“The color, the size, the placement, the order, et cetera, it all matters. This here will tell the magical scanners in your bedroom that you fell ill, nothing life-threatening. All you need is rest and sleep.”
“Magical scanners?” What else they packed into our small rooms?
“Yeah, for your safety. Before they’ve made the rooms spellbound, some nasty accidents had happened. Students died. Furious parents pushed for the changes and these scanners are the outcome. They make sure your health stays in green.”
“And now you’re going to cheat them.”
How exciting this felt. I feared that the Academy had no room for freedom, but before my eyes hung the proof that I’d been mistaken.
“Flare!” Rebecca rushed into the bedroom. What if she saw the runes? Saaron would know about my deception. “The time—”
Rebecca stopped mid-air, then slowly turned around the axis.
“That’s should stop her for some time. Personal assistants or as some call them gnarled-faires have a very limited connection to the Heads of the Houses. She can’t report you now. And when the runes here wink out of the existence, no one will be the wiser about this.”
“I want to learn that,” I pointed at Rebecca’s inert body.
“Difficult to learn. Harder to master. One mistake and you’ll find yourself in serious trouble, but I’m going to teach you that and much more. Now I bought you a free evening. How are we going to spend it?”
My gaze fell on the bed and in the corner of my eye I saw his smile, then I said. “I think, I’ll pick that spell teaching you spoke about.”
Lotian scowled.
*
Haruka has been an amazing teacher, at least in comparison to others, but Lotain showed me, how looked another level. Unfortunately, he hasn’t possessed the Finger of Death anymore. After the incident with Elleria, it was taken from him.
Runes and all that complicated process of weaving them had to wait. Lotian said I needed books. I needed to learn the Theorem. I needed the true basics. Because the basics I’ve been learning at the Academy weren’t basics. It was akin to repeating the already used spells and concepts endlessly. Not even to master them. Just repeating stuff, pointlessly. The first year was not about magic. It was about the Academy making sure that they could bend us.
It felt exciting to learn true magic.
Lotian took me to one of the posh magic combat gyms which only a handful of students could afford. This place was expensive. As we neared it, the corridors have become polished, ornated, and more detailed. The materials, the art, the spells. Everything screamed of wealth and privilege. The golden double door looked over the top.
In a few powerful strides, Lotian took me inside without opening anything. Was the door illusion?
It’s not an illusion, Flare. Just an insane enchantment. If you aren’t a member or invitee then the door won’t let you in. You’d have to throw a crazy number of spells to destroy it. I wasn’t here, but I heard that Dramer had destroyed one set of these doors. It had cost him so much energy that he subsequently lost a duel with Saaron, who used to be weaker than him at that time.
The lobby beyond the golden double door made my eyes water. Rectangular in shape, it had lines of thick columns on both sides. The walls were complex reliefs which depicted strange scenes that ranged from unicorns, in their true forms, fighting hideous creatures to the arrival of winged humans. Honey-yellow colors contrasted with the rest of the Academy’s dark tones. The floor looked like one sheet of glass beneath which shifted golden sand. From the moonlight-white ceiling hung two crystal chandeliers. Their appearance called to my mind a waterfall. Except for the hundreds of tiny bright spots that have flickered in and out of existence. The sight literally knocked the air out of me. I gasped.
“Take your time, Flare,” Lotian said. “The air, the humidity, the pressure, everything is designed to make you feel better.” The Botanics of Nark all over again.
Sad to say, it wasn’t working, it was killing me instead. I stuck out my tongue which Lotian took as something funny. He laughed while I gasped for air.
“Relax,” he said, not moved by my condition. “You lived your life in the Wastelands where the air is polluted. Soon, it is going to make you feel amazing. Trust me.”
He has been right. The air stopped suffocating me and with each breath, a novel sensation of euphoria was expanding inside me. Once more, I brushed the place with my critical eyes. It was a gym lobby, but its splendor put to shame even Saaron’s second office. Sets of low bronze leather armchairs and low tables were placed between the columns.
Energized, I couldn’t imagine staying in the lobby for any longer. I wanted to see the gym, I was fired up to finally start the training with Lotian.
“You feel it,” Lotian said after a moment. We exchanged gazes and he set off toward the end of the lobby. I still had his words from the bedroom in my head about the runes and automation of magic in the Academy. I bet, my shock must have been plain on my face, when an elegant woman in sharp emerald-green clothes appeared behind the honey-yellow desk. Whoever had come up with the colors, did a good job. They matched perfectly. Maybe a little too well, as I was mesmerized by the sight. The woman’s pearl white teeth gleamed as her smile widened. I had to pull my gaze away from her gorgeous oval face, outlined by the cascades of the black hair, lest her intense violet eyes would drag me inside her soul. I didn’t want that.
Lotian grunted, ending the awkwardness of the moment.
“Demi-dragon Lotian,” the receptionist announced. “It’s a pleasure to have you here. What would you like?”
“A room with good elemental resistance. Especially, fire.”
I saw her nod, then before her appeared sets of runes. Similarly, to what Lotian did in my bedroom. As my senses started to probe, the receptionist looked up at me sharply, her violet eyes narrowed for the briefest of moments and she was back to whatever she had been doing. A little intimidated, I withdrew my senses. There was no point sensing the flavor of magic here. All the types of magic were mixed here.
My demi-dragon didn’t react in any way. Maybe he didn’t notice.
“Done,” said the receptionist with a dose of pride. Her long eyelashes fluttered as Lotian thanked her. She had a crush on him. Gods, I almost forgot my hatred of Selene for being Dramer’s fiancée and how much I was questioning Lotian after I’d remembered the rumors about him and Oceania. Now, with the unbelievable gorgeous receptionist who, by the way, was a fairy, my jealousy has returned.
“Thank you, Jane.”
A swirling portal of pure gold appeared to our left. “Come.”
Without further ado, Lotian walked into it. I was no longer scared of the Academy’s magics or so I thought. I followed my demi-dragon, not giving Jane the receptionist satisfaction. He knows here name!
Did he sleep with her? This and more questions have popped in my head. I’ve gotten jealous…
I was sucked into the room with air so stale I wanted to gag. A large cubic consisted of hundreds of squares. It looked like an oversized Rubik’s Cube from inside, except it was almost empty. Bare platforms hung in the air at different heights. No ladder or anything in the sight, so their purpose escaped me.
“What the hell is this place? It stinks.”
Lotian’s grinned. “I can’t say if you will get used to it. That’s the odor of some ancient spells which keep this place in one piece during our training. As we mentioned before. The Void would be perfect without all its drawbacks. So the Academy has come up with alternatives.”
A beam of bright light shot out Lotian’s hand. It looked like a molten metal ejected toward the wall. The liquid light that splashed on the floor turned into the smoke.
The cube shook as the beam reached the wall. Thousands. No. Millions of runes came to life. A spider’s web so complex its design couldn’t be a work of one person.
My jaw dropped. That beam could reduce me to atoms, if I was lucky. Satisfied, Lotian spread his arms. “Try.”
At the time, when Elleria had been teaching me the Dual Mind spell and some other deadly tricks, it looked easy. Even during the fight with Watermane, I’d had all these fancy attacks, but soon after Selene destroyed Elleria’s construct in my mind, knowledge of these spells was wiped as well.
I used the fire I had been relying on during my time in the Wastelands. Two nasty fireballs exploded against the wall, but the cube didn’t even twitch. I scowled, which Lotian countered with a smile.
“Good start.”
“Yeah.” I didn’t see it that way. Every demi-dragon has wielded a tremendous amount of power while I’ve been a weak flame in comparison. I reached the power residing within me. Then I searched for my rage.
It wasn’t there!
Chapter 13
“My rage! I can’t sense it.”
For a dragon, its rage was everything. That was why the Academy’s attempt at destroying it was outrageous. I had usually been a stranger to panic, but now it began consuming me.
I’ve reached deeper and deeper, hoping that my rage had decided to play with me.
Lotian’s hand stilled my shivering body of which I wasn’t aware anymore. Elleria, Shard, now this. Why has it all been happening to me?
“Relax, Flare. You have to relax.” To bring my rage forth? What kind of bullshit was this? I wanted to shove him away, but my heart wouldn’t allow that.
“Since Selene did something to me on the day they brought me to the city, I’ve been changing. And later she helped me to get rid of the Dual Mind spell from my head. What is happening to me, Lotian? What has she done to me?”
“I’m sorry.” He shoved me hard. Luckily, the room was enormous and the walls were hundreds of feet away. Otherwise, I would meet one of them. Still, I scraped my hands and legs upon landing.
“What the fuck?!” I hissed jumping to my feet. “Did you lose your mind?”
A beam of liquid light missed me by inches. I twisted my body knowing well how futile it was. If the beam struck me, I’d die on the spot. Evasion had to be instant.
Afterimages haven’t disappeared yet when Lotian’s figure bumped into me. It sent me up in the air, spinning like a disk. I fell flat on the ground. Groaned as the pain flared all over my body. I took a hit with that landing.
Are you mad? Killing me will kill you, idiot!
Lotian’s power shot up. By now it must have reached level eight. This has become dangerous very quickly. I raised in time to block a fireball. I used my own fire to counter it. And the outcome proved decent. A huge explosion.
I started talking again, but Lotian didn’t react in any way to my words. His fireballs weren’t an ordinary fire. I didn’t even know what exactly was the dragon’s fire and how it was different from the normal fire. Basic spells were silent on the topic.
Lotian’s speed has increased. His movements have become a blur. Fucking asshole evaded all my fireballs.
Okay, shithead. I have something special for you. I concentrated on bringing out the fire. The spell was going to expand a bubble of fire in all directions. Good luck in avoiding that.
The power whooshed and everything in sight covered red flames. Eat that!
A shield weaved by Lotian stopped my attack. I charged him. I wasn’t a stranger to hand combat. Lotian has waited for me. Fists, feet, knees, elbows. I threw everything at him. He parried my attacks standing his ground. I pushed forward.
It cost me a spell from him. I didn’t see the little sphere forming to my right. When it hit, it knocked the air out of me and sent me flying.
I jumped to my feet weathered two weak fireballs to my face and rushed toward Lotian. I wasn’t yet done. This time he didn’t wait. He extended a repertoire of his attacks. Some of his fireballs had different colors, while others charged the air with electricity.
I was getting better at evading and blocking. But not being able to hit him pissed me off.
Angry like a bee, I closed the distance. In that time ten of his fireballs and beams have come close to searing my hair. They all missed. This time, instead of shooting anything out of my hand, I concentrated my favorite fire in my fist. Lotian raised his defenses to meet my punch. At the time of throwing the punch, I made the fire explode into his face. He blurred and the next thing I knew was the spinning ceiling.
“What the hell?” I asked furiously when the world has come to rest.
“Sorry, Flare. I had to try it.”
“Try what? Killing me?” If I don’t have a concussion, then I shall count myself lucky.
“I’d never harm you, Flare,” Lotian said, not exactly amused. “And there is no point pushing yourself too hard. Your rage is there. I don’t believe Mirenne and my father. I don’t think it’s possible to completely wipe it out, but then you didn’t even try.”
He spoke the truth. My dampening-rage classes have been a waste of time. No one sane would want to get rid of one’s soul. That how the rage felt. It was part of me. A part of every dragon. I couldn’t lose it.
Lotian extended his hand. “Come on, let’s fight some more, then I’ll explain some attacks and spells.”
*
The next day I’ve run in my head the forms and techniques Lotian had shown me yesterday. Raminov’s harsh face glared at me. There was a substantial dose of concern in his eyes. He knew something or my imagination played tricks on me?
The extended history of the Prime Powers wasn’t boring or anything, but compared to learning the real magic, it suddenly seemed unappealing.
After the classes, I went to meet with Simona and Rust. Nix’s warning still echoing at the back of mind. Oceania and Vesalius Black couldn’t be trusted, though the fairy had saved my skin from the Shard of Delirium.
We picked a different common room this time. The Dragon Soldier has followed fanatically twenty feet behind me. I had tried to lose him, but he proved stubborn.
The common room was built in another age or the architect was drunk as fuck. It had twisted half-columns and imitation of windows on the walls. Nothing was comfortable here. We picked it anyway because it was empty when we entered.
“Flare, remember the time. Mr Raminov gave you three essays to write for the next week. You should be researching not meet—”
I sent her away. A neat little trick that was both harmless and easy to learn.
We picked the table that was farthest from both doors.
“How was your review?” Simona asked as she smoothed her dress against her thighs. Rust unbuttoned the top of his shirt. I eyed him curiously. He looked as if he planned to say something.
“Review?” I scowled at her. “It was an interrogation, but at least I got off their hook.”
“Interrogation?” Did I detect a hint of fear in her voice? “Why would they interrogate you, Flare?” That was the question, wasn’t it? Why the bunch of the Heads of the Houses wanted to know my origin?
“I don’t know, Simona.”
She faked a smile, which in other circumstances would be a normal occurrence. She could play with her slender silhouette making you peel your gaze off her face. It was a skill that worked well on everyone equally, though I’d learned to watch out for this. So, when her divine body twisted slightly and her skirt pulled up, showing her godly thighs, I steeled my gaze on her pale blue eyes.
“Simona, tell me. What are you hiding?”
Rust shook his head. He’s rarely joined our conversations. “Our Head, Raul the Mont, and Tristran Fargo are closer to each other than we thought. Their people told us to betray you. If we refuse, they’ll make us disappear. Apparently, the Academy doesn’t give a shit about supernaturals.”
Simona looked away. I’ve never seen so many creases on her face before. For having only one year on me, she seemed to age beyond her years.
I placed my hand on her thigh.
“Did they do anything to you?” The words were like a walk on the minefield. One of them could set an explosion. The rage, I’d thought had been gone, returned. Stormy weather inside tiny confinement. This was not going to end well.
“No.” Simona’s tone was distant and oddly alien. She had been so happy to join this Academy and now… now she hated it. A domino effect cascaded, crashing each stage on the path to an eruption of my anger. She kept her eyes away from me. This girl was hard as granite, nothing could shake her. We’ve survived ambushes and so many skirmishes that my poor memory gave up on counting them up. She has been like my older sister. Seeing her like this, quiet and broken, squeezed my heart.
“I’ll deal with him. It’s my fault.”
Rust shook his flame mane. “You can’t, Flare. If you try to enter, the supernatural’s section, they’ll have exactly what they want. They want us to lure you inside. The runes that are set all over the Academy, they have loopholes and errors.” Oh fuck, Lotian isn’t the only one knowing how to exploit the runes. I should know better than that. We’ve gotten too complacent in this place. We lost the edge we’d earned.
“Who said I’ll go alone?”
“Fargo has people all over the section. He’ll know you’re coming.”
It sounded as if they didn’t want my help. Why?
“Flare, this is something we have to deal with on our own. You can’t help us. Fargo is a supernatural like us. You’re a dragoness. I’m sorry.” She stood up, I looked quizzically at Rust who only shook his shoulders. Simona left.
It was… weird to stay one on one with Rust. This eighteen-year-old boy was an amazing hunter in the Wastelands and we didn’t need a verbal language to communicate. We knew ourselves, our habits, behaviors, signs. Suddenly, being in this new environment made it all obsolete.
The Tears of Unicorns Page 10
