“You rebels,” I said, grinning. “I’m sure the librarians are ropeable.” “We didn’t want to risk getting banished ourselves,” Theresa told me, and my grin faded. “I’m sure you understand.”
We locked eyes for a second in a battle of wills. I broke it as I nodded slowly.
“Of course I understand. I would never have wanted you to risk banishment in honour of my memory.” “And so we entered our second year of education pretty subdued. We’d lost two students in our first year; I think everyone was expecting it to happen again. When it didn’t, we were all relieved. We let ourselves get comfortable. I’m ashamed to say that we all just kind of accepted that we’d never see you again.”
My stomach sank, and everyone looked appropriately apologetic but Dena ploughed on through. “At the end of our second year, Jett was getting restless. We could tell something had happened, but we were too comfortable to hope. When he disappeared at the beginning of term, however, we all began to wake up. We knew something was going on. We were trying to get all the information we could.
“But he never came back. We hadn’t seen him for a few weeks when Dustin discovered you in the dungeons and realised we’d all been living on top of you for goodness knows how long. Most of us left that night, to find Jett, and to begin planning how to take you back,” her eyes were serious. “We began planning how to overthrow Iain and Netalia.”
“And today we succeeded,” Petre said. “Today, they sit in cells below the Academy and you sit here with us-” “Memories intact.” I finished. “So what now? Does anyone have any master plans? What’s going on with Phoenix? Do we bring him back? Forgive him? Should we try and bring Eleanora back as well?”
Dena held up a hand to stop my plethora of questions. “We’ve been instructed not to let you question us too much. We were supposed to give you the run down on what’s been happening since you left, but Jett wants to wait for a few people to arrive who’ll explain it to you better.”
I scowled, but I really did want a comprehensive explanation of what was going on and not half-arsed guesses.
“Who’s he waiting on?” I asked instead. “We’re not sure,” Theresa admitted, chewing her lip. “But we’re all heading to the city shortly after they arrive.”
“Castor?” I asked. I’d never seen the capital of Lotheria in the year I’d attended the Academy. I was eager to remedy that. “Why the capital?”
More shrugs all around.
“What about your education? You’re in your third year.” “Jett warned us it may be patchy from now on; he says the times we’re about to enter may not allow for a thorough education,” Dena explained. “Either way, we’ll continue when we can, when we have time. I’m coming to the city with you, but I’ll be spending a lot of my time at the hospital there.”
I remembered Dena’s healing talents and her enthusiasm to further her education down that line. I remembered Jett offering to speak to the matrons in charge of the city hospital to see if he could arrange for her to learn with them. Apparently, they’d accepted.
“Did he say when we leave?”
“In a few days after whoever we’re waiting on arrives,” Dena said. “So you’ve got time to settle in.”
I nodded, and my stomach growled. Apparently it had digested the beef broth. Rain heard.
“How about a shower and dinner?” she asked, and nothing had ever sounded better to me in my life. I found the bathrooms easily; the castle itself hadn’t changed. As I stood under the jet of hot water, the grease and grime of three weeks being washed down the drain, I prodded my stomach, appalled by how skinny I’d gotten during my time in the dungeons. Though I’d never been overweight, I’d always had curves due to a raging appetite and a love of food. Some of those curves had turned to muscle during my time with the Academy previously, but they’d softened during my year back in the human realm. Now they were gone completely, and my ribs were showing clearly under my skin. I thought of the food down in the cafeteria and my stomach rumbled again. I quickly rubbed some shampoo through my hair before rinsing it and getting out. Out of habit, I drifted back to my old room in my towel, but paused outside the door.
The room I’d stayed in when Iain and Netalia were manipulating me into working for them had been a different one closer to Iain’s office. As far as I knew, no one had been into my room since my departure a year ago. I took a deep breath and then pushed the door open.
It was exactly as I remembered. The bed was neatly made and the fireplace was set, waiting for dancing flames that would heat the entire room.
I lit the lamp that sat on my bedside table, and the room was filled with a soft golden glow. I dumped the clothes that I’d been wearing in a corner, never wanting to wear them again. In the drawer of my dressing table I found some of my old clothes, and I pulled on breeches, a green shirt and brown boots. The clothes were loose but they were clean. I sighed. I felt slightly at home again.
And within a few days, I’d hopefully have my magic back. I clenched my fists and shut my eyes as longing overtook me again. It was all I could do to resist the urge to go down to the dungeons and take back my power from Iain.
The others were waiting for me at our usual table. I ate with them but didn’t talk; I had too many thoughts whirling through my mind to even contemplate forming an opinion on anything.
I managed a small bread roll and some cauliflower soup. I leant back from the bowl, feeling as though my stomach were fit to burst. It was only from the furtive looks that my friends sent me that I gathered that what I’d eaten had been extremely meagre.
“Are you alright?” Dena asked me as we split up to go to bed.
“I’m ok,” I replied. “It’s just… a lot to take in. Did Jett say when the people he was waiting on would arrive?”
She was already shaking her head before I’d finished my sentence. “Take your time and recover,” she told me. “Get some rest tonight, ok? I think things are about to get a lot more complicated.”
~Chapter Ten~
I crawled gratefully into bed, pulling the covers up to my chin. I closed my eyes against the darkness of the room but sleep eluded me.
I thought of Larni. I recognised her now as the girl who’d brought me my breakfast the first day I’d been back. I hadn’t seen her since, and Iain and Netalia had seemed pretty upset that she’d seen me. Maybe she’d joined Jett and the others? But why wasn’t she here now? I missed my friend. I was growing tired of answerless questions.
After another half an hour of tossing and turning I realised that the window was shut tight. I pushed the warm covers back and crawled over to it. It opened reluctantly, screeching something awful, but as fresh night air began to curl through it, I relaxed immediately. I scooted back under the covers, and suddenly my eyelids felt as heavy as rocks. I closed them obediently, and within seconds, fell asleep.
I awoke to birdsong. I sat up just in time to receive a small feathery bundle of shrieking happiness. “Morrigan!” I said gleefully, cuddling him close. He allowed me to for a few seconds before squirming free and fluttering onto my shoulder, his favourite perch. He preened some of my hair behind my ear, whistling slightly as he did so. I giggled as it tickled slightly. “I’ve missed you, my dear.”
He peeped as though he understood my words. I got dressed with him on my shoulder, though he didn’t appreciate being put in a shirt. He flew to my dressing table then, and it was as I was grinning at him that I realised my statue of Queen Fleur was gone.
I scowled. Just because I hadn’t occupied my room in a year didn’t mean that I didn’t want my possessions. Remembering what Dena had said about heading to the capital in a few days, I began to pull clothes from my drawers, folding them neatly and setting them on my bed ready to be transported. Morrigan perched atop the pile when I was done. I observed the clothes and my bird with my hands on my hips.
“What do you reckon, Morri?” I asked him. “Are you coming to the big city with me?”
He leapt from the clothes
and flew to my shoulder.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” I said, laughing as he stuck his beak in my ear.
We headed down the stairs together and into the cafeteria.
“There’s a sight I’ve missed,” Dena said happily, seeing Morri on my shoulder. “How are you, Morrigan?” He cheeped loudly at her, though his claws didn’t budge from my shoulder. Morri had a very short list of people he would go to, and whilst he’d flown to Dena in the past, he wasn’t going anywhere this time.
“Any word on the other people?” I asked as I sat down. I was eager to know who we were waiting on.
“Nothing,” Theresa sighed. “We haven’t heard a thing.”
I could tell that the others were curious as well, but apparently Jett had been keeping everyone in the dark. “What do you want to do today?” Dena asked. “Do you want to see Echo?” I perked up as I remembered my horse. After we’d all finished breakfast, we headed out to the stables. As we passed students on the way, most of them greeted me. I waved back to them, but as we emerged onto the grounds I turned to Dena, confused.
“What’s up with all of our classmates?” I asked. “They didn’t use to care about me.”
“Well, it’s been a while since anyone’s seen you,” Dena said. “Yeah, give it time, they’ll get bored with you again soon,” Theresa said, laughing. I laughed too as Dena mock punched her soul mate in the shoulder, but my laugh was mirthless. I’d learnt early on with the red-head that it was easier to go along with it.
“Besides, people don’t usually come back from being banished,” Dena continued. “I mean, I gather that when that happens, they stay that way.”
I allowed myself a small smile at that. I remembered stating to Netalia that they weren’t going to be able to get rid of me very easily.
Any thoughts of the two in the dungeons below the castle fled my mind as we approached the field where our horses spent the day. A bay mare broke away from the herd and galloped towards me, her ears pricked forwards.
I hugged Echo when she reached me. Morri took off as she snuffled my hair, as though checking me out. “I’m fine,” I said, giggling as I removed her questing teeth from my hair. “I didn’t bring you anything though, I’m sorry.”
She nipped my shoulder gently, gazing at me with large brown eyes. “She wouldn’t let anyone else ride her,” Yasmin said, stroking Echo’s neck. “So we took her with us when we went on group rides. She’s been exercised enough.”
I was itching to go for a ride, but Dena wanted to go for a walk to the water-hole instead so I reluctantly left Echo in the field with abundant promises of treats and affection later that evening. I walked with my group along the forest path that would lead us to our swimming hole, trailing behind the rest of them and letting their goodnatured chatting wash over me.
We reached the water-hole, the small waterfall crashing into it as it always had. I approached the water and stuck a finger in it, keeping a wary eye on my friends; I didn’t trust them to not push me in.
The water was too cold for swimming, so instead we sat beside it on the rock ledge in a circle. I let the others talk, feeling unusually quiet. I watched Rain tease a bit of water from the pool, wriggling her fingers in the air until the water curled in on itself. I watched the ball drift innocently towards Petre, who was completely oblivious. Rain noticed me watching and grinned. I was returning that grin when Petre turned suddenly and planted a kiss directly onto her cheek. The water splashed onto the rocks as she was taken by surprise. My grin turned to laughter.
“So you guys finally happened, huh?” I asked, splaying out on the rock. “How long did it take?”
There was a slight pause and I suddenly thought that I’d made a gross miscalculation.
“I’m not sure,” Rain said, looking at Petre. “I’ve lost count.”
“Me too,” he replied, putting his arm around her waist. “I don’t think it matters.” I watched them together with a small smile, but my thoughts were with Phoenix. I’d tried to kill him, tried to murder the man I loved. I wondered if my friends knew that. I couldn’t bring myself to tell them. I decided it was better if they didn’t know.
Another shudder of cravings shook me. It left me weak and trembling. I hated this. I hated being frail. I looked around me. None of my friends had noticed. I glanced down at my hands surreptitiously. My knuckles were white, and small crescent cuts marked my palms. I tucked my hands under my legs and addressed my next question to the group as a whole.
“So,” I began, wondering if I should be asking. “Dustin and Raven.”
“What about them?” Ispin asked, lying on his back and looking up at the sky.
“Are they... together?”
“Yeah they are,” Theresa replied. “They have been for a while now.”
“Ok,” I said, nodding. “I just wanted to clear that up.”
I’d missed out on so much. I was cut off from any further questions as one of the bushes closest to us on the path rustled. We all turned to it.
“What was that?” Rain asked, craning her neck to see around Petre. “I dunno,” Ispin said. Yasmin was eyeing off some of his bright orange hair which had grown since I’d last seen him. “Hold on.”
He lit a bronze flame on one fingertip and sent it drifting towards the bush. There was a squeak as it reached the foliage, and without warning, a dozen mud people were running at us.
The others jerked back, but I held out my hands to them. They crowded around me, climbing onto my hands and arms.
“What are they?” Theresa asked. “They’re mud puppets that I created a few years back,” I said. “Though they should be called mud people, because they’re sentient.”
One, the chief of this little tribe judging by his leaf hat, proudly showed me a little twig, a bug of some kind speared on the end.
“Did you catch that all by yourself?” I asked him. He smiled with his little pebble mouth. “Well done. I’m very proud.”
The others clambered further up my arms, leaving mud on my skin. They eagerly showed me little trinkets they’d created, small vines knotted together in a certain way, a shiny rock they’d collected, even a little net that could catch the small, fresh-water shrimp in the creeks.
“You created these?” Theresa repeated. “Yes. Don’t bother asking specifics because I don’t know them. I was mimicking something that was shown to me by someone, but he used coals in a fireplace.”
“Phoenix.” Theresa said, and no-one could miss the derogatory note in her tone. “Yes. Phoenix,” I shot back. The mud people gathered in the crook of my elbow and I stood up with them nestled there. “I’m going back to the castle.”
I stopped in my tracks as a bell tolled through the trees. The mud people in my arms wriggled about. “That’s strange,” Dena remarked, frowning through the trees in the direction the sound had issued from. “They don’t usually use the bell.”
“Are they calling us back in?” Yasmin asked, plaiting a piece of Ispin’s hair. He was pink with embarrassment but hadn’t dared to move since she’d started. “Or is it someone else?”
“I think it’s the ‘someone’ we have in our midst,” Theresa said, turning her pale eyes onto me. “Come on, let’s head back.”
This time I led the way back. I set the mud people down when the chief pointed to a small hillock off of the path. I watched them scamper back off into the trees, my heart drumming in my chest; had the people we were waiting on arrived early? When I saw Jett standing at the doors to the castle, I knew they had.
“If you’d come with me,” he said. “The rest of you can carry on what you were doing.” I looked over my shoulder, at Dena. She was biting her lip and I was suddenly filled the urge to beckon her to come with me. I wanted my best friend by my side when I faced the unknown.
But Jett was already steering me away, so I left my friends standing in the doorway and followed his lead. He lead me down a corridor and then up a flight of stairs. I recognised the way to Iain’s office.
> “So are you in charge now, are you?” I asked him.
He smiled at me. “In a way. You’ll see.” He pushed open the office door without knocking. A woman was seated in the chair in front of the desk, a child
on her lap. She stood when we entered, and I recognised Petre’s mother.
“Hello,” she said, coming forwards to embrace me, the child on her hip. “Surprised to see you again.”
“Matilda?” I asked in disbelief. This was who we’d been waiting on? “What are you doing here?”
She looked to Jett.
“I’ll let you tell her.” he said to Matilda, as he sat down behind the desk.
“I’m here to get your magic back for you,” she told me. “And to introduce you to my daughter.” The chubby one-year-old in her lap gurgled something in my general direction. Her hair was golden, like Sammy’s, and her eyes had already turned storm-grey, like Petre’s.
“Hello.” I said uncertainly. I wasn’t so good with kids, having been an only child with no cousins.
“Would you like to hold her?” Matilda asked, and before I could protest, plonked Sky down in my arms. I clutched her the best I could, eventually settling her on my hip, mimicking the way Matilda had been holding her. We stared at each other, Sky to Sky. Then her little eyes filled up with tears as she realised she was being held by a stranger.
“Yeah, me too, kid.” I murmured to her.
“What was that?”
“She’s adorable,” I said, louder. Matilda beamed. “She’s got your eyes.”
I now realised that Matilda’s eyes were the same grey as all of her children’s. Comprehension dawned on me.
“You’re a mage.” I said, feeling stupid. “Yes I am,” she replied, removing her daughter from her my grasp. I tried not to look too relieved. “That’s how I’m going to get your magic back from Iain. Netalia has been magic-less since you overpowered her.”
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