by John Corwin
She raised an eyebrow. "For what, child? I am simply cleaning your bloody face."
My vision blurred. "Your kindness." I wiped at my eyes. "It reminded me of Cora."
Mirjana dabbed at my face with the cloth. "You are a brave young man, Conrad. It is an honor to clean your blood." She squeezed my hand. "Perhaps when this is behind us, you would like to visit our home in the pond. We have a whale shark who loves to give rides."
I laughed and nodded. "I'd love to." Swinging my feet over the side of the bed, I winced in anticipation of pain that never came. I looked down at my clothes. It looked as though I'd rolled in dirt. "I'd better get to class." Hunger gnawed at my stomach. Apparently, the healing had given me an appetite.
"I'm afraid you missed the rest of your classes." Mirjana pointed to the clock. "It's supper time."
I jumped up with a shock and ran for the door. I nearly ran into Max and Ambria on my way out.
"There you are!" Max said. "We didn't know where you went."
I frowned. "Didn't Professor Fellini tell Professor Beetle where I was?"
"She came in the room and whispered something to her, but we didn't hear it." Ambria eyes grew round. "What happened to your clothes? Is that blood?"
Max's lips flattened. "Did Asha try to kill you?"
I shook my head. "No, it was a group of teenagers in masks." I told them how Asha had rescued me. My stomach grumbled loudly. "Can we go eat? I'm starving."
"Now you sound like Max." Ambria wiped a tear from her eye. "Oh, Conrad, why are people so mean?"
I shook my head. "They want to blame someone for their pain, and I'm an easy target." I hoped my training with Esma would change that.
After supper, I went to the dorm and changed, then told Max and Ambria I was going to study. I went to Esma Emoora's office, but the door was locked, and there was no light coming from beneath it. The clock on the wall told me I was a minute early, so I leaned against the wall and waited.
Five minutes ticked past then five more, and nothing. At twenty minutes, I finally decided to leave. With a heavy heart, I picked up my broom. Something rustled. I spun and saw a feminine figure in tight black robes, the face hidden beneath a cowl.
"Goodbye, son," said the cold cruel voice of my mother.
Chapter 28
Delectra raised a wand and flicked it. Chunks of stone burst from the wall. She flicked her wand again. My hand traced the air and the words, "Soros, quoros, eva equas!" burst from my mouth. The shield captured the impact of her attack. I flicked my wand again. "Torsius!"
My mother twisted her wand. "Parrano!"
Brilliant forces collided in mid-air as her attack parried mine.
My shield was slowly fading and I knew there was no way to survive a fight with Delectra, so I did the next best thing and hopped on my broom. The moment I did, she threw a broom in front of her, and leapt on it while it levitated in the air.
"This is awful," I muttered to myself. Max once told me my mother was a champion broom racer. I'd have to fly for my life if I hoped to escape her. I spun around and zipped down the long hallway. Bolts of electricity shot past me, exploding against the wall and shattering sconces. Leaning hard left, I veered the broom down another corridor then strafed hard right, flying sideways to guide the broom up a winding staircase.
I zipped past a group of startled students and took the next left. Someone shouted in alarm and a stack of parchments exploded into the air. A quick glance back told me what I'd feared. Delectra burst through the cloud of paper only a hundred feet behind me, her black robes fluttering in the wind, the black void beneath her cowl sending shivers down my back.
A desperate thought flashed into my mind. Had Delectra killed Esma and lain in wait for me to show up? My desire to protect myself might have cost the professor her life. One thing was certain—I had to find a safe place to go. The only place I could think of was Moore Manor. Galfandor might be able to fight Delectra. But what if he wasn't there right now? Then I'd be out in the open and vulnerable.
First, I had to check Galfandor's office here, but reaching my phone in my pocket while flying like a madman through the hallways would be impossible. I thought back to the view from the headmaster's office and tried to imagine where it would be. Another crackle of energy exploded off the ceiling. I dodged around a cloud of dust and careened around the next corner. A chandelier appeared in front of me. I spun upside down and felt one of the crystals graze my foot.
The windows on the next spiraling staircase hung open to let in the cool night air. I skidded to a stop, twisted the broom sideways, and kicked off the inside wall to propel me out the third window. I looked up at the highest spires and realized Galfandor's office had to be there somewhere. Delectra flashed past on the stairwell, and for a heartbeat, I thought I'd fooled her.
Seconds later, she zipped through an open window above me and laughed.
Diving, I circled the tower, flitted between two turrets, and pulled back on the broom handle until I flew straight up the tower wall. When I reached the top, I angled for the tallest tower, praying that was Galfandor's office. Bolts of magical energy flew past, each one coming closer to striking me. I saw a light emanating from the window on the tower ahead.
Before I could reach it, something snared me around my shoulders. The sudden jolt caused my hand to twist the broom's throttle back to zero. Before I could recover, Delectra whooshed around me and spun to face me.
It was over.
I stiffened my back and glared into the dark depths of that hood. "Did you kill Esma? If you did, I promise I'll find a way to kill you before you kill me!"
She responded with laughter. It wasn't the cold maniacal laughter of a killer, but lighthearted enjoyment. My pursuer threw back the cowl to reveal Esma's amused face. "Oh my, Conrad! I haven't had that much fun in ages." She put away her wand and the noose around my shoulders vanished. "You're quite the broom rider."
All the terror and adrenaline burst into flames of anger. It took everything I had not to shout at her.
Esma didn't miss the rage in my eyes and her laughter faded. "You asked for my tutoring, young man. I told you it would be nothing like class."
A few deep breaths allowed my mind to clear and I realized what she'd done probably showed her exactly how I'd react in a dangerous situation. She'd studied me, and maybe that would help her teach me. I nodded. "I know."
Her lips pursed. "I have molded many champions, Conrad Edison, but I must say you are higher quality clay than most." She smirked. "I think this will be fun." Esma pointed toward the field in front of the Dark Forest far below. "Let's go there to practice."
I nodded and followed her.
Esma turned in her seat as we flew. "I'm touched that you offered to avenge me, by the way. Very thoughtful, Conrad."
The urge to zap her in the seat of her robes was nearly too strong to resist.
Once we landed, Esma got right to business. "This is the second time I've seen you reflexively use a multi-casted shield spell. In addition, you nearly landed an advanced telekinetic spell on me." She tapped her wand against her thigh. "Where did you learn those spells?"
If she had trouble believing my parents were still alive, this part would certainly blow her mind. "I have parts of my parents' souls inside me."
Her eyes flared. "Explain."
So I did.
"That was quite a tale," Esma said at the end of my shortened retelling of the living curse. "It appears the survival instincts of the trapped soul fragments—Vic and Della, as you call them—reflexively help you when threatened." She made a thoughtful grunt. "Well, I say it's time you learned how to cast those spells on your own."
"I'd be delighted to learn."
She smiled. "Then let's begin."
It was late when we finished, and I fell into bed the moment I returned to my room at the keep. Max was already asleep and lightly snoring, so I didn't wake him to tell him about the night's excitement.
The next day, I went through
classes as usual, but kept a close eye on the restrooms when I passed them on the way to history class. No thugs leapt out to beat me. Professor Beetle droned through another lesson, putting nearly everyone into a drowsy stupor and then we went to Professor Trask's Potions class.
Lily greeted us brightly when we entered—a marked difference from the way she acted when Harris and Baxter were around.
"Some ruffians beat up Conrad in the hallway yesterday," Ambria said to the other girl in a low voice. She regarded her suspiciously. "I don't suppose you know anything about that, do you?"
Lily's eyes widened. "No." She looked away. "I will admit Baxter talked about doing it, but Harris said he didn't need to do anything, that the prophecy would sort things out."
Max snorted. "Must be nice having your life planned out for you like that."
"I think it's awful," Lily said with a grimace. "I'd rather be surprised."
Next up we went to Professor Sideon's Enchantment class. For once, the professor was on time and ready with a lesson. "Today we'll be making friendship charms." He dumped a pile of yarn on the table and set a bucket of beads next to it. "First, thread a bracelet or necklace, then follow the directions in the book for the charm." Sideon looked around the room. "Everyone understand?"
"Yes, Professor," was our uniform reply.
"Excellent." He strode from the room.
"What a lousy professor," Ambria said. "He's late most of the time, and then just leaves when he wants."
"Enchantments is one of those core freebie classes," Max said. "You don't see many people going into it as a specialty unless they want to be a flying carpet or broom maker."
"I could think of plenty of uses besides manufacturing," Ambria said. "What about enchanted swords like in the fairy tales?"
Max quirked an eyebrow. "The Templars used tons of enchantments for their armor and swords, but all their charmers went with them to Seraphina." He sighed. "I guess it's a dying art these days."
I went to the front of the room and gathered enough yarn and beads for three bracelets then returned to the table. We each took a length of yarn and began threading the beads.
Max took a blue bead. "So, where did you go last night, Conrad?"
I decided to go for a rainbow effect and chose a bead of every color. "Professor Emoora is tutoring me."
Ambria dropped a bead. It bounced across the table and fell on the floor. "Tutoring you?"
"I need to get better fast, so she said she'd help me." I leaned forward and whispered, "I told her about my parents."
Max sighed and shook his head. "I wouldn't trust anyone with that information."
"We still haven't told Galfandor your parents are on campus," Ambria said. "Do you suppose Esma will?"
"I didn't mention it to her." I'd forgotten to inform the headmaster, primarily because I hadn't seen him for a while. "Maybe I'll tell her tonight."
"Can we come?" Max asked. "I'd like to learn advanced spells."
"I don't think Professor Emoora would like that," I told him. "Sorry."
He rolled a bead between his fingers. "How often are you meeting her?"
"Twice a week right now." I fit another bead onto the yarn. "Hopefully she'll let me come more often."
"You're eating up her free time, Conrad." Ambria wet the yarn with her lips and twisted the tip to make it smaller. "You should be more considerate."
"Yeah," Max said. "More considerate."
Ambria gave him a cross look. "Max, finish your assignment."
He chuckled softly.
I finished threading the bracelet and tied it into a loop. When I put the enchantment on it, the beads glowed softly, but did nothing else.
Ambria sniffed. "What a waste of time."
"Lame." Max stared at his glowing bracelet. "Let's give our friendship bracelets to Harris and Baxter."
I snorted. "I'm sure they'd appreciate it."
That night, I once again met Esma for lessons. This time, she didn't frighten me half to death, instead, meeting me in her office.
"Survived another day?" she said dryly.
I sat in a chair across from her. "So far."
She smiled. "Well, with the barrier around the school, you should be safe until the end of the semester."
Though I'd told her about my parents, I hadn't revealed my suspicions about them being on campus. "Well, not entirely. You see, I think my parents are on campus right now."
Esma sat back in her chair. "What in the world gave you that idea?"
"When Calvin Fain and Eolius Bane attacked the front gate, security let everyone in without using the charm on them first." I felt a bit unnerved by her look of disbelief, but continued on. "They must be hiding somewhere. It's a large area, and I've heard there are plenty of secret passages."
She leaned forward. "You're rather smart and observant, Conrad. Whether you like it or not, it appears you've inherited good instincts from your parents."
I shuddered. "I wish I could be proud of it, Professor." A sigh deflated me. "If only they were good people."
Esma perked up. "Well, let's not squander any more time and get down to it." She picked up her wand. "You have notified security about your suspicions, haven't you?"
I shook my head. "No, I've been so tied up with classes and bodily injuries, I haven't had a chance."
"Well, I'll be sure to tell Galfandor." She ushered me into the hallway and locked the door behind her. "I'm certain he'll take care of matters."
The weight on my shoulders lightened. "Thank you, Professor."
The night's lesson consisted of shield practice. By the end of the two hours, I could summon a simple shield spell immediately.
"Excellent work, Conrad." Esma put away her wand. "Since you're so committed, and since it's possible your parents may be on this campus, I've decided we should practice more often. How about four times a week?"
I gasped at this marvelous surprise. "That would be wonderful, Professor."
She smiled, and mussed my hair. "You have a powerful spark inside you, young man. I intend to see it burst into flame."
I went home that night with a full, happy heart. It felt wonderful for someone to believe in me.
Chapter 29
Another week ended and I felt like my magic skills were getting better, though I still had a long way to go before I could defend myself from my parents. Max, Ambria, and I went to Colossus Stadium to wait for Evadora and an update on Serena.
The strange girl soon skipped into sight, twisting and twirling as though she hadn't a care in the world. With a leap, she grabbed the crystal eye of the golem head and pulled herself to the top.
"What's the good news?" I asked.
Evadora jabbed a thumb to her chest. "I am Serena's little helper."
Max scowled. "You're supposed to spy on her, not help her."
"Actually, it sounds like the perfect way to spy on her," Ambria said.
Evadora grinned. "She says it will be weeks before she finishes the rod. Maybe even months."
"That's great!" Max blew out a sigh of relief. "It gives us time to get ready."
"Still no anchor stone pieces," Evadora said. "Serena sends me looking for fragments so she can test the rod when it's ready."
"This is great news," I said. "Anything else to report?"
"Your parents have not been back," Evadora said, "and Serena keeps a journal of everything." She mimicked writing on a pad. "Always writing. I tried to read it to see if she wrote down where your parents are staying."
I sat up, suddenly alert. "And?"
"She almost never sets it down, but the day she does, I will get it." Evadora grinned brightly. "Does anyone want to go play in the forest?"
As if to answer for us, a loud trumpeting roar echoed in the distance.
"The tragon says no," Ambria said. "Why don't we go to town for ice cream?"
Max snorted. "Since Conrad's parents are somewhere on campus, it's probably safer for us in town."
"Ice cream?" Evadora dan
ced on the balls of her toes. "Can I come, brother? Can I, can I?"
I smiled. "Of course."
"Can you fly a broom?" Max asked.
She shook her head.
"Let's get a flying carpet, then." Max pointed toward Moore Keep. "They have some loaners in there."
We flew into town and went directly to the ice cream shop. Evadora was so excited, she didn't know what to order. I got her a mixture of Wicked Witch Watermelon and Vampire Vanilla covered in sprinkles.
"Ooh, it's so good!" She shoveled down another mouthful. "So yummy!" Evadora followed every bite with an exclamation.
"We get the point!" Max said at last. He took a crunchy bite of cone and shook his head. "You'd think she never had ice cream before."
"Never ever," Evadora said seriously. She snuggled up next to me and kissed my cheek. "Thank you, brother."
I suddenly couldn't swallow my ice cream past the lump in my throat. "You're welcome, sister."
"Aww," Ambria said. "That's adorable."
Max ignored us and took a noisy bite of his cone. "The Kabash League tryouts are tomorrow," he said. "I was hoping we could get on the team for Moore Keep, but I doubt we'd stand a chance with Rory and Gregory standing in the way."
I'd forgotten all about it. "Is it a racing league?"
Max shook his head. "No, but you have to be really good with a broom. Why don't you try out with me?"
I hesitated to answer. Do I really have time for something like that?
Ambria seemed to sense my thoughts. "You need to enjoy yourself more, Conrad. Sitting around worrying about your parents won't help one little bit."
Max slapped me on the back. "All you do is study. Besides, I doubt we'll make the team since everyone hates us."
A wry laugh barked from my mouth. "You're probably right." I thought about it a moment. "I suppose you should tell me how to play the game first."
He grinned. "You got it. Let me hold your arcphone."
I handed him the phone. He set the phone on the table and projected the image of a large oval field. The sides of the stadium looked like castle walls with parapets along the tops, except these had rows of benches.
