Chapter 20

Jade woke up feeling the warmth of the sunlight streaming through the window, but her mood didn’t match the brightness. Another day had dawned, and she was no closer to understanding the abilities that had suddenly become part of her life. She sighed, feeling the weight of everything that had changed.
“I can’t do this!” Jade shouted in frustration, her hands clenched into fists. Aiden stood in front of her, calm as always, watching her unravel with an infuriating patience.
“Just relax,” he said softly. “Think about lighting the rock on fire. You can do this. I know you can.”
She glared at him, wiping the sweat from her brow. Easy for him to say, she thought bitterly. He’s been practicing his whole life. The mental exertion of trying to summon her powers was draining her, leaving her frustrated and exhausted. Nothing was happening.
They’d been at it for almost an hour now. Jade’s eyes darted to the rock they were using as a target, still cold and unscathed. Maybe I have no powers at all she thought, feeling the creeping doubt.
“Come on, try one more time, and then we’ll take a break,” He urged, his voice filled with calm encouragement.
Jade took a deep breath, focusing all her energy on the boulder. Aiden had reassured her it wouldn’t burn—demons were the only things her light could affect—but she was still terrified of losing control. She stared at the rock, wishing the fire to come, to burst forth from her palms and prove that she wasn’t imagining all of this.
But nothing. Her hands didn’t even warm.
“This is never going to happen!” Jade threw her hands up in the air. “I can’t keep staring at a rock and pointing my hands like some wizard I might as well say ‘abracadabra’ and try to make your house float away. This is ridiculous!”
Aiden chuckled, but Jade didn’t share his amusement. “Let’s take a break,” he said. “I need to think of a better plan. I don’t know why it’s so hard for you. When we were kids, using our power was like using another limb. It was just… easy.” He paused, looking at her thoughtfully. “And I know you’re strong, Jade. I’ve seen it.”
“Well, good for you,” She muttered, collapsing onto the grass. Aiden walked back into the house, leaving her to stew in her frustration.
Jade let her back sink into the cool grass, staring at the blue, cloudless sky. Dear sun, she thought with a hint of sarcasm, please give me the power to channel your rays through my body and inherit my birthright to kill some demons… love, Jade.
I’ve officially gone insane, she reflected, rolling onto her side to stare at the few brown leaves scattered on the ground. The fall season felt different here in the South—too green for her liking. She missed the New York blizzards and the slushy streets. But more than that, she missed the familiarity of her old life, when the world made sense.
Jade sighed as she sat up, knowing she couldn’t dwell on the past. Aiden had said the power would come naturally, like breathing. But maybe it was too late for her. She remembered her psychology classes at boarding school—how the early years of life were critical for development. If you didn’t learn to speak by the time you were four, you might never learn at all. Maybe I missed my chance she thought, running a hand through her hair.
Aiden returned from the house, holding two sweet teas. Jade gladly accepted one, savoring the cool sweetness.
“So,” He began, sitting beside her, “basically, you’re a freak.”
“Hey!” Jade shot him a glare though a smile tugged at her lips.
“Kidding,” he said, raising his hands in mock defense. “But seriously, the way I was taught as a kid isn’t going to work for you. Your body doesn’t seem to know its potential yet. We need to, like… awaken it first.”
“Okay, that sounded super creepy,” Jade replied, taking another sip of tea.
“I just mean we need to find something to trigger your power. Something that’ll remind your body how it’s supposed to work.”
Jade raised an eyebrow. “Like what? Creepy crawlies?”
Aiden shrugged. “Maybe? I don’t know. This is new for me too. Just… try to make yourself scared to death.”
Sure, scare the life out of myself. Simple, she thought sarcastically. But she tried. First, she thought of spiders, imagining their hairy legs, sharp fangs, and sticky webs. But nothing happened. She moved on to other fears—flying, turbulence, plane crashes. Still, no spark. No heat.
Finally, she thought of something darker. She imagined a scene straight out of a horror movie—knife-wielding killers chasing her through her house. But all she managed to do was freak herself out.
“This isn’t working,” Jade said, exasperated. “I’m just giving myself the creeps.”
Aiden nodded, his expression thoughtful. “Keep trying. It’s the only way you’ll learn control. Otherwise, you’ll only be able to fend off a demon at the last second, and that’s way too risky.”
Jade sighed, about to give up when an idea struck her. She looked back at the rock, focusing on the lines of color formed by sunlight and shadow. Her eyes drifted downward to the black shadow cast by the rock. She let her vision blur, letting her mind wander until an image surfaced—Skye.
Jade imagined the moment in the auditorium, the fear she had felt as Skye’s teeth grazed her skin, as death loomed closer. She remembered the helplessness, knowing Benjamin couldn’t save her. And then, she felt it—her power gathering inside her.
Heat surged through her veins, gathering in her palms. For the first time, she called it. She willed the fire to flow through her, to burst forth and shatter the darkness. Her hands burned, and light exploded from her skin, flooding Aiden’s backyard.
But her control slipped. The fire raged, consuming her. She heard Aiden’s voice calling her, telling her to stop, but it was like a dam had burst inside her. The power wouldn’t stop.
She felt her legs give out, and the grass cool against her cheek, but still, the fire poured from her. Then, hands lifted her, steadying her. Her palms pressed against something solid, and the light began to drain from her, seeping into a new source.
Slowly, Jade’s vision cleared. She looked down at her glowing fingers, pressed against Aiden’s chest. Light streamed from her hands, sinking into him.
“Jade, you have to stop,” he said, his voice strained. “It’s too much.”
Jade pulled back, curling her fingers into her palms, willing the light to stop. Slowly, it obeyed. Aiden staggered back, releasing the sunlight he had absorbed into the forest. The flames illuminated everything, casting the woods in a surreal, beautiful glow. Flowers turned toward the light, blooming as if commanded.
But then, Aiden collapsed.
“Aiden!” Jade screamed, rushing to his side. She dropped to her knees, cradling his head in her lap. “Please, Aiden, I didn’t mean—”
His eyes fluttered open, weak but alive. “Hi,” he whispered, a faint smile on his lips. “Just give me a second.”
She waited, her heart pounding. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly.
He shook his head. “It was my fault. I wasn’t prepared for how much power you have.”
“But I thought I couldn’t hurt you,” Jade said, her voice trembling.
“You didn’t hurt me,” He reassured her. “It’s just… your power is more than I expected. I wasn’t ready for it.”
Jade sat back, the weight of his words sinking in. More than expected? She’d overwhelmed him, someone who had been training his whole life. What did that mean for her?
They sat for a few minutes, the gravity of the situation settling over them.
“So, I guess we’re done training for the day,” he said, his usual lightness returning. “You fainted… then I fainted. I’d call that a successful session.” He grinned, trying to make light of the situation, and Jade nudged him with her shoulder.
“Yeah, really productive,” she said with a half-smile. But her mind quickly turned to something more serious. “What are you going to tell the council? You have to send a report, right?”
Aiden shrugged, though there was a hesitation in his movements. “Not much. I’ll tell them you’ve inherited the power you’ve started learning to channel it, and I’m training you. But… nothing about the extent of your abilities.” His voice trailed off, his gaze shifting away from hers.
She frowned. “What are you hiding? What would happen if they found out… everything?”
Aiden was quiet for a moment, then sighed. “I honestly don’t know.”
“But it wouldn’t be good,” She pressed.
“No, probably not,” he agreed, his voice barely above a whisper. The weight of the situation settled over them both, a reminder that this wasn’t just a game. This was dangerous—serious.
Aiden stood, grabbing her hand and pulling her up from the stoop. “Come on,” he said, leading her to his kitchen. As he got ready to leave, Jade noticed a small bookshelf in the corner of the room. She didn’t remember ever seeing it before.
Curiosity piqued, she walked over, scanning the titles. Fiction lined the top shelves— The Demonologist, its worn cover disintegrating, stood out. She spotted a few fantasy novels, even some of the girly romances she never imagined Aiden reading all neatly organized in alphabetical order, it was the lower shelf that caught her eye—a thick, dusty book on Seraphina. The title was written in faded gold script, cover was worn with age. There was no author’s name, and the binding looked ready to fall apart.
Jade heard the refrigerator door close in the kitchen. Before she could second-guess herself, she grabbed the book and stuffed it into her bag.
“Ready?” Aiden’s voice called from behind her, and she quickly turned, catching the water bottle he tossed in her direction.
“Yeah, let’s go,” she replied, heart racing as she followed him out to the car, the weight of the stolen book heavy in her bag.
When Jade got home, she raced to her room, ignoring the dinner her family had set up downstairs. Once inside, she dropped her book bag and locked the door behind her, heart still pounding, she pulled the old text from her bag and set it on her bed. She flicked on her reading lamp, dimming the room to a soft glow, and settled into her comforter.
Her fingers traced the worn cover as she opened the book to the index:

Chapter One – A Brief History
Chapter Two – Demons with Souls?
Chapter Three – Vindicators vs. Hierophants
Chapter Four – Half Breeds
Chapter Five – Prophecies.

Jade’s hand hovered over the page, itching to jump straight to Chapter Four. She sighed, letting her head fall back onto the pillow. An entire chapter dedicated to what she was—how dangerous she could be. The idea felt surreal and terrifying.
The book itself looked ancient. There was no copyright and no publication information. The pages were thick, the ink slightly raised, and a thin string held the binding together. It felt delicate, like a secret no one was meant to find.
Had Aiden meant for her to see it? She was positive there hadn’t been a bookshelf the last time she stayed at his house. She could feel the weight of the discovery settling into her bones.
But exhaustion pulled at her. Training had drained her completely. Jade carefully slid the book under her mattress, where even Abby wouldn’t find it, vowing to read it later in the week. For now, sleep claimed her.