Eclipse Core (School of Swords and Serpents Book 2)

by Gage Lee

  Suddenly, the work I was doing for the Shadow Phoenixes seemed even more important. Abi and I were finally on the same team, even if he didn’t know it.

  “That’s terrible.” I shook my head. “I’m going to leave you to it. Need to think about some things.”

  “You should meditate on your problems. It will help to clear your mind,” Abi said. “Especially of girl problems.”

  Abi didn’t know the dangers that came for me when I meditated, but he was right about one thing. I needed to clear my mind and really look at the problems I had. It was the only way to conquer them.

  “You know what,” I said, “that’s a good idea.”

  We shook hands and gave each other half a hug, and I headed off to see if I could get my mind right. The cottage would’ve given me the most privacy, but it was too tangled up in everything for me to relax there. How could I concentrate on a peaceful mind in the same place where I’d been whisked away by a transport or stepped through a portal into a different city?

  The library cells offered some privacy, but they weren’t exactly comfortable. I needed some place natural, where I could feel a breeze on my face and smell the wind.

  That was it. I knew exactly where to go.

  I found the strange path that led to the shifting terrain off the upperclassman floor. It was the perfect place for meditation. I felt better and calmer as soon as I headed toward the first hill. The path took me in a slightly different direction this time, though it still ended up crawling up the face of the mountain. When the wind grew chilly, on the verge of becoming unpleasant, I backtracked a little and took a seat.

  “Hey!” someone shouted in surprise.

  I jumped back and fell into a defensive posture, hands raised in a cross guard to ward off a blow to my head.

  “Oh, by the Flame,” Rachel said. “I’m so sorry, I keep sneaking up on you like that.”

  “How long were you behind me?” I asked, suddenly concerned. If Rachel, who was really quite terrible when it came to the sacred arts, was able to sneak up on me so easily, I’d be easy prey for a more experienced practitioner.

  “Not as long as you think.” She chuckled. “I came out here to get some fresh air and saw you coming up the mountain toward me. I hid back here to surprise you.”

  She pointed to a small crevice hidden by shadow. I’d never have fit back there, but Rachel was so small she’d had no trouble squeezing into the tight confines of her hiding place.

  “What a coincidence,” I said. “I was coming out here to meditate.”

  “It’s a good place for it,” Rachel said. “You mind if I stay with you?”

  I didn’t mind, and that was the problem. If Clem and Rachel were both competing for me, I didn’t know what to do. I liked them both, though not in the same exact way. Clem had done so much for me, and there was a deep bond that had been forged between us during the time when everyone else had turned their backs on me.

  My relationship with Rachel, on the other hand, was new and mysterious. It was exciting in a way that intrigued me, but I wasn’t sure if it would last. Then again, if I ran away from her, I’d never know what might have been. I knew that taking Rachel with me to meditate carried a risk. I could lose control of my darker self, and the Eclipse nature could rear its ugly head. But there was also a risk in avoiding this moment with Rachel. If I kept turning her away, she might not keep trying to spend time with me.

  I decided the possible reward outweighed the risk.

  “Sure,” I decided.

  “Awesome.” Rachel took my hand and gave it a squeeze. “Come this way.”

  She led me a bit further up the mountain onto an almost-hidden path that curved back deeper into the stone flank. We passed under a natural granite arch, and I was momentarily blinded by the transition from daylight to the much dimmer illumination provided by dozens of scattered electric blue specks.

  “Have you ever seen anything like it?” Rachel had stood up on her tiptoes to whisper in my ear, and her breath sent a shiver down my spine.

  My eyes adjusted to the strange light in stages. First, I could only see the specks of light in the gloom. Then the walls that supported the lights emerged from the shadows, curving around us in a cool embrace. Finally, the flowers that were the source of the glow took on more details. Their broad fronds were open wide to reveal the pistils and stamens that seemed to glowed brighter by the second.

  “No,” I whispered back. “I haven’t.”

  Rachel guided me to the center of the chamber, then motioned for me to sit on the floor next to her. Wordlessly, we assumed the classic meditation pose: legs crossed, spines straight, the backs of our hands resting on our knees with our palms facing the ceiling.

  I’d expected the stone floor to be uncomfortable and cold. Instead, it supported us comfortably and reflected our body heat to keep us from getting chilled. It was as if this spot had been created specifically for us.

  Soon, I fell into the smooth, even rhythm of meditation. My breaths pulled jinsei into my core, and every exhale purged impurities from the sacred energy and flushed them into my aura, where they could be used for serpents or disposed of as I saw fit. I ignored the aspects and concentrated on maximizing every breath to cycle as much of the jinsei as possible. That was the surest way to advance, and I wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to do that.

  Even when my core was filled with jinsei, I kept pulling in more and more of the sacred energy. I had to push myself past the limits that held me back. If I kept going, I’d reach a new, higher level of mastery and my core would become more powerful. The spiritual power was a thunderhead inside my core, flashes of lightning lancing from within it. Just a little further...

  “Jace.” Rachel’s voice was a soft, early spring breeze. “We should go. It’s getting late.”

  It was hard to release the power inside me, and harder still to claw my way up from the depths of my meditation. My eyelids felt like they weighed a hundred pounds each, and my heartbeats were slow and heavy. My breath was thick and wet in my lungs, as if I had to draw each gulp of air through a soaking wet cloth.

  The outside world pushed itself into my thoughts and scattered the storm of energy that I’d gathered. My Eclipse nature thrashed and raged in a confused tantrum at what it had been denied. It had felt how close we were to advancing and hated that I’d been distracted from my goal. Its hunger drove me to my feet, fists clenched, eyes narrowed into angry slits.

  “Jace.” Rachel backed away from me, one slow step at a time.

  I realized my core had used the cold aspects in my aura to summon my serpents. The twin tendrils of frosty white light arched away from my shoulders, their heads weaving in Rachel’s direction.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, stumbling over the words and banishing the serpents into clouds of ice crystals. “Please, I’m sorry.”

  Rachel stopped backing away, cocked her head to the left, then stepped forward until we were almost touching. She looked up at me, amber eyes warm and glowing with a curious warmth.

  “You’re a dangerous man, Jace Warin,” she said, her voice low and husky. I’d never heard that tone from Rachel. It was dark and surprising.

  And exciting.

  We stared at one another for a long moment, before she shivered and took my hand.

  “It’s late, we need to get back to the dorms.” Rachel threaded her fingers through mine, and we started down the mountain path.

  The trip seemed shorter going down than it had going up. I wasn’t sure if it was the terrain or the warmth of Rachel’s fingers laced with mine. It all seemed like a strange and pleasant dream, which would end as soon as we stepped off the path and back into the stone halls of the School of Swords and Serpents. Maybe that was the real reason the trip back felt like it only lasted a few minutes.

  “What time is it?” I asked. The sky had shifted from a pale blue to a deep purple velvet, though the terrain was lit up as clearly as if it were still noon. The strange combination and the jarring r
eturn from my meditations had my sense of time completely out of whack.

  “After ten,” Rachel said, a faint blush on her cheeks.

  “Oh,” I said. “I had no idea. I’ve been so focused on strengthening my core that time just slips away from me.”

  While there was no curfew for upperclassmen, a pair of students, alone, out well past dinner might raise a few eyebrows.

  “It’s all right,” Rachel assured me. She squeezed my hand in hers and smiled up at me. “I like hanging out with you. Even if you are a little scary.”

  I’d never considered myself scary. Intense, maybe. Driven, sure. But scary?

  I wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

  We’d reached the end of the path. One more step would take us back into the stone halls of study and practice. We paused there, neither willing to be the one who broke the spell we’d woven around ourselves.

  “I had a nice time.” The words sounded lame even to my own ears.

  “Me, too.” Rachel turned toward me and took my other hand.

  We were so close the fabric of our robes rustled against one another. Rachel’s fingers were warm between mine, a tingling pressure that made my heart race. I’d always thought she was pretty, but standing there in the strange light, I realized how stunning she was.

  She rose onto her tiptoes, bringing her face within inches of mine. Her lips parted and the warmth of her breath brushed against my face. I knew what she wanted. I wanted it, too.

  All I had to do was lean forward and—

  “Get away from my sister.”

  I recognized that voice.

  Rafael.

  The Disciple stood motionless in the hallway. His aura was filled with so many rage aspects it was nearly black. A flicker of jinsei danced from his hand, and I knew he was moments away from summoning his fusion sword.

  My Eclipse nature swarmed out of the darkness, suddenly territorial. It didn’t want to protect just me. It now regarded Rachel as part of the deal, and it was fiercely protective. If Rafael attacked, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to wrestle my darker urges under control.

  “Raph,” Rachel said, her voice sharp. Anger and embarrassment aspects danced in her aura like sparks from a bonfire. “This is none of your business. Leave us alone.”

  I was stunned speechless. The fact that Rachel and Rafael were brother and sister had never occurred to me. They didn’t look anything alike, and Rafael had been at the School while Rachel was studying at the Golden Sun Academy. None of it made any sense.

  “You dishonored my family once,” Rafael snarled at me. Other students had gathered at the end of the hall, drawn by his shouts. “You will not do it again. I demand satisfaction. A duel. Tomorrow, at noon. In the exercise yard.”

  The Fight

  THE DAY AFTER RAFAEL’S challenge was Saturday, and the dining hall’s breakfast crowd buzzed with excitement as rumors about it spread through the School’s student body. Most of the upperclassmen were well aware of the last time Rafael and I had fought. It had not ended well for the Disciple of Jade Flame, and it had taken several weeks before he could summon his fusion blade again. While it was strictly against school rules, bets on the new duel’s outcome were fast and furious. From what I heard while loading my plate with bacon and sausage, Rafael was the favorite by three to two.

  Either someone knew something about Rafael’s skills that I didn’t, or people were giving way too much credit to his being a year older than me. The Disciple was a strong fighter, but he hadn’t even been able to take me down when he got the jump on me last year. People were nuts to think he was that much of a favorite to beat me in a fair fight.

  “I can’t believe you accepted the duel,” Clem said when we’d taken a seat at our usual table. She had a disapproving frown stamped on her face, and Eric and Abi wouldn’t meet her eyes. “It’s stupid and dangerous. You know Rafael will cheat. He’d do anything to defeat you.”

  “It’s a sanctioned duel to three touches,” Abi said. “Professor Song will officiate. No one will get hurt.”

  “You really believe that?” Clem savagely bit the end off a sausage link. “This is the same guy that tried to kill our friend last year.”

  She had a point there. Rafael had ambushed me in the hall one day, an attack that had seemed completely unprovoked the time. I’d later learn that our now ex-headmaster, Grayson Bishop, had encouraged other students to come after me. If I hadn’t destroyed Rafael’s fusion blade and knocked him silly, he would definitely have murdered me in cold blood.

  “I’m stronger now,” I said. “He can do his worst, and I’ll beat him again.”

  “That’s the spirit!” Eric said, clapping me on the shoulder. “I mean, he’s had as much time as you to get better, but you’ve had more practice, right?”

  That wasn’t terribly comforting. Rafael was older than me, which meant he had a full year of training in the martial arts that I hadn’t enjoyed. On the other hand, I had fought hundreds of contenders in the Five Dragons Challenge. That had to count for something.

  “All because of that girl,” Clem said with a shake of her head. “I can’t believe Rafael thought you’d do anything improper with his sister. I mean, she’s nice enough, but really. You have much higher standards.”

  No one had an answer for that. Clem eyeballed each of us in turn, then returned her attention to her plate. Our conversation dwindled down to nothing, and by the time breakfast was over, the tension among my friends had reached truly uncomfortable heights.

  “I need to meditate a bit,” I said. “Cycle my jinsei, get my core ready. I’ll see you guys after the fight, right?”

  Clem’s eyes met mine for a moment. There was something troubled in her gaze. Her lips parted slightly, as if she were about to speak. The moment stretched out into a taut line between us. I knew I should say something.

  I just didn’t know what.

  “Yeah.” Clem pulled a chipper grin tight across her face. “We’ll be there to congratulate you when you beat him.”

  “Thanks,” I said.

  Clem looked away from me then, her eyes misty, suddenly very intent on the food in front of her.

  Abi and Eric wished me well, and I left the dining hall almost as confused as I had been the night before. I’d rather face a whole squad of heretics than go through that weirdness again.

  I found a quiet place to gather my thoughts, far from the hubbub of the dining hall. I reached out to rats all through the school, binding them to my core and sending them off on another search for Hahen. I really needed the little rat spirit’s advice. I missed him and wondered if he missed me, too.

  A solid two hours of searching turned up nothing. My rat minions didn’t pick up even a trace of Hahen’s scent anywhere in the school. It was as if he never existed.

  Sort of like Tycho’s lab.

  Disappointed, I released the rats and meditated to center my Eclipse nature. It was restless, churning inside me like a tiger pacing its cage. It sensed what was coming and wanted me to unleash it on Rafael.

  There was no way that was happening. I tried to impress upon the dark urge the importance of behaving when there would be so many students and professors watching the duel. If I lost control and something like Singapore happened again, everyone would know I was dangerous. It wouldn’t be hard for the professors to put two and two together and discover I was an Eclipse Warrior.

  And that would be a death sentence.

  My core didn’t seem to care very much about the danger and was still agitated when it came time for me to head down to the exercise yard. I kept cycling my breath, purging the anxiety and anger aspects from my aura as I walked. I needed to be cool and calm during the duel. Score the points, beat Rafael, and no one had to get hurt.

  I reached the exercise courtyard just in time. The area was packed wall to wall with students, the air buzzing with their excited chatter. Rafael and Professor Song were already in the center of the open space, waiting for me to arrive. I hadn’t intende
d to arrive at the last moment but was glad I did. My late entrance irritated Rafael and put him on edge.

  That gave me an advantage.

  Every eye in the place turned to me as I strode toward my opponent. An excited cheer crashed through the student body on either side of me, spreading around the courtyard in a rippling ring. The thunderous applause was peppered with boos from the Disciples in the crowd. That was good, too. I’d learned to feed on the haters while fighting in the Five Dragons Challenge. Whether the crowd was for or against me didn’t really matter. It was their passion that fueled me.

  Professor Song raised his hands and waited for the gathered crowd to settle down. It took longer than I expected, and I used the time to psych Rafael out. Where he was angry, I was calm. I’d nothing to prove in this fight. I’d beaten so many challengers in the past few months, one loss wouldn’t do much to tarnish my reputation. I held the Disciple’s gaze, showing him I was ready and more than willing this time.

  Rafael’s rage boiled around him. His aura was a confused cloak of anger and shame, the aspects churning around one another like sizzling oil and cold water. He wanted to defeat me not just because he thought I’d dishonored his sister, but because he hated my guts.

  “All right, gentlemen,” Professor Song said, his voice boosted by jinsei so everyone watching could hear, “this is a formal duel. The winner will be decided by three touches anywhere on the torso or head. I have inscribed a circle, and there will be no doubt about when a touch is legal and confirmed. I expect no injuries from this duel. Am I clear?”

  “Yes, honored Professor,” I said and bowed toward Song.

  “Of course,” Rafael said through gritted teeth. He bowed to the professor, too, then we faced one another and bowed again.

  “Very well.” Professor Song positioned himself between us and waited for Rafael and me to fall into our combat stances. “Fight!”

  The professor dropped his hand in a vertical chopping motion, then leaped back out of the ring.

  Rafael surged across the ring toward me, hands raised to guard his head and ready to strike. His steps were smooth and even, his feet scarcely touching the ground as he charged. He unleashed a jinsei-boosted bellow designed to rattled me when he came within striking range and frowned when I didn’t so much as flinch.