“It’s nice to meet you, Professor.”
“Please darling, call me Myer, everyone does.” She gripped my shoulder lightly. “I was wondering if you would mind coming with me?”
“Um, where to?” You seem nice, but I don’t know you.
“Just next door, I promise you’ll love it.” Myer smiled, her painted lips parting to reveal her large white teeth.
I looked around the room, the groups of earth, air, and water mages already practicing some levitation. If I stay here I’ll have to own up to my fire mage status in front of everyone. I nodded, and followed Myer out into the hallway.
“You’re all adults so I expect you to behave,” she called into the room before closing the door. Myer held up her wrist, flashing a mirrored disk on a leather strap. “I’ll know if you get up to any mischief.” Everyone grumbled and laughed while she let the door swing shut.
“I can’t tell you how thrilled I am, Nadia, I’ve been waiting ages to work with a youngster like you.” The skin around her eyes crinkled slightly as she smiled.
“Pardon me?” I asked, watching her pry open a stone door I had completely missed before.
“A fire mage of course,” she whispered. “Starling told me you’re not comfortable with your powers yet. It’s stressful enough trying to perform magic for the first time in front of your peers, let alone a kind of magic none of them have seen before.” Myer pushed her tiny frame against the stones until finally they swung back, revealing a bare round room. The glass ceiling high above us was the only source of light, and the air inside smelled stale and dead. Almost every square inch of the stone walls had some sort of black scorch mark. Did they imprison a firestorm in here or something?
I glanced sideways at Myer and she shrugged her shoulders.
“I’m sorry about the room,” she said. “It was built to give fire mages a safe place to practice, but we haven’t needed it in a very long time.”
“What exactly makes fire magic so much more dangerous than the other elements?” I asked.
Myer’s face lit up. “Excellent question. Fire magic is not only the most powerful, it’s the only element channeled by emotion.” She grinned. “So you can understand how at times it can be difficult to control, and one can never be sure how the power will manifest when unfocused.”
Well that’s certainly true.
“Now I understand that you have quite a lot of power and have successfully completed a few spells on your own, but no formal training. Is that correct?”
I nodded.
“Well isn’t that just great, we’re going to have so much fun learning together.” Myer beamed.
She’s one of those teachers who just loves teaching.
I cleared my throat. “Mainly I’d like to learn how to do spells instantly, like teleport when I need to and stuff like that.” I crossed my arms. “I understand I have to focus an emotion and knit a spell, but surely there’s a quicker way?”
“We certainly won’t be starting with teleportation, but I can answer your question.” Myer turned to face the wall, producing a piece of chalk from the pocket of her pink skirt. “There is only one way for a fire mage to perform spells on the fly, and it requires prior preparation.” She drew one large circle, and many smaller circles around it. “You can knit spells and store them within items, allowing you to call on them instantly, simply by ‘waking’ the magic.”
Yes, that’s exactly what I need. I wonder how easy it is to make fireballs…
“Of course fire magic being so emotional, it’s possible to perform spells in the moment when fueled by strong motivation or feelings.” Myer pointed to the large circle. “However these improvised spells are not knit carefully, they are uncontrolled bursts of power. Any unknit magic is dangerous, and should be avoided at all costs.” Myer turned to me, looking at me with her amber eyes. “Are you familiar with meditation?”
“Um, I know what it is.”
“Good, that’s the first thing you need to master.” She crossed her arms. “You’ll need to be able to find your center easily, and conjure a particular emotion which you can rely on in order to knit your spells.” Myer turned away and whispered a string of words I couldn’t make out. To my surprise two comfortable looking cushions manifested in the center of the room after she finished.
So she’s an air mage.
“Please, Nadia, take a seat.”
We both settled cross legged on the ground. I feel a bit silly, but Myer seems like she knows what’s she’s doing.
“Fire mages need to find something that triggers emotion in them, it will allow you to dependably call on your magic. Try something like ‘I, Nadia, am strong and in control of my power.’” She gestured. “It doesn’t have to be those exact words, just something that resonates with you.”
I closed my eyes and looked inwardly, repeating the phrase out loud. It doesn’t feel right, but obviously I’m not saying my own name.
I heard Myer make a ‘tisk’ sound with her tongue, and I opened my eyes. She was looking intently at the mirror on her wrist, frowning. “They’ve trapped Bill on the ceiling again. Please excuse me for a moment, Nadia.” Myer stood and hurried out of the room, closing the stone door behind her.
Alone in the silent and still air, the soundless atmosphere settled around me. “I, Nyminia, am strong, powerful, and in control of the flame.” Hmm, I don’t feel anything. I closed my eyes, and looked inwards. I searched for my fire and found it there, smoldering. But how do I ignite it? I pulled up memories of my past with no results. Focusing on the moment I saved Marcus, my energy flared, but it was not consistent, I couldn’t make it tangible. Sitting still, I tried to quiet my mind.
...
I am the light in the darkness, a part of the inferno. I am the protector, the observer, and the keeper. I am the True Sacrifice. The words came from a place within me I did not recognize, and they seared themselves in my mind as the fire within me rose. I felt the familiar electric resonance as it howled through my body, but it didn’t frighten me. I held onto it, my flame was real and within my reach– there for me to channel and weave into some kind of masterpiece.
My earthly eyes remained shut, however my inner eye was wide open. I am the True Sacrifice. The vibration of the power within me grew stronger, but not outside of my control. With this new command, I wove the strands of my imagination together, conjuring a molten sphere of flame. Opening my eyes, I found that I had indeed managed to make the burning orb a reality. It was immense, burning above like an apocalyptic sun. Smiling, I reveled in the magnetic push-and-pull of my power as it fed the spectacle. A part of the inferno.
A sharp gasp snapped me out of my trance like state. Vertigo overcame me even as I sat firmly on the ground, and the light of the flame above disappeared in an instant leaving behind black smoke.
Myer’s heels clicked slowly as she approached, coming into my vision as she kneeled beside me.
How… what did I just do? Everything’s blurry...
“Why didn’t you tell me you were so advanced?” Myer whispered.
Blinking, I frowned and looked up at her. “Advanced?”
“No one can just conjure their element out of thin air without years of training. Manipulate it yes, but create it?” Her eyes were wide, in them a mixture of fear and admiration.
“I’ve accidentally set fires before, no one was worried.” Like when Marcus gave me my first lesson.
“Generating enough heat to set fires is one thing, creating your element and holding it stable–” she shook her head “–that’s another thing entirely. You are either very special, or have had more lessons than you’ve let on.”
“I’m not special, and honestly I have no idea what I’m doing.”
Myer frowned, and I heard a bell ring in the distance.
“Thank you for the lesson today, I sincerely appreciate it.” Hopping up, I brushed myself off.
She stood silently, arms crossed, and remained that way as I passed through the door. I
stood alone for a moment, head spinning, before a stream of students emerged from the regular classroom. They took no notice of me and I simply joined the crowd. What was that? I didn’t feel like myself. I swallowed. I have Starling next, maybe he can help me understand.
CHAPTER 22
THE END OF THE WAR
I spilled into Starling’s classroom on the tide of nearly eighty other students. People crowded around him, asking questions and delivering papers. Starling caught my eye and smiled, then returned his attention to the chattering horde clustered around him.
We’ll talk after class. Looking around, I located an empty table towards the back and took my seat. Students of all shapes and sizes filtered in, the room becoming steadily quieter as everyone settled in. I wonder how many of these people are magic-kinds and how many are supernaturals.
“Hello!” The voice came from behind me. “Do you mind if I sit here?”
“Um, no, not at all.”
The girl dragged out the chair next to mine, scraping the wooden legs on the stone floor. “My name’s Ryanna,” she said, smiling.
Why does it sound like she’s singing? “My name’s Ny... Nadia,” I answered, extending my hand. She shook it firmly, a bracelet of seashells clattering on her wrist.
“So what are you?” she asked with a smile.
“Oh! Um, I’m a magic-kind. I guess.”
“I’m sorry if it’s rude to ask, where I’m from we never meet magic-kinds, vampires, or anyone else.”
“Where are you from exactly?”
“The sea,” she said, shrugging. “That’s the closest word for it in the human tongue.”
Of course, mermaids are real too. That’s so awesome.
“Welcome everyone, silence please,” Starling spoke. “You’ll remember last week we began discussing the Crimson War. Does anyone care to remind us how it began?”
Ryanna’s hand floated up.
“Miss Aphros, excellent.” Starling gestured to her.
“It started when a group of supernaturals and magic-kinds challenged the tradition of using humans as slaves.”
“Very good, and can you tell us who led this group?”
Ryanna giggled, as did the rest of the class. “Of course I can, it was the vampire Marcus Saarinen.”
“Thank you Miss Aphros.” Starling walked slowly down the aisle between the desks. “Most of you are already familiar with Mr. Saarinen from the library. However long before he came to work here, he was the person responsible for starting and ending the war. We should all feel very thankful to him for bringing peace to our world.” He sighed. “I say this every year and I’ll say it again, please don’t pester him with questions.”
“Pester him with questions? The dude is freaky and I don’t fancy losing my head.” Some guy with blue hair and a tattoo on his neck spoke up from across the room.
Is that the public opinion? Marcus is freaky? I suppose when you’ve lived nearly two thousand years it makes it hard to relate to everyone.
Starling gazed over his glasses at blue tattoo guy, and the laughter died down. “Now, please turn to page 163 in your books.”
“Ahh…” I don’t have a book.
“Forgot yours?” Ryanna’s sing song voice whispered. “You can share mine.”
I mouthed ‘thank you’ and scooted my seat closer to the girl who smelled of sand.
“The traditionalists were led by King Karackis, the last monarch of our times. If his propaganda is to be believed, he himself is responsible for the deaths of the dragon King Hyphonam and his mate Queen Nefertia.”
This Karackis guy sounds like a real prick.
“Towards the end of the battle known as the longest night, Karackis commanded his forces from a castle fortress at sea.” Starling clasped his hands behind his back. “Completely impenetrable from the outside, he was nearly untouchable within the confines of his self imposed prison. If you turn to page 166 you can see an etching of the structure.”
My eyes wandered to the page as Ryanna flipped it open, and recognition hit me like lightning. There on the paper was a dark stone castle, sticking out of the ocean like a monolithic splinter.
How could I have seen it in my dream last night? Fear mingled with confusion, spreading like a poison through my body.
“Nadia, are you alright?” Ryanna whispered. “You look like you’re going to be sick.”
“I have to go.” Slipping out of my chair and away from her surprised face, I walked briskly out the door.
I know who I need to ask.
My knock rang out on the ornate red door. Eyeing the elemental vials, I waited in silence. Finally, the door swung inwards to reveal Midwood, dressed head to toe in heather grey.
“Nyminia! I’m surprised to see you.”
I pushed past her, walking to the center of the room. “I know you’ve been keeping things from me.”
“Child I–”
“I’m not a child.”
Midwood pursed her lips and shut the door. “I’m doing my very best to protect you.”
“Yes, and so is Marcus, and Starling, and Rowan, and the twins” I said, crossing my arms. “You’re the only one who’s been keeping things from me.”
“It’s been for your own good.”
“For my own good?” Is she even listening to herself? “I can’t help you protect me if I don’t know exactly what’s going on.”
Midwood toyed with the glass beads around her neck. “You obviously heard about the sign in the woods.”
“Yes. And I know about my namesake, and plenty else you decided to omit.”
Midwood frowned.
I clenched my fists. “How is keeping information from me the same as keeping me safe?”
“Nyminia, your circumstance is extraordinary and dangerous. All I want is to give you a chance to slip into a reasonably normal life,” Midwood replied.
“That’s all well and great, but I’m never going to have a reasonably normal life, am I?” You’re not my mother, stop acting like it! “I’m the True Sacrifice, I’m fate-paired to a vampire, my best friend’s a werewolf, and my body is coursing with powerful rare magic that I have little to no control over.” I gestured to the towering shelves of books around me. “More knowledge, not less, is going to make me safer. I know I’m not going to have a normal life, that’s not what I need. What I do need, is an informed one.”
The Headmistress sighed heavily, exhaustion in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Nyminia. I truly am.”
I relaxed my hands. “Thank you. I do understand where you’re coming from, I just don’t think we’ve been on the same page.” Here goes my leap of faith. Marcus says Midwood wouldn’t hurt me, and I’m inclined to believe him over Farsky. “I want to work together from now on, I’ll tell you the truth, and you’ll tell me the truth.”
Midwood swallowed and nodded. “Is that all you came here to say?”
“No.” I widened my stance. “I had a dream last night about the castle where Karackis made his last stand.”
“You dreamed about Stonehome?”
“Yes, but before I saw it in my sleep last night, I’d never seen it before. I only realized it was Karackis’s fortress this afternoon. I want you to tell me what it means.”
Midwood frowned, furrowing her brow. “Have you and Marcus completed a soul bond?”
I shook my head. A loud knock sounded on the door, drawing our attention. Without waiting, the door opened and Marcus walked in.
“No sign of anything–” he stopped short as his eyes fell on me “What’s going on?”
“Nyminia has been giving me a talking-to very similar to the one you and I had this morning.” Midwood crossed her arms. “I swear to both of you, I’ll withhold no more information from Nyminia.” Sighing, she walked to her desk, which was overflowing with books and paper. “Now Marcus, I think the two of you have something serious to discuss.”
I exchanged glances with Marcus, and turned to Midwood. Wow, she looks like she hasn’t slept in days.
“We found nothing in the woods. I wanted to let you know,” Marcus spoke.
“Thank you. Now please, I must return to my research,” Midwood replied.
Marcus motioned to me, and we stepped out into the hallway.
“Her research?” I asked.
“She’s studying the teachings of ancient ethereal mages, trying to find a way to neutralize dracendium.”
Oh, that sounds very useful.
“What did Midwood mean when she said you had something to talk about?” Marcus asked.
We walked down the hallway, away from the red door. “I’ve been having a reoccurring dream about the ocean. Every time I have the dream I can see something out to sea, but I always wake before I reach it.” We stepped outside and walked towards the library. “Except for last night, the dream changed. I was able to reach the shape, and it was a castle. Today, I saw that exact castle in the Medieval Magic textbook.”
“You saw Stonehome,” Marcus whispered, stopping. “When did you start having these dreams?”
“Since I arrived in Vernon.”
Marcus didn’t reply, instead he walked quickly towards the frozen grove where we had practiced my magic just days before. It feels like a long time ago now.
“What did you see at the castle, in this dream?” he asked as we came to a stop.
“Everyone and everything was frozen, like I was moving through a photograph. At Stonehome, there seemed to be some sort of…” I strained my memory, trying to picture the fleeting visual. “Ceremony, I think. Someone was screaming, and all I could think about was protecting them–” I stopped. The look on Marcus’s face spelled pain. “What is it?” I asked.
“I fear what you are experiencing is a side effect of our fate-pairing.”
“Pardon?”
“As two people, vampires typically, move towards a soul bond, it’s not uncommon for them to begin to experience powerful memories which belong to the other person.”
“You’re saying I’m dreaming about one of your memories?”
Marcus nodded, and his gaze fell to the ground. “Yes, one I wish I could spare you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you remember when I told you that I had to make a choice, one which ended the war?”
Of Flesh and Fire - Book I: Everything Will Burn Page 19
