Sourcewell Academy

by S T G Hill

  Arabella nodded. “It is. But Darius Belt has decided to call the campus back for your departure celebration now.”

  “I thought it would be later in the day,” Ellie pulled her blanket up as though it could protect her, “I thought I’d have more time!”

  She wanted to see Sybil. She wanted to go over and see Thorn again.

  Arabella saw the panic on her face. “Ellie, it will be okay. I know that the Trial was terrible, and not something that Belt should have done. But Belt can teach you things not even Aurelius can do. If… If you’re careful.”

  Here Arabella shifted in closer and she took Ellie’s hands in hers. “Ellie, I’ve never been strong in prognostication, but what little I have does tell me that you need to be careful. Darius Belt is more than he seems. There are dangers…”

  Ellie couldn’t help but smile. It was an ironic one, not a happy one. Again she got the urge to tell Arabella everything, including that she knew that Belt was more than just dangerous.

  But what good would that do at this point?

  “Thanks, Arabella. Really, thanks. I just wish that I had more time here; I know I could learn so much more,” Ellie said.

  “We learned too, Ellie. No one here will ever call you ab again,” Arabella offered a conciliatory smile, “I knew you weren’t. I know there’s so much more inside of you.”

  You don’t know the half of it, Ellie thought.

  And for the second time, Ellie hugged Arabella before she could stop herself. Arabella hugged her back, surprised at the strength and need in Ellie’s hug.

  “We should go…” Ellie swallowed at the lump in her throat, “Do I need to take my things?”

  Her things were still mostly in the duffle bag delivered earlier to Matilda’s room. Not many of her things had survived the destruction of Vine Hall.

  And Matilda hadn’t seemed interested in sharing any shelf or dresser space with her.

  “No, I don’t believe you’ll need them,” Arabella shook her head.

  Ellie stood up and looked down at herself. Sleep had pressed wrinkles into her jeans and shirt. “Do I need to wear something nicer?”

  “I’m sure that Darius Belt would like that, but I won’t make you if you don’t want to,” Arabella said.

  “I don’t.”

  “May I?” Arabella said, holding out one hand and glancing down at Ellie’s unkempt outfit.

  “I guess.”

  Arabella put her hand on Ellie’s shoulder. A glow surrounded Ellie for a moment, its warmth pleasant, and then it disappeared.

  The wrinkles had disappeared too. Not only that, but her bedhead vanished, her hair smoothed and straight and silky.

  “This is incredible!” Ellie ran her fingers through her tamed mop of hair.

  Arabella smiled, “Glad to help. I think we should get going.”

  Ellie knew that Arabella could use magic to make them leap great distances and reach the amphitheater in no time, but instead they walked across the rolling fields and meadows of Sourcewell’s campus.

  And all too soon they reached the gate. The closer they came, the louder things got. The conversations of the crowd, Belt’s booming voice as he talked about the importance of the Trial.

  Ellie didn’t want to go.

  They didn’t take the path to the seats, but instead went straight down the wider road that led straight to the stage.

  As soon as Ellie emerged, the crowd stood.

  “Ellie! Ellie! Ellie!” they chanted. Hundreds of voices. Thousands. So loud that they drowned out Darius Belt himself.

  Near the back, some of the students cast out sparks of magic that exploded into fireworks more colorful than any she’d seen at home.

  The teachers tried to keep everyone calm, but chaos ensued a while longer.

  It gave Ellie the chance to stand there, absorbing it all. She turned a slow circle, looking at all those whooping, cheering faces.

  Many of them had called her ab. Many had ignored her in the hallways, dismissed her.

  And now they’re cheering, she thought. Now I belong.

  She belonged just in time to leave.

  She wondered then that if they knew the full truth if they would still think she belonged. Or whether her being the Omenborn would make them steer clear of her just as they had before, only for different reasons.

  Belt, tiring of the delay, lifted one hand up and snapped his fingers. Silence fell over the amphitheater like a blanket.

  The fireworks, spraying color against the blue sky, extinguished.

  “A hero’s welcome for you, Eleonora,” Belt spread his hands in welcome, “Please, join us on the stage.”

  Behind him, Magister Cassiodorian lifted his robed arms into the air and dispelled the silence. Belt cast a glance back at him, but didn’t interfere.

  Ellie started walking, her footsteps sounding far too loud.

  Just as Arabella had said, Belt took her in: her jeans, her shirt, her plain, knock-off athletic shoes. He himself wore a deep and sumptuous robe.

  Ellie basked in his irritation.

  Then she stood on the stage next to him.

  Her heart slammed against her ribs, and sweat stuck her shirt to her back. She cast her eyes around the crowd, trying to search out Sybil.

  She wanted Thorn there, too. But he still hadn’t recovered.

  “Eleonora, I’d like to officially congratulate you on passing the Trial of Minos,” Belt said, his voice carrying out over the crowd.

  “My name is Ellie,” she replied.

  Belt smiled, amused by her little rebellions. “Ellie, then. It’s time for us to depart and for you to claim your reward.”

  “Miss Ashwood!” Aurelius said, approaching them.

  A sudden surge of irrational hope ran through her. He’s not going to let Belt take me, Ellie thought.

  Aurelius reached out and took her hands in his. “I told you life wasn’t through with you yet.”

  Her hope turned to cinders.

  “There’s much ahead of her, Magister,” Belt glanced away, eager to leave, “Can’t you see it?”

  Then Ellie did it. She opened herself up, revealing everything that had happened. The whole truth of it as she knew. It flashed across her mind for Aurelius to see if he chose to look.

  Aurelius frowned, and she thought that he did see. His hands tightened on hers. But then they loosened and his frown turned to a smile.

  “So much promise!” Aurelius said, and Ellie knew that he hadn’t seen any of it. “Good luck, Miss Ashwood.”

  “Thanks,” Ellie cast her eyes down.

  Then Belt turned and waved his hand. A breach portal sliced into existence in front of them, the magic of it crackling in the air and leaving behind a burnt, ozone-like smell.

  The portal peered into a broad, wood-panelled chamber.

  “Come, Ellie,” Belt said. He put his hand on her shoulder.

  She almost flinched away.

  They walked through the breach portal, which closed behind them.

  Chapter 40

  They arrived in the vast chamber seen through the portal. When the portal closed behind them, it took most of the light with it.

  Belt didn’t let go of her shoulder. “I know what you tried to do.”

  “You kept him from seeing, didn’t you?” Ellie chafed at his grip.

  A set of double doors off to the side opened. Caspian strode in through them. He grinned when he saw her.

  “Aurelius Cassiodorian,” Belt intoned, “Used to be one of the most powerful sorcerers in the world. It used to be that a simple concealing spell like the one I used to keep him from seeing would never have fooled him. But now… But now, the magic is failing and so is Cassiodorian. He is old.”

  Ellie thought she actually detected something like sympathy or regret in Belt’s voice. “And you aren’t?”

  “I am something else,” Belt replied. Then he looked at her. “Just like you.”

  Ellie didn’t care about Thorn’s plan anymore. She did
n’t want to be there with this man. She couldn’t be here.

  She tried to break free, struggling against his grip on her shoulder. But she couldn’t budge no matter how she thrashed.

  Finally, she called on the power within her. It exploded in a wave of heat from her chest. “Let go of me!”

  She grabbed Belt’s wrist with both hands and let that force within her blast him. Her hands glowed white-hot.

  Belt snarled and released her.

  She fell backwards, but didn’t hit the ground. The magic cushioned her, pushed her back to her feet. It crackled in the air, little tongues of white lightning flicking around her body.

  “You can’t keep me here!” Ellie crouched low, like a cornered animal.

  As before, the power intoxicated her. It flowed through every vein, every nerve, every fiber.

  She thought she could do anything. She knew it.

  And yet…

  Darius Belt regarded her curiously, clasping his hands at the small of his back. He smiled, just a little, even as the power within Ellie cast light out around the room in fits and starts.

  Something is wrong, Ellie thought.

  She pushed it aside. Nothing in the Trial could stop her when she accessed her true power. Belt wouldn’t be able to, either.

  Then Ellie smiled. She knew just how to get back at him.

  She held the picture in her mind while she cast her right hand out to her side.

  The Minotaur coalesced into being beyond her outstretched fingers, just as it had appeared in the Trial. It snorted steam from its hairy muzzle. Its enormous hands flexed around the shaft of the ancient battle-ax it gripped, knuckles cracking like gunshots.

  If only Master Shaffir could see me now, Ellie thought. Forget about making little blocks of wood or stone. She didn’t think even Sourcewell’s Prime Channeler could do what she just so effortlessly did.

  Caspian’s grin faded. He glanced at his master and took a step back towards those opened doors. Ellie planned on finding out where those doors led.

  As soon as her Minotaur took out the trash.

  Darius Belt didn’t move. He didn’t even take his hands from behind his back. Instead, he just nodded slightly, as though impressed. Though not very impressed.

  More anger powered the next surge of energy through Ellie’s body.

  Something is wrong. Something is wrong. Her skin prickled. That little voice within her kept whispering that to her urgently, but she brushed it aside.

  “I see you need to get this out of your system,” Belt smoothed a wrinkle from his robe before returning his hands behind his body.

  “Muh… Master Belt…?” Caspian said, taking another step back towards the door.

  Caspian jumped and sucked in a sharp breath when the Minotaur looked his way.

  “I’m through,” Ellie basked in her power, “Being afraid of you!”

  Then she thrust an accusing finger at him. The Minotaur let out of bull’s roar and charged with its head low and its ax high.

  Ellie poured more of her power into the beast. It grew in size as it charged, the top of the ax nearly brushing the high ceiling of the chamber.

  She wanted nothing left of Darius Belt but a smear on the ground.

  The Minotaur roared again, so loud the room shook. Caspian covered his ears and squeezed his eyes shut.

  The monster’s heavy-bladed ax sliced through the air, flying towards Belt.

  Finally, Belt waved one hand carelessly through the air moments before that blade could cleave him in half.

  The Minotaur disintegrated with a loud whoosh.

  All that dispelled magical energy wafted out in a hot shockwave.

  The backlash of her broken spell slammed into Ellie, hitting her like a whip. She flew back through the air, her innate power snapping off.

  The back of her head bounced off the polished hardwood floor. Something crunched. Her vision blackened for a moment. It came back all blurry.

  Belt put his hands behind his back once more and walked over to her with calm, measured steps. “You may be the Omenborn, Ellie, but I know more about magic than you could learn in a thousand lifetimes.”

  Ellie sat up as much as she could. Her head swam. Nausea clenched queasy fingers into her stomach. “If you’re so strong already, what do you even want with me?”

  Belt frowned, “You and I are going to make the world right again. Trust me, it’s the only way. It’s the only acceptable outcome.”

  Then he whirled around and marched for the opened doors, passing Caspian on the way, “And you: never doubt my powers again. Get her up and bring her to me.”

  Caspian approached her cautiously, his glowing hands held up like a shield.

  Ellie tried to call on her magic. Her chest clenched. She rolled onto her side, about to heave. She could barely hold her head up.

  A swirl of magic lifted her up into the air. Her head rolled back, another wave of nausea sweeping through her.

  She managed to turn enough to catch Caspian’s eye. He had one hand held out, maintaining the spell that held her floating in the air in front of him as he walked after Belt.

  “Don’t let him do this,” Ellie croaked. Her voice sounded funny in her ears and she wondered if it was her voice or her ears that was the problem.

  “You don’t even know what he wants to do,” Caspian rolled his eyes.

  “Do you?” Ellie said. She could barely keep her eyes open. Even though the spell held her still, it felt like the world spun around her.

  The back of her head throbbed like it had a heart of its own.

  “Shut up,” Caspian replied. One of the tendrils of magic holding her lengthened. The glowing cord covered her mouth.

  Ellie was helpless.

  Chapter 41

  Caspian floated her through several interior halls. No windows anywhere. Just large, forbidden-looking wooden doors.

  She closed her eyes tight and tried again to call on her power.

  A hard fist squeezed into her stomach. Everything went tight. Terrible pulses of pain slammed into the back of her head where she’d hit it on the floor.

  She almost passed out.

  She almost wanted to.

  Being unconscious certainly beat feeling the way she did.

  “All used up, aren’t you?” Caspian’s voice sounded distant in her ears. Like an echo.

  Her head lolled on her shoulders. It took way too much effort to turn it to look back at him. For a few moments, three Caspians walked behind her, each holding a hand out to maintain the spell.

  “Let me go,” she moaned, “Please.”

  “Well, since you said please…” Caspian said. He shook his fingers.

  The spell holding her bounced her up and down. Tendrils of pain ran down from the back of her skull and took root all throughout her body.

  She tried to scream but no sound came out; the pain had locked her throat.

  Finally, mercifully, he stopped. “He’ll want you awake.”

  Ellie blinked at the blurriness in her eyes. A lot of it came from the terrible dizziness, but not all of it. An even worse pressure pushed against the back of her eyes.

  A pressure that built as the realization of her helplessness dawned more and more on her.

  They rounded a bend in the hallway and Caspian nodded, wanting her to look forward.

  She saw what he meant. There was another door, but this one was different. It reminded her of one on a ship, what with its small, circular porthole window.

  Then he pinned her against the wall beside the door. The back of her head brushed against that wall and sparks exploded behind her eyes.

  He opened the door with a magical glance. It swung open on well-oiled, nearly silent hinges.

  Ellie couldn’t really move against the force pinning her to the wall. Unable to turn her head, she turned her eyes as far as they could go.

  Her heart sped up. She found it difficult to swallow. Something about the room seemed off.

  A strange sensatio
n of nothing emanated from it. Not just nothingness, but a hungry nothingness.

  “You feel it already, don’t you?” Caspian said, noticing her watchful eyes, “He designed it especially for you. Well, not you you. But who and what you are.”

  She didn’t want to go in there. Her skin prickled up at the thought of going into that room.

  And what did she detect in Caspian’s voice? Some strain of something like jealousy?

  “Well,” he said, “You’re going to have to get used to it. You’re going to be in there for a very long time.”

  He crooked a finger in a come-here motion and she floated away from the wall. He glided her into the room and she still couldn’t move more than her eyes.

  Her whole body trembled. Burning tears stung in her eyes, but she refused to let them drop down her cheeks. She wouldn’t give Caspian that pleasure.

  An octagonal room greeted her, each of the eight walls seeming to both absorb and reflect light at the same time.

  A lone chair sat in the center of the room. It had leather cuffs on the arms and the two front legs, as well as a head restraint.

  No. No. Please, no… Ellie thought.

  She struggled again. She tried to call her power using the sudden blast of panic that rushed through her.

  Once more she nearly threw up, the nausea clenching into her stomach like hungry jaws.

  Caspian floated her into the chair, his restraining spell preventing any struggle. She could only watch as he grabbed her wrists and ankles one by one and strapped them in.

  She flinched each time he tightened a strap against her skin. The edges of the leather bit into her flesh.

  Just as he finished, Belt appeared in the doorway. He ducked down to get into the room. He wore the same robes as before.

  When he saw her, he gave a little nod of satisfaction. That nod also dispelled her magical restraints.

  She flexed her fingers and toes against the tightness of the leather straps holding her down. They already prickled with the onset of numbness.

  “You may go,” Belt told Caspian without looking at him.

  The little smirk that had stayed on Caspian’s face since he picked her up from that main chamber dropped.

  “Don’t you need me here?” Caspian glanced from Ellie to Belt.