Soul Fire

by Legacy, Aprille

  I was just starting to feel like we could handle ourselves when someone hit me hard in the back. Flames had begun to crackle downstairs, and smoke was pouring into the corridor, making it hard to see and breath.

  I hit the ground hard, falling onto my wrist. The world tilted as I fought against the pain, black tinting the edges of my vision. I would not, could not fall into the comfort of unconsciousness.

  Someone, Aloysius, rolled me over, holding the blade of the broadsword to my throat.

  “You fought well,” he said gruffly. “But that isn’t enough to save you.”

  “There’s a fire downstairs,” I heard myself say weakly.

  “Yes, there is,” the broadsword glinted menacingly. “What of it? We will soon be gone.”

  “You don’t use your surroundings to your advantage,” I said, the black beginning to peal itself from my vision. “I do.”

  Scores and scores of fire puppets raced up the stairs, born from the fire downstairs. Their cousins in the smoke spiralled towards us, blanketing the eyes of the other mages, who coughed and clawed at their faces.

  “What are they?” Aloysius asked with just a hint of panic. The blade pressed into my throat.

  I wanted to say something witty, but the smoke was making my throat close over. Fire puppets were crawling up the legs of the rogues, burning them wherever they made contact.

  Aloysius cried out as one of the puppets gripped his ankle. In anger and pain, he brought the hilt of the broadsword down on my head.

  My vision swam, my eyelids fluttering. The fire puppets fell into little heaps of ashes, the smoke puppets dispersing into the air.

  “Stop!” I managed to swim back to consciousness when I heard Phoenix’s voice. “Stop, just... I’ll come with you if you leave everyone alone.”

  No, Phoenix! I tried to say, but I couldn’t make a sound. Please don’t go with them!

  I managed to open my eyes completely just as Phoenix leant down to cup my cheek with his hand.

  “Phoenix,” I mumbled, the world still swimming in front of my eyes. “Don’t go, please... you said this wasn’t the end.”

  “It’s not, I promise,” he whispered. “Can you stand?”

  I clung to his arm and shakily managed to stand up, leaning against the wall for support. I saw my swords lying at Aloysius’ feet.

  “Don’t even think about it,” he growled. “Bind her.”

  My arms and legs went rigid, and I gasped with pain as something tightened over my broken wrist. Tears swam in my eyes.

  “I’m sorry, Sky, I really am. Don’t look for me, ok?”

  “You said this wasn’t the end,” I repeated, the tears beginning to overflow.

  He kissed me, our lips meeting for only the briefest of moments. In those moments I felt his longing, regret and a sadness so deep I couldn’t even begin to fathom how far it went. Then he was pulling away.

  “I lied,” he said, the other rogues preparing to leave.

  Just as he climbed out of the window with the rogues, I caught a glimpse of his captivating orange eyes. Then he was gone.

  ~Chapter Twenty-Three~

  I stood against the wall with tears coursing down my cheeks, listening to the fire and my classmates downstairs. I stood for what felt like ages, feeling miserable and helpless. Morri perched at my feet, looking up at me quizzically.

  ‘If you wanted to move,’ he seemed to be asking. ‘Why don’t you just move?’

  I wiggled my fingers. Such a simple movement, but one that I hadn’t for the life of me been able to achieve a second ago.

  Suddenly, anger filled my veins with fire. I wrenched my right arm free of the trap, and something shattered. Shards of what looked like black ice skittered across the floor. My magic swelled in my chest, and with a cry I broke free of the prison they’d tried to hold me in. I fell to all fours, still cradling my arm across my chest.

  Someone rushed up the stairs, and I didn’t have to look up to know who it was.

  I was going to bring Phoenix back because I had something to tell him. I stood up, Jett watching me suspiciously.

  “Don’t, Sky.”

  I looked at him innocently, pain creasing my brow.

  “Don’t what?”

  He crossed the space between us in two strides, taking me by my shoulders and glaring at me.

  “Don’t you daretry to play innocent with me. I know what you’re planning to do, and don’t do it.”

  “What am I planning to do then?” I snapped. “You seem to know all about me.”

  “You’re going to go after him. Don’t. It’s too dangerous! Especially for one mage, one fe-,”

  I gaped at him, and he immediately backed off, realising he’d crossed the line.

  “I mean…”

  “One female mage?” I asked in disbelief. Jett stuttered something, but I cut him off. “That’s what you were going to say, wasn’t it?”

  He just looked at me. I think he realised he’d lost.

  I picked up my swords and pulled them onto my back. Then I headed downstairs and through the ashes of the fire they’d managed to start. Without hesitating, I flew out of the double doors, looking about to see if I could see which direction they’d taken.

  Iain said they’d come from the coast. It was true that they’d come from the west, so that was the way I struck out.

  As I neared the forest, the pain from my wrist made me stop. I held my arm out in front of me, wincing as the movement made a jolt of pain shoot up my arm. Reluctantly, I held my right hand over my wrist and began a healing spell that I knew would take all feeling from it.

  Thirty seconds later and I couldn’t feel the break anymore. My left hand was still useless, but now I wasn’t on the verge of passing out.

  I headed off again and reached the edge of the forest, not slowing down; they had too much of a head start. After a few minutes I became aware that I was being followed. My first thought was of a rogue mage, and I quietly unsheathed my left sword with my right hand. I slowed, letting the person catch up. Sensing them right behind me, I whirled, pressing the person against a tree trunk, the sword at their throat.

  “Don’t hurt me!” A familiar voice squeaked. “It’s Eleanora!”

  I let her go, and she slid down the tree trunk.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Same thing you are,” she said, brushing herself off. “I’m off to find Phoenix.”

  Anger flashed through me.

  “What does it matter to you?” I snapped.

  “If you haven’t noticed, Sky, I kind of care about him.”

  “And if you haven’t noticed, Eleanora, he doesn’t return the favour anymore!”

  Violet fire blossomed, illuminating both of us.

  “And just what makes you so sure of that?” She asked smugly.

  I opened my mouth to tell her ‘just what’ made me so sure, but then remembered what Jett had said about Iain and Netalia. I scowled and turned around to keep walking.

  “Sky-”

  “Don’t follow me.”

  She immediately bucked this order, stomping through the forest litter after me.

  “We have a better chance of getting him back as a pair, Sky.”

  I mulled this over, steadily walking. I didn’t protest when she caught up to me and walked by my side.

  We walked in silence for a long while, covering ground quickly. I prayed Phoenix was putting up a fight to slow them down, but I couldn’t see why he would if he’d gone with them willingly. Watching the ground, I became interested in scuff marks in the dirt.

  “Eleanora,” I hissed. I knelt to the ground and beckoned her over. She knelt next to me. “They were dragging something.”

  We looked at each other simultaneously. Just then, a voice echoed through the trees. It sounded like they were ordering something to move faster.

  “There’s a clearing just up ahead.” She murmured almost silently.

  I nodded. We stalked silently, reaching the clearing fa
ster than we anticipated. It was empty.

  “They must’ve moved on through,” she said.

  Suddenly we were under attack, rogues coming at us from every direction.

  Ambush, I realised too late.

  We fought them off the best we could, but there were too many of them and I could only use one hand. Eventually we succumbed, surrounded and held at sword point.

  “These ones are cute,” one said with laughter in his voice, circling me. I glared at him.

  “Foolish ones,” another said, apparently in charge. “To think that we would leave our tracks so easy to follow. Take their weapons.”

  Two rogues held us while another two took every dagger, sword, bow and arrow on us. I was grudgingly impressed at how much Eleanora had managed to store on her person.

  A strange tug in the air wrenched me forwards a few steps. I staggered, the rogue holding me pulling me upright again.

  “No magic for you now,” the same rogue said. “Wouldn’t want you trying to rescue your friend now.”

  I saw Phoenix then, being held between two mages. He was conscious, but only just. His lip was split, his eye black and a large bruise rising on his cheek. I wrestled against the grip of the rogue holding me. He’d been expecting it however, and held me easily.

  “This one’s intent on getting free,” the rogue holding me said, laughing.

  “She’s very stubborn,” Aloysius said. I growled, wishing him a very painful death. “That lock wasn’t meant to break for a long time.”

  “Surprise,” I snapped.

  “But this one is new,” Aloysius said casually, looking at Eleanora. “How did you manage to break so many hearts, Diego?”

  The mages laughed but Phoenix didn’t stir. I realised there was something much more sinister at work with what was wrong with him.

  “Who are you?”

  This was directed at Eleanora. She locked him in a fiery glare.

  “Girlfriend,” she snapped.

  “Ex,” I said immediately.

  We glared at each other, and I felt the mage holding me shift uncomfortably.

  “So apparently not the two most harmonious rescuers,” Aloysius said, laughing cruelly. “Tie them.”

  It was as my mage loosened his grip to accept rope from a colleague that I made my move. I twisted in his grasp, seeing Eleanora do the same out of the corner of my eye. I pulled free, lashing out in a kick that connected savagely with his temple as I saw Eleanora punch another squarely in the face. I gripped the fingers of a mage reaching for me, bending them back at an awkward angle. With one sharp movement, I broke three of them. The mage howled in pain and backed off. Before we could continue our assault, I was locked with magic in a way that felt rather familiar.

  “Coward.” I snarled. I was still able to talk.

  “Coward?” Aloysius repeated, laughing. “Why would that be, small one?”

  I flinched at the nickname.

  “Phoenix left you! He didn’t want your tutelage. He didn’t agree with your views! He came to the Academy to be free of you, and you just couldn’t let him go!” The last three words came out as a screech.

  The mages that had managed to keep their distance earlier laughed in unison with Aloysius. I gritted my teeth, taking a quick survey of the situation. I knew they would find my apparent naïveté amusing; I had used it to buy time.

  I couldn’t see any way out, but I was hoping that a certain hunch of mine was due to pay off any minute.

  Phoenix was drooping into unconsciousness; he didn’t recognise either Eleanora or me. I fought the enchantment that was keeping me pinned but to no avail.

  “We don’t need the other girl,” Aloysius said over his shoulder to another rogue. “I’m intrigued by this one though; keep her alive for the moment.”

  I saw Eleanora’s eyes widen as the rogue approached her, drawing his sword as he walked. I struggled harder than ever, my mind racing as I tried to come up with a plan.

  “Stop struggling,” Aloysius advised. “There’s no one coming to save you.”

  “How about their teacher?”

  I smiled as I recognised the voice. Bingo.

  “Jett,” Aloysius said. He didn’t seem surprised, which worried me. “I suppose you’re going to take on all of us for three mages?”

  “Perhaps,” he replied coolly. “Or perhaps I can leave with my three charges and no one would be any the wiser.”

  Aloysius barked out a laugh.

  “And why, pray tell, would we let you do that?”

  I fought to turn around. Aloysius, seeing me struggle, allowed me to do so. The look on Jett’s face utterly terrified me. He raised his left hand, something behind him following the motion. I realised it was the body of an unconscious rogue, the scout that Raven and I had taken prisoner.

  “Hyde,” Aloysius said, something flickering in his eyes. “How are you able to use magic here?” he snapped angrily.

  Jett shrugged.

  “My magic is still infused with that of a rogue. You can’t block my magic without blocking your own.”

  My heart seemed to stop as my breath caught in my chest. Jett had been a rogue?

  Looking around, I saw that they all had black eyes and hair.

  Exactly like Jett.

  I could talk to him later. But right now I needed to trust him.

  Aloysius’ eyes flicked to Hyde, and in that instant I realised that he wasn’t willing to put the young man in danger. Jett saw this also, and took immediate advantage of it. He drew his sword.

  “Fine,” Aloysius snarled. “Take them.”

  The magic that had been holding me vanished. I staggered, trying to regain my balance. I saw Eleanora do the same.

  “And Phoenix.” Jett added quickly.

  The two mages holding him let go. I darted forward and caught him, almost falling under his dead weight. Eleanora, seeing me fight to stand up, helped me with him. We crossed the clearing to Jett.

  “Leave Hyde.” Aloysius commanded.

  Jett promptly dropped the rogue on the forest floor, who fell in an ungracious heap.

  Jett turned quickly and headed into the forest. Eleanora and I followed, supporting Phoenix.

  “Don’t follow us.” Jett called back.

  There was no response.

  We walked silently back towards the Academy. I could feel Jett fuming silently next to me. He was angry… very angry.

  Phoenix seemed to get heavier and heavier as we walked. Adding to the fact that I was feeling unwell all of a sudden, I was worried that soon we would just have to drag him along, but sooner than I expected, the tree cover opened up to the campus grounds. It seemed to be more populated than when I’d left it.

  “Take care of Phoenix.” Jett snapped at me.

  Eleanora reluctantly let me take Phoenix.

  “Dustin.” I said, nodding over to him as he came out onto the grounds.

  Eleanora turned on the spot and ran to him. Ispin and Petre hurried over to me with the girls, taking Phoenix from my grasp.

  “To the infirmary,” Dena instructed, and we all moved as one towards the Academy. Rain supported me as my strength failed, my broken wrist throbbing and nausea began to swell in my stomach.

  All of them were mildly injured, but none of them seemed bothered by it. Something swelled in my heart, and tears grew in my eyes. By the time we got to the Academy, I was such a ball of emotions that I didn’t know what to do.

  We got to the infirmary and Petre and Ispin laid Phoenix on a bed. I looked over him properly for the first time.

  His lip had stopped bleeding, but the bruise on his cheek had become incredibly prominent. I winced as I looked over the discolouration.

  “Sky.” Phoenix mumbled, surfacing briefly from unconsciousness.

  I rested one hand on his good cheek and looked at him.

  “I’m here,” I whispered. “It’s going to be okay.”

  Dena shouldered me aside, examining Phoenix.

  “His physical injurie
s don’t seem to be too serious, but I’m more worried of the fact that he’s been exposed to rogue magic.”

  We all looked at her.

  “Their magic is very different from ours. You should feel a little off, Sky; just by being in their presence you’ve been infected.”

  That answered that question then.

  “How do you mean, different?” I asked.

  “Their magic is fuelled by anger and malice,” Dena said, sending a wash of blue sparks over Phoenix’s unconscious body. “Remember how Professor Yu kept saying ‘from the heart’?”

  We all nodded. We’d had him yell it at us enough times.

  “Well, he actually meant ‘from the heart’. We use power and grace, love and intellect when we use our magic,” I decided not to tell her about the time I’d destroyed my target; it had been pure frustration. “Theirs is everything we’re taught to avoid. No wonder it poisons us.”

  We sat about the infirmary watching Dena work on Phoenix until midnight. The matrons flitted around us, healing the other wounded.

  Jett came to tell us to go to sleep, promising to watch over Phoenix. As I passed Jett at the door, he gripped my shoulder. We didn’t look at each other, but silent understanding ran through us both.

  I got back to my room and opened the door. I expected it to be empty. Instead I found Larni fast asleep on my bed. She awoke and sat bolt upright when I closed the door.

  “Miss,” she said, and then crossed the room and hugged me fiercely. “I didn’t know if you were going to survive,” she said. “I was in the infirmary when the attack began, I’ve been there all day until one of the matrons sent me here to rest, but you didn’t come back in the evening...”

  “It’s okay,” I told her, rubbing her back. “I’m here, I’m alright, just... tired.”

  Larni held me at arm’s length.

  “And everyone else?” she asked, concern in her eyes. “Are they alright?”

  I explained Phoenix’s situation, and she trembled.

  “And, Larni.” Tears spilled over before I could stop them. My hands shook as I remembered. “Larni, I killed someone.”

  My shoulders shook with sobs as she took me in her arms again. The phrase kept echoing around my head.

  I, Rose Evermore of the human realm, Sky of this realm, had killed another being. I would never be the same person again.