by Evie Wilde
He also took a great interest in Oliver and Kyler, also being a father figure to them. We asked him why, and he stated because his father left he and his mother when he was ten. He had nobody to show him the ropes. Nobody to help him harbor his magic. He didn’t want us experiencing the same thing. So, he went above and beyond the expectations of the academy. We were his star students.
I stood behind a tree and watched Kyler and Oliver spar with Aurelius, the two struggling with our mentor who looked to be amused. But even as I watched them struggle, I knew Oliver had a plan up his sleeve. His brain worked like one of his computers, constantly processing, constantly calculating his next move. They were also the brothers I never had. I wasn’t sure where I’d be without them. While Kyler had Aurelius preoccupied, Oliver cast a water spell, encapsulating Aurelius who didn’t look a bit surprised by the move. Aurelius playfully bounced around inside the bubble, destroying a Taylor Swift song we often heard him singing when he thought nobody was around.
Oliver nodded happily at Kyler and then added a freezing spell to the bubble. The bubble began freezing, and Aurelius stared outward in boredom as if he were lazily spending time at home piddling around. He saw me and winked.
“Enough,” Kyler said. The concern on his face was unnecessary.
“I’m not hurting him,” Oliver replied. “Look at him. Ya can’t even see him.”
“He can if he looks over here,” Aurelius said, standing beside me almost causing me to piss my pants.
“Scared the crap out of me, Aurelius,” I said, making him laugh. That was the other thing. He seemed to get great joy out of our sometimes-comedic lives.
The look on Oliver’s face was one of disappointment, thinking he’d finally beaten our mentor. He said his ultimate goal was to one day out duel Aurelius. He meant it with deep respect. With a smile, Aurelius told him to respect his elders.
“Your ego caused you to lose concentration,” Aurelius said to Oliver. The two of us joined Oliver and Kyler. “Though you did well combining ice and water. The bubble would have held most anyone.”
“Your singing burst the bubble,” Oliver said and we all laughed, the comedy Aurelius enjoyed.
Aurelius moved away. “Dash,” he said. “Try me. Show everyone what you’ve learned.”
What we learned was to never fight with Aurelius. He would often turn us into a mouse or a jackass or even a fish out of water, laughing as we flopped around.
“Okay,” I said and backed away. I faced Aurelius and then, as fast as my hands would move, shot fireballs at him.
Aurelius, though much older, melted the fireballs as they approached. When the last one approached, he caught it and flung it back at me. I caught the fireball, tossed it in the air and destroyed it with a second fireball I created while the other was still rising. Aurelius clapped. “You fight with passion,” he said and brought us together. “Always fight with passion and never with anger.” He then sent Kyler and Oliver into the clearing.
The two of us watched as Kyler and Oliver battled one another, neither ever gaining the upper hand. Kyler even tried shapeshifting, using his wolf speed to avoid spells and counter-attack with his own spells. Kyler’s agility increased ten-fold when he was a wolf. Oliver, expecting the move, called into the woods, using a wilder spell to call for a bear. Kyler tangled with the bear only momentarily before defeating Oliver’s spell and making the bear vanish. When Kyler returned to his human form he laughed.
While the two continued tormenting each other, I decided to press Aurelius about the situation with Cassandra. “You’re absolutely sure Cassandra is the one we must protect from Edius?” I asked. I let go of his arm, not realizing I’d grabbed it. Being awestruck by Cassandra was making us act stupid.
“Such passion for the young witch,” he said. “I knew she’d grow on you. The others too. She’s a fine young woman who needs the assistance of you fine young men.” I thought he might go into some story about his youth and a woman he once loved.
I shook my head, frustrated at the things I didn’t know. Frustrated at the strange feelings rising for a woman I hardly knew. “She doesn’t seem like she’d be a threat to Edius. And if she is, why’d he wait until she joined the academy? Why not take her out where it’s easier outside the academy?”
Aurelius leaned on his staff. “We have ways of hiding people,” he said. “We kept him from her for as long as we could. Now that she’s old enough, and her powers are almost where they need to be, we decided to bring her here, hoping with your help we could keep her safe.” He placed his hand on my shoulder. “The more of us there are the better we can protect her.” He pointed at Oliver and Kyler. “Those two won’t be able to move tomorrow.”
“Yet this Edius continues to steal powers from students,” I said and walked away.
Aurelius sighed and returned to campus, leaving us behind to practice our powers.
Kyler joined me, Oliver leaving for his next class.
“He really thinks we can all protect Cassandra?” Kyler asked. “I don’t understand why it takes so many to protect one person from one other person.” He could tell I was struggling with something. “You know we’re as attracted to her as much as you are, right?”
“I get that, Kyler, but I have no interest in being hurt. You know this.” I shot a fireball through the trees, another forming from anger in my other hand. I calmed my anger, and the fireball faded. I'd put everything into my ex. I just didn’t see myself doing it again. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a choice.
“I’ve been thinking,” Kyler said. “If we’re going to defeat Edius, we need to get Oliver’s skills equal to ours. I’m afraid if he’s not careful he’ll find himself turned into a Sarchi. We also need to get Braeden on board. Make him understand this is more than being overly protective of her. All four of us feel the same way about her, and I don’t mean just about protecting her.”
“I'm not real keen about Braeden,” I said. “He’s a little too protective. He doesn’t want any of us close to her.” I kicked at the dirt, and Kyler used an earth spell to brush dirt over my boots. “Funny.”
“I don’t think it’s that, Dash,” he said. “I think he doesn’t want us to take advantage of her or hurt her emotionally. I think we all get that. Even you.”
“Still a pain in the ass,” I said.
“Yeah, well, remember, he’s the reason she’s stayed alive as long as she has,” Kyler said. “He’s also the reason she’s here. Suck it up, buttercup.”
“You wanna be green again?” I asked.
“Ribbitt,” he said. “Quit being so damn sensitive.”
“Just go find Oliver and bring his ass back here. We’ll get him some extra practice before he loses himself in his computer and spell book.” I grabbed Kyler’s arm when he started to walk away. “Tell him it’s for Cassandra. That'll get him moving.”
I waited until Kyler was out of sight and then moved into the forest surrounding the academy. Deep enough to do what was forbidden. I raised my hands in front of me and repeated the words we were told never to repeat. I cast the spell and sighed.
CHAPTER NINE
Cassandra
Although the academy had been more than accommodating, I missed home. I missed being in my kitchen cooking. I also missed creating my own potions in my own home no matter how many times they failed. Like most of winter break, I found myself alone, sitting in my dorm room, wondering what everyone else was doing. Guildmaster Ren still refused to let me return home, insisting if I did so the agreement we had would be voided, and I would be sent away. The guild members needed more than one semester to get over their anger at me.
Some of the students talked about heading south and hanging out on the beach. Because I'd grown up around the water it didn’t excite me the way it did them. They also talked about drinking and partying and having a good time before coming back to the grind. That part did excite me. I spoke to Headmaster Eliphas about letting me off campus for a week, but he said the prospects were t
oo dangerous. He said he wasn’t so much worried about what I would do but about what someone might do if they recognized me. He then reminded me about the students who had their powers stolen. The academy couldn’t protect me if I were out partying like an animal.
There were times when I longed to be a regular person, one without the magic powers, one without the ability to destroy an entire city. I often thought those people were happier than the rest of us. After all, magic had killed my parents and left me an orphan, though Braeden stepped up and helped me. But magic was like any other weapon in life. In the wrong hands it was deadly.
Braeden had stayed on campus as well, but unlike me, he had ulterior motives, disappearing every night. We talked during the day about everything from magic to school to missing home, but he never mentioned leaving at night. Initially, I decided not to press him on the issue, but when it became so frequent, I changed my mind and decided to follow him.
I watched him leave his room and then quietly followed him down the steps, hiding behind plants and whatever else I could find. Servants had gone for the evening, leaving me alone to my ninja skills. I waited until he left the building and then ran to the door, watching him disappear around the corner. As soon as I opened the door and stepped out into the evening air, I was stopped.
“Cassandra.”
I looked to the left to find Aurelius, my mentor, approaching. “Let him go,” he said. “I have something I need to show you. Please accompany me.”
There was something mysterious about Aurelius. Nothing weird but always like if you peeled back the layers, you’d find something you least expected. As my mentor, he’d gone out of his way to calm my anxiety. He knew about every single mishap that had scarred my life. He said he watched the Wayfair story on the news. He neither scolded me or put me down. Instead, he took every possible moment to try to build me up, a hard task for even a wizard of his caliber. He said all I lacked was confidence and that would come with learning the trade and practice. He briefly touched on the fact the boys around me had my back, and he told me they’d mentioned they had a connection to me. He trusted they would protect me unto death.
I looked around for Braeden and listened for his voice, trying to ignore Aurelius’ prodding.
“Please, I have something to show you,” he said again. “Braeden can wait.”
“What’s going on, Aurelius?” I asked. “Why is everyone acting so weird?”
“There are some things we need to talk about,” Aurelius said. He placed a hand on my shoulder and led me away from the dorm, the two of us walking to one of the smaller crystal buildings. “I will try to explain the best I can.”
“Wait,” I said, and stopped, closing my eyes. I could feel the guys close by. All four, their powers wafting through the air, traveling through my fingers and into my body. “I feel them inside me.”
“Cassandra,” Aurelius said. “We need to go and talk. We can’t stay out here. It's not safe.”
I opened my eyes and heard the voices. The guys, including Braeden. “They’re here.” I continued around the corner in the direction Braeden had gone and found the guys in some deep discussion. They stopped talking as soon as they saw us.
“Hey,” I said. “What’re you all doing?”
“Not now, Cassandra,” Aurelius said and rushed me away. He looked back at the boys and tried to move faster away.
I looked back when Braeden called my name. “What’s going on, Braeden? What were you doing?”
“Come on,” Aurelius said and ushered me inside. He locked the door, but we both knew it would not keep the guys out. As much as they respected Aurelius, they would still make sure I was not being harmed.
We hurried down a long hallway, and he led me into a side room. “Wow,” I said. “A wizard’s chamber.” I ran my finger along the volumes of books on the shelves, finding everything from spells to ancient books I'd only read about. He moved behind the old wooden desk and had a seat, trying to catch his breath.
“Those boys are going to be the death of me,” Aurelius said. He took a drink of water and sat back. He looked around the office as if he wouldn’t have it much longer. Something in his eyes said his time at the academy was coming to an end. “We need to talk, Cassandra.”
“We all need to hear this,” Braeden said when he opened the door. Dash, Kyler, and Oliver followed. They were out of breath as well, leading me to believe Aurelius had left behind a few spells for the boys to tangle with.
“Ice on the steps,” Oliver said and bent over, resting his hands on his knees. “That was a good one.”
Kyler chuckled and leaned against one of the bookshelves. “I’m kinda partial to the doorknob downstairs turning into a live snake’s head.” Pride suddenly washed over his face. “Had to shapeshift into a mongoose to kill the damn thing.”
Aurelius threw up his hands in frustration. “Just remember, curiosity killed the cat,” he said. “Shut the door, Oliver.”
“I’m a dog person,” Dash said and sat in the chair next to me. The others stood behind us. The energy filling me and the room was incredible. The energy coming from each guy was equal in force.
Looking around the chamber, it was exactly as I had imagined. It was also why I joined the academy, to become a wizard, to become the most powerful female witch in the world. And when I did, I wanted a chamber like Aurelius’.
“I think it has become obvious the five of you aren’t here by luck. You all have the same destiny.” Aurelius opened the ancient book lying on the desk. “You’re a team. All with different powers and all at different levels in your magic journey. You’re here to defeat the archmage Edius. Rumors swirled all semester he was the one who stole the magical powers of several of your classmates.” Aurelius took another drink of water and studied us for a response. For a moment, I thought he might fall asleep.
“Why wait for us?” Kyler asked. “There are other archmages here. More of you than of him. And your magic is far superior than ours. Why not just gather everyone together and go after him?”
“Because he has stolen the magical powers of the world’s strongest wizards. We are defenseless against him.” He looked down at the book and then turned the large volume so we could see the pages. “What you see here are a dozen ancient artifacts, all of which have been stolen from wizards across the globe.” He tapped the page repeatedly, his frustration with the situation clearly weighing heavily on his mind.
“Edius,” Oliver said. “That’s who this is about.”
Aurelius nodded in my direction. “Just like you felt the presence of the boys earlier, I can feel Edius’ presence. The archmage is nearby. Possibly inside the academy.” He eyed each of the boys. “This is going to come down to the five of you saving the academy. The instructors and admin have done all they can.”
I stole a glance at Dash and then back at the others. Sitting there, a warm, delicious shiver raced down my spine. I had no idea if they were feeling the same sensations, but based on the stares I often caught from them, I guessed they felt something similar. I couldn’t say I was in love with any of them because I wasn’t really sure I knew the meaning of love. I was close to Braeden because he was really all I ever knew.
“Once Edius’ collection is complete, he will have an ungodly amount of power, so much power that not even all the wizards in the world will be able to stop him.” He turned the book around.
“So we just find him and kick his ass,” Dash said and chuckled. The others laughed along with him. Except Braeden. He thought differently.
Aurelius looked sternly at Dash. “It’s not a joke, Dash. Edius is gaining enough power to not only destroy this world but others.”
“Others?” I asked.
Oliver placed a hand on my shoulder, the energy intensifying. “Some believe there are parallel universes,” he said. “There are other versions of ourselves making other decisions. Imagine if Edius could manipulate other dimensions or other worlds. He would control all decisions in all worlds, parallel or o
ut there somewhere.” He waved his hand above us toward the universe.
“Ultimately, that’s his goal,” Aurelius interrupted. “There are magical worlds out there none of us have seen or experienced. If he gains control of those worlds, imagine what will happen if he brings one of those worlds to ours.”
“Sounds like The Council is putting Cassandra in danger,” Braeden said. “Not cool.” He looked at the others for agreement. The others chimed in all at once, arguing for my safety. Aurelius ignored them, staring at me. There was no changing the destiny set before me. I’d clearly been selected for this journey. And whether the boys liked it or not, they were coming along.
“Stop,” I said. “Stop!” I moved away from everyone, and they turned, their eyes following me. I studied the things in the room, the wizardly things. I was supposed to be there. I was born for this reason. My parents knew what I would become, and they were probably killed for having me. I thought about their ambush and the ambush of Braeden’s father. Everything was somehow connected.
Everything happened for a reason.
“She is the chosen one,” Aurelius said, his voice and eyes tired. “It doesn’t matter if any of you or her like it or not. Accept it. Embrace it. Figure it out.”
I looked at the others. “He’s right,” I said. “It all makes sense now.” I turned my attention to Braeden. “My magic. I always felt its power but could never understand why it was so out of control. Aurelius, could Edius have played a role in all the accidents I’ve had?”
Aurelius nodded, and the guys muttered to each other.
I moved between the four guys and faced Aurelius. The guys closed in behind me. “I came to the academy to be the witch my parents foresaw. I also came here to help the people I care about. I intend to do both those things.” I looked at each of the guys. “We’re here for a purpose.”
Aurelius pointed at the guys. “It’s on you to serve her, to make sure she is kept safe, to make sure she is always ready for whatever comes her way.” He closed the book. “It’s late. Return to your dorms.”
