I heard someone clear their throat and looked up to see Professor Talendale had abandoned his bookshelf and was watching me. Instead of ushering me from his office and back to my lessons, he eased himself into his chair.
“It’s never easy to learn we’re not who we thought we were,” he said. “But when it comes to it, we find that it’s not who we are that matters, so much as those we choose to surround ourselves with. It is a noble thing to raise a child who is not your own.” He steepled his hands and stared at me over the top of them. “And it is a noble thing to choose the company of those others ostracise, those who have nothing to offer you but themselves. Nobility, perhaps then, is a learned behaviour.”
I stared back into his dark eyes, surrounded by wrinkles and a few white hairs.
“Family comes in many forms, Lyssa. Do not turn your back on one in search of another.”
I kept staring at him, dumbstruck, and he leaned back in his chair and his customary frown returned to his face.
“Now, back to class with you. There are only seven weeks remaining before your exams, and Professor Atherton tells me you can’t afford to squander them.”
I got up to leave his office, the door opening itself at my approach, before I could say something that would land me in hot water – like that Professor Atherton was so biased it was amazing he even knew the name of any student outside of Air element.
Life at the academy had become strange since the last attack – well, stranger, at least – and one of the new rules was that students were prohibited from roaming the hallways alone. As such, the open doorway took on a shimmering quality, and as I peered into the water-like surface, I caught a glimpse of hundreds of books lining ancient shelves, and a dozen or so students, amongst them Kelsey and Sam. Professor Talendale had conjured me a portal to the library, though whether because he thought I should be studying, or that I ought be with my misfit friends, I wasn’t exactly sure. Probably both. I took a breath and stepped through.
We hadn’t been in the library for long when Professor Sumner arrived to escort us to Botany class. Though Professor Ellerby was in the hospital wing, our classes had continued uninterrupted, though without her careful instruction there’d been a steady downturn in the class’s progress. Most notably, nearly all of the Beathanian plants had wilted, and several had died completely. Mine and Ben’s was the only one that was still growing strong, and I’d heard a rumour that it was now being kept under guard day and night, and would be until it was ready to be harvested for the Beatha potion. One plant would be enough, Professor Sumner had quietly assured me, so long as it remained healthy. I barely trusted myself anywhere near it – what if I turned up the heat too much and it caught fire? – but Ben brushed aside my concerns and guided me attentively. We’d been excused from participating in the rest of the Botany lessons, and I’d even once been called out of Spellcraft to tend to it, much to Professor Atherton’s annoyance, and my amusement. Of course, he’d punished me by setting double homework so my victory had been short-lived, but a win was still a win.
When I wasn’t tending the Beathanian plant, or visiting Stormclaw under close escort – because he’d become so surly in my absence that he’d landed a couple of the assistants in the hospital wing and Madam Leechington had griped that she didn’t need to extra work distracting her from her other patients – I was in the library or the common room, cramming for our exams. Even my attempts at the skin-walking spell had been put on hold – although that was probably for the best. I had enough to worry about right now. It didn’t help that I had no idea what to expect. Dean had been telling everyone that when his brother was in first year, the Supernatural Zoology exam had involved touching Ares, the academy’s notoriously aggressive gryphon, but no-one quite knew whether to believe him.
Kelsey had spent days memorising dates of important Goblin rebellions, and notable cases in the court of magical law, while Sam had taken a more practical approach and was setting fire to anything he could get his hands on, then reducing the temperature of the flame before it could do any serious damage.
As for me, well, I just hoped my natural talent with magical creatures would be enough to make up for my deficiencies in Spellcraft and a whole year of not paying attention in Potions.
Time has a nasty habit of speeding up right when you want it to slow down. The days and weeks passed in the blink of an eye, and before I knew it, the exams were upon us, and I was woefully under-prepared. Not, as I’d told Kelsey bitterly, that I’d have felt prepared if I’d had another six months.
Written exams were first – Gaelic, History of Magic and Druidic Law, and I’d have been hard pressed to decide which one was worse. Suffice to say, I wasn’t expecting to have a career in law enforcement by the time my results came back.
For Botany, Professor Sumner took us each into a room with twenty plants that we had to identify, state their uses and their ideal growing conditions. I got six for sure, but the rest were a combination of educated guesses and made up answers.
Things picked up after that, though. Professor Swann set a series of candles, alternating black and white, in a circle and told me to set the wick of the first alight, then cause the flame to leap to each of the black candles without touching any of the white, or causing the wax to melt. Behind her were a small pile of singed white candles, so I knew someone had found it harder than I had.
Supernatural Zoology was a piece of cake – we had to demonstrate safe handling of a gryff, and several smaller animals I’d dealt with a couple of times. No gryphons or dragons, which was just as well, since Paethio had become more and more unpredictable with each day he spent without Ethan.
The Beathanian plant was just days away from being ready to be harvested, and it couldn’t happen soon enough. Paethio had already taken to shooting bursts of fire at anyone who looked at him the wrong way. The whole grounds were covered in scorch marks.
We had two exams a day for the whole week, except Friday when we only had one. The one I’d been dreading. Professor Atherton’s Spellcraft exam. And it was even worse than I’d feared. I hardly managed any of the incantations, and I could barely conjure even the most basic of glamours. When I stepped out, bleary-eyed, I almost walked straight into Sam.
“Well, that was brutal,” he said, stretching his arms out over his head and yawning loudly.
“Only for those of us who aren’t gifted in the finer arts,” Felicity said tartly from behind him. Sam rolled his eyes.
“We might all have to wait here to be escorted back to our common rooms,” Kelsey said, “but that doesn’t mean we have to speak to you.”
“Touchy,” she said, giving us a smile that was all teeth, and turning back to Paisley and Cecelia. “Do you smell that, girls? It’s the stench of failure.”
“That must be why it’s strongest around you,” I said sweetly. “Must be terrible, knowing Daddy’s money can’t buy you a pass.”
“At least I know who my Dad is.”
“What did you just say?” Red flashed in front of my eyes and heat burned at my throat.
“Lyssa, leave it.”
Sam stepped between us before I floored her with my curled fist. I glared at her smug face over his shoulder, and then spun away.
“Is nothing private around here?” I fumed the second I was out of earshot. “How could she possibly know I’m adopted?”
Sam shook his head.
“No idea. But I know she’s not worth it.”
“He’s right,” Kelsey said. “Don’t let her get under your skin. You know that’s what she wants.”
“Easy for you to say,” I said, but of course they were right. I’d made it through the entire year – somehow – and I wasn’t going to do anything to get myself kicked out now. Assuming I hadn’t flunked any major exams.
Despite being exhausted from an entire week of relentless exams, when night finally came, I couldn’t sleep. I spent a couple of hours tossing and turning before a light came on across the room. Kelsey rol
led over, hand still on her lamp, and looked at me through bleary eyes.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you.”
She sat up and brushed her hair out of her eyes.
“That’s okay. What’s wrong?”
What was wrong? Something, that was for sure. I shook my head.
“I don’t know. I need to take a walk.”
“Around the castle, in the middle of the night?”
“Nope,” I said, swinging my legs over the side of the bed and pulling on some warm clothes as I made up my mind. “I’m going to the gryff barn.”
“Lyssa, that’s crazy!”
“Tell me something I don’t know.” So much for not doing anything to get myself kicked out. “I need to see Stormclaw. I can’t explain it.”
“Can’t it wait until morning?” Kelsey pleaded. “We’ll find a professor to escort us out there.”
“Nope.” I pulled on my boots, and hunted around the room quickly for my heavy cloak. “What are you doing?”
Kelsey had climbed out of her bed and was pulling on her boots, too.
“Well, isn’t it obvious? I’m coming with you.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Kelsey wouldn’t be persuaded to stay behind, so ten minutes later we were both creeping out through the large door at the front of the academy, and into the chilly night air. She shivered, wrapping her cloak more tightly around her.
“Let’s just be quick, okay?”
“Sure. We’ll just check on him, then go back to bed.”
I was already having second thoughts about coming out here. Kelsey was right: this was crazy. We could both be expelled for being out tonight. Just a quick peek at Stormclaw, and then I’d go back to bed. We were halfway there already, it seemed silly to turn around and go back now.
“Did you hear that?” Kelsey hissed.
“Hear what?” I hissed back, looking around us, but all I could see was darkness and shadows under the waning moon. I froze, straining my ears, but the only sounds in the night air were my own rapid breathing and pounding heart. I caught movement in my periphery, and spun, looking wildly around me until my eyes rested on the tree branch disturbed by the wind.
“Forget it,” Kelsey said, eyeing the branch. “Let’s just get moving.”
We were approaching the greenhouses when she froze again, grabbing hold of my cloak to stop me in my tracks. She pressed a finger to her lips and spun me around.
“You’re both getting expelled for this.”
“Felicity!” There was no mistaking the gloating look on the girl’s face under the pale moonlight.
“I knew you were up to something, sneaking around the castle at night. Just wait until I tell Professor Talendale, he’ll have you out of here by morning.” She looked me up and down. “It’s about time. You should never have been allowed in here to start with.”
Kelsey’s grip on my wrist tightened, her nails biting into my skin.
“Ow! Watch it! Don’t worry about this airhead, she can’t tell Professor Talendale about us being out here without admitting to being out here herself.”
But Kelsey wasn’t looking at Felicity – she was looking over her shoulder, and her face had gone sheet white.
“The guards, Lyssa – for the Beathanian. They’re gone!”
“What?” My eyes widened. “The Beathanian! Come on!”
I shoved past Felicity and raced for the greenhouse, all thoughts of expelled firmly from my mind. If anything happened to that plant, Keira and Ethan and Professor Alden, they could all die.
“Stop!” Felicity shouted, and a sudden gust of air took my legs from under me. I hit the ground hard and rolled with a grunt.
“You–”
Another gust of air ripped the words from my lips, and Felicity stood, hand outstretched, staring down at me.
“I’m going to enjoy this,” she said, with a twisted smile as she advanced on me. But at the last moment she spun, and directed her blast of air at Kelsey, tossing her to the ground as easily as she’d tossed me. As soon as her back was turned I started conjuring a fireball… but I couldn’t bring myself to throw it. She could get hurt, seriously hurt, and no matter what a vindictive little airhead she was, she didn’t deserve to be burned. But that didn’t mean I had to tell her that.
“Leave her alone, Felicity,” I said, getting to my feet and letting the fireball hover in the air in front of us. She spun back to me, hand raised and her face distorted in a snarl. Kelsey stayed on the floor.
“Are you okay? I called, but her only answer was a grunt. After a moment she staggered to her feet, looking dazed. My head snapped back to Felicity and I edged the ball towards her.
“You wouldn’t dare!”
“Wouldn’t I? Like you said, I’m already expelled for being out here. What’ve I got to lose?”
Felicity backed away, blanching. Behind her, in the treeline, something moved.
“Look out!” I shouted, but I was much too late. The creature lunged out of the shadows, throwing itself at her and knocking her to the ground in a shadowy tangle of arms and legs. I caught only a glimpse of it mid-air, but it looked human. Then the rancid stench reached me, and I knew it couldn’t be. Nothing human could smell that vile. I gagged, choking on the heavy scent I’d smelled twice before – in the Unhallowed Grove, and then again in the hallways on Halloween. But this time, I knew what it was. What I could smell was rotting flesh. And death.
I aimed my palm at the floating fireball, and with a grunt I launched it through the air, towards the grappling pair. As it neared them, I could see Felicity sprawled on the floor, and poised above her was the unmistakable rotting face of a dead man. My guts churned, trying to reject my dinner, but I swallowed hard and pushed the fireball forwards again. The creature squealed in panic and drew back, away from Felicity. Now was my chance. With a shout, I threw the ball into its exposed shirt, and the creature gave a feral moan of pain. The tattered remains of its shirt started to burn, but under the fabric, the dead man’s skin was barely scorched. I wasn’t strong enough on my own.
“Kelsey!” I shouted, throwing another fireball, and another. Each one hit its mark, leaving a pattern of scorch marks across the rotting flesh, and the creature began to back away from Felicity’s unmoving body. But if it escaped into the forest, there was no telling when it would strike again. Or if it would kill next time. We couldn’t let it escape.
A fireball struck its back and the creature cried out again. My eyes snapped to Kelsey, whose hand was outstretched. She gave me a grim nod. I stretched my hand out again and we attacked the dead man from both sides, yet still it was barely having an impact. Our fire just couldn’t find any purchase to spread.
“Hit him again.” The voice came from the floor. Felicity had propped herself up, one hand gripping her shoulder, but the other shakily outstretched. “On three.”
“One,” I conjured a ball up between both palms, focussing all of my waning energy into it.
“Two,” Kelsey called, and I shoved my ball forwards, letting it merge with hers, mid-air.
“Three!” We flung the massive ball together and it smashed into the dead man’s chest with a thud I could feel from where I stood. Before it could go out, a breeze started flickering at its edges, fanning the flames and spreading over the creature until it was wreathed in flames, arms flailing and a horrible, inhuman screech filled the night air. His tattered clothing went up, and with one last groan, he slid to the floor, smouldering, and was still.
Another moan sounded, and Felicity sunk back to the floor.
“She’s okay,” Kelsey called out, dropping to the ground beside her. “Check on the plant!”
My stomach clenched. The plant! I’d forgotten all about it in the chaos. But someone had raised that man from the dead, and lured the guards away, and I had to get to the plant before they did.
I hurried to the greenhouse and as I did, I caught a glimpse of a shadow, and something slipping in through the door. Taking a deep breat
h, I conjured another ball of fire in my hand, and slipped through the door behind it. I looked around, ready to attack, and saw–
“Toby!”
I gasped in relief and shook my head as the hammering in my chest subsided. That damned cat was going to be the death of me. What the hell was he doing, skulking around out here in the dark? It didn’t matter. I brushed past him, careful to avoid taking a set of claws to my leg.
“Well?” Kelsey gasped, bracing herself in the doorway and throwing a glance back to Felicity. I directed my fire ball to hover over the Beathanian plant’s bench and got a good look at it under the flickering light. Relief flooded through me.
“It’s still here,” I said. It looked exactly the same as it had that afternoon. “It’s okay, thank God, it’s–”
I broke off as a thud sounded behind me. I spun around, and my eyes widened as they took in the scene. Kelsey was in a crumped heap on the floor, and a shadowy figure stood outlined behind her.
“Who… who are you?” I stammered, looking down at my friend. “What did you do to her?”
“She’ll be fine. I just didn’t want us to be disturbed.” The man stepped out of the shadows, and the light flickered across his gaunt, unfamiliar face. “I’m sorry, where are my manners? My name is Raphael, but you know me as Toby.”
My fireball flicked and blinked out of existence. The man clicked his fingers, and another appeared in its place. I paid it no attention.
“You can’t be. Toby’s a wampus cat.”
“Toby was a convenient disguise.” Raphael stepped over Kelsey’s unconscious body and advanced on me.
“Stay back!” I warned him. “I won’t let you destroy this plant.”
“Come now, Lyssa, if I wanted to hurt you, you’d be like your friends. But I will have that plant. I destroyed the others, but this one has proved surprisingly resilient. I’ll put an end to that tonight. I’ve come too far to let one little plant come between me and my goals.”
Druid Magic (Druid Academy Book 1) Page 16
