The Trials of Blackbriar Academy

by Olivia Ash

  “A little.” He chuckles under his breath. “My parents would be so disappointed if I failed. That’s why I’m here. To study the trials as well.”

  “So, are you willing to help out?”

  His eyes light up with a smile and he says, “I think I know of a few books that could help.”

  I sigh in relief. “Thank you.”

  For some reason, I trust him. I feel like I can open up to him completely and not have to worry about the backlash of it all going wrong. Now, that doesn’t mean I’m willing to open up just yet. I still want to be one-hundred percent sure I could place that trust in him. For now, I’ll keep my real motives to myself.

  “Milo Moreau,” a man with a deep, gravelly voice speaks from the door of the library.

  Milo snaps his attention in that direction and stands. “Yes?”

  “You are called to your first trial. How do you answer?” the man says.

  I slouch back in my chair, slightly deflated. They are taking Milo from me.

  “I accept,” he says and looks at me. A smile pulls on his lips and I almost get caught in his eyes again. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Wren. I hope we can talk again soon.”

  I smile, floored as excited energy pulses through me. It takes everything to keep my giddy self from popping out and dancing in my chair. “Likewise, Milo. Good luck.”

  He nods and walks to join the man at the door that called him away to his trial. The magic in me soothes slightly until evening out and returning to its normal state. But it feels slightly sluggish. Like it hated him leaving as much as I do.

  I wonder what I can learn about my magic and the reason why it reacts to four incredibly hot guys. Albeit one is an asshole, but still. In an island full of mages, these four have to be special in some way. There’s no other logical explanation for it.

  The godfather clock in the far corner of the library strikes four. It will be dinner soon, and then more training with Captain Serious.

  I look at the spot where Milo last stood and sigh wistfully. There’s no doubt about it, I would rather spend an evening pouring over books and research than training with a man who seems to hate me for no damn good reason.

  God, I hope Milo passes.

  Chapter Eighteen

  The sunsets here are beyond magical.

  The way the colors blend and melt toward the horizon is spectacular. It’s like a vivid painting of light and wonder, and I love the sight of the day blending seamlessly into the night, all right over my head.

  Though the sight is beautiful and all, I should be training. However, Soren isn’t here. At first, I figured he was just running late. But he hates me. So, perhaps he decided I’m not worth the effort?

  I’ve been here for over an hour and he still has yet to show. And that pisses me off.

  Figuring he is done with me, I’m okay with being done with him. Yes, my magic reacts to him. Yes, I’m annoyingly attracted to him. Yes, I need the training. But I refuse to be treated like this. I have better things to do with my time than wait around on a man like Soren.

  Headmaster Storm said we could elect to have a new mentor if the one we have doesn’t work out. Well, I have just reached my breaking point and won’t wait around for Soren any longer. I don’t care what his reason or excuse is. I’m getting a new mentor, and he can kiss my ass if he doesn’t like it.

  Besides, waiting on a man who hates me is not only cruel punishment but also sours my enjoyment of the majestic sunset.

  I slap my hands together, dusting them off from the wait, and make my way toward the headmaster’s office.

  Once inside, I read the signs that indicate where Headmaster Storm is and follow them through the maze of halls and stairways to a dead-end wall covered with a painting of a window overlooking scenes that magically change. The entire painting takes up the entire wall, and I stare in awe as the movement seems real.

  Feels real.

  The burgundy curtains blow in the breeze from the sea. The sun shines its warmth in a wedge of light that folds over the window sill. A pot of flowers rests on a table to the right and the pink petals soak up the breeze and sun, dancing as though it has a life of its own.

  Something large and massive flies in front of the window, startling the ever-loving crap out of me. I fall on my butt as the realization dawns on me. It’s a dragon.

  Working to catch my breath, I stare in awe as the image changes. The window is gone. In its place is a meadow with long blades of grass and bright, glowing purple wildflowers growing from the floor. Trees line the side, angling toward the middle of the painting. As the leaves fall, they glow in a pinkish color, collecting on the ground.

  I stand and walk toward the image, reaching a hand to touch the wall as the scene changes again.

  This one is of a ship. One that looks like an old pirate ship. But this one has billowing white sails fully extended, and on the bow, as the boat floats closer, a wooden image of a beautiful woman wrapped in a loose tunic dress, barely covering her breasts. She turns her head toward me as she passes by and waves. I slowly wave back as the ship presses onward, past my view.

  The image changes again, but this time, I hear arguing behind the wall. It’s muffled, but one voice stands out.

  Soren’s.

  He spits out my name, and I’m suddenly acutely aware that he is arguing with someone about me. I step closer to the wall and press my ear to it, to hear their conversation better.

  “I know you have seen her soul, Gideon. Her true nature. But that is not the point. Souls can change. And I don’t trust her,” Soren says. His words are forceful and full of rage.

  Interesting. Gideon can see a person’s soul. I wonder if that’s what helped him climb the ranks so much quicker than others. Being able to tell if someone is corrupt or predisposed toward light or dark, can be a useful gift for someone like Gideon.

  This is a development that needs further looking into. I wonder just how much he can see and not see.

  “Not only that,” Soren continues, “but it seems recently you have been having some troubles with that gift of yours, correct?”

  “True,” Gideon says. “There are a few individuals within these walls whose souls I cannot see. However, it isn’t a flaw of my power, it’s a block. They are somehow preventing me from seeing them. I’m doing my due diligence by keeping a close eye on them in hopes of finding out how and why they are blocking me. A flaw in my power would have shown itself before now, Soren.” his voice seems even. Tried on patience maybe, but even.

  Well, at least Gideon Storm is willing to give me the benefit of a doubt. I still don’t understand why Soren hates me so much. It doesn’t make sense. I’ve done absolutely nothing to him. But maybe I can find out why now?

  “You know how I feel, dammit,” Soren says. “We’ve been through this before. She shouldn’t be here.”

  “She’s different,” Gideon says. “I have seen her soul. She is pure. Powerful, yes. But if she was prone to dark magic, I would’ve seen it. Trust me, brother. As you have done for so many years.”

  Oh, so I may be on the right track with that soul reading thing, and it looks like he can tell who is more susceptible to dark and light magic. It still doesn’t answer Soren’s penchant for hating me.

  “A lot of people died then, Gideon. Too many. She is a risk we should not be taking. I have no idea what Deacon was thinking when he brought her here. She should be forced to leave.”

  And have my memories messed with? No thank you. Soren, you asshole, what the hell is your deal?

  “Why did you volunteer to train the girl then?” Gideon asks.

  At first, there’s nothing. I press myself closer to the wall in case they moved deeper into the room, but I still can’t hear anything.

  “I can keep an eye on her,” Soren says. “She’s waiting for me now. I should get going.”

  Oh, no I’m not. I gave up on that.

  I don’t wait to listen to their goodbyes. Instead, I run down the hall and wait for S
oren to be out of earshot and out of view before going back to the headmaster’s office. Now, more than ever, I want answers, and I certainly don’t want or need Soren as my personal babysitter.

  Ducking into a doorway in the intersecting hall, I press myself against the corner as far as I can go. Soren rushes by, a concentrated expression on his face. But I don’t have time to worry about him. I need to get to Headmaster Storm’s office, and he has another thing coming if he thinks I’m going to leave without a new mentor. Especially after what I just heard.

  Not that I will reveal that part, but I will if I have to.

  I poke my head around the doorway and watch as Soren turns completely out of sight. He’s gone. Time to go.

  As I make it back to the office, Gideon is outside of his door. The wall of shifting, moving paintings are gone, leaving the smooth ivory colored wall and the dark cherry door and trim. He turns as I make it half-way down the hall.

  His eyes widen and my magic buzzes through me. I freeze in place for a moment and watch as his eyes light up and a smile pulls on his lips.

  “Miss Blackwood,” he says. “Is there something you need?”

  I blink away the spell I was under, refocus on the reason I’m here. “I need to speak with you about getting a new mentor.”

  His smile falters a little and he nods. Turning to face the door, he unlocks the handle and opens the door. “Please, come in.”

  The closer to him I get, the more my magic buzzes, strength pulsates through me. I feel stronger, unstoppable. And it’s all frustratingly unclear.

  That frustration becomes replaced with instant awe. His office is huge. Impossibly larger than what it seems on the other side of the door. Bookshelves line the walls, except the one where a fireplace takes residence. A small table with two large, cushy leather chairs sits in front of the fireplace.

  The wall across from the entry has a large window with a desk in front of it and a couple over-stuffed chairs in front of that.

  The whole room has a smell of firewood, cinnamon, and clove. There’s a sweeter scent under all of that I can’t place.

  I look up, and the ceiling is a reflection of the sky with a chandelier seemingly hovering in the air directly above me.

  “Wow,” I say.

  “I’m glad you like it,” Gideon says, pulling my attention back to him. He sits at his desk and when I settle my gaze on him, and he gestures to one of the chairs in front of him. “Please, sit.”

  I smile and take a seat.

  “Why do you want a new mentor?” he starts.

  “Does ‘he’s an asshole’ work as a good excuse?” I ask and wish my mind didn’t suddenly become lost in the idea of fucking him on the desk. It’s a bitter sweet image in my mind because he is the headmaster and I’m an initiate. No relationships.

  But a girl can dream.

  Gideon chuckles. “He can be, yes. Particularly with things he feels strongly about. Why don’t you explain what he has done so that I have more background?”

  I nod. “Well, he threatens me, treats me like I’m an idiot, acts like I’m an unruly child, and hints that I’m evil. He hates me for no reason. I’ve done nothing to him. And just tonight, I waited for over an hour for him to show up to our training he demanded I do.”

  “Forgive his tardiness. He was with me. That wasn’t his fault,” Gideon says. “Soren is a good friend of mine and has been for many years. Though his methods are a bit harsh—”

  “A bit?” I ask.

  He nods. “A bit, yes. My point is, he’s only trying to do what he thinks is best. It’s nothing personal toward you, specifically. It’s more situational. Try to see past that and just do the best you can.”

  I narrow my eyes on him. “So, you won’t give me a new mentor?”

  He holds up his hands in defense as he leans back in his chair. “I didn’t say that at all. Consider this a learning curve for the both of you. He needs to learn to be gentler with his methods, and you need to learn to hone your skills, so you don’t hurt yourself or others and pass the trials.”

  I shake my head. “Still sounds like a no.”

  “Look at it this way,” he says, “it’s more of a second chance. Allow him to see he has nothing to fear with you. He’ll come around.”

  “How can you be so sure?” I ask. “Seems like he’s more of an obligated, glorified babysitter than a mentor.”

  He chuckles.

  And I get a little wetter between my thighs.

  Everything about this man is sexy and threatens to undo every thread of my self-control. He’s very pleasant to top it off, and I still remember what his touch did to me during the welcome ceremony.

  I bite the corner of my lower lip and cross my legs to keep the pressure from building any more than it already has.

  As much as I hate to admit it, I want to agree to a second chance for Soren. Just because he asked me, I want to do whatever it takes to keep me on his good side. It’s deeper than that though. Maybe more like I want to please him and oblige his request because it’s hard not to.

  Gideon says, “He’s the best we have in this school and I trust him to take care of you when the need arises.”

  “He has a pretty crappy way of showing that.”

  “That may be very true. Tell you what…” He points a finger at me and sits up in his chair. “I’ll let you in on a little secret. But you have to keep it between you and me.”

  I sit forward, make a gesture like I’m locking my lips closed and ask, “What?”

  “He’s harder on himself than he is on anyone else,” he says.

  “That’s hard to believe,” I mutter, sitting back in the chair. A man like Soren doesn’t strike me as the type.

  “So, will you do that for me, please?” His voice is soft, and his eyes pull me in like an embrace. “Give him another chance. If he still belittles you, I’ll find you another mentor.”

  Ah, dammit. He asked so sweetly. And that need to do as he requests is just too much to ignore. I nod.

  “Thank you,” he says.

  “Oh, believe me, there will be changes. I’m not going to be snapped at and treated like an idiotic child. If he wants to train me, he can also show me a little respect.”

  He chuckles again and says, “You are quite headstrong, aren’t you?”

  I chuckle with him and shake my head. “Maybe a little.”

  “I have no doubt that you will do great things, Wren.” The way he says my name is so… erotic. “Not only here at Blackbriar, but in the world as well.”

  The fact that this is my moment to find out more about his power doesn’t escape me, and as soon as I can speak, I ask, “How can you be so sure?”

  Damn. My voice shook. I wonder if he noticed it.

  He smiles like he knows damn well what he does to me, and I can tell once I’m accepted into the academy, he’s going to have fun with me like this until I completely implode.

  “I have gifts of my own. Let’s just leave it at that for now, shall we?”

  Reluctantly, I nod.

  “I want you to place your trust in me. Any time you need anything or just want to have a place to hang out for a while, come here. My door is always open to you.” He waves his hand toward the door and the area surrounding the wall glows with golden light for a moment. It’s gone as quickly as it appeared.

  I return my gaze to him. Flattered and so freaking turned on. I was just given an open invitation. That may be my downfall. “Thank you, Headmaster.”

  “Call me Gideon,” he says. “Is there anything else I can help you with?”

  Well… we could release this increasing ache between my legs.

  “Nothing that I can think of,” I say.

  “Very well,” he says and stands.

  I stand with him and he leads me toward the door with his hand gently pressed on the small of my back. My body erupts in unhinged desire.

  Yup. He definitely knows what he does to me.

  Bastard.

  I really need
to figure this out. But I have to get a handle on my magic before I can tackle why my magic reacts so much to the four men that have come into my life. I don’t know if I can face Soren right now. My body’s flux of emotions are a bit to handle for the current moment.

  “Actually, will you do me one favor?” I ask.

  “Of course,” he says.

  “I need to clear my head and think. Will you tell Soren I’m not well and I’ll see him in the morning?”

  We step through the door and he removes his hand from my back.

  He nods. “Just this once. But it’s best for you to be as open and honest with Soren as much as you can. It will benefit your relationship with him more than you know.”

  I nod and say, “Thanks for your help, Gideon. Have a good night.”

  “Sleep well, Wren.” He smiles and I swear I caught a wink. But it was too quick, I can’t be sure.

  We turn in opposite directions at the intersecting hall and I nearly run into Professor Lawrence.

  “What are you up to over here, Miss Blackwood?” he asks.

  I shrug. “I just had a question I needed to ask the headmaster. That’s all.”

  He levels his stone blue eyes on me and says, “Miss Blackwood, I insist you come to me from now on. Not the headmaster of the entire academy. He’s a busy man, and until you are a student here, I’m the best person to come to. Come to me only. Always.”

  I nod. But, honestly, I’m not so sure. On one hand, he did grant me his only invitation to go through the trials for admission to Blackbriar. On the other hand, he clearly has motives he hasn’t shared with me. Not to mention, is willing to share. And this conversation isn’t helping that. It’s almost as though he doesn’t want me going to the headmaster for anything. I’m sure the man is busy, but if he didn’t have the time to help me out, Gideon would have said so. He seemed very willing to help me.

  Something is off about the professor’s request to only come to him. I clearly need to find out more about him before I find myself in a situation I can’t back out of.

  He smiles, and again it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Good. Have a good evening, Miss Blackwood.”