by Megan Linski
I’d never been like this before. It was too much to handle.
When we got to the balcony, I lifted her over the side before I climbed over the railing. I unfastened my grappling hook, sliding it back in my cloak.
“You got something else impressive under there?” Emma asked. She smirked.
“If you’re trying to make a crude joke, it’s not funny,” I told her.
“It’s funny to me.” She snickered. I rolled my eyes.
“You need to stay inside the school at night. Don’t go walking around on your own,” I told her.
“Excuse me? Who are you to boss me around?” she shot out quickly.
My temper raged. I wanted to respond back that I was her mate and that she needed to listen to me as much as I would her, but instead, I said, “The Phantom commands you.”
“Ooh, scary.” She waved her hands. “Some weird guy in a mask tells me what to do, and I’m supposed to listen?”
“I did save your life. I’m not expecting to take time out of my day to rescue your pretty little ass again, so if you want to repay the favor, you’ll do as you’re told,” I snapped.
She huffed. “Fine. I’d say that was a fair deal.” She tapped her fingers against the balcony.
I kept my gaze fixed on her. “I’ll hold you to your word, Miss Sosna.”
I hesitated. Shit. I’d never meant to say her name. Her eyes widened, but before she could say another word, I started scaling the wall. In less than a minute, I was on top of the roof and out of Emma’s eyesight.
My heart felt like it was in my throat, making it hard to breathe. That was a close call. I’d nearly slipped up and given myself away.
I wasn’t so sure I hadn’t.
Chapter Ten
Emma
I’d met the love of my life. He was the Phantom.
It was a big jump to make, but when our hands touched and he interlocked his fingers in mine, there was no doubt in my mind. I felt the magic there, binding our lives and fates together. It was an undeniable attraction that nature itself couldn’t ignore.
The Phantom was my mate. I only needed to discover who he was, so that we could be together.
I was certain that I’d run into him before. He knew my name. He had to be in one of my classes. And Odette had told me about the wards around the school that were placed at night. You couldn’t pass in or out of them unless you went to school here, which meant that the Phantom was somewhere among the male students at Arcanea University.
But there were thousands of guys here. I couldn’t tell you how many I’d met in the past few days. The Phantom could be any one of them. Narrowing it down wouldn’t exactly be easy, but I did have hope… he’d bonded with me, which meant he was a wolven. Besides, nobody but a wolven would run around with a wolf mask as a disguise. The guy really needed to up his game when it came to the secret identity department.
I’d have never met him if I didn’t make a spur of the moment decision to take a nighttime stroll through town. I missed my mom. I wanted to know more about the world she came from. Okay, maybe a midnight walk through town wasn’t the safest way to do it, but I’d tossed and turned all night. I couldn’t sleep while picturing her at my age, roaming magical alleyways and performing magic like she was born to do so all her life.
I’d wondered why the streets were so empty, and I found out— the Black Claw cornered me long before I’d even realized they were following my trail. It had been scary learning about them in the first place, but actually seeing them in person, coming toward me with those freaky skull masks, had made them horribly real.
Then the Phantom had saved me. Even better, he’d bonded with me. Now all I needed to do was solve the mystery.
A couple of weeks had gone by, but I still wasn’t used to things at Arcanea University. If I was useless at illusion, I was even worse at Intro to Enchanting. The enchanting classroom was in the shape of a crescent moon, with a wall of windows that looked out over campus. There were a variety of round tables covered in purple velvet cloths, surrounded by an assortment of large armchairs where we did the enchanting. Professor Calliope strode around the room, observing as we attempted to infuse swords with magical energy.
Professor Calliope was a dragon Marked who had long black hair and a robe that appeared as if it was made of starlight. She was old, dignified, and strict, but I liked her. She treated everyone the same, and if anyone had the nerve to get cocky, she’d take them down a peg.
“Clear your mind,” Professor Calliope spoke strongly over the girls struggling to enchant their weapons. “Focus your intention on the blade, then visualize the color of the spell— the color of the enchantment of protection is blue. Guide your hands over the blade, hovering slightly by an inch or two. If done properly, the blade will glow with a similar hue to the magic, and the sword will provide an added defense while taking down monsters.”
Calliope demonstrated again, and a sparkling blue magic floated from her fingertips and landed on the broadsword displayed on the desk in front of the table. “Enchanting is the magical art of infusing objects with a certain intention, similar to illusion,” she spoke. For example, if you enchant a teacup with the intention of happiness, whosoever drinks from that cup will immediately experience an elevated mood. Likewise, if you wanted to enchant a sword for better defense during battle, you would cast an enchantment of protection, like we’re attempting to do today. Alicorns in particular should experience ease while casting enchantment charms, as their magic is best suited for shield magic, but all Marked should be able to cast some sort of protective enchantment, should the need arise.”
Not me, apparently. We were supposed to use these swords in our next Monster Hunting class with Lord Lucien, so I wanted to get this right. I didn’t want to be the only loser without a working enchanted blade on Monday. Everything at Arcanea University connected together, and if you failed in one class, it would affect your performance in the others.
I held my hands over the sword and tried to focus, but I couldn’t see the blue light, nor could I picture my intention. I didn’t feel safe, not even within these stone walls. The Black Claw were out there, and they’d nearly killed me twice now. Who’s to say they wouldn’t try again? I didn’t feel protected at all. I felt scared.
The blade glowed red, and Professor Calliope stopped at my table. “That’s wrong, Emma. That’s the enchantment for fear. Which works well if you’re attempting to get the monster to flee, but is not the purpose of this class.”
She waved her hand, and the red color from the sword faded, drifting into air like smoke. “Take a moment to realign yourself.”
She walked off. I glanced around the room. Many girls had already gotten the spell. The room was lit up with blue. I was one of only three who hadn’t nailed it yet.
I sank low in my seat. I’d never get this.
“It’d be easier if you tried to relax,” Kiara said beside me. “I know it’s difficult.”
I was surprised at the sound of Kiara’s voice. She’d sat next to me in all my classes, and was my partner for most of them, but hadn’t said a word since Lady Korva had spoken nasty things to her face.
I huffed. “Is there an easier way to do this?”
Kiara shrugged. “You can add certain crystals to create a circle around the object for easier enchanting, but those are only to be used with advanced spells where the magic doesn’t want to take.”
“But what if I’m not strong enough?” I asked.
“The magic is inside of you. That’s what makes the spells work. You have it, you just need to learn to access it,” Kiara said. “Picture it as a well you’re drawing from. It’ll come easier.”
Kiara’s words gave me inspiration. I decided to try again. This time, I closed my eyes and placed my hands slightly over the sword. I pictured my powers as a huge waterfall, hundreds of feet high. I saw myself standing at the bottom of it with a wooden bucket, ready to draw from its endless supply without worrying if there was enough
.
I needed to feel protected. I thought of the Phantom, and how he’d come from out of nowhere to save me. I’d never have to worry about being in danger or being hurt again as long as he was around. He’d protect me from anything. I remembered the cool and comforting look he’d given me when he’d left me on the balcony beneath the stars. It was unlike anything I’d experienced in the world.
I felt a tingling warmth spread from my palms, and I opened my eyes. The sword now gleamed blue.
“See? You can do it, Emma,” Kiara encouraged. “You merely need to have faith.”
Professor Calliope stopped by our table again. “Looks like Miss Sosna works better with her eyes closed than open to direct the magic. That’s the sign of an advanced Marked,” she praised. “You’re an excellent sorceress. You merely need to get out of your own head.”
I was beaming when I left class. Kiara fell in-step beside me. She hid a tiny smile behind the many books she carried.
“I finally did it! I’m such a badass,” I said. “Thanks for all your help, Kiara. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“Yes you could’ve. You did the work, not me.” She shuffled the books in her arms as we wandered through the crowded hallways, keeping her head down. “Where are you off to now? Another class?”
“I’m actually meeting up with my friends. Want to come?” I asked her. I stopped in front of a stained glass window that had a bench in front of it.
Kiara bit her lip. “Um… I don’t know.” She scuffed the ground with her shoe. “I don’t really do well with new people.”
“I didn’t either, before I came here,” I told her. “I promise you’ll like them. Odette and Delmare are awesome.”
She looked down. “It’s not that.”
I sat on the window seat. “Why don’t you tell me about it?”
Kiara hesitated. The look in her eyes was fearful— like she worried that if she said what was really on her mind, I’d use it against her later.
She slowly took a seat across from me. “I’m surprised you want to me seen with me. Seeing how I look like… well, this.”
“Your face is beautiful. Fuck anyone who tells you otherwise,” I stated.
“It’s the mark of an outsider,” she said quietly. “My mother was a Marked who mated with a human. I came out with a mark on my face, and all over my body.”
“But why does that matter? It just makes you unique,” I said.
“You don’t understand. It was a huge scandal when my mother mated with someone who wasn’t our kind, that she never found a Companion to guard. She didn’t do her duty to our people,” Kiara explained. “When others found out she was pregnant with me, they tried to stop the pregnancy. They called me a halfling baby. That’s why Lady Korva told me to fix my face. So people wouldn’t know I was half-human.”
“Oh my gosh.” I put a hand over my mouth. “That’s horrible.”
She nodded. “We were allowed to live in Dolinska, but on the outskirts, as outcasts. I have more human blood than faerie. People say it makes me weak.”
“That’s bullshit. You’re more talented with magic than anyone in our class, probably the whole school, even,” I said. “If anything, your human blood makes you stronger.”
“I don’t know.” She nuzzled her head into her books, so that her nose was hidden behind it. “I just don’t want to be picked on anymore. This is embarrassing, but to be honest, I’ve never had a real friend.”
I placed my hand over hers. “I’m an outsider, too. I didn’t know anything about this world until recently. I didn’t even know Arcanea existed.”
“Really?” Her eyes widened.
“Yes,” I told her. “And you shouldn’t be worried about being bullied by my friends. They’re pretty weird themselves. I wouldn’t hang out with them if they were jerks.”
Her eyes nervously darted away from mine. “Okay. If you say so…”
“I know so. Come on.” I hooked Kiara’s arm in mine, and stood up. “Odette is going to love you, I just know it. She never sees the bad in anyone. And as long as you laugh at Delmare’s shitty jokes, you should be fine.”
Kiara looked nervous as hell. “I hope they like me, too. I’ve been having trouble talking to people of my own Faction. Griffins aren’t very approachable. I want to talk to the boys, but they’re intimidating. Not scary so much as all-business.”
She sighed. “Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever bond, or if I’m destined to mate with a human just like my mother.”
“You’ll find an amazing griffin to bond with someday,” I told her. “I bet he’s looking for you right now. And if you pick a human, that’s fine, too. What matters is that he makes you happy.”
“I hope so.” She
sighed. “Have you found your mate yet?”
My pulse quickened. “Yes. But I don’t think he even knows I’m alive.”
“That’s too bad.” She frowned. “I hope you two get together soon.”
A bitter loneliness crept into my throat. “So do I.”
Odette and Delmare took pretty quickly to Kiara. It wasn’t two minutes into the conversation before Odette was making Kiara swear to come over for a makeover later while Delmare was asking if she wanted to go get tattoos.
Kiara as pretty uncomfortable, at first, but she got used to the two extroverts throwing themselves at her within the hour. By Monday, she’d officially been inducted by Odette into our little group.
The first week of fall in Malovia was bitterly cold. The leaves were turning a burning orange and bright red, and tiny snowflakes were beginning to fall on the golden evenings that quickly summoned winter. At Kiara’s request, I kept my head down in my classes, and did my best not to piss Lady Korva off— I was getting better at enchanting, though illusion still eluded me, and I still was having trouble keeping up with the drills in Monster Hunting 101. My other two classes—Intro to the Monarchy and Intro to Flight—were all history and theory, but I worried about my Flight class the most. I didn’t have my wings yet, as some sorceresses did, and I feared the day would soon come that I’d be asked to use them.
I was practicing illusion by myself near a fountain of a Marked with beautiful butterfly wings that afternoon. I was trying to make the statue come alive and flutter its wings, but all I’d managed to do was change the stone from gray to red, and I was stuck trying to figure out how to put it back.
I gave an angry sigh. “How the hell.” I waved my hands and tried again, focusing on my intention, but all the statue did was get redder.
“Having trouble with that?”
I heard a voice behind me. It was Ethan. His hands were in his pockets again. He was giving me an amusing look, like it was so funny I was busting my ass trying to make the statue come alive.
“If you’re going to tease me, go away,” I told him. I waved my hands again, and the statue gave Ethan the finger. I smiled. Not the result I wanted, but I’d take it.
Ethan laughed. “You can’t be that bad if you’re using objects to insult me.”
“I’m horrible. Don’t even go there.” I dropped my hands to my sides with a smack. “How do you guys do it? I’m way behind everyone else.”
“Marked are far better than Companions at magic. It’s you guys who hold the most power,” Ethan said.
“Could’ve fooled me.” I made a face. “Great. Now the thing’s stuck like that.”
“No it’s not.” Ethan waved his hand. A purple hue settled over the statue, and the red color I’d put into it drained away, until the statue appeared to be its normal self again. Once again, Ethan’s eyes flashed violet when he performed magic.
I crossed my arms. “Show-off.”
“The Arcanea who struggle the most with illusion find themselves incapable of being fake,” Ethan told me. “It’s a compliment, Emma, not a weakness. Being unable to conjure an illusion simply means you’re too honest.”
That made sense. Gabby was an exceptional illusionist, because she was the fakest bitch in
school. “So how do I become a better illusionist?”
Ethan leaned in and whispered, “Be a better liar.”
He walked away, his broad shoulders strolling with a casual amble. His words caught my attention. What exactly did Ethan have to hide?
I thought about what I knew about the best illusionists. I knew Delmare wrote poetry and short stories in her free time. She’d even composed a novel that she’d self-published online. I read it, and thought it was really good. A bit dark, but that was Delmare. She was good at illusion casting. She had experience creating other worlds other people could hardly dream up.
Me, I was too rooted in reality. I struggled to use my imagination for anything my eyes couldn’t see, and it was killing me out here. I didn’t know why I still had trouble being inventive in a world where anything was possible.
Maybe it was because my mom had kept it from me for so long. I knew she wasn’t ready to tell me why, but someday, I needed to know.
“Saw you talking to Ethan,” Odette teased as I met up with her in the hallway to head back to the girls’ dorms. “He seems to like you.”
My cheeks blushed, but I said, “You told me he was taken.”
“He was, but now I’m not so sure,” Odette said cheerfully. “He sure does seem to have eyes for you lately.”
I brushed it off. Ethan could look at me all he wanted. I only had eyes for the Phantom.
“Emma!”
Kiara came jogging down the hallway. “I wanted to ask you. We needed to pick up that new book for illusion class. Would you like to come with me?”
“Sure, I’ll go along,” I told Kiara. “Do you want to come, Odette?”
“No, thank you. I have to meet up with Theo,” she told us pleasantly. “Have fun!”
She trotted off, and Kiara and I looked at each other. “Do you think she’ll ever realize she has a thing for Theo?” I asked Kiara.
Kiara shook her head. “Probably not. But you think she would. They hang out practically every day.”
