Turns out Petre was correct when he said Phoenix had led a hard life.
We watched Phoenix swim out to Dustin and Ispin, who accepted him into their game immediately. Petre was on the rope, watching Phoenix with distrust. Theresa motioned for Rain to come to us and she climbed out of the pool.
“What?” She panted.
I turned her around to face the pool, just as Phoenix climbed onto a rock ledge to jump on Ispin. Rain’s jaw dropped.
“I know,” I said laughing, “I had no idea!”
Even more surprising than Phoenix’s physique was his attitude. He was laughing and smiling, which lit his face up and made him even more handsome than before. It was as though an enormous weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
Petre approached us looking like thunder, but before he could say anything, Rain pushed him in. This resulted in all of us trying to wrestle each other off, and I managed to be the last one standing.
“Ha!” I yelled triumphantly.
Arms picked me up from behind again, and the person holding me jumped off the ledge. We both hit the water and surfaced at the same time, Phoenix grinning at me and my heart wobbled again.
“Sky,” he said. “Do you want to have dinner with me tonight? I feel bad about the last time you tried to eat with me.”
I opened my mouth to accept (and to ask if I was dreaming) but was interrupted by the one voice I didn’t want to hear.
“Phoenix!” Someone yelled, and we all turned to the forest path to see Eleanora standing on it, hands on her hips.
“Phoenix, weren’t we supposed to be having lunch?”
“Oh,” I heard him say. “Sorry, I was…”
“I don’t care what you were doing,” She yelled. Everyone turned to stare at her. “You stood me up!”
“Ellie, I was just—,”
“Having fun,” I continued for him, still in the water next to him. I tried to ignore all the smart comments my mind was throwing up about him having a nickname for her.
“Let it go, Eleanora,” I continued. “Get in the water yourself, have some fun.”
Everyone waited to see what she’d say, and I swear the water got colder.
“No.” She said finally.
“No?”
“No,” she repeated. “C’mon, Phoenix, we’re leaving.”
He didn’t say anything as he heaved himself out of the water and wrapped his towel around himself again. I turned away to find everyone else looking at me. I just sighed and shook my head at them.
After that, the afternoon lost something; a friendship that could’ve been made, a truce that could’ve been had. Even Dustin seemed to understand that his soul mate had ruined the afternoon. We splashed around in the water for a while, trying to recapture some of the earlier fun, but not even shoulder wars could bring back the joy of a few hours ago. When Yasmin and Rain began to complain about being sunburnt, we eventually headed back to the castle. It was dark when we got back, and I headed up to my room, getting changed back into my breeches and shirt before heading down for dinner. I scowled as I was changing, the pink glow of my skin itching and irritating. I hated sunburn, and no matter how many times I swore to myself that I would never let myself get sunburnt again, I always forgot and ended up getting burnt worse than last time.
I headed back down to the mess hall, where we ate twice as much as normal; swimming always made me hungrier than normal exercise. Judging from how much everyone else ate too, I think it was safe to assume that they operated in the same way I did. We ate in silence, exhausted after spending the day swimming.
Dustin accompanied me back to my room, holding my hand. We didn’t speak about the afternoon, instead choosing to discuss our classes. He kissed me goodnight at my door just as Larni came up the stairs. She waited for Dustin to leave before breaking into an enormous grin.
I grinned back sheepishly and we entered my room together.
“He seems nice,” she said slyly and we both giggled.
“He took me to the Knight Ball,” I confessed. “Thank you for the dress.”
“My pleasure,” she said happily. “It didn’t take me very long to stitch it-“
“Hold on, you made that dress?”
She nodded eagerly.
“By my own hands.”
“Larni,” I was swimming in disbelief. “It was gorgeous.I have to do something for you, to pay you back.”
“No,” she said firmly. “It was enough to see you so happy. You’ve been quite miserable these past few days.”
I didn’t know what to say to her, so I just handed my washing to her and she left.
Despite what she’d said, I still felt awful knowing about her situation. We had yet to discuss her new found abilities, and I knew she was avoiding the topic.
~Chapter Eight~
Before classes started the next morning, I headed down the stairs, not to the mess hall, but to try and find Jetts’s office. It was only when I reached the flagstones at the foot of the stairs that I realised I had no idea where I was going.
I wandered for a little bit, having a look at the tapestries that lined the walls. I was just examining one that seemed to be depicting a great battle when I was stopped by a snappy voice I knew too well.
“Good morning, Sky,” I turned to face Professor Watt. “Heading to the mess hall?”
“Actually, I was trying to find Jett’s office.”
One of her eyebrows shot into her steel hair. The other eye narrowed at me behind her pince-nez.
“You mean Professor Jettais.”
“Oh, yeah. Him.”
She eyed me off for a moment as though deciding if she was going to tell me or not. Eventually she sighed and folded her arms, her long cloak fluttering about her person.
“Down the hall, first left and then the door on your right.”
“Thank you!”
I trotted off down the hall, not stopping even when she called after me again.
“I need that paper on Surac’s economics, Sky! It was due last week!”
“Ok!”
I continued around the corner, noticing just how familiar that sounded. Before I could place it, I’d found a door with a little gold plate on it, which read ‘Professor Jettais’. I knocked and then waited.
“Come in,” the muffled call came from the other side.
I pushed open the door to find Jett sitting at his desk.
“Getting today’s lesson organized,” he explained, hastily scribbling what looked like a signature on the top paper of a pile. “How can I help, Sky?”
I closed the door behind me, and leant against it.
“It’s about Larni... my, uh, servant,” I started, deciding that now wouldn’t be the best time to bring up my qualms about her social status again. Instead, I focussed on the issue at hand. “She says her parents had her tested for magic when she was four, and she didn’t have a drop.”
Jett laced his fingers together and rested his chin on them, not taking his eyes off of me. I took this as permission to continue.
“But, the other day, after my, uh,” I coughed. “Altercation, with Eleanora-“
“The one that ended with you almost blinded by a fire whip?”
“... Yes. That one. Anyway, I headed back to my room to try to clean it. But Larni was there and she... well. She healed it.”
I fell silent. Jett continued watching me closely. The clock on the wall ticked off the seconds passing between us.
“I think it would be best if you didn’t take this any higher, Sky,” he said finally.
“What?” I couldn’t believe what I’d heard. “But, Jett, this means that Larni is a mage! She needs to be educated; she can have a better life now.”
“I repeat what I said,” he replied, standing up and gathering his stuff together. “Please don’t take this to Iain or Netalia, Sky, for your own good.”
He swept past me, out of the room. I stood, frozen to the spot, staring at where he had been. For my own good? What the hell
did he mean by that?
After a few more seconds of mulling over what he’d said, I left the room. I made it to the mess hall and was eating breakfast with everyone else when Jett appeared in the doorway. Everyone fell quiet as they noticed him.
“If you’d all come with me,” he said loudly. “I think you’re going to enjoy this morning’s lesson.”
We finished our breakfast quickly and followed him willingly. Out of all of our professors, Jett was the youngest and therefore everyone’s favourite teacher.
He took us to a section of the Academy no one had seen before. When he pushed open the door and let us into the room beyond, I wasn’t the only one who gasped.
On the walls of the hall hung swords and shields and every weapon imaginable.
“Oh that’s a good idea, Jett,” I heard Petre mutter. “Give Sky access to something sharp.”
I assumed he was talking the incident with the blunt practice arrow and scowled at him, but he didn’t notice.
“Line up.” Jett called.
One by one, we were handed practice swords and began to learn drills. The sword I’d been given was heavy, and I broke into a sweat during the slow practice. The lesson lasted longer than normal, and the sun was high in the sky when Jett ordered us to stop.
“Now for the fun bit. Everyone gets to choose which weapon they’d like to specialise in. Don’t worry; you can always change your mind later.”
Everyone began to mill about the hall, choosing their weapons. I saw Eleanora pick up a beautiful bow, examining it reverently.
“Jett,” I called. “What are those?”
I pointed to a pair of twin thin swords. They looked lighter than the practice sword I’d been given.
Jett lifted them down and handed both to me. They were both in their scabbards.
“They’re worn on the back like this,” he said, hoisting them onto his back. “And then they’re drawn like this.”
In a lightning fast movement, he grasped the hilts of both of the swords and drew them, crossing them in front of him.
“Wow,” I said. “Can I try?”
He hesitated just long enough for me to wonder if he was going to hand them over, but then removed them from his back and gave them to me.
As soon as I settled them onto my back, I knew these were going to be my choice weapons. It took me three goes to get the swords clear of their scabbards when I drew them, but I eventually managed to draw them, albeit not with the same clean movement that Jett had; it would take me a while to get used to them. I whipped one experimentally through the air, marvelling at the speed and weight.
“So, you just chose those yourself?” Jett asked.
“Of course,” I said, squinting along one of the blades. “Did you see anyone else choose them for me?”
“I mean, have you read about them? Seen them before?”
I didn’t answer until I’d managed to get the swords back into their scabbards without stabbing myself in the back.
“No. I saw them on the wall and thought they looked cool,” I fixed him with a stare, raising my eyebrow. “Is something wrong?”
“Of course not,” he said too quickly. “It’s free choice after all.”
I looked around and saw Dena with a broadsword going through some of the drills we’d just been taught. Dustin had picked up an enormous scythe that was taller than him, and was showing Petre and Ispin how sharp it was by slicing bits of his tunic. He looked up as though sensing my gaze and winked. I blushed furiously as Jett grinned at me.
“Don’t say anything,” I said warningly.
“I’ll say nothing,” he reassured me.
We spent the rest of the lesson practicing with our weapons. I was slowly getting used to the twin swords, their balanced weight and the feel of the hilts in my hands. My left hand let me down a little though; as I was right handed, I tended to not use the left as much and it was hindering me quite a bit. In fact, the only time someone could break my blocks was by targeting the sword held in my left hand.
“Ouch!” I cried before I could stop myself, dropping my left sword.
“Sky? Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry,” Dena dropped her broadsword with a clatter, rushing to my side.
“It’s alright,” I said, clutching my wrist. “It’s just my stupid hand is too weak to take any hits.”
The lesson was almost over when the doors to the hall opened and Netalia strode through them. She talked quickly and quietly to Jett, whose brow furrowed with worry. She was just leaving as her eyes flicked to me, and her steps slowed as her eyes widened.
“Jett,” she said, and they began speaking quickly again, although I sensed it was about a different topic.
“Where did you get those?” she asked me furiously a short time later.
Assuming she was talking about my swords, I said,
“Off of the wall where everyone else got their weapons from.”
“You’ll pick another weapon immediately,” she said, breathing heavily, her eyes wide.
“But I like these!” I protested.
“No matter! Those are not to be used!”
Silence fell across the room as Netalia and I stood and faced each other.
“Alright,” I said finally. “Fine by me.”
I ended up with a standard sword like the ones we’d been practicing with. I couldn’t hide my disappointment as Jett hung the twin swords back up.
Everyone left, talking quietly about the lesson. I was almost out of the doors when Jett called to me.
“Sky?”
I turned back.
“I can teach you, if you want,” he said. “With the twin swords. It has to be our little secret though.”
“Ok,” I said immediately, and something like defeat flickered in his eyes. “But why did Netalia get so uptight about me using them?”
He just shook his head as he went to lift them down. “Jett, tell me-“
“Don’t ask that of me!” he snapped and I stepped back in surprise; Jett never got angry with us, not even when Ispin accidentally set one of the desks on fire. “Please, Sky, I just can’t...”
“Alright,” I said, taken aback by his reaction. “Our secret.”
As he began to teach me drills and starting positions with the swords, I couldn’t help but feel like everyone in this castle knew something about me that I didn’t.
That week flew by, with Larni hardly speaking to me. I hadn’t mentioned that I’d been to see Jett about her abilities, but somehow she’d found out. It seemed impossible to keep secrets in this place.
As luck would have it, the next weekend was one where we were allowed to visit the village, if we so wished. Larni was also excited, because she was allowed to go and visit her family. I saw my opportunity
immediately.
Jett had said not to go any higher, to Iain or Netalia. But if I could convince Larni’s parents to get her tested again, theycould appeal to the Masters of the Academy to let her in.
“And my brother, Niko, he gets into so much trouble,” Larni giggled as she made my bed, me watching from atop my table. “He’s three now, but he’s very high
maintenance.”
“Aren’t all three year olds?” I asked. Personally, being an only child, I’d never had much experience with them.
“I suppose you’re right,” she said, humming to herself as she smoothed down the duvet.
“So where in the village do you live?” I asked her nonchalantly, examining my fingernails.
“Just beside the clock tower,” she said absently. “Father would have re-thatched the roof, so it’ll look the nicest out of all of the surrounding houses.” She smiled proudly.
So, on that Sunday, Larni set off early in the morning for the village. I watched her from my window, high up in the dormitory tower. She carried a basket on her arm, her brown hair pulled up into the neat bun that all of the servants tied their hair into. When she disappeared from sight, I hauled myself out of bed and got dressed in a loose green shirt, with
long sleeves, that I tucked into breeches, pulling on my boots. I left my hair down for once, enjoying the lack of tugging on my scalp. I met the others in the mess hall, but none of them were heading to the village, which was very convenient. I waved goodbye to them as they headed to the water hole for the day.
I saddled Echo and set off on the road to Keyes, the warm wind pushing my hair away from my face. I let Echo walk the whole way, in no rush to get to the village at all. The sun burnt overhead, but it wasn’t hot enough to make me regret riding slowly. I was glad that I’d worn long sleeves though; I tended to burn if I so much looked at the sun.
Keyes slowly came into view, and I hitched Echo at the same post as last time. I checked my money pouch to make sure it was still attached to my belt, and then set off, searching for the house near the clock tower with the freshly thatched roof.
The village was busy under the high sun. The market stalls were set out again, and villagers bustled around me, haggling to get the best prices for merchandise. I spotted Chef from the kitchens amongst the crowd, buying the food for the Academy.
At least, I thought, the Academy supports the local village.
That of course reminded me of the paper I was yet to hand up to Watt, but I deemed Larni’s future and wellbeing a lot more important than economics in another country.
The clock tower was easy enough to find, even as it chimed off the hour. I stood at the base of it, looking up at the enormous clock face above me.
“’S’cuse me!”
I jumped out of the way as a small boy tore past me, in pursuit of a very fat chicken. I watched as he caught the hen up in his arms, though the fowl was almost as big as he was. He fixed me with large brown eyes that seemed very familiar as the chicken glared at me, clearly blaming me for its capture.
“Niko, right?” I asked, taking a chance.
It paid off when he nodded, beginning to carry the chicken back to a house behind the clock tower.
“I’m Sky,” I said, following him. “I’m a friend of your sister’s.”
“I know,” he told me promptly. “She’s here.”
We rounded the corner to find a small cottage with a beautiful golden roof of straw. We climbed the worn wooden steps to the front patio, and then Niko led me straight through the front door, still carrying the chicken. I followed him awkwardly.
Soul Fire Page 9
