It was a good thing, wasn’t it? This meant Vesalius couldn’t be behind it. Otherwise, the entire attack was pointless.
Despite heavy eyelids, sleep didn’t arrive. I lay in the bed watching the ceiling and listening to Rebecca’s soft snores. For a tiny creature, she loved to sleep. The last six months have left our relationship in a rough spot. There was very little to salvage. Rebecca worked for the Academy. She spied on me for Saaron. I didn’t understand his strange obsession with me. He’d kept his distance from me until today’s visit to the medical unit. I felt that he had wanted to stay one on one with me, which only caused more confusion in my mind. If he was the Head of Dragon House, why he has feared to visit me?
Rebecca jumped out of her little dream. Her eyes snapped wide open with shock.
“It’s time! It’s time!”
Yeah. I know. Monday arrived. I guess I’m going to look like a zombie all day.
Money from Lotian have made a huge difference. I felt strange about this. In the Wastelands where people have been using food for trading or more often than not they have taken what they wanted, money haven’t existed.
I changed the nightgown recommended by Rebecca – it’s worked wonders, comfortable and warm – and grabbed some random underwear. Here, I threw Rebecca’s opinions into the trash can. She followed trends and the newest one has dictated to wear a paper-thin, net-like material, which looked as translucent as a sheet of glass. I’d tested it, then swiftly returned the piece of crap. I’d rather wear nothing than such shameless clothes.
Wasn’t I shameless, too? I slept with Saaron and had oral sex with his brother, while all this time I’ve been longing to touch Dramer. Dramer, I hope you’re safe. Though I’ll have a few rough words for you. This place you brought me to. It sucks.
Rebecca in the form of harpy looked exquisite. I updated her appearance a bit adding a dangerous, gleaming look and fangs. I loved it.
“We have thirty minutes before the first class.”
“Fair enough.”
“A cold shower is advisable,” she said with a professional smile of a blood-sucking creature.
“Go ahead and take it then,” I snapped at her with a murky tone. Fatigue was about to hit me hard. I’d hoped they’d give me a week off or something, but fucking Saaron didn’t want to hear about it. This was his way of getting back at me.
I wished they had something to take the grogginess away. Standing in the living room in the full academic uniform – navy blue dress, black stockings, lacquered shoes, white classic long sleeve shirt – I looked like a laughing stock for anyone from the Wastelands. Once again I swallowed my pride as there wasn’t a way out of this in a sight.
“Is there anything to make me less miserable,” I asked Rebecca offhandedly. I didn’t expect her to answer me.
“Sure,” she replied with excitement. “An entire assortment of potions, enchantments, and magical items has been developed to deal with tiredness, exhaustion, bad mood … bad memory and more.”
I squinted at her wondering if this was the right time to deliver a final blow. Why didn’t she tell me about that stuff earlier? For six months I’ve been struggling with fatigue. This little bitch.
“Are you aware that I still can hear your thoughts?”
I froze. Yes, I’ve completely forgotten about that. Shithead.
She grumbled something under her tiny nose. Books and notes were scattered in the living room. A poor attempt to memorize a pre-war history. The Academy required to know the names of countries that had existed a few years before the war with Titans broke out. The truth was, it numbed my mind. On the other hand, I’ve mastered the spell class. Old Haruka had promised me a book of advance spells, though it required the Dragon House administration’s approval. Knowing Saaron, the chances were next to zero. The thing about my education was, it sucked. I came from the Wastelands knowing how to survive, hunt and prepare food out of nothing. All of sudden, they wanted me to learn geography, math, biology, physics and so on, without prior preparation. I didn’t know where Europe was. In the Wastelands such information was worthless. Why the Academy didn’t understand this? Every other student in the first class possessed solid fundaments. Yeah, the Dual Mind spell could help. But I was not permitted to use it anymore.
“Alright, can you get me something? For tiredness and bad mood… and you know what? I’ll try this memory stuff, too.” A bit of desperation seeped through me. I wanted to get out of this place. Simona and Rust were going to leave after five years. All but dragon students left after five years. Supernaturals didn’t have a rage to deal with.
Rebecca squeaked out of pleasure. I had strong suspicion that she was a shopping junkie. I had no idea what kind of spells were involved but within a few seconds purchased things appeared on the table in the living room. Three spherical vials with liquids in three different colors. Acid green, bright orange and electric blue.
I took a guess.
“The acid green is for tiredness?”
“Indeed, and it’s called the Evergreen Eyes. It’s made of—”
I stopped her right there. Knowing components might make it harder to swallow. And as for now, I needed this potion or there was a high possibility of falling asleep during a class. It meant losing my new shiny behavior points. Meh.
The glass was freezing cold. Was the thing safe for consumption? Before Rebecca could react to my mental question, I emptied the vial. Such a counterintuitive potion it was as the liquid was warm.
“The orange one is for the mood,” Rebecca said as I put the empty glass back on the table. “It’s called the Draught of Summer. Do you know what is summer?”
“Yeah.”
The potion was radiating off not temperature but emotions. When the tips of my fingers brushed it, a sense of nostalgia filled me. Indescribable and ephemeral memories of the past when things were right and pleasant. As my hand moved away, the sensation dispersed.
“What’s happening? Rebecca asked, suddenly alert. A good question. These memories which flicked through my head have touched something inside me. I shook off confusion or maybe the Evergreen Eyes potion has kicked off. I gave Draught of Summer a longing look. If I only could experience it again. It’s still within my reach, I reminded myself, but a stronger force has begun to pull me away from the potion.
“I can’t drink it,” I said, then snatched the last potion and gulped its acidic content. My stomach convulsed, bending me in half.
“Flare!”
So much heat inside, so much anger, so little patience. An evergrowing need to dominate… no, not dominate, to lead. Sharp eyes and ruthless mind. And there is power, it will dwarf everything around. It can inflict unprecedented damage to the surroundings, and the thing guarding it seems so weak, so miserable. How can it be? Who permitted it?
Whose voice was this?
Suddenly, I stood and watched this pathetic girl writhing on the floor. Who was she? And was this her pet? Power surged in my veins. Power, unknown to me earlier, but mine none the less. Reaching deeper into my mind my thoughts recoiled sharply. What was it? Intrigued and a little pissed off, I slammed against the thing with all my might.
A barrier.
Powerful and stinking of unicorn magic. Vaguely, I remembered a name – Selene. There have been certain negativity associated with it, but I didn’t feel like going after her. What is her role in this? Has she put the barrier there? And more importantly, what’s behind it?
Should I confront her about this? No. Selene was strong. I understood my own strengths and weaknesses too well. Without emotions, I looked around the room. Cold reasoning told me that the room belonged to the same retarded figure that lay at my feet. With potent clarity, I eyed the pet, a fairy of sorts. There has been the fairy magic involved, but the thing wasn’t a fairy, rather their impaired creation. I sensed her desperate efforts to reach my mind. I shrugged them off
.
It hit me then that I couldn’t move. Was this the creature’s doing?
Who are you? A shocked voice asked in my head. Where is Flare?!
An incredibly powerful and alien connection linked me with the voice. Something didn’t add up. Where were all the missing memories? I had no recollection of ever creating such a connection. No memory of how I’ve gotten into this room. Nothing. My mind was blank.
The fairy creature lifted something from the table. A potion vial with a bright orange liquid. It struggled as it flew closer with it to the retarded girl, then her mouth touched the vial and…
Everything fell apart.
I lay on the floor, an incredible aroma filled my nostrils and sticky texture has been touching my lips. Rebecca fought to lift the Drought of Summer into the air. What was she trying to pull off here? Moving a hand required a bit of effort.
Flare, are you there? Stay safe. I’m coming. Fucking wards and runes everywhere. They have disabled teleporting within the Academy.
Lotian… but everything is fine.
His shock and confusion reflected mine.
But… he lost his confidence.
The first drops of the potion had dropped on my tongue, it had tasted off at first, then its flavor morphed into something vaguely familiar.
“Flare, I’m sorry. It’s my fault,” Rebecca babbled. “I didn’t know that you’re allergic to the Elixir of Clear Skies. It’s very rare, none of the dragons have ever reacted to it this way. I’m going to complain right now!”
“Wait.”
She touched the thing I’ve feared all this time. I’ve wielded fire like no other dragon. I remembered the moment when the infernal beast’s attack had passed through me. Confusion on its face. Watermane saw it, too. I knew she was going to confront me about this sooner or later. The water bitch was one of the worst in this Academy. But she figured out that something hasn’t been right with me. And there was Ignelion who had mentioned unicorn magic inside me. It could mean that Selene sealed a part of my power on the day of my arrival to the city. It had to be connected to the strange incident with the infernal beast. What is wrong with me? If dragons don’t have any allergic reaction to that blue elixir, then… does it mean I’m not a dragoness? But that’s impossible. Okay, relax. Think. Go slow. You’ll figure this out.
“How much time left until the first class starts?”
“Flare, but you need medical attention. You can’t go to the class like this.”
“Cut the crap,” I snapped. My hand relieved Rebecca’s struggle with the potion. I lifted it, pouring the rest of the sticky liquid into my mouth. My stomach still felt cramped, but at least, strength has been returning to my limbs. The last thing right now I needed was to get a ban. More than ever I required a free pass to other sections. Plus, if I was to learn anything about myself, I needed to get my hands on the books forbidden for my year. Vesalius and Oceania were going to do this for me. Yeah, I know I told Nix that I’ll keep a distance from them. I wish I could keep the promise, but I have to get to the bottom of this. First Elleria, then the Shard of Delirium, and now this weird reaction to a harmless potion.
Halfway through the potion, my muscles regained full control. I jumped to my feet, checked the shirt. Going to the class in dirty clothes was an excellent idea to draw even more attention.
Despite the odds, it looked clean.
“How much time, Rebecca?”
“Flare, you should see a medical officer first.”
My eyes narrowed, my lips pursed, a deadly stare if you ask me. In response, Rebecca showed her new shiny fangs. No matter how hard she has tried to be scary, I found her adorable instead.
After exchanging terrifying looks, my personal assistant gave up.
“It’s five minutes,” she said resigned.
Panicked, I grabbed the notebook from the top of a pile and a pen.
“We must hurry up.”
Outside, madness caught up with me, as if I hadn’t had enough already. Two Dragon Soldiers in their polished silver-red armors guarded my door. What actually the fuck? Whose idea was this?
“Why are you here?” I asked, then realized there wasn’t enough time to argue with them. “Fuck. Rebecca, lead the way!”
In the corner of my eye, I saw one of the Dragon Soldiers peeled from the door and darted after me. Rebecca zapped a couple of feet ahead of me. I’ve passed these corridors a good number of times but only now I noticed changes. Every twenty feet there was an alcove with a tiny tree inside. Each tree had red tear-like leaves. They weren’t there yesterday! Nor the strings of squarish gold letters on the bottom part of the walls. They looked to be inscribed on the black lacquered bricks.
When did they pull this one off?
The hope of losing the Dragon Soldier failed. The man was persisted to the very end. I had arrived at the class one minute before the time was up. Behind heavy double doors awaited a fully packed class. The back rows were usually taken by cliques and groups, so taking a seat there was pointless. They were a bunch fucking retards. This time even the first row was occupied. With a growing terror, I realized that there was no empty chair for me.
“Rebecca,” I hissed. “I need a seat.”
A quiet laugh at the back drew my attention. A group of girls and boys didn’t even hide their gazes. They openly stared at me, while their faced showed full-blown derision.
“There should be one,” she replied confused. “Classes are enchanted, so there is always the same number of chairs as students.”
It looked like the spell had stopped working.
The doors behind me opened and I jumped to the side. Fuck. Everyone stared at me. I steeled myself for the next wave of laughs but the class was silent. So, they didn’t look at me, they looked past me. Slowly, I turned.
How could I miss his scent? The connection should warn me.
Lotian’s grapefruit eyes saw only me. At this moment, the rest of the class stopped existing.
Flare, why didn’t you wait for me? He asked in my head.
Because I have a class. Saaron didn’t allow me to have even a day off. This was a cheap move on my part. Then again, Saaron was a dickhead who deserved a little shit in his life.
I’ll rip his fucking head off. You should rest in your bed. The medics can’t answer a single question of why the Shard didn’t affect you.
Why didn’t they tell Lotian about Vesalius Black and Oceania? Perhaps, no one except Nix knew this.
Lotian’s large hands grabbed my shoulders. Once more the flame-haired demi-dragon wore casual but elegant clothes. By now, I recognized brands and materials, his, were extremely expensive. The unexpected contact started a fire in my core. As always a spike of fear shoot up. But my rage slept.
“Excuse me, demi-dragon, but did you catch this girl on something bad?” A voice asked from my left.
A dragoness. She was only slightly weaker than Elleria had been. Red high heels, black stockings with the lines of red runes going upward. Short black skirt and red jacket with a black shirt. The woman had high cheekbones, cold black eyes, coal-black hair in the bun, sensual makeup and a stare, which could freeze the hell itself.
Lotian didn’t let off me.
From the tension in the air, I knew this dragoness was a big deal. We supposed to have a class called Controlling Inner Fire, but our current teacher Dealk Jugen wasn’t here. What a shame. I could tell Lotian to kick his ass. Jugen was full of shit. He lied to dragon students that leaving their rage behind was a natural part of being a dragon.
“She did nothing wrong, Issa Verax.”
“Then, please find yourself a seat or leave,” she said in a definitive tone.
Students caught a breath. Did they expect Lotian to explode? Officially, he didn’t possess rage anymore. The-end-of-year exam, which was six months away, has tested dragon students. Any drago
n student who showed the dragon’s rage at the exam was going to fail and repeat the year. A ruthless system. But as Elleria, Saaron, and Lotian had shown me, there were ways to pass without losing rage. Well, I wasn’t too sure about Saaron. He actually could have graduated by the time, the new rules were introduced.
Fingers snapped and two chairs appeared. Both looked way more sophisticated and majestic than the rest. Lotian didn’t fool around. I couldn’t hide a smile, which bloomed on my face.
It’s good to have you here. I’m sure by the end of today, the rumors of this will reach every nook and cranny in this shithole.
Let them talk.
Issa Verax’s gaze only once brushed us. Our chairs were placed by a sidewall. There was no reason for her to look our way. This hasn’t been the case for dragon students who openly stared at us. Our hands were an inch apart and I badly wanted to take a hold of his. How would Saaron react?
A sharp sound of snapping leather thundered across the class and a few dragon students, mostly at the back, caught their cheeks. Issa Verax’s figure radiated off authority and domination. I saw too much in this woman that resembled Watermane. Why everyone in this Academy had to be a jerk?
At least, I had good humor and grogginess had disappeared. The potions worked.
“I’m not going to say it twice, so listen to me carefully,” Issa Verax said. “To everyone who doesn’t know me. My name is Issa Verax, I’m the second-in-command in Dragon House. As the first-years, you may claim to not know some of the rules or still be in the process of adjustment to this new lifestyle. I’d like to stress it out, make sure to adjust fast. As dragon students, your role is to set examples for the other four Houses.”
A heavy silence descended on the large classroom. There were about thirty students in the class and every face looked intense.
What is she talking about? I asked Lotian.
The Tears of Unicorns Page 5
