Betrayal: An Urban Fantasy Academy Series

by Bob Dattolo

  “Didn’t you hear? It’s all part of my plan to kill everyone that’s mean to me. Unless I actively fight back against the name calling, in which case that’s part of my plan to kill everyone that’s mean to me.”

  She snorted, “Yeah. That’s fucked. Bypassing that? What I’m trying to say is that we’ve been watching and we’re not going to back off, but we aren’t planning anything.”

  She smells honest, which makes me wonder how she’s prevaricating. More than likely, that means that they already have something planned if it’s needed. That’s more the Sorrowfeld Academy way.

  Let’s see where this goes. As eye-opening as the conversation was, it still played into the weirdness about the day. It really did.

  Now, back to the rumors. Should I really question everyone? That has merit. It really does. I just wonder if people would really answer me?

  Hmm, something to think about.

  Chapter 36

  The wind whistled around me as I cruised through the sky. I’m feeling good at the moment. Very good. Not because I’m flying, although that’s pretty darn spectacular, but because this has been a fantastic weekend.

  And not because it’s the last weekend before the trial.

  Frankly, it may be later on Saturday, but I’m pretty much assuming tomorrow, Monday, and then Tuesday are going to suck. Hopefully not as much as last year’s Monday and Tuesday did.

  As for why today at least is spectacular? I left the stricken house not long ago after spending the night. Cindy was healed last week and was beside herself with excitement. Then I managed to get the mortmagi out of Kim the same day. She was healed last night.

  We tried to get Alicia to be able to do either spell, but she fell short again. I swear I don’t know how or why she can’t do it while I can. I’m not doing anything in particular that I can see. I may have more magic than she does, yet…I still swear she should be able to do it. I think she came pretty close with the mortmagi spell, which should be the more difficult of the two due to the amount of power needed.

  Instead, I managed to get them out of Rog this morning and heal him afterwards.

  Sooo much excitement and partying. Everyone that’s healed agreed to stay there at least for now. None of them want to get found out and have the rest lose out on their opportunity if the powers that be decide to do something about it. That’s a crazy huge dick move, and none of them want to be the ones responsible for their friends and pretty much family members getting fucked hard and long.

  So, yeah, fantastic day so far. I’m feeling tired but not worn. Like I had an amazing workout but didn’t push myself into exhaustion.

  We’re back to using my original charms. None of the newer versions were safe enough to run with. Not even the set I made earlier this week. That kinda sucks, but beggars can’t be choosers, right?

  And we’re decidedly beggars.

  Too bad I don’t think doing another set tomorrow is a great idea. We went for it today on a whim when I hadn’t wanted to risk things. It felt like a good chance, so we took it and I’m glad I did. I’m also glad that I didn’t fuck up and burn out the week of the trial.

  I have to watch that.

  The realization that we’re so close to the trial is hitting me harder than it had been. It didn’t spring up on me or sneak up, yet it kinda did. As I’m coasting way up high and staring down at the world, I realize that I bet my life on that going well today.

  Dammit. Stupid. So stupid.

  I won’t let that realization cast a pall over what happened, but I have to watch for it. This is when things started getting ultra-weird last year, and I should have been preparing for that possibility. The rumors took me apart that last weekend and into Monday, and I’ll be shocked as shit if they don’t try that again this year.

  Thankfully, I’m in a better place emotionally than I was last year. I know I have two groups of allies out there with a third sort of hovering. The first two know about the new one, but Cleo, Cesar, and Stacey don’t know about the others. Thankfully, they’re not against the other groups, so that’s a huge plus. We’re still not sure how to handle walking into the trial and if we should make it known that we’re together or just sort of happen to be in the same area at the same time.

  We’re gonna play it by ear.

  The stress of this is something else. I’m floating along up here with my mind and body trying to relax, yet the stress of the trial is warring it out and trying to take over. Seriously, no wonder third-year kids are like grizzled vets. I’m feeling that more and more lately. Based on what I’ve seen on the faces of others and overheard? My classmates are feeling it too.

  “What the fuck?” The school’s coming into range now, and there’s a massive crowd out where there shouldn’t be one.

  Fuck.

  Someone’s in a challenge. What’s worse is that there’re way too many kids there to be just our class.

  My flight had me landing closer to the group that looked like my class, and some turned towards me, faces looking crazy serious. “What the fuck did I miss?” Most of them didn’t respond before turning back, with Samantha’s wave getting me to move towards her. She looks pissed.

  The circle’s kinda huge, so I didn’t have to beat my way through the crowd. It just felt like it. I ended up next to her, with Paige and Riley on my left. They smell beyond upset. “What the fuck did I miss? Seriously? I’ve only been gone for like 16 hours, what the hell happened?”

  Samantha shook her head, short and quick, and bumped me with her arm, “It’s been a fucked night and morning. Seriously.”

  My eyes catch on an odd group of people standing together closer to the headmaster. Someone I don’t know is inside the circle at the moment, looking like a first-year student. “Someone get with the talking, why the fuck are Parece and Levi over there? And April?”

  Angelica spoke up from the other side of Samantha, “Umm…four challenges. Megan was in town and Sid went after her. That’s him right there.” She nodded towards the kid in the circle, “They ended up in a challenge.”

  “Ookay? That explains Megan, but what about the other three?”

  “April went after Joe. He’s an earth mage.” She motioned to the side of the huge circle, but I couldn’t quite make out who she was trying to point out to me. “Then…Parece was challenged by Angela. First year fire mage. I’m still unclear what happened there.”

  Samantha grunted, “Someone shoved her, and she ran into April. No one caught who did the shoving.”

  “You have to be fucking kidding me. This is fucking ridiculous! We have the trial in four fucking days!”

  Nods from the others, “One of the last few days to get a load of power before the trial.” Paige’s response covered it all. It really did.

  “This is a fucking nightmare.” No response to that.

  “What about Levi? Why’s he over there?”

  Samantha cleared her throat, “I was there for that one. We weren’t together, but we were at the diner. Kirk’s the silver dragon on the other side of the circle from us. Third year. He was basically telling people that he was going to…umm…” She stopped talking.

  Angelica took over, “He was telling people he was gonna find you and force you into a challenge so he could kill you. Levi went after him.”

  What the actual fuck? “He…he what? He went after him? To stop him from going after me? Why?”

  “We don’t know.” Samantha’s eyes were trying to tell me something that I wasn’t getting.

  Why would he do that? Was he…trying to protect me? Is that it? If so, why? I get that we’re getting along better, but we’re not to the point that someone would risk their life for me, you know? Not that I’d want to get challenged or attacked, but I’d like to think that I’ve shown people that I can weather a lot. I won’t say that I’m confident of a win in a challenge, but out of all of us, I can shift faster and have more experience in challenges.

  “What the hell?”

  “Kirk’s supposed
to be some sort of badass. This might not be good for Levi.” Paige looks more concerned than I would have anticipated, “Joe, too. April mighta gone after the wrong guy.”

  Headmaster Anderson stepped into the circle with Megan at his side. Sid watched them approach with a sort of wavering confidence on his face. Makes me wonder if he got what he wanted, it’s just that he didn’t really know what he wanted.

  I know he wanted to win a challenge to have a better shot of making it through the trial, it’s just that now it’s real to him. He probably should have worked through that ahead of time.

  Our headmaster walked through the rules, which I mostly ignored as I studied the people around the circle. It looks like everyone from our grade is here. At least I think so. I can’t see Kaylee, but that’s not surprising. She’d most likely not be in front and visible to everyone. I hate that this is a sport that we can watch. Yeah, I’m here, but there’s something so, so…wrong, maybe, about being killed in front of witnesses. It’s like you can’t even have that last private moment to yourself.

  Yet something else to lament about this fucked up society.

  Our headmaster stepped from the circle, and Sid yelled as he launched into a charge at the thinner Megan. Thinner, yet she’s taller as an air age. He made it three steps, hair fluctuating in brilliance, before her spells went off.

  Thank God I can feel magic, because otherwise I’m not sure I’d get what happened. First, he tripped due to a low wall of air going up in front of him. Then she hit him with just about three times normal gravity to drive him into the ground, then an explosion of pushing, an air spike, and outright movement with the spell shooting him into the air nearly 20 feet. At which point increased gravity and another spike of wind, pushing down, drove him into the ground like a fucking spiked football.

  I swear, I’m not sure how he was alive when she crouched over him, “Stupid fucker. I never wanted this.” She killed him quickly, letting his power drain into her.

  The crowd around the circle began to cheer, with her ignoring them and heading back towards the side with our class.

  April was called up next, with Joe the earth mage joining her. This is a fucked combination, at least physically. She’s decently large, but he’s larger. Neither of them are water mage big, but damn, Joe gives them a solid run for their money on size.

  More announcements as they glared at each other. Why the hell would she have attacked this guy? I’ve heard that she’s decently strong and all of that, but why him? There are others that would seem to be better chances for her to win if she’s desperate to drain some power.

  The headmaster was headed back towards the side before Joe said a word, “Why the fuck did you do this, you stupid bitch?”

  She sneered, “I told you, I want your power.”

  He flexed his hands, “Almost three fucking years without a challenge. I did every-fucking-thing to stay out of one, yet you gotta push it. And push it. And push it.”

  “You want some cheese with that whine?”

  He shook his head, “Whatever. I’ll try to make it quick for you.”

  “Something every girl has said after being with you. Quick. Small.”

  He grunted, expression not changing at all.

  “She’s so fucked.” Seriously, why him?

  “Why do you say that?” Samantha nudged me again.

  “Fucking look at him. Three years with no challenges? He’s big but not that big. I’m thinking he’s way more powerful than she thought.”

  “Huh…I’m not sure I…” Her throat closed with an eep as the headmaster stepped from the circle.

  I expected a fast response, I really did. I just didn’t expect world war freaking three to kick off right here, right now. She struck out with wind, lights, gravity, changing gravity to the sides, explosions of air, and then tried to suck it from his lungs. He stayed in place and fucking destroyed her incoming spells. Shields, earth barriers, brute strength, and some darkness spells triggered in a breathtaking barrage that ended up only allowing part of one of the gravity spells to hit him.

  Then his offensive spells kicked in. I’m not sure she ever thought that he’d fuck her with the earth. It rose beneath her and tossed her, then proceeded to smack her back and forth between two viciously spiked walls that tore into her like I never even imagined.

  By the time the last one hit her, I’m not sure she had a solid bone in her body. She wasn’t dead, though. Not just yet. He headed for her as the earth rose up, creating almost a bed for her as she gasped and struggled to live. I expected some sort of snide comment. Instead, he stared at her for long moments, slowly shaking his head, “I told you I didn’t want this. You came at me. Three fucking years of not getting challenged, all fucked up because of you. My parents are the strongest fucking earth mages in the United States. I’m more powerful than they are. You saw me fucking with some simple spells and messing them up on purpose to be funny and then thought you could go after me. I warned you. So did my classmates. You’re lucky, though, I told you I’d make it quick.”

  He came down with a vicious hit that caused her legs to jerk, but I knew it was misfiring nerves. I’m not sure how many saw the spikes ram up from the bed beneath her, killing her. He absorbed her power in a cascading display of success, then stalked from the circle to cheers from most of the surrounding kids. He does not look amused.

  Honestly, I feel for him.

  “God damn, you were right, Maddie. That was…he’s a freaking beast.” Samantha eyed him up as he turned to stare into the circle. Kids near him were congratulating him, but he didn’t really react much. I have a feeling he’s a kindred spirit on some level.

  Parece headed into the circle next, leaving her clothes on the sideline. Angela joined her, making snide comments to the other year-one kids near her about Parece being naked.

  Seriously? It’s near the end of the year and she thinks she can tease a dragon about that? I hope to God that’s not a sign of how stupid she is.

  The announcements went faster than before, or so it seemed. I couldn’t help splitting my time between Parece and Levi on the side. I don’t like this. I don’t like that he tried to protect me. I don’t know what that means. I also don’t like that one of my friends is in the circle. We may not be public allies, but she’s still my friend to me. She may not even feel the same way, yet I still feel that she’s my friend.

  Angela laughed as Headmaster Anderson headed for the edge of the circle, “I can’t believe you’re such a whore!” She looked my former roommate up and down, “So disgusting. Look at you. Walking around in front of everyone like that. What the fuck’s wrong with you? Can’t you come out here and die with dignity?”

  Parece tilted her head to the side, studying her. Both of them have magic flowing, but I can’t quite tell what they’re working on. She doesn’t say anything, and I can tell that her dragon is riding her right now.

  Hmm, “Parece! Remember Colin!” My yell cut through the others since I pushed it with magic. I know she heard it based on the little twitch in her shoulders. I just wasn’t sure if she’d pick up what I meant.

  The moment the headmaster crossed the line, both of them moved. Angela’s fire spell kicked off, sending a wash of fire directly at where my roommate had been standing. Too bad she dove to the side like a fucking ninja, going into a roll and coming up running as Angela screamed and bent over.

  She remembered.

  Two super-powered lights directly in the eyeballs tend to play hell with people’s vision.

  Angela didn’t realize just how bad things were until she was picked up by the throat with one hand, the other coming in again and again, crushing her face with massive blows I swear we can feel out here.

  Angela went from a decently pretty first-year fire mage to a corpse in nine punches, magic flowing into Parece before her body got tossed to the side. That left my former roommate staring at first-year kids to the side that I think were friends with Angela. She licked the blood from her knuckles and
stared at them for nearly a minute before walking back towards her clothes.

  I cheered along with my class for that one. I don’t like that someone died, but she’s my friend. Plus, it helps that she wasn’t the aggressor to me. This wasn’t a power grab on her part. She’s just taking advantage of the opportunity as it comes up.

  Brutal. Bloodthirsty.

  Welcome to Sorrowfeld Academy.

  Levi walked into the circle next. He left his clothes to the side, which let me look him over. I’ve seen him naked enough times over the past year plus in shifting class. It’s not a thing for us, yet there’s still something about seeing him that…I don’t know. I won’t say that I’m turned on, but it does seem to indicate that I’m not fully broken. I may be traumatized to my core over what happened under Reggie’s roof, but maybe, just maybe, I’ll be able to come out of it.

  The other guy came out as well. He’s also naked, although it doesn’t hit me quite the same way. He’s slightly taller than Levi, but he’s lacking the size. Still built, but he has smaller muscles overall. He has a hate-filled look on his face.

  “You ready to die, Barney?”

  Levi tilted his head and smiled, “Talking to yourself? That’s so adorable.”

  “Fuck you. You’re first. Then I’m gonna find that stupid stricken I’ve been hearing about.”

  A group of guys that were standing where he had been started making comments, with the loudest being, “Not if we get to her first!”

  Kirk looked back and laughed over his shoulder, “It’s a race! Ten bucks to whoever gets her!”