by CY Jones
Bets circle around the bleachers, for what, I don’t know. It’s clear who the winner is going to be. Archie Andrews down there is like point two seconds away from pissing his pants. I wonder why Sensei picked these two to face off against one another. The logical choice would have been Zion, me, hell even Mary.
Sitting back, I look on, curious. Maybe Archie has some kind of unique super power that’ll blow me away.
Kirito
It amazes me how hot Angelica is. Covered head to toe in blood, fresh out of bed after a long night of fucking, or wet like a drenched kitty, it doesn’t matter. To me, she’s beautiful no matter what. I didn’t need the marks on her neck to tell me she fucked Zion. His scent is all over her, in her. No matter how many showers she takes, his scent will always linger because without either of them telling me so, I know they’ve completed the mating ceremony. I want to be angry. Cry out, how could you accept such a fate so quickly? But in the end, I refrain and plaster a fake smile on my face. I’d be wrong. This isn’t her fault or his. Our lives do not belong to us, and I would know.
I need to have a serious talk with her, and soon. I’m running out of time. My mother wants me to visit home, and it doesn’t take a genius to guess why. Before, I was able to take my time in choosing a mate, but after my parents heard I almost died, their patience in me has dissolved. They want to take my freedom away, but if I can’t be with Angelica, then there isn’t anyone else in this world for me. Our situation is complicated. I don’t know how I’ll be able to explain to my parents that I’m holding out for someone who is already promised to someone else. My parents have probably already heard of her. When a long lost heir from a powerful family like the Morganstein’s is found, there isn’t anyone in our small community who hasn’t already heard. And when said heir is promised to another powerful family, all ears are open. On paper, Angelica has the perfect pedigree, but it’s the complications my parents won’t be able to understand. I need to convince them, but I need to convince her first.
I take my time strolling down the bleachers. Kenny, my opponent, looks like he’s about to bail any second now or drop dead from fright. What exactly Sensei plans on getting out of this fight, I have no clue. Kenny may have strong illusion magic, but he’s still a million times weaker than me, giving a whole new meaning to the saying ‘sending the lamb to slaughter’. Maybe he’s fucking with him or testing my restraint. When provoked, Sensei has a mean side.
I’ve long healed from the injuries inflicted on me from my fight with Quinn. I don’t need Sensei going easy on me and giving me a weak opponent for a pass.
Once Sensei calls for the fight to start, I call forth a couple of shadow swords, one in each hand and face my opponent. Just like I called it, Kenny’s face completely pales and he throws his long arms up in the air yelling, “I concede,” before running out of the gymnasium door. Everyone is so shocked, a full minute goes by before anyone makes a sound. Poor kid. No one is going to let him live that show of cowardice down. He might as well transfer now and make it easy on himself.
“Anyone brave enough to fight me?” I ask, posing my question at my classmates spectating on the bleachers, but it’s Zion who I really want to accept. Him and I have a lot of talking to do. With our fists.
He knows I’m calling him out and our eyes meet, but before he can take me up on my offer, someone else stands and says, “I’ll take you on.”
Chapter 19
Angelica
I thought I was going to witness some great fight and boy was I disappointed. Archie boy (nickname I have given the coward) took one look at Kirito’s shadow blades and hauled ass faster than anyone could blink. I give him props for speed. He knows how to use those long legs of his, but what a cowardly act. I never saw a mage so gutless.
Clearly goading the class, Kirito calls out for a new opponent. I fought last class, but I’m curious to see if I’d win against him in an actual duel. Before I can even open my mouth, a voice above me calls out, “I’ll take you on.”
I know that voice. I abhor the owner of that voice, and sure enough, when I look behind me, two bleachers up is Ruelle Morganstein. When did he even get here, and how did his presence escape my notice with him sitting so close? This is one of the things I find annoying about him. He’s annoyingly good at blending in, which is ridiculous with how good looking he is. It should be impossible. As the new kid from the Morganstein line, all curious eyes should have been on him, but no one even knew he was here until he spoke.
When our eyes meet, he winks, staring pointedly at the marks all over my neck. I refuse to be embarrassed and give him my favorite one finger salute I reserve for special people like him. Laughing, he slides down the bannister in the same move I pulled yesterday. His landing was even perfect, which makes the murmurs around us grow louder. Now the class is even more ethustaic with their bets now that there are real contenders.
Kirito’s carefree mask doesn’t change, even though he’s dealing with an unknown. If I had to guess, I’d say he’s a chameleon since he’s crazy good at blending in without anyone noticing his presence unless he wants them to. He doesn’t talk much either, but that’s not exactly a superpower. Neither is strolling around with a smug superiority. Oh and he’s musically talented. That freaky flute of his is definitely a weapon.
When the fight starts, Kirito goes straight for him. Those blades of his are impressive, and even though they’re made from shadows, the cuts on Ruelle’s skin prove they’re just as sharp as the real thing.
With a crazy smile on his face, Ruelle goes on the offense and starts to dodge Kirito’s strikes instead of letting himself get slashed. I suspect in the beginning he was sitting back, analyzing Kirito’s moves, trying to see if there’s a pattern. My fighting style may be unpredictable and free spirited, Kirito is another story. He’s my exact opposite in every way. Polished and precise. Each move has a meaning, a direct way to take over the flow. His movements are simply beautiful, like an antique Japanese painting. The one where the warrior flies through the air holding his sword in one hand with his robe floating like clouds around him.
I’m in awe just like the rest of the class, but soon, that feeling turns to fear when the fight starts to turn. Kirito may have had the upper hand at first, but now, I can tell something is very wrong. I watch him as he looks around, almost wild. His beautiful almond shaped eyes wide, but when I turn my attention to Ruelle, he’s not moving at all, but standing there with a creepy smile on his face. His own eyes have an eerie glow, making them even more otherworldly. Is he doing illusion magic? That’s the only explanation I have.
Getting up, I walk down the bleachers, closer to the front so I can see better. I’m not getting a good feeling about this, nor do I like the eerie vibe coming from Ruelle. My gut says he’s up to no good and is talented enough to kill Kirito.
With a loud cry, Kirito slashes at nothing but empty space in front of him. I always considered illusionists weak, more in the lines of magicians, but if they’re strong enough, it’s not hard to mistake the pictures they show you for the real thing. Powerful enough they can also trick your mind into thinking the pain is real. Kirito moves again, this time slashing in the right direction, fighting Ruelle head on. Their movements are like a blur. Fighting in the same style like one is mirroring the other, making it hard to tell who has the upper hand. It’s surreal that Ruelle is good enough to keep up with one of the top five. Fighting any of the heirs would be a challenge, but he’s holding his own.
Breaking off, Ruelle pulls out his flute and starts to play. In the bleachers, there’s a magical barrier that protects the class so I can’t hear the music, but it’s clear by the look on his face, the tune is not the same as the one he used to help me out. Whatever melody it is, it’s filled with killing intent.
The swords in Kirito’s hand sputter out of existence, and with his hands free, he holds them to his ears in an effort to block out the music. Like a psycho, Ruelle circles him like a cat circling a soon to be dead mous
e, still playing his dreadful tune. Not able to take any more of this, I move to flip over the bar, but a firmly placed hand on my shoulder stops me.
“If you go down there you’ll only make it worse for him,” Gramps says, and I stare shell-shocked at him wondering when in the hell he got here.
“Have you always been standing next to me?” I question.
He nods. “Your attention was on the fight.”
“Where have you been? Why are you here now?” I have a shitload of questions, but like he said, my attention is on Kirito and has no business bouncing all over the place.
“Don’t worry about that now. Worry about how to help him,” he replies instead.
“I don’t know. We’re not allowed to interfere and you were right. I was being too rash.” If I would have jumped in there, it’d just make Kirito look weak, worse than the kid who ran out of here with his tail between his legs. “Why is Ruelle even here?”
“He’s been enrolled in all of your classes. Your father tasked him to keep an eye out on you. Your father wasn’t too pleased to learn how close you are to the other heirs. I suspect this fight is a warning or...”
“An opportunity to get rid of one of them,” I finish for him. Kirito sure has all the luck with my family. I look over at Zion and spot the crack in his armor. Like me, he’s holding back. He’s worried. I can tell he wants to jump in and help out his buddy, but having him bail Kirito out would be even worse than me jumping in the fray. When it’s all over, Kirito would likely punch him for a thanks and an even worse fight will start. Mary even seems distressed, looking on with a face full of fright, white-knuckling the bannister. I thought she was only interested in Zion, but it seems her taste also branches to the other heirs.
An agonizing scream snaps me back to the fight, and I turn my head from Mary and focus on what’s important right now. Hunched over, Kirito’s hands are covered in red from the blood oozing from his ears. His nose is also bleeding like a volcano making a mess out of his bright yellow Polo shirt. How can I help him? “Archer, do you have any ideas?”
“The opponent is an unknown factor, so I don’t know any of his weaknesses. If it were me, I’d rush in and make it a two on one battle, but you’ve already said you can’t do that.”
“No, I can't. Not without hurting Kirito.” Now I wish more than ever that stupid Quinn didn’t kill his Champion. This fight would be no challenge with him by his side. While I try to think up an idea, I absentmindedly twirl a strand of hair, making the little bell attached chime. The sound does wonders to clear my mind and I gasp excitedly as an idea pops in my head.
“Since we’re able to see and hear through our familiars, if I were to distort the sound of the flute using his familiar, Razz, then Kirito should be able to hear it on his end, right?” I ask Gramps.
“It’s possible,” he replies.
Already decided that trying and failing is better than watching and doing nothing, I softly call out Razz’s name, knowing he can hear me. I don’t want to get my classmate’s attention. Everyone and their mama knows Kirito’s familiar is a giant snake and he sometimes, always, feeds people he doesn't like to him for a snack. But my worry was not warranted as everyone’s attention is focused on the fight. It’s not everyday they see one of the heirs having a hard time and with the new kid at that. The crowd is just as bloodthirsty as the competitors.
“Razz,” I call out again before I feel something cold and scaly travel underneath my sweater and poke his head out. “Bad snake. You shouldn’t hide in female’s clothes. Your master must be teaching you bad habits.” At least he downsized. I don’t think my heart could take a snake his size crawling on me and popping out like a jack-in-the-box.
Undoing one of the bells in my hair, I bypass the one Quinn gave me, for obvious reasons, and use the one I spelled recently and ring it close to Razz’s face while I hum to the chimes. Razz’s golden eyes follow the bell obediently, moving its body even closer and letting the hypnotic tune take over.
It doesn’t take long before I start to see results. Standing straight on shaky legs, Kirito removes his hands from his ears and uses his power to form a katana. Moving into the first stance of a Samurai, he breathes in deeply, summoning his power before letting the air go and shifting his body in an attack so fast that only the wind could track. Taken by surprise, Ruelle barely blocks in time, avoiding his stomach from getting slashed and his guts hanging out. Twisting his body, Kirito strikes again and Ruelle is forced to use his flute as a weapon to counter. Now that the tables have changed in his favor, Kirito’s movements are less shaky as he gets back into the rhythm. Summoning his shadows, he uses them to attack Ruelle while Ruelle counters and blocks. The piercing sound of the flute in his hand cuts through the shadows like ribbons, but thanks to the help of my bell, it lost its effect on Kirito. In two moves and a self-satisfying smile on his face, Kirito holds the sharp tip of his weapon to the center of Ruelle’s neck and declares, “I win.”
It isn’t until Sensei declares the match decided does Kirito remove his blade. Passing each other, Ruelle whispers something in Kirito’s ear, which makes his whole face go dark and his carefree expression changes to something sinister. I want to find out what he said to him, but Gramps’ tug on my sleeve lures my attention away.
“Let’s leave while everyone’s attention is still distracted. I’m cloaking my presence, but I'm sure Mr. Morganstein is talented enough to see through my spell.”
“Ah ha. I knew you were using magic. I’m not that scatterbrained to not have missed my own grandfather walking in.”
“Poppet, you are when it comes to the heirs,” he teases as I follow him out.
“Why are we sneaking away? I thought it was okay for you to check in on your classes. Didn’t you tell me that you like to keep your professors on their toes?”
“That’s still true, but in this case, I’m afraid I snuck out from being detained by the Council. I don’t have long before I have to go back or risk being discovered.”
“Detained? For what? Is it because of me?”
“You asked where I’ve been. Truth is, your father had the Council detain me for questioning. We both know he really wanted me out of the way so he could commence with that mating he arranged for you and Zion. You were just supposed to agree to the terms and buy time, not go through with the actual ceremony. I’m sorry that he saw through my plan and outsmarted me.”
Wait! Plan? “Are you the reason why Zion didn’t tell me?”
“He came to me for advice after he was told, and I thought it best not to tell you. Your reaction had to be genuine or else we would have alerted Morganstein, but he saw through everything anyway and even plotted an easier pathway for him to get everything he wanted. Now there’s a fire phoenix and a dark phoenix right under his thumb.”
Fucking hell. “I really wish I was told. Now I have to apologize to Zion for acting like a brat and painting him the enemy. When are they going to be done with you? They can’t hold what I did over your head forever.”
“Now that he got what he wanted, it should be soon. After a more public ceremony, he should leave for good, but I hear that’s not happening until after the Founder’s Day activities.”
“What is that? What’s so important about it? It’s not like we don’t know who founded the school.”
“This is your first one so you wouldn’t know. Yes, it’s to celebrate the founders, but it’s also the only day of the year where anyone can challenge any of the top ten and they don’t have the choice to turn them down. If you lose the fight to the one who challenged you, then your rank is now theirs, and your rank is dropped to the bottom with no chance of rising.”
“Holy fuck,” I mutter. There’s a reason why we’re in the top ten, but one simple mistake could mean the end. Drop to the bottom of the rankings with no chance of ever rising again, that’s a fucking game changer. No lie. The target on my back is huge. Colossal. The heirs may escape. No one has the balls to challenge them, you see what h
appened in class, but me? I don’t even want to think about it. Most of the asshats here think I slept my way to the top. “What happens if the challenger loses?”
“Their ranking also drops to the bottom unless they are killed in the arena.”
“The arena?” I ask clueless.
“All the fights are fought in a special arena where the whole school and specially invited guests here for the festivities are in attendance.”
“So basically Founder’s Day is nothing but some grand spectacle?”
“Made even grander since Morganstein is holding a ball in your honor that evening so you know what that means?”
“That’s when he plans on doing the ceremony. What’s the point? We’re already mated. Why must we advertise it?”
“Morganstein wants the notoriety. He’s been in the shadows for so long, he doesn’t want us to get complacent and forget that he’s one of the most powerful mage families and that his only heir has been mated into an equally powerful family line. After it’s done, everyone will continue to fear him and you too. A fire and dark phoenix has never been brought together. No one knows whether to be excited or tremble in fear over the news.”
“All this is news to me. I don’t care what kind of phenix Zion is, I just wanted a choice.”
“I know, poppet, and I’m sorry you didn’t get one. We can only take everything in stride and focus on surviving. I really need to get back, but don’t worry about me. I’m sure they’ll let me go soon so I can organize the upcoming festivities.”
“Be careful. Don’t get yourself killed on my account,” I say, hugging him tight.
“And you also need to be careful. Try to keep a distance from Morganstein’s nephew. He’s a mystery. A secret Morganstein kept hidden away for reasons he only knows. I can’t get a clear read on him. I think what he showed in class was just a sample of his ability. He may be your cousin, but he was raised by your father.”
