5. Gifts

(Sonya POV)

I had no intention of going to church but when I got back to my room the memories of my nightmare came flooding back and I realised I wasn't ready to be alone in there just yet. Maybe I would take Guardian Tanner's suggestion and show up at the service after all... providing he didn't see me. I was already feeling conflicted about my dreams and embarrassed that he'd witnessed me in such a mess. If he sat beside me in church and gave me one more of those soft looks I'd probably burst out crying and that would definitely be the end of whatever we had going on - nothing says crazy like crying hysterically in public).

It was still early so I crept into the school chapel via the side door and climbed the stairs to the upper balcony – I could always escape to the attic room if I needed to get away from it all. Soon the students and teachers began to file in quietly, filling up the rows of pews until all the seating room was taken. A few guardians stood around the sides of the church, though I couldn't see the one who'd invited me, and then the priest entered.

After the first hymn, Father Andrew moved to stand at the lectern and began his address. 'Today's reading is from the book of Romans,' he opened a huge bible and began to read in a theatrical voice. 'For we, though many, form one body. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach.'

The priest closed the tome and looked keenly at the congregation. 'Each of us here today has a gift. Dhampirs have their physical strength, while moroi have power over earth, water, wind and fire. It is our holy duty to work together as one body and use our individual gifts for the betterment of our whole society...'

He continued speaking but I became lost in my own thoughts. Yes, we all possessed various 'gifts' but, unlike the priest, I knew some people out there had no hesitation in using their gifts to harm others. A memory I had long sought to forget forced its way to the front of my mind and I could do nothing to stop the images that replayed in my head...

...It was a few weeks before the end of the school year. I was seventeen, a Junior, and I was dating Damian Lazar. He was a proud, flamboyant royal in is Senior year and, while we had practically nothing in common, he intrigued me. He always made a big show about how important his family was but he also liked rebelling against the status quo by partying and dating girls his parents wouldn't like. My lack of royal blood and absence of magical abilities made me the perfect girl for him, and I was ashamed to say that I was so grateful someone had taken an interest in me that I quickly fell head over heels in love.

We'd been together about a month when Damian approached me between classes, drawing me off into a private stairwell and kissing me in a way that was entirely inappropriate and therefore completely compelling.

'What are you doing after class tonight, Babe?' he asked smoothly, peppering my jaw and neck with kisses that made me forget everything.

'Nothing yet,' I giggled as his hands slipped lower, brushing against my hips.

'Great. I'm having a special party for some friends of mine – invite only. You'll come, won't you? Please?' his wheedling tone made me laugh.

'Of course. Give me half an hour to get ready after class and I'll meet you in the quad.'

'See you then, Hot-lips,' he crooned, giving me a playful nip on the neck.

When classes were over I returned to my dorm. Normally I had the place to myself, but for the last few days I was sharing it with my cousin Emily. She was in her final year of college – ballet school actually – and her semester had finished up earlier than ours so she'd come to keep me company until the summer vacation.

I pushed the door open quietly, hoping I wouldn't have to make up some excuse about where I was going but thankfully she wasn't there – probably on a date of her own. I showered quickly and opened my wardrobe to choose the perfect outfit but I couldn't see anything that said 'party' to me. Then I had a great idea. Ignoring the nagging guilty feeling, I casually walked over to Emily's suitcase and opened it. Lying right at the top was the most beautiful dress – it was a pearl-grey cocktail dress, with a close-fitting silk bodice and spaghetti straps. There was a thin velvet band around the waistline and below that the delicate tulle skirt fell loosely to the knees. Perfect for a royal party.

Ten minutes later I was standing in front of the bathroom mirror admiring my reflection. The pale colour of the dress brought out the vibrant tones in my hair, and I knew Damian would like that I'd worn my hair down. I finished off the effect by applying a layer of deep pink lip-stick before smiling at my reflection and heading out the door to meet my boyfriend.

He was waiting for me in the quad, looking as sexy as ever, but when I set out towards the royal rec-room, he shook his head and led me away from the school buildings towards the forest that lay along the school's southern boundary.

Maybe he just wants to make out? I wondered, but as we reached the tree-line several people emerged from the shadows.

'I've got her,' Damian called out to them triumphantly, and I looked at him quizzically for a split second before he grabbed me and shoved me roughly against a tree, ramming my back against its trunk as he pinned my arms above my head.

'What the hell?' I cried out, before my voice was silenced in my throat by a strange gurgling sensation.

As I looked out at the small gathering of people I noticed that one of them was kneeling by a large bowl of water.

'It's for your own good,' the girl smirked, 'Just embrace it.'

I didn't know her name but I was pretty sure I'd seen her hanging around with Damian and his friends before we started dating. A flame of jealousy spiked through me, but that was soon replaced by fear when then the girl placed her hands over the bowl and summoned a plume of water up into the air like a fountain. She directed the flow towards me and when I opened my mouth to scream the liquid shot straight into my mouth, choking me as it washed into my nose and lungs. I coughed and tried to move my head but couldn't get away from the jet of water that was slowly drowning me.

'Enough,' Damian called out sternly. 'Lucas. Take over.'

The water attack stopped suddenly and I spluttered, gulping in the fresh air as I tried to regain my breath. I felt dizzy and sick like I was going to pass out, and that's when the flame hit me.

I watched as a stream of fire shot out from Lucas' hands and billowed towards me, fascinated by the bright, dancing flames that licked against my chest and neck. It felt… cold. Then the pain hit me. I writhed under the burning fingers that caressed my skin, eating away at the flesh, and screamed until I couldn't scream anymore. My hands twitched under the tight grip of my captor but I couldn't make them budge.

'Stop,' Damian's voice was faint like he was far away, even though I was aware in some part of my mind that he was standing right beside me. 'She's close now. If there's any magic in her this should force it out. Let's finish this.'

Two others stepped forward from the crowd and my head lolled weakly as I tried to work out the identity of my new torturers. I couldn't tell who they were exactly but they didn't appear to be evil monsters - they were just kids like me.

The ground beneath my feet started to shift and I looked on in horror as the roots of the tree below me began to twine around my ankles, slithering into knots that gradually tightened until I thought my legs were going to snap. I cried out in pain but all that came out of my mouth was a whimper. Then, without warning, the cool night breeze picked up, slowly building to a violent gale. It came at me with full force, snatching the breath from my lungs while whipping sand and debris against my unprotected face and arms. I could feel the small objects biting into me, tearing long, shallow lacerations across my skin.

In a last, desperate struggle for survival I tried to think of a way out, but all I could see through the pain and confusion was a cloud of darkness. I gave up and sank into it, feeling its soft, welcome embrace as I left my torment and tormenters behind.

I don't know how much time passed but the next thing I was aware of was a warm feeling spreading across my body. It felt comfortable and safe at first but then it started to tingle and sting. My eyes flickered open and I saw that I was half-lying in a crumpled heap at the foot of a tree. The students who had attacked me were gone but I instantly realised I was still in danger. The sun must have risen while I was unconscious - I could feel its rays slowly burning into my skin and I knew I had to get inside. As I lifted an arm to shield my eyes from the sun my whole body throbbed in agony and something felt wrong in my throat. My hand flew to my neck and when I pulled it away it felt sticky. I paused, confused, until I suddenly remembered the fire burning my skin and I whimpered in fear as I realised my fingers were covered in my own blood. No wonder I felt so weak.

The memories of the torture sent tremors of fear through my body but as I thought about the people who attacked me I was overcome by a fierce, self-righteous anger. Why did they want to hurt me? Why did Damian let it happen? Why had they left me here to die? What had I done to deserve any of this?

A gush of energy surged through my veins and I felt a power building from the core of my spirit, pulsing through my body like it was ready to explode. My hands crept tentatively to the charred skin on my throat and a new kind of warmth spread through me, charging through my whole body. In a moment the pain disappeared and when I looked down to check my wounds I saw that I was completely healed. The only evidence of what had happened to me was the damage to my dress, which was torn in several places, the fabric around the neckline singed and slightly damp.

I rose carefully, expecting my muscles to clench up in exhaustion but I felt fresh, as though I'd just woken from a pleasant sleep. The sunlight on my skin was still uncomfortable but at least it was bearable now and I made my way quickly towards my dorm room. It was well after curfew so I crept carefully past the guardian on patrol duty and slipped in through the back door.

When I stepped into my room something came rushing at me and I panicked as a pair of arms wrapped tightly around my shoulders.

'Where have you been? I was worried sick,' an angry voice scolded me. It was Emily. She must have waited up for me to come home. 'If you didn't turn up soon I was planning to go to the Headmaster and report you as a missing person. You really shouldn't stay out this late. I'm glad you're having fun with this Lazar of yours, but you should be more careful. Getting a bad reputation isn't the worst thing that could happen if you stay out late with a boy,' she jabbered on, until she noticed the dress.

'Gees, Sonya! What have you done to my dress?' Now she was really annoyed.

That's when a bitter darkness hit my soul and I lashed out at her. 'Just leave me alone,' I yelled at her, ripping the dress off and throwing it at her feet as I pushed past her into the room. 'It's just a stupid dress. You have no idea what I've just been through. You have no idea who I am.'

She took a step back, shocked at my outburst. Without acknowledging her again, I crawled into bed in my underwear and pulled the blankets around me like a cocoon. It took over an hour to drift off to sleep and I spent those long minutes scratching feverishly at my temples, neck and ears; trying to rake away the memory of my skin burning, trying to block out the echo of my own screams.

Author's Note:

The idea for this chapter stemmed from two questions;

1. How did Sonya discover she had Spirit magic?

2. Why did she scratch? (instead of drinking like Adrian & Avery or cutting like Lissa)

I figured that it must have been a pretty serious incident but I didn't want to default to Lissa's car crash scenario again. Recreating the Mână ritual that Lissa experienced at the end of Shadow Kiss seemed a likely possibility, only poor Sonya didn't volunteer for the ritual and didn't know she had powers yet so the effects were truly devastating.

Damian Lazar is a completely original character (though I made him part of the Lazar clan to echo how screwed up Avery and Reed Lazar appeared in the VA books).