Free The Witches of Glass Castle: Uprising (The Witches of the Glass Castle Series Book 2) by Gabriella Lepore

way,’ Colt said again.
    Mia groaned as the understanding began to sink in.
    ‘Go on,’ Colt urged. ‘Light the candle.’
    ‘I can’t,’ she protested. ‘At least, not the way you want me to.’ He expected her to use her power, connecting the live flame to the dormant wick, just as she’d witnessed him do in the past.
    ‘Yes, you can,’ Colt argued. ‘You’re a Tempestus. You were born to do this.’
    ‘Born to light candles without matches?’ She rolled her eyes. ‘Wow. Good to know my life has such purpose.’
    ‘Ha, ha,’ Colt droned in a humourless tone. ‘Light the candle.’
    ‘ You light the candle,’ she shot back.
    He cast his gaze downwards and extended his palm towards the amber flame. It rose on his silent command, and a brilliant blaze leaped towards the turret roof. A spear of fire created a divide between them. Colt held his palm steadily, his eyes trained on hers through the pillar of fire.
    Mia shrank back from the heat.
    ‘You’re not afraid, are you?’ Colt asked in disbelief.
    ‘No,’ she stammered. ‘Of course I’m not.’
    He moved his hand in fluid circles, causing the beam of fire to twist and spiral, bending outwards towards Mia.
    She resisted every urge to cower from it.
    ‘Take over,’ Colt advised. ‘Take it.’
    Mia took an involuntary step backwards. ‘No. Stop it.’
    The fire curved towards her, never quite making contact but threatening to all the same.
    ‘Stop it!’ she cried, shielding her face from the hot blaze. ‘You’re going to burn me!’
    ‘Impossible,’ he said. ‘I control it. It’s not the fire, it’s me. But then, you’d know that if you ever tried.’
    ‘Stop,’ she demanded.
    ‘Make me,’ he challenged above the fire’s hiss.
    Her teeth clenched. ‘No,’ she said as she met Colt’s eyes through the flames. ‘ Stop .’
    Resignedly, he curtailed the blaze until it settled on the wick as a humble amber teardrop once more. 
    Mia pursed her lips. ‘Thank you,’ she managed.
    Colt laughed under his breath. He turned his back on her and walked to the window. He took a seat at his desk and opened a small treasure chest of ceremonial tools, then lifted a steel blade and began polishing its scored surface with a silk cloth. His interest in Mia had vanished.
    Mia glared at the back of his head. ‘Is that why you brought me up here?’ she asked. ‘To laugh at how incompetent I am?’
    ‘Light the candle,’ Colt answered without turning around.
    Her cheeks burned. Is he trying to humiliate me?
    Angry and hurt, she lifted the lit candle and used its flame to light the one beside it. Clutching the newly burning candle, she stormed over to Colt. She slammed it down on the antique desktop.
    ‘There,’ she said crossly.
    Colt stared at the dancing flame. In one quick breath, he extinguished it. A trail of smoke wafted upwards towards Mia. He returned his attention to the blade and resumed polishing it. ‘Light the candle,’ he said dispassionately.
    Mia raked her hands through her long brown hair. ‘Stop saying that!’
    ‘I’ll stop saying it when I see you do it. Light the—’
    ‘Don’t you dare finish that sentence!’
    ‘Candle.’
    Scowling, Mia met his hardened gaze.
    ‘How have your powers diminished?’ he asked, staggered. ‘Last summer you were doing so well, and now…’
    ‘I don’t know! Last summer it just happened!’
    ‘And a few months on its, what, just not happening anymore?’
    ‘Clearly,’ Mia muttered. She broke their stare and turned to leave. ‘I’m going,’ she told him as she marched across the room towards the exit.
    As she flung open the door, Colt turned in his chair. He raised his palm, charging a strong gust of air to wrench it from her grasp and slam it closed again.
    ‘No, you’re not,’ he said, standing up to face her.
    The last of the wind ruffled her hair before the air in the room stilled.
    ‘Why are you doing this to me?’ Mia despaired, throwing up her hands. ‘You