The Shifters: Katrina

Willa had left to deal with Heather's wounds after describing the situation, including what she felt and my friends' explanations, to Coraline, who sat in her chair without moving as she listened. The second she was gone, I could feel tension in the air, the cogs in Coraline's mind working to make sense of the situation.

"You have improved, Katrina. But today... I can't tell if this is you showing your old habits again, or becoming a loyal person."

I winced at her words. Salty trails were dried onto my cheeks, tears that I hadn't wiped away hanging onto my skin. Pain radiated from my hands, and a headache pounded at my skull. Above all else, I was also so very, very tired.

"I believe your friends. There's been proven cases of problems between them and other students before.

"But there wasn't someone like you before."

Shame flooded my senses, my face heating up as I stared at my feet. I had taken everything too far, but Heather had done it as well. She exposed personal things about me, and she'd done it to provoke me.

"She... She said things. About how the elite shifters had brought me here, and about the hunter. Originally, her insults were nothing. I fought her to get her to back off," I explained, my voice cracking. I didn't know if it would help, but I had to say it. "But when she said those things, about me being too weak to stay with my family... I snapped. Part of me lost all rational thought. I was livid."

"You're confusing, Katrina," Coraline frowned. "Your power, the signals you give off, the way you fight...

"It's like you aren't even a water shifter. Never before has anyone with your element had so much anger all at once. You're normally collected."

Is it fire? The fire I can't conjure up? Or maybe the form I still don't have?

My dark thoughts sent my mood on a nosedive, new tears rolling down my cheeks.

I feel like such a crybaby.

Coraline sighed, her chest sinking with the long breath.

"I have to punish both of you. I'll deal with Heather when she wakes up, but for you, Katrina, I'm going to have Willa put limiters into those apprentice bands."

My eyes widened. "W-What?"

The cheetah shifter shrugged. "Power limiters. You'll only be able to use water when Willa allows it."

I just got the hang of this, I panicked, but they're taking it away?!

She saw the expression on my face and rolled her eyes. "You have to wear them for five days, then you can take them off."

Unable to fight her decision, I went downstairs and waited for Willa. The second she saw me, it was as if she knew Coraline's decision. She fiddled with my bracelets before I felt an intense pressure in my wrists that wouldn't go away until she practiced allowing and cancelling my water control. It was almost unbearable, but I refused to embarrass myself further. I trudged back to the dorms, powerless, and dragged my feet up the stairs.

Kami and Molly were on the first floor as I walked in, but I ignored them. They called my name, and I just continued to walk.

You don't need to lose faith in me, too.

It had finally been five days.

Five days of constant studying, being holed up in my room, not even talking to anyone. During lunches, I hid in the school library, unable to face my friends.

This morning, however, since it was Saturday, I was happier than I'd been in a while. Heather's punishment had been dealt with, and I was nearly certain that those girls had stayed away from the others. I visited Willa first thing in the morning, in the water commons room, and got my limiters removed.

With a sigh, I fell onto one of the couches. The pressure of the limiters on my abilities was finally gone, and I felt like I could breathe again.

"Haven't seen you in a while."

I opened my eyes to see Quintin on his usual couch, already looking asleep.

"I was holed up," I answered, "didn't feel like doing anything."

"Shae says you skipped training."

"Had power limiters."

"So it's true? Cory mentioned a rumour going around that the newest water apprentice beat Heather into a pulp."

I groaned. "Not my proudest moment."

"Hey," he said, catching my attention. We locked eyes as he smiled. "If they're off now, then there's nothing to worry about."

Except I have to apologize to my friends, get a mask and sign up for the duels under a fake name today without getting caught.

Another thing that had plagued me was the festival. It was starting Monday, and school was canceled so that shifter students could participate. I had to do a lot before I'd be ready to duel.

"You should find Shae," Quintin continued. "She's been worried about you. She'll be in the gym you guys usually practice at."

I groaned once more before sitting up. I glanced sideways at the boy who always looked like he was asleep.

"Thanks, Quintin."

"You're a fellow water shifter. Gotta look out for each other, right?" He joked, muttering something I didn't quite catch. I rolled my eyes before getting to my feet, heading out to find Shae. The school hallways were dead quiet as I walked to the extra gym, already playing with water. It floated around my fingers, the feeling of it instantly calming me down.

I pushed open the doors to the gym, only to see the other three apprentices in a heated discussion.

"She's dangerous!" That would be Max.

"She's untrained!" Sam's graceful chime in.

"She's too strong to be one of us, Shae!" Again, Max.

"She'll hurt all of us." Max as well.

Screw you, Max.

"She's a good partner!"

Shae's defense for me surprised me. Her conviction sounded genuine, her hands balled into fists. No one had noticed me, so I stood back and watched the scene play out.

"She's staying as an apprentice, guys!" Shae snapped. "Coraline already gave her a punishment. Let it go!"

"She disrespected our element!" Sam snarled. He began to stomp toward the doors, only for all three of them to realise I stood there.

I ignored the glares, instead focusing on Shae.

"Can we talk?"

She nodded, heading toward me, but Sam's snarl caused her to stop short.

"Don't bother leaving. Max and I are going too anyway. The room is all yours."

The boys glared at me, trotting toward the doors as Shae floundered in the center of the room. Just as Sam was about to leave, her leaned over and hissed something in my ear.

"Try not to kill her, eh?"