by Marisa Mills
“Oh!” I said, with sudden recognition. Gabriel and some of his lackeys sometimes referred to a mage war, but I’d never met anyone who fought in it. The borders of the Scraps were still pockmarked in places from the fighting. Stirling had pointed them out to me once.
“You’ve heard of it?” Gareth asked.
“A little. Do you think I should choose something else, then?” I asked.
“I didn’t mean that,” Gareth replied. “It’s a new discipline; that’s all.”
“So it’s battle magic, sigils or potions? That’s a hard choice.”
Gareth smiled sympathetically. “Sigils is a popular field and one of the oldest, along with potions. There’s also dance magic, which shares a lot conceptually with battle magic.”
I grimaced. “I don’t know anything about dancing.”
“We would teach you,” Gareth said, “But there are also singing and ritual, which is also a new field. It combines aspects from many of the other disciplines. But pursuing a new discipline can be a good thing. There’s more room to learn and grow, especially if you’re looking at continuing into advanced types of magic. I don’t know what your ambitions are, but it’s not easy trying to find an original idea about sigils. Everything has been said already.”
It didn’t really matter, then. I wouldn’t be here long enough for all that, so I might as well choose the talking sword. If all else failed, I could still stab people with it.
“This, then,” I said, putting the sword heavily onto the table.
Gareth drew an elegant, silver pen from his pocket and opened a large book. He turned to my name, and wrote down the object I’d taken in small, spidery writing. “You’ll need to take introduction to enchanted objects, then. And swordsmanship with professor Delacroix. I saw that your testing stone indicated a preference for fire.”
It had, but that was only because I’d used the device. It wasn’t because of me. “I don’t know if I’m ready to control fire,” I said, thinking back to the charred, smoking drapes.
“I’m not asking you to,” Gareth said with a laugh, “but maybe we’ll put you in a basic ritual class to familiarize you with the different elements. Maybe a basic sigils class, too. History of Reverie is one you’ll also need.”
I nodded, and as he drew up an entire schedule of classes for me, I buckled the sword belt around my waist. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. It seemed like I’d passed one more challenge without raising suspicion, at least for now.
“What did you take as your object?” I asked.
Gareth held up his pen. “This,” he said, “And she has dictated my life ever since.”
“She?” I asked.
Gareth smiled. “It’s one of my…eccentricities,” he said. “I’ve always imagined pens as being feminine. Linguistically speaking, pens are female in many languages. Not in Reverie, but in other places.”
I nodded, although I didn’t really understand. But then, the longer I stayed in the Academy, the less it seemed I knew. Francisca and Dorian had spent weeks trying to prepare me, but they’d focused on silly things like correcting my posture and diction.
“You’ll also need a pen for drawing the sigils,” Gareth said. “Even if you’re going into battle magic, the Academy still likes for you to be aware of other disciplines.”
Gareth opened a wooden box filled with an assortment of fancy pens. Soft hisses swept through my ears. Were they enchanted as well? I took a heavy silver one, hoping it would have some street value if I held onto it long enough.
“Thank you,” I told Gareth, pocketing the pen. “I’ll take good care of them.”
“I’m sure you will,” he replied, “And I look forward to seeing you in my classes.”
I backed away towards the stairs slowly, half expecting him to chase after me and tell me he’d made a mistake. With a silver pen in my pocket and a priceless sword on my hip, I felt more like a mage than ever. Now I just had to learn how to use them.
Thirteen
“THERE YOU ARE!” JESSA WAVED as I came back up the stairs and headed towards me. She wore an emerald green, fur-trimmed coat and black boots. Her wild, blonde hair had been made frizzy by the light drizzle that was falling, and with a sharp pang in my chest, I thought of Briar. He had hair like that. Thick and fluffy hair that soaked up water. When Jessa came to a stop before me, her face was flushed, which made her freckles seem brighter.
“I’m sorry,” I said, suddenly realizing I’d disappeared on her. “Celeste found me in the library and took me down to the choosing room.”
“You picked a sword, huh?” Jessa asked, nodding to my waist. “I’ve tried battle magic. Unfortunately, I’m just not suited for it.”
“I don’t know that I’m suited for it either,” I said.
“Anyway,” Jessa said. “Du Lac is debating at the forum. Some of the students are headed into town to watch. Have you been there yet?”
“No,” I replied, “But I haven’t been much of anywhere yet.”
Jessa linked her arm with mine. “It’s a place where people go to discuss important matters. Presently, there’s a good deal of argument revolving around the quakes and what to do about them, but today, I expect he’ll be discussing the demon attack.”
That sounded like a good reason to go, so I let Jessa lead me past the school grounds and into the busy marketplace. The markets stretched ahead of us, and to my surprise, they really didn’t look that different from those in the Scraps, except for the absence of flies and much nicer displays. None of these merchants appeared to have any thugs on hand to thwart potential thieves either. It was cleaner, too, the road before us dusted by small brooms, going sweep, sweep across the ground. And it was a paved road, free of cracks and holes. I’d never seen something like that in the Scraps.
Jessa practically skipped when she went through the market, and when she noticed I was behind her, she slowed to accommodate me. She kept her arm linked with mine like we were old friends, and I wasn’t sure how to feel about that. I didn’t know how to act around girls my age, much less ones that were mages. Gabriel hadn’t dealt much with girls, except for me, and that was only because I was his niece.
“It’s so exciting being out without an escort,” Jessa said, sighing happily.
An escort? Was Jessa someone important? She seemed so…so normal. “Does that happen often for you?” I asked.
Jessa shook her head. “No, back home, I had to go with an escort everywhere. I come from Aubade.”
Like Celeste, I remembered.
“And my family is very wealthy. So any time I wanted to go somewhere, my parents made me take an escort,” Jessa said. “It wasn’t proper for a young lady to wander about by herself.”
“I don’t count as an escort?” I asked.
“I mean, technically,” Jessa said, “But you’re here because I want you to be here. Not because I had to bring you.”
“So we’re friends?” I asked.
I’d never really made a friend before. Sure, Sterling was my friend, but I’d known him my whole life.
“Oh! Do we need to make a specific declaration?” Jessa asked. “I’m sorry. My only friends have been—well—paid to be my friends.”
This poor girl. I thought of the mean things Viviane had said to her, and my heart ached. I couldn’t stop Viviane from being mean, but I could at least try to be Jessa’s friend for the short time I was going to be in Reverie.
“That sounds so lonely,” I said.
Jessa toyed with the silk purse tied around her waist. “Sometimes,” she replied. “I didn’t notice it when I was small. Then, I played with my sisters, but when they became older and went away to the Academy, I did. Now, they’re finished, and I’m just starting.”
We passed a stall full of brightly colored fruit, I self-consciously rubbed my arms. If only I could share all this with Briar and Sterling somehow. There had to be a way to slip them some things from Reverie, but I didn’t think
Dorian was going to let me go back down again until all this was over.
“Oh, mirrors!” Jessa exclaimed, darting to a small stall and pulling me along behind her.
The shopkeeper smiled at us. She was a tall, round woman with red cheeks and red curls. She lacked the ethereal beauty I’d come to associate with the mages, and with a sudden spark of realization, I realized that she was human. I hadn’t realized that there were humans here. Not really. Sure, I’d seen a couple of servants, and they’d looked human. But this was different. This was a human woman who made mirrors. I’d assumed, somehow, that humans would only be servants in the Floats, but I guess they let artisans up as well.
Upon the table covered in purple velvet, were mirrors of all shapes and sizes, some in gilded, silver frames. As my face filled them, I gazed uncertainly into the glass. There was something appealing about the mirrors, about their smoothness and sleekness. Their clarity. I lifted a small, silver hand-mirror and looked squarely into my own blue eyes. Those were still the same. Even if my hair and face weren’t.
Jessa twisted the mirror and scrolled through a set of options on the frame. Our reflections warped, becoming thinner, then fatter. She made our eyebrows dark and our lips red, then changed our hair color to pink and turquoise. I laughed at the reflection.
“Wait a second, you’re just missing one thing,” Jessa said. She dug a short black pencil out of her bag and leaned in close. I pulled away at first, but then allowed her to place a small black dot on my cheek. “It’s supposed to be the gallant mark. You must be very courageous.”
I tilted my head and eyed the mark, small and dark against my pale skin. “I don’t think so,” I replied, “But maybe it’s something to work towards, huh? I doubt a mark on your skin says much about you anyway,” I said.
“Maybe not,” Jessa said, “But I’ve read books that swear by such things.”
Books. Jessa wasn’t a first-semester student like I was. I mulled that knowledge over, trying to figure out what to do with it. Maybe she could access the upper floors of the library. Would she take me with her if I was just…curious? Was it too soon to ask for a favor like that? I barely knew her, and if she refused, she’d surely be suspicious if I asked again.
Jessa smiled and reached into her coat pocket, drawing out a handful of paper notes. She paid, and with a smile, the shopkeeper wrapped the mirror in thin, white paper and tied it up with a blue ribbon before placing it in a small, paper bag. Jessa hung it on her arm, and after thanking the shopkeeper, she continued on her way. I trailed after her.
“So how are you liking the Academy so far?” Jessa asked. “Have you gotten to look around?”
“A little,” I replied. “Say, speaking of books, do you know what’s on the third floor of the library? It doesn’t look like the other floors.”
“Just the archives. They’re…sort of like a collection of things. Old books and papers mostly,” Jessa replied.
That sounded about right. But it was strange that they would be locked up, if they really weren’t anything important. Before I could press further, a piercing whistle split the air. I froze. For an instant, I felt like I was back in the corridor, and voices were hissing and screaming.
“Wynter?” Jessa asked.
“What is that?”
“The whistle?”
Jessa heard it, too. It wasn’t whatever the voices were. I let myself relax.
“It’s just the forum gathering,” Jessa replied. “Come on! We don’t want to be late.”
We kept walking, quickly reaching a crowd of people gathered around a raised, circular platform. I recognized Alexander and Viviane, lingering at the edges of the crowd. Alexander gave me a small nod. Viviane followed his gaze and elbowed him in the ribs when she saw me.
“There’s Markus,” Jessa said, pointing towards the center platform.
“Markus?” I asked.
Jessa nodded. “He prefers to be called Professor Du Lac. You’ll have him if you’re taking the introductory sigil classes.” I recognized him from my testing, but today he was wearing much finer clothes and some kind of wig.
“People of Reverie,” Du Lac said, spreading his arms wide, “I’ve come here today to address the issue of the demon that attacked at the Academy.”
A few people shouted. Du Lac waited until the noise abated before continuing, “I realize that this is a very upsetting occurrence. However, the Academy has been protected by the tightest magical security for years, and despite this incident, I assure you that students are entirely safe at the Academy.”
“Safe from a demon?” someone shouted. “I heard the prince himself was injured.”
“The prince is fine, as is everyone else. I’m sure you can ask him yourself if you prefer,” Du Lac said, nodding towards Alexander in the crowd. He frowned deeply, unhappy about being singled out, but rose and gave a small wave.
“Was it an attack?” someone else asked.
Du Lac scowled. I traced my thumb over the scabbard of my sword.
“We are taking the issue seriously. I want to assure you of that. However, we’re also not going to jump to conclusions,” Du Lac said. “It’s far too early to give credence to any theory. However, we believe that the most recent quake may have released the demon from where it was being held, due to some weak wards that should have been replenished earlier. As such, we are already taking precautions to prevent this from happening in the future. The Academy has some of the most brilliant minds in magic working on this issue—”
“What about the quakes?” someone shouted.
“They’re getting worse!”
“What is the Council doing about it?”
Du Lac raised his hands and smiled. “Everyone, I know that the quakes can be upsetting. I appreciate your patience as we work to resolve this disturbing issue. In the meantime, it’s a change that we will need to adapt to. However, it’s not the first time we’ve seen changes in the environment. We’re going to figure this out.”
“We’re falling from the sky!” someone shouted.
Beside me, Jessa sighed. A smattering of laughter followed.
Du Lac’s smile became indulgent. “There is no proof that Reverie is falling from the sky,” he said. “In fact, all the evidence indicates the contrary. If Reverie was falling, we’d have noticed a marked difference between the distance of Reverie and the Lower Realms, and thus far, the only differences we’ve measured fall within the expected level of seasonal variation.”
I glanced at Alexander and Viviane; they were whispering together heatedly.
“As for this attack, Celeste and I are working together to increase security measures around the Academy, and many members of the nobility are likewise prepared to tighten security around their estates until the Council can find the cause of this recent attack. I realize this incident is frightening, but I would like to remind everyone that—while rare—demon attacks do happen on occasion. Considering the last one was seventeen years ago, we’re doing quite well.”
But what about the quake during my testing? I was sure I’d seen something there as well. Was Du Lac lying about it to cover it up? Or was it just another earthquake and I imagined the dark shadows?
“But you never figured out what was causing those either!” someone yelled from the crowd.
“We did,” Du Lac said. “We discovered that the attacks could be linked to a rogue mage.”
“It doesn’t matter because the Council never caught that mage!” someone argued.
“What if they’ve returned?”
Du Lac raised his hands. “Everyone, I think it’s a little too early for this sort of speculation. We don’t know that a mage is even involved. Overall, Reverie is safe. This is likely just a rare, singular incident that I don’t foresee being repeated.”
“That’s what you said last time!”
“What is the king saying?”
“The king understands that we’re doing our best,” Du Lac said
. “He is understandably upset considering the circumstances, but he has the utmost confidence in the Council and our work.”
I glanced at Alexander, who looked angry. I wondered what the king had said about the whole thing. He couldn’t be happy that Alexander was injured, even if he was the sixth son.
“When we have more information, we will let everyone know,” Du Lac said. “Until then, the Council and the aristocracy need everyone’s patience and cooperation.”
Du Lac turned away amidst a flurry of questions. There were a few general announcements about guild meetings and upcoming events. Finally, the forum ended, and the crowd slowly began to disperse.
Jessa bit her lip. “I don’t really know much about demons. They’re scary, though. Which obviously you know. You were there. What was it like?”
At least, I wasn’t the only one who was scared. “Terrifying,” I said. “And I felt so helpless. But the Council seems to have it handled. Du Lac sounded sure of that, at least.”
“Oh, please,” Viviane cut in. “How naïve are you?”
I hadn’t realized she was nearby, but when I looked over my shoulder, there she was with Alexander.
“That’s the response any politician would give,” Viviane said, tossing her hair. “The Council hasn’t done anything useful in centuries. It’s astonishing considering how much you have to do to join the Council. They’ve certainly gotten us into more problems than they have out of.”
“That will change when I join the Council,” Alexander said.
“But you’re a prince,” I said.
“Anyone can be on the Council, provided you can pass their exams,” Viviane replied, sounding as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “You just can’t represent a noble or royal house and be on the Council at the same time.”
“I don’t think Du Lac’s response was that bad,” Jessa said.
