The disappointment in Ivy’s eyes pricked me more than Lukas’s mocking.
I shook my head, warning her not to say anything.
“Well then, hurry to class or you two will be late.” He strolled off, and I took a deep breath to calm my nerves.
Her icy gaze turned to me. “Why didn’t you tell him, Emmie?”
“I don’t want to give the teachers any more reason to question me being here. What if they realize Lukas is right?”
Ivy stalked over and pushed my trembling hands out of the way to retie my tie. “He’s not right. You’re meant to be here. Headmistress Elsie never does anything without a good reason.”
“But I really did fail the Inquiry.”
“I can’t believe you’re buying into that. If that were really true, you wouldn’t have been allowed to stay. The teachers know you’re a Magical. They just don’t know what to do with you.” She smiled brightly at me and tightened my tie. “Think of it this way: you’re one of a kind.”
“That’s just a nice way of saying I don’t fit in.” My eyes burned and I disguised my sniffle with a cough.
She pulled me in for a hug. “I, for one, hope that whenever your magic manifests, you use it to kick Lukas’ butt.”
I choked on a laugh and pulled away. “Thanks, Ivy.” I gave her a watery smile.
She looked me over. “You okay?”
I nodded.
“Did you know you always glance to the left when you lie?” She wrapped me in another tight hug before stepping away. “That, and your eyes turn a shade darker when you’re upset. Normally, they remind me of cinnamon, but right now they’re closer to a Snargle skin.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Great. Because comparing my eyes to bugs is sure to cheer me up.”
She grinned unrepentantly and gestured over her shoulder where Lukas disappeared. “Why do you even put up with his crap?”
The sunny smile she cast my way was completely at odds with the weather. The wet and gloom naturally amplified her magic, which often made her unbearably cheerful on days when I wanted to sulk and feel melancholy.
“Um, what do you expect me to do?” I would’ve laughed, but Lukas’ words echoed my own insecurities too closely.
“Pound him once and I bet he won’t be back for more.”
“Easy for you to say. You’re the strongest Water Magical at school, but how do you expect me to pound him? He’s got at least fifty pounds on me and about six inches.”
She scoffed. “Girl, please. Don’t pretend like you aren’t learning all sorts of ways to kick butt in those afternoon classes with Mr. Allen. I’ve even seen you throw Gray and Neil around before.”
“I’m sure an uppercut would go over nicely when all he has to do is set me on fire.”
“You’d have to admit, he'd never expect you to deck him like that. He’d be on his back before he knew what happened and be too embarrassed to tell anyone he was bested by a girl.” She giggled at the mental image.
“And I’d be suspended before I knew what had happened, and you, my friend, would be the one in charge of telling my parents how I managed to disappoint them. Again.”
Remembering my parents’ letter, I almost snorted. They always told me to spend more time with Ivy since she was “such a good influence.”
The warning chime sounded again. “Now get to class and learn some more killer moves so you can kick his butt even without your magic.”
I pushed open the door to the classroom Henry and I shared near the edge of the main building. It was in a separate area from the other classrooms since he’d requested one with more space and an earthen floor he could manipulate for sparring.
“You’re late,” Henry accused when I walked into the room.
I had spent a few minutes in the bathroom to give myself time to calm down. “Sorry. It took me a while to fight my way through the hordes of people heading to your class.” I looked around the spacious room which only had my desk and his.
He was another person with whom my sarcasm took over in place of my stutter. It was easier to pretend I was fine if I was sarcastic, and pretending was better than talking about the Lukas encounter. It was still too soon.
Henry, my personal tutor, had been hired back when I was a Grade One. Despite the fact he was only twenty at the time, he was the most qualified. He’d studied hand-to-hand combat for most of his life. In the mornings, he also taught a Grade Three History class, but in the afternoons it was just the two of us.
When the headmistress informed me I wouldn’t be joining the other kids in their magic classes, I’d been an emotional wreck. From day one, my new gray tie attracted all sorts of negative attention, and I’d been uncomfortable and shy all the time until I’d grown uneasy talking to new people and my stutter developed.
About one cycle into the term, I came into Henry’s class bawling. That morning, I’d received a letter from my parents telling me how disappointed they were to hear about the news of my Inquiry, and all morning I’d barely held it together, so when Lukas and his friends had mocked my gray tie that day, I broke down.
Henry’s rich, walnut-colored eyes softened as he listened to me cry my way through all of my eight-year-old worries about how I was so alone at school, even with the three new friends I made and how my parents didn’t love me anymore. When I finally cried myself out, he told me about how his parents died when he was young, and he knew what it was like to feel alone. He told me that we’d be spending so much time together at Ackley, that I could consider him a big brother, and we could be each other’s families.
After years of one-on-one time with him, he was the person to whom I was closest at school, aside from my friends. When other people were around, I called him Mr. Allen, but when it was the two of us, we weren’t so formal.
In some ways, despite our twelve-year age gap, I could open up to him more than I could the others. All of my frustrations about not being in the magic classes, my disappointments about my parents, and my breakdowns about not feeling good enough to be at Ackley—he’d witnessed them all and never judged me. But he didn’t let me sit and wallow, either. He was constantly pushing me out of my comfort zone, trying to make me grow.
“Did you remember to do your breathing and focus exercises over break?”
I dropped my bag on my desk. “I’ve been doing those same exercises for years now. How could I forget?”
“I know you think it’s silly since you can’t access your magic, but it’s not. We know it’s in there, and improving your mental focus will help you connect with it.” He rubbed his hands together and grinned. “Now, what should we do first?”
That was another benefit of having one-on-one instruction: the schedule was rather flexible, and he always let me choose the order on the first day of the term.
I studied his cramped writing on the board: self-defense, current events, translation, writing, and free discussion. “No way am I sparring with you right after lunch.”
He chuckled and handed me a piece of paper. “Translation homework then. It’s a review of last year. Let’s see how much you managed to retain in that head of yours over the break.” He knocked on my head and pretended to listen. With a worried frown, he continued, “Sounds rather hollow in there. This could be a challenge for you.”
“Ha-ha.” I swatted his hand away and dropped into my waiting seat. “Good to hear you haven’t changed during our time apart.”
He smirked, and I focused on my paper. Studying Old Andarian was difficult, since it contained the four dialects of the different regions, but it was useful to know. A lot of the history books used it since Andare wasn’t adopted as the official language until Andar was formed about a hundred years ago.
Half an hour later, I stretched in my seat and handed my paper back.
He widened his eyes dramatically. “Very impressive, Emmie. I guess your head wasn’t as empty as it sounded.” Collecting my paper, he replaced it with a fresh one. “Now it’s time to check in on your vacation
assignment.”
I groaned. “You know, I don't think you’re supposed to assign homework over the break. That’s why they call it a break.”
He tapped my paper. “I hardly think asking you to think about your future qualifies as work.”
I stared at the paper. “But I still have a long time before graduation.”
Henry shook his head. “Three years isn’t that long.” He went to his desk and took out a stack of papers to grade.
What could I do after graduation? I twirled my pencil around my finger. It was easier for the others; their classes grew more specialized each year depending on their choices.
Especially Neil, who was graduating this year. Most of his classes focused on fine-tuning his magic to help him with his plans of inventing. Dahning Magicals were rarely involved in the inventing process, so he hoped that by combining his Water Magic with Fire and Air, he could create more amazing things.
If I was a normal Air Magical, I could maybe go into inventing and follow Neil. I traced the word inventor over my paper before blowing out a breath. No, that’d never work. I wasn’t a normal Magical.
Howie wanted Neil to follow his footsteps and be a delegate, but Neil firmly shut him down every time he brought it up.
On the other hand, Ivy, even though she wasn’t interested in politics like I was, hoped to become a delegate like her grandmother. Since we were little, she’d dreamed of strengthening the ties between the regions to make Andar stronger. She frequently used our group as an example—even though she was from Dahning, I was from Beltan, and the boys were from Ender, we were inseparable.
Could I be a delegate with Ivy? I definitely loved politics more than she did. Maybe she could do all the talking to people, and I could do all the thinking? I shook my head. It’d never work. The thought of having to talk to so many people made me want to throw up, and delegates were the strongest of the strongest. Ivy, who was considered the strongest Water Magical student at Ackley, definitely had a chance.
Even Gray, who used to always joke about joining one of the Ender traveling troupes and doing tricks with his Light Magic, now took the future more seriously. He was focusing on healing classes since he'd decided he wanted to be a traveling healer in Andar. It was kind of cute how he'd combined his childhood dream with his current one. This way, he'd still get to see all the regions, but he'd also get to help people.
Maybe I could study like Nurse McKay did and learn traditional healing. Then I could go with Gray and support him?
I doodled a picture at the top of my paper. Copying my friends' dreams was impossible. What I really needed to do was find my own, but how?
If I still hadn’t found my magic by the time I graduated, what would I do? There were plenty of jobs around Andar that didn’t require magic, so I could make a living for myself. But would I be happy constantly feeling like a misfit?
Henry looked up. He came over, glanced at my empty paper and sighed. “We’ll get back to this later.”
He took the paper back to his desk. “Up for sparring now?”
In answer, I wiped my eyes on my sleeve, stood, and quietly leapt forward to try out a new throw. I got as far as grabbing his sleeve before I found myself on my back. I groaned. “What exactly did I do wrong that time?”
“The silence was a pretty big giveaway. You’re always so quick with your comebacks that when you didn’t say anything, I knew something was up.”
“Great. So I fail if I don’t talk, and I fail if I do.”
Henry reached a hand down to pull me up. He was a bit of a rarity among Magicals because he studied different hand-to-hand combat techniques along with developing his magic. When Andar was formed a hundred years ago, the first monarchs, eager to prevent another incident like the Great War, made it illegal to use magic offensively. As a result, most Magicals trained their magic in others ways, and the art of combat essentially died out. But ever since his parents were killed, Henry trained both his mind and his body to react quickly and efficiently.
I was much too smart to fight against him for real. That was a death wish. He moved with the grace of a dancer, his magic acting as an extension of his body.
Henry unpinned his green Earth Magical badge from his shirt and placed it on his desk before stomping his foot. The floor raised, creating a ring in the center, and we took our places on opposite sides.
“How about a no-magic day?” I wrapped my hands with cloth to prepare.
“If you were in a real fight, they wouldn’t hesitate to use their magic, so neither will I.”
I winced. Last term I was frequently covered in bruises from our sparring sessions. No, Henry never held back.
“Last year’s rules still stand. If you make it to me, it will be hand-to-hand from then on.”
I put my hands on my hips. “If I make it to you? You’re feeling pretty cocky today, huh?”
“Need I remind you of your physical combat exam last term?”
I flushed. “No, I can remember quite well on my own, thank you. And that’s exactly why I won’t make the same mistakes again.”
His widened stance gave him away. He was preparing to attack.
I took off running toward him. The shaking ground beneath me provided a split-second warning before a foot-high wall appeared. That might have worked on me once, but not anymore. I put a hand out and vaulted over it with a grin.
I hit the ground and kept running.
His hands sliced the air, another move he used before.
I threw myself into a somersault, and clods of dirt whistled over my head. When I rolled back to my feet, there were only a few feet between us.
“You could’ve taken my head off with that last attack!”
“That’s exactly why we’re teaching you how to dodge. I’d hate to see you lose your head,” he teased.
“Yes, I’m quite partial to it staying where it is.” A rattling sound came from my left, drawing my attention. The floor shook, causing me to wobble. Too late; I’d made a mistake. How could I have forgotten Henry’s refrain? He constantly pounded it into my head. “Never take your eyes off your opponent.” I turned back to Henry.
He shifted his foot a tiny bit, and the floor came up around me on all sides. In seconds, I was completely trapped in an earthen box that left only my head free.
“Like I said, if you make it to me.”
I groaned. “You know, I look forward to the day someone wipes that smirk off your face. It doesn’t even need to be me. I just want to have the pleasure of seeing it.”
He laughed and stomped his foot again. Immediately, the walls around me sank back into the floor, and the room returned to the way it looked before our fight. “I’m feeling generous today, so I’ll let you do hand-to-hand even though you didn’t make it.”
“That’s you feeling generous?” I cocked my head to the side. “I’d hate to catch you on a bad day.”
“Let’s see if your feet are as quick as your tongue. Show me what you remember, wise guy.” Henry crooked a finger at me.
Chapter 4
I fell easily back into my school routine. I spent the mornings with Gray and Ivy in our regular classes. I went to lunch with Ivy and Neil; sometimes, we braved his fans to sit with him and sometimes, we sat in peace. I spent the afternoons with Henry, and my evenings were reserved for Ivy, Neil, and Gray, although they were often wasted on homework. The only days we had to ourselves were Noxdays just before the week started all over again on Luxday.
The constant reminder from the teachers that “Young Magicals of the opposite gender are not to be allowed in the dorms alone due to the risk of Binding” kept us from studying in one of our own rooms. And the cold white season snow—an almost constant companion—forced our group indoors. We usually gathered in the common areas to chat or in the library if we felt studious.
Sometimes, Neil’s roommate, Noah, would join us for our study groups.
“I think it was an assassin from Ra.” Gray probably didn’t actually believe hal
f of what he said; he just really enjoyed riling people up. Ra and Ender didn’t really get along, and with Noah being from Ra, Gray knew it’d bother him the most.
“That’s preposterous.” Noah slammed his book closed. “Ra has always been one of the regions that is most dedicated to the crown. Why would they kill the king and queen?”
How did the conversation turn to the assassination? I put my pencil down. It was much more interesting than homework.
He held a finger to his lips like he was sharing a secret. “Maybe that’s what they wanted people to think so no one would suspect them once the deed was done.”
Neil shook his head.
“Unbelievable.” Noah balled one hand into a fist. “The Northeast has been one of the most supportive regions when it comes to the search for Princess Nicola.”
“And that’s been so helpful.” Gray smirked. “Twelve years later, and she’s still missing.”
I bit my bottom lip. It’d be so much easier on everyone if her body was found. Maybe then, Andar wouldn’t be in such a weird state of limbo.
“That’s because the princess died back when her parents did. Even if her body wasn’t found, everyone knows it.” Most of the country shared Noah’s opinion.
Gray cocked his head to the side. “So, Ra is just wasting resources looking for someone no one actually believes is still alive?”
“Princess Nicola deserves to be laid to rest with her parents. Anything less than that would be completely disrespectful to the monarchy.”
“All right, Gray, that’s enough.” Neil turned to Noah, his blue eyes dancing. “You know he just likes to get under your skin, right?”
Ivy giggled and tried to cover it with a cough.
I grabbed one of my failed poetry attempts littering the table, bunched it up, and launched it at Gray’s forehead. It bounced off and fell to the floor. “Be nice,” I mouthed.
“You just don’t want him to leave yet because you still have some questions about our homework,” Gray stage-whispered.
“Shut up,” I hissed with a glance at Noah. Luckily, he was involved in a conversation with Neil about the benefits of different magics.
Unleashed Magic (The Chronicles of Andar Book 1) Page 4
