“Primhaven is not currently in danger,” said Mattis. “I know some of you, many of you, are scared. I can only do so much with my words to assuage those emotions, and part of me feels as though I’m doing you all a disservice by even attempting to.
“The supernatural world is not, as a rule, a place of safety. You all were never given the choice as to whether you wanted to be participants within it. Your only choice was whether to stand and be counted, or to end up like one of the rogue mages who attacked us. Some of the dangers you’ll be facing, at least those of you who become full-fledged members of the Order, will be ruthless, dangerous, and unforgiving of even the slightest hint of cowardice.
“There is nowhere for you to run to. You won’t escape this truth, regardless of whether you flee to the ends of the Earth, or back to the homes of your parents, or deep into the comforting fiction of the normal human world. This is a fact of your existence which I hope you all are strong enough to come to accept. Now, Head Wizard Odarin would also like to say a few things.”
Mattis sat back down at the instructor’s table and Odarin took her place. He had a bandage around his head, along with a deep purple ring around one eye and a significant amount of swelling on one side of his face. He still flashed a carefree smile as he surveyed the chamber, pausing while he waited for complete silence.
“Wow,” said Odarin. “What a night. In my college days, a Saturday night I couldn’t remember usually just meant a hangover and a really good story.”
Only one person laughed at the joke, and it was Odarin himself.
“Tough crowd. You know, I just mean, it’s all fun and games until a rogue sorcerer shows up! Er… How about this? Next time, I’ll make sure I’m the only one spiking the punch.”
His sense of humor was bad, worse than bad really, but Lee felt a strange appreciation for it. Odarin’s injuries were obvious and impossible to hide, as was the shame and anger burning just underneath his smile, at the corners of his eyes.
Despite how unsuited the Head Wizard usually seemed for his role, Lee got the sense that he was more affected by the attack than any of the students. He’d tried to protect them and failed, so now he’d tell bad jokes and act foolish and aloof. It was all he could do, and there was both wisdom and bravery in it.
“Any of you guys know what boofing is?” asked Odarin.
“Thank you, Head Wizard,” said Mattis, as she put an arm on his shoulder and led him back to his seat. “Students, if any of you are still struggling with stress or anxiety related to last night’s events, please don’t hesitate to make a trip to the infirmary. The lockdown on campus will continue until otherwise announced, and all initiates should report to the Meta-Magic lecture hall for a special workshop on practical spells to use in times of crisis.”
She nodded, signaling the end of the assembly. The kitchen staff was preparing to start serving breakfast as the chamber began to empty out, but Lee wasn’t especially hungry. He fell into step alongside Toma, who had a pensive scowl on his face.
“What’s up?” asked Lee. “You look like someone stole your lunch money.”
Toma shook his head and sighed. “You heard what Mattis said about the infirmary, didn’t you? There’ll be dozens of people swarming it today. I’ll never be able to figure out who Nurse Susie’s secret lover is.”
“Maybe it’s time for you to throw in the towel? I doubt your new girlfriend is going to be all that understanding of your obsession with the school’s sexy nurse, anyway.”
“Jenna and I aren’t, well, uh, I mean, we haven’t really talked about it, or put a label on things yet.” Toma’s face turned red and he flashed a perverted smile. “I did get to third base last night, though.”
“Really?”
“Yeah,” said Toma. “I felt her boob and everything. So soft… ohhh, such a good memory.”
“That’s not third… you know what, never mind. Good for you, Toma.”
CHAPTER 38
It was raining outside, which, along with the overcast sky, seemed to reflect the collective mood of the college. Students didn’t linger in the open, hurrying across the campus in groups of two or three, never alone.
The Order mages that Instructor Mattis had mentioned were already beginning to arrive through the Arcane Way. They stood out from the student populace and instructors like a sore thumb. Lee tried not to stare at a grey-haired man in a brown leather jacket and aviators standing near the statue of Shay Morrigan. He was trying to light a cigarette with a zippo and gave up after a few ineffective flicks, using a tiny fire spell from the tip of his finger instead.
“At least there are some new people around for me to play pranks on,” whispered Tess.
“And all it took was a hostage situation and a murdered prisoner.”
“Don’t be snarky,” said Tess. “I’m just trying to look on the bright side. It’s not like the world has ended or anything.”
Part of him agreed with her, and part of him didn’t. A huge portion of the future he’d imagined for himself, finding Zoe and living happily ever after, had evaporated over the course of the previous night. He still had the note she’d left him. It was burning a hole in his pocket, though thinking about her invitation to meet with her only made him more uncertain about what he was supposed to do next.
He didn’t have to lie anymore if he didn’t want to. He’d found Zoe, and there wasn’t anything left to be gained by continuing his ruse as a mage at Primhaven now that he’d achieved his goal. He could meet with her and perhaps even enlist her help in getting away from the college and getting back to his old life as a freelance mystic.
Why did that prospect feel so hollow to him?
The first answer that came to mind was that it was a matter of Zoe’s safety, but that wasn’t as true as he wanted it to be. If anything, the House of Shadows’ smooth infiltration of the college, along with the Dealmaker’s demonstration of his abilities, had shown his sister to be a valued member of a capable, if morally culpable, organization.
Gabby’s face came to the forefront of his thoughts, her eyes wide and lifeless, neck tattoos marred by ugly bruises. He found himself wishing that she’d been one of the rare few that left behind a ghost instead of a brace of unanswered questions.
Could he leave his sister to live her life among people who could commit that sort of murder? Could he leave Toma, and Eliza, and even Harper on their own at Primhaven? Despite Mattis’s reassurances, his gut told him that the college wasn’t out of the woods just yet.
“What do you think I should do, Tess?” he asked.
“What? Me?”
Tess was walking next to him in the rain, unconcerned by the droplets as they fell unhindered through her ethereal form. She was still as beautiful and innocent-looking as the first day he’d met her, with the same dimples and dusting of freckles across her cheeks. She hadn’t revealed herself to be a member of a sinister group of rogue mages and flipped his world upside down.
“Yes, you,” he said. “Who else?”
“It’s just been so long since you asked my opinion. I was starting to pout a bit at the way you’d been ignoring me.”
“Sorry.” He pulled her into his mystic stream and took her by the hands, keeping the movement small to avoid suspicion. “Everything has been moving so fast these past few days. I haven’t really had a chance to slow down and be with you.”
A reluctant smile played across Tess’s face. “I accept your apology, though you’ll need to take me on another date to make it official.”
“I will, as soon as there’s time,” he said. “I’m serious, though. I could use your advice, if you have any to give. I felt like… I was chasing a real goal when I first came to Primhaven, and now I can’t tell if I’ve achieved it, or if it’s even achievable anymore.”
Tess listened intently, and Lee appreciated the way she furrowed her brow and gave his problem a real moment of thought before answering.
“You have to follow your heart. I know you’ll probably
tease me about how corny that sounds, but if you just stick to the plan you had originally and don’t adjust your aim, you might miss out on what you really want.”
She squeezed his hands and stepped closer to him. Lee gave her a quick, sneaky kiss, knowing that there were too many other people around on campus to do anything more.
“That was really corny, but also helpful,” he said.
“I’m wise beyond my years.”
“Are you? Aren’t you like, over a hundred?”
Tess let out an offended gasp. “It’s been a century since I’ve died, Lee, but that doesn’t mean I’ve lived all of it! I’m still a teenager. Obviously.”
“Hey, relax, I’ve always enjoyed the mystique of older women,” he said. “You don’t find the term cougar offensive, do you?”
“Lee Amaranth, if you say another word, we are in a fight!”
He laughed and pulled her along with him as he made his way back into the Seruna Center. The areas farther out from the event hall were less damaged, but the floor felt as though it was at a slight side angle, sagging a bit near the edge.
Toma and Eliza had saved him a seat in the Meta-Magic lecture hall. Mattis was already at the front of the room. She had a slight frown on her face along with faint wrinkles around the edges of her eyes, and her green-and-brown hair was much messier than usual. Lee doubted she’d gotten any sleep the previous night.
“Quiet,” she said. “Everyone quiet, please. We’ll be starting off today by working on a basic illusion veil. I know Instructor Constantine began teaching them to you before his leave of absence, so we will continue where he left off.”
It was somewhat hard to follow Mattis’s train of thought as she described her own personal process of casting a veil. She wasn’t an illusionist, which combined with her general exhaustion made her prone to tangents and the occasional rambling anecdote.
“None of us thought, at the time, that the hedge wizard was still in the cabin,” said Mattis. “We’d seen him escape. Or so we thought! Dispelling illusions is very nearly as arcane-intensive as casting them in the first place, but it’s a precaution you must always remember to take. Oh, and the hedge wizard was simply sitting at his desk, under a veil, you see.”
She scratched her head, clearly forgetting where she’d been going with the story.
“Um… Why don’t you all split into pairs of two and begin practicing?”
Lee turned toward Toma, but his friend was already making his way over to Jenna, his new lady love.
“Looks like he’s already found a partner,” muttered Lee. “I hope Jenna isn’t expecting arcane brilliance out of him. Looks like it’s me and you, Eliza. Uh… Eliza?”
He turned and stared at an empty chair where she’d just been sitting a moment ago. Lee was about to stand up and check the hallway when the obvious caught up with him. He reached a hand out and felt the open air.
“Eek!” cried Eliza.
“Whoops,” said Lee. “I just touched something soft.”
She dropped the illusion veil, her body reappearing in the blink of an eye. Her face was bright red, and she had her arms crossed over her chest.
“That was my breast,” she said, matter-of-factly.
“According to Toma, that means I just got to third base.”
“W—what?” she stammered. “That’s not what third… I mean, if you had wanted to go to… Or rather, if you’d, you know, asked first. Assuming you wanted to? What am I even saying right now?”
“You can’t keep teasing her like this without making a move, Lee,” whispered Tess. “A real one. Not just a play date at the school dance with an innocent kiss at the end.”
Lee shrugged and pulled his chair in closer to Eliza, giving her a few seconds to calm down. “I’m only teasing. That was a good veil, by the way. I don’t usually fall for those.”
He caught himself before going any further. His mystic ability was adept at seeing through veils, though he’d run into situations with supernatural entities in the past that had used illusions that outstripped even his abilities. It was unexpected, coming from Eliza.
“Thanks,” she said. She cleared her throat and regained her composure. “I’ve always had a talent for illusion magic. I wish I hadn’t gotten caught by the sleeping potion last night. Maybe I could have used my veil to help hide people.”
“You couldn’t have known,” said Lee. “Honestly, you’re taking what happened in stride. The rest of the initiates still seem pretty shaken up over it.”
“I guess.” Eliza let one of her fingers twist through a lock of her auburn curls. “I feel like I’ve been through it before already, you know? That sense of being powerless and losing control.”
“How so?”
She looked into his eyes, her expression taking on a fond, wistful quality. “Remember the incident I had in Gillum? When I, er, drank too much?”
“I remember,” said Lee.
“It didn’t feel like I was too drunk,” said Eliza, lowering her voice. “I know that’s what everyone said happened, but to me… It felt like I was completely out of control. I could still see flashes of what I was doing, little glimpses of my body moving on its own, my lips saying words in my voice that didn’t match what I wanted.”
Lee nodded slowly, knowing he needed to be careful about what he said. “That’s interesting. What else do you remember about that time?”
“I… remember how you came to save me,” said Eliza. “It’s like you knew something that nobody else did. You tackled me, which kind of hurt, by the way, but after I woke up in the infirmary, I was back in control.”
“You remember that?” Lee chuckled and turned his palms up apologetically. “I was just trying to get you to stop running. You’d forgotten your jacket. You would have caught hypothermia wandering out in the cold.”
“Maybe. Anyway, that’s why I feel the way I do. It almost feels like disappointment, like I missed a chance to actually be helping out, like you were.”
“Mattis told you about that?”
“One of the other initiates overheard her talking with Instructor Harper,” said Eliza. “Everyone knows at this point. You’re going to end up with a heroic reputation if you keep doing stuff like this, Lee.”
“Why’d you say it like that?”
“Like what? It’s just funny to think of you as a hero.”
Lee shot her an exaggerated glower, one that he also turned onto Tess, who’d burst out laughing at Eliza’s observation. Eliza grinned at him, and Lee felt Tess’s words from earlier echoing in his head.
If you don’t adjust your aim, you might miss out on what you really want.
CHAPTER 39
Lee enjoyed Mattis’s impromptu Sunday lesson, despite doing his very best to keep Tess’s supply of spirit essence in reserve. He used flattery on Eliza to keep her practicing her illusion veil, and after a couple of tries, he managed to squint just right to see her throughout with his innate mystic sight.
He headed off on his own after the lesson was finished. The rain had finally trickled off, but the grass was still squishy underneath his shoes as he headed toward the Elemental Tower to find Harper.
The few mages milling about in the lobby of her tower told him that she’d gone to the gym. He was surprised at first, but Harper wasn’t the type of woman to let anything short of a crippling injury keep her from doing what she wanted.
He found her in one of the gym’s smaller side rooms, practicing a yoga pose and taking meditative breaths. She was wearing black leggings along with a purple halter top that was open in the back, revealing the alluring stretchy fabric of her sports bra and the not-so-alluring gauze of her bandage.
She looked peaceful, and Lee considered coming back later. Harper looked over at him before he could leave, however, and dropped from the downward-facing arch she’d positioned herself in into a cross-legged sitting position.
“Eldon,” she said. “How are you?”
“Tired, but holding in there,” he sa
id. “I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
Harper deliberately cleared her throat and narrowed her eyes slightly, which only fed the elephant in the room instead of shrinking it. Lee sat down on the floor a fair distance away from her, folding his arms over his knees.
“What about you?” he asked. “How’s your injury?”
“It’s deeper than I first realized. The magic missile that struck me only seemed to graze my flesh, but according to Susie, it also grazed my ribs in a manner that’s going to take some time to heal.”
“Is yoga the best thing for it right now?” he asked.
“Yoga is the best thing for me, as a whole, right now.”
Harper stretched her legs out and leaned back onto her elbows, stretching out her shoulders and relaxing her breathing again.
“What do you think about Mattis’s decision to keep the students here?” asked Lee. “Is it really the right move for the college, to just keep churning along like nothing happened?”
“Nothing did happen,” said Harper. “The House of Shadows took what they wanted, but at the very least, they were circumspect about it. I very much doubt that they’ll be so lucky finding an opening a second time, and I think they know that, too.”
“Are you mad?”
“Do I look mad? No, Eldon, I’m not. It gave me a workout, if nothing else. I have… a reputation among the Order that leads to some of my contemporaries being intimidated by me. It was interesting to be in an engagement where that veneer was stripped away.”
A small smile snuck past her otherwise-controlled exterior, and for some reason it made it very hard for Lee to hold eye contact with her. She was still his teacher, despite how the events of the previous night had evolved their relationship.
He’d come to talk to her about Zoe, but it almost felt like the very act of saying his sister’s name would be equivalent to punching her in her wounded ribs. He tapped his knuckles on the padded mats lining the gym floor, searching for the right words.
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