. “There’s—Hey, are you okay?”

  I nodded. “I’m okay. Just looking forward to having an actual summer break.”

  She opened the door wider. “I bet. Me too. We’re driving to Inverness this afternoon. I can’t wait to see my dad.”

  I nodded. “What’s up?”

  “Basil sent me. He said to tell you, you have a visitor waiting in the headmaster’s office.”

  “Who is it?”

  She shrugged. “Didn’t say. I’ll walk with you?”

  I nodded and picked up my phone. Tucking it into my pocket, I didn’t bother to close my door. All I wanted to do was get on a plane, think about my own problems, over-sleep for hours, and have pancakes with my family.

  Walking with Cecily, I made a mental note to text Brooke and Harriet about how Eira got through the obstacle course so quickly, as I had promised I would. Dr. Price had notified all the competitors about Basil getting the rights to his school and property back due to broken rules, but I looked forward to sharing the juicier details with Brooke and Harriet.

  As we approached Basil’s office, Dr. Price appeared at the end of the hall wearing a light trenchcoat.

  “Ready, darling?”

  Cecily nodded.

  Dr. Price pulled me into a hug on the landing outside Basil’s office. “Well done, dearie,” she said, rocking me a little. “You made us all proud. Well, done.”

  When she pulled back she touched my chin. “Cheer up, love. Supernatural education has been saved from a tyrannical dictator. We have a school to come back to in the fall.”

  I found some nice words for the Prices and waved them off as they descended the stairs, but my mind was full of Gage.

  I pictured walking into Flagg’s Café, making the familiar wind chimes hanging in the doorway tinkle. He’d be seated at the couches at the back, where we’d sat on our first date, a date which had been cut short by Ryan. This time we wouldn’t be cut short. Gage would look up. He’d smile. I’d hold the thought of that smile in my mind all the way home.

  With a soft knock on Basil’s door, I listened for his invitation.

  “Come.”

  Basil was seated behind his desk, looking like the headmaster I’d come to know and love. All had been made right in his world, well, almost all. At least he could grieve his father in peace without having to worry about the fate of his school.

  An older man wearing a fedora faced him. One hand rested on a cane. He shifted in his seat to watch me come in, his bushy eyebrows raising over big brown eyes I hadn’t seen in almost a year.

  My palms instantly felt clammy.

  “Buongiorno, Ms. Cagney,” said Enzo Barberini. “It’s been a long time.”

  I halted, frozen on what felt like a pair of hollow legs. “No, Senor Barberini. It has not been nearly long enough.”

  END BOOK 3

  I know, I know! GAH! How could I end it this way! Don’t worry, I’m already hard at work on the next instalment…

  Legends of Fire, Arcturus Academy Book 4

  Bound by an oath she cannot retract, Saxony must save an old enemy from a new one.

  Preorder Legends of Fire Today!

  Afterword & Acknowledgments

  Did you think I wouldn’t include the answers to the riddles Saxony was unable to get? Naw. I wouldn’t do that. Although you probably already guessed the right answer, I’ll put them here, just for affirmation.

  Different lights do make me strange, thus into different sizes will I change. What am I?

  Answer: Pupils of the eyes

  It cannot be seen, it cannot be felt, it can’t be heard, nor can it be smelt. It lies behind stars, it lies beneath hills, it ends life, and laughter kills.

  Answer: Darkness

  Writing Fire Games was an angsty blast. That’s the best way to describe it. Incredibly difficult, but so much fun. Thank you to Ryan Schow for your help with the combat scene between Saxony and Eira, thank you to Nicola Aquino for the fantastic suggestions and editing, and thank you to my VIPs for being my amazing support network. Authoring is hard. Wonderful readers make it all worth while.

  What’s next for Saxony? Things don’t get any easier for our favorite redhead, I’m afraid. You won’t want to miss the next instalment, Legends of Fire.

  If you loved Fire Games, please cons
ider leaving a review for it. Reviews help new readers find books they’ll love, plus they give encouragement and support to the authors you love.

  See you soon, in the halls of the academy.

  Abby

  XOXO

  Come a little closer, my dear…

  Want to be kept updated on new releases, be the first to know about sneak peeks and ‘read by yours truly’ audio snippets? I’m no Judi Dench but I do try not to make too many swallowing sounds. I host the occasional sale and sometimes join themed multi-author promotions that are good fun. Join my newsletter at www.alknorrbooks.com or request access to my private VIP Reader Lounge on Facebook (don’t forget to answer the three questions to get in). I also have Instagram for those who are curious about the life of a traveling fantasy novelist. I tend to visit a lot of ancient places, there’s inspiration to be found there, doncha know. See you in them virtual hills!

  Love, Abby

  Also by A.L. Knorr

  Elemental Origins Series, Season 1

  Born of Water, Book 1

  Born of Fire, Book 2

  Born of Earth, Book 3

  Born of Æther, Book 4

  Born of Air, Book 5

  The Elementals, Book 6

  Elemental Origins Series, Season 2

  Salt & Stone (The Siren’s Curse 1)

  Salt & the Sovereign (The Siren’s Curse 2)

  Salt & the Sisters (The Siren’s Curse 3)

  Elemental Origins Series, Season 3

  Bones of the Witch (Earth Magic Rises 1)

  Ashes of the Wise (Earth Magic Rises 2)

  Heart of the Fae (Earth Magic Rises 3)

  Elemental Origins Series, Season 4

  Firecracker, (Arcturus Academy 1)

  Fire Trap, (Arcturus Academy 2)

  Fire Games (Arcturus Academy 3)

  Legends of Fire (Arcturus Academy 4)

  Source Fire (Arcturus Academy 5)

  Elemental Origins Spin Off Series:

  Rings of the Inconquo

  Born of Metal, (Rings of the Inconquo 1)

  Metal Guardian, (Rings of the Inconquo 2)

  Metal Angel, (Rings of the Inconquo 3)

  Elemental Origins Spin Off: The Returning Series (Mira’s Story, Completed Series)

  Returning, Book 1

  Falling, Book 2

  Surfacing, Book 3

  Elemental Novellas

  Pyro, A Fire Novella

  Heat, A Fire Novella

  The Kacy Chronicles (Completed Series)

  Descendant, Book 1

  Ascendant, Book 2

  Combatant, Book 3

  Transcendent, Book 4