Smoke and Mist (The Academy Book 1)

by Kate Hall

  So it’s that kind of sparring.

  Phillip holds out his hand, and Alex takes it.

  “Again.”

  They go like this for hours, and still, Alex makes no progress. Because Phillip is a gentle-hearted teacher, Alex has let himself ignore that he spent four years in the military as a Pyromancer, so he’s quite skilled in combat. Every thirty seconds or so, Alex finds himself flat on his back, the air forced out of his lungs from the impact. Even when he’s gasping for breath, Phillip doesn’t let up.

  Again and again he falls, getting angrier and angrier. Attack. Dodge. Fall. Attack. Dodge. Attack. Fall.

  What if Helen shows up again? What if she tries to kill one of his friends? His mind races to Sarah, who is in more and more danger the longer it takes the police to find her aunt.

  He dodges and blocks the attacks he can, but he can’t regain his balance enough to be on the offensive. He knows the moves Phillip is using—they’re all just more aggressive versions of his drills, and Alex should be able to replicate them, but he keeps getting beaten down.

  His chest hurts, and there must be bruises developing on the back of his ribcage, but he doesn’t back down. He’s wearing thick fireproof clothes, but the padding doesn’t keep him from hurting every time he slams into the dirt.

  When he can’t see straight from his burning anger, Phillip holds his hand out. Alex takes it; he’s ready to win this time. For real. He will not get knocked to the ground again. They’ve gained an audience, which includes David and a few of the other dormitory students. He stands up, and Phillip says, “We’re done for the day.”

  The students standing around the cones groan and amble away. Once he’s caught his breath, Alex drinks an entire bottle of water and checks his phone to find dozens of notifications. He checks his text messages first, to which he finds two messages from Sarah.

  Looks yummy, she replies to the Starbucks message.

  Have fun getting your ass beat. And the kissy face emoji. That stalls him for a moment. He checks his social media, and there, at the top of his feed, is the reason that he has so many notifications.

  David posted a live video of the sparring session, and it has over five hundred views. Hundreds of comments thread the post, suggesting movements for Alex to try in order to stay on his feet longer. Of course, none of them are helpful today, as he was too busy getting the shit beat out of him to check the comments of a video he didn’t know was being made.

  He sits, his muscles trembling too much to keep him on his feet. The hours of strain are out of character, so he’ll definitely be in pain tomorrow. He could go for a shower and a long nap in his dorm.

  He texts Sarah instead.

  Lunch? My treat.

  Maybe he can fall asleep on her couch.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Sarah

  AFTER SPENDING YESTERDAY WITH ALEX, PLAYING video games and binging TV shows with Mark and Elizabeth, Sarah is on campus at nine in the morning to watch him train again. Elizabeth drops her off, along with lawn chairs out of the garage and a special charmed heating pouch for the dragon egg. Now that it’s no longer a secret, she takes it everywhere with her except school and Gabby’s house. It turns out that Elizabeth has had a permit as long as Sarah’s had the egg. Maybe being a psychic will come in handy when she actually learns to use her power.

  She keeps her eyes on Alex, entranced by the graceful way he handles fire, his body moving fluidly from one position to another. She wants to join him in this dance, her body flush with his as he moves fire around her. She shakes the thought away, running her fingers along one of the shining pink veins in the opal.

  She now understands that the energy running through her when she touches it is the dragon, and the humming is its mind excitedly connecting with hers every time she makes contact with the shell. Elizabeth had done a few spells, and she told Sarah that it was around forty-six weeks along, so it could hatch at any time within the next month.

  Alex falls to the ground once again, but he had actually gotten an attack in this time, flame shooting across Phillip’s shoulder. Because they’re both pyromancers, though, this didn’t faze him. Alex is on his back for the third time this morning.

  Sarah wraps her arms around herself, the October breeze cutting into her light sweater. She’d checked the weather before leaving the house this morning, but it’s much colder than it had claimed, so she’s stuck freezing in her thin clothes until Alex and Phillip finish their training.

  “Nice to see you again, Sarah,” a voice says. She twists around, and David is standing over her. He shakes out a lawn chair and puts it next to the one she’d brought with her, and they watch the match together. He tosses a Star Wars blanket over her, and she thanks him quietly. David’s fingers twitch as he watches the match, and he flinches just slightly every time Alex is knocked around.

  “Are you up next?” Sarah asks.

  David laughs. “Nah, I’d rather not get my ass handed to me today. Phillip is using some really advanced moves, so I’m surprised that Alex is still standing.”

  She looks back to the match and nods. She doesn’t know anything about pyromancy, so she doesn’t know what to watch for, but it’s clear that Phillip is far more skilled than Alex. Still, Alex is getting better. She’d had the livestream from yesterday playing on her phone, and he hadn’t come anywhere near an offensive position, and today, he’s occasionally getting an attack in. During their late-night texts since they started hanging out, he’s told her about his concerns about being a pyromancer. He’s afraid that he isn’t good enough, but all she can see is how quickly he’s learning. A few more months of this, and he may even outshine his professor.

  David takes video of their performance, but, unlike yesterday, he doesn’t post it online.

  “How’s Kendall?” she asks. She hasn’t spent any time with David or Kendall this week, so she’s really asking if their relationship lasted more than the one night. Alex has been too distracted to bring it up.

  He shrugs, but a smile finds its way to his lips. “She’s alright.” He looks at her. “We’re doing great.”

  Sarah nods, satisfied. They sit in a amiable silence, watching the match. She notices that Phillip tends to come at Alex on the right, so she makes a mental note to tell Alex that later. Moments later, though, Alex clearly notices the same pattern, and. During the next match, he’s able to dodge more of Phillip’s attacks. He sweeps his leg, a burst of flame shooting forward and causing Phillip to stumble.

  Phillip smiles, and Alex is back on the ground an instant later.

  “Good job today,” Phillip says, helping Alex to his feet. “Much better than yesterday.” He looks over to where Sarah and David are sitting and calls, “David, would you like to try? I can be ready if you give me ten minutes.”

  David throws up his hands and laughs. “I’m good. Not really in the mood to lose a fight.”

  Alex jogs over, glistening with sweat. “Either of you want a go?” He winks at Sarah and then turns his attention to David. “You could bring Kendall down and spar with her.”

  Sarah hands him an icy water bottle, and he drinks the entire thing in seconds.

  “I’m good. Maybe next week,” David says with a shrug. “I’m headed to grab some lunch with Kendall right now. Do you guys wanna come?”

  Alex shakes his head and replies, “I need a shower so bad. Some other time, though!” He takes Sarah’s hand and steers her toward the dormitories, which she’s never been inside. She’ll get to see his room. The thought sends a little thrill of nerves through her, although, from her experience, boys’ rooms are never anything special.

  When he opens the door, she laughs at the matching Star Wars bedspreads. It’s clear from the split of the room which bed her borrowed Empire blanket is from. The other bed even has a little Ewok plushie that looks well-loved. “I love it,” she says, then looks at him, trying to make her face serious. “Rebels or Empire?” She holds the egg closer to her body, the heat from inside t
he pouch warming her just a little.

  Alex smiles. “Empire of course. I was born to be a Sith.”

  “You’re a little short to be a stormtrooper,” she jokes. She climbs into his bed and wraps herself in the throw blanket that David gave her, and he goes into the bathroom after kissing the top of her head. The shower starts up a moment later, so she plays a card game on her phone.

  When the shower stops, she freezes. She is suddenly very aware of his presence just on the other side of the door, so she wraps the blanket tighter around herself. Her cheeks and ears heat up with embarrassment as she can’t help but picture what he might look like naked. The only naked guys she’s seen were from her one night of exploration into porn when she was fourteen, although she’s sure he doesn’t look anything like that.

  She waits for a few moments before the door opens. Alex pads into the room, a shiver rippling through him when the cooler air of the bedroom hits him. The only thing he’s wearing is a pair of slim-cut jeans. She feels a stirring deep in her stomach at the sight of his lean muscles, which are tight after the morning of training.

  She sets the egg on the nightstand, stands up, and strides over to him while he digs through his closet. Timidly, she runs her fingers over the hot, damp skin of his back, and his arms break out in goosebumps. She kisses the back of his neck gently, wrapping her arms around him, her hands splayed over his chest. She’s glad that she isn’t much shorter than him, as their heights make it so easy to kiss.

  He twists around in her arms, and their bodies are flush against each other. He rests his hand on her face, brushing the hair behind her ear before gently lifting her jaw so that he can kiss her.

  Her eyes flutter shut, and she lets herself be kissed, moving her lips against his. She runs her hands down his chest, resting them on his hips, fingers splayed so that her little finger is just below the waistband on his jeans. He moans involuntarily, and she bites his bottom lip gently.

  He wraps his hand in her hair, his lips pressing harder against hers. She stumbles backwards, pulling him along by his hips. When the backs of her knees hit the bed, she turns them both so she can push Alex toward the bed. He breaks from her, lowering himself onto it before she lies on him, straddling his narrow hips and kissing him once again. He grabs her by the waist, his hands moving just a bit under the hem of her shirt.

  His hands are hot with flame, but it doesn’t hurt. The warmth spreads throughout her, and she runs her hands over his body. Oh my god, am I going to lose my virginity?

  When a knock sounds at the door, it’s like an electric shock. Sarah jumps off him, falling to the floor before standing up as quickly as she can. She brushes her hair out with shaking fingers, but she can’t do anything about the waves of heat pouring into her face. Even her ears are hot with embarrassment.

  The door opens, and even more heat rushes up her face. She may not be straddling him anymore, but Alex is still lying in bed, shirtless, when David pokes his head in. “We just got back from lunch. You guys want to watch a movie? Netflix just added the new Star Wars.”

  How kind of him to not mention the elephant in the room. “We’ll meet you in the lounge in a minute,” Alex says.

  David winks, and, the moment the door is closed, a laugh bursts out of Sarah.

  Moments ago, she thought she might be having sex. Instead, Alex finishes getting dressed and they curl up under his comforter on one of the loveseats in the student lounge, the dragon egg safe in her lap. David and Kendall are snuggling on the other, and Sarah politely ignores the tears streaming down David’s face when Carrie Fisher comes on screen for the last time.

  In Alex’s arms, watching a movie with friends, Sarah can’t help but smile. Despite everything going on, she can’t help but be optimistic.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Gabby

  GABBY HATES VISITING HER BROTHER IN CHICAGO.

  Every couple months, her parents make her go with them to visit Rudy in the mental health rehabilitation center. She always ends up stuck in the hotel, waiting for them to go home. She’s never allowed to see him. She hasn’t seen him since they went to the hospital after his breakdown this spring. “He’s too sick today,” Mom will say sadly. “Maybe next time.” Even when Kelly comes over, there’s not much to do since Gabby can’t leave the hotel. This time around, Kelly’s family is out of town, so the weekend is unbearable.

  Saturday ticks slowly on, and Gabby spends most of it scrolling through Tumblr instead of doing homework or researching the Helen issue.

  As children, Gabby and Rudy were close. He would design treasure maps, and they’d go exploring their neighborhood in search of the X. Most days, their parents were either working or in school. Dad was working his way through medical school, always promising that things would get better.

  “When I’m a doctor,” he would say, “We will have dinner every night in our mansion, and you will go to the best schools and we will see the best places.”

  Now that Dad is a doctor, Gabby sees her parents even less. When he isn’t working, they’re out at some event, some dinner with his coworkers, or off on a trip together, usually visiting Jasmine on the coast or dealing with Rudy. Gabby spends a lot of time in her room, which is why she lives in the attic. It’s easier to stay in hiding when she’s out of the way.

  This semester, though, it hasn’t been quite so lonely. As she sits in the waiting room at the rehabilitation center on Sunday, she misses Sarah and Alex’s familiar presence, which somehow keep her mind calm instead of their tumultuous emotions welling up inside her, threatening to explode. It’s the same way she feels when she’s with Kelly.

  Sarah has been texting her throughout the weekend, occasionally sending her pictures of what she’s doing. Saturday morning, it was a selfie with Mark, their faces blurry in their living room, a video game she doesn’t recognize on the TV screen behind them. Later that day, she sends a video of Alex being terrible at Mario Kart. Sunday morning, there’s a video of Alex being thrown to the ground during training, and Sarah’s laughter can be heard in the background. The constant updates keep Gabby’s spirits up.

  After receiving a photo from the latest Star Wars movie comes though, the doors open to the sickly green waiting area. Gabby’s parents aren’t alone.

  Rudy has always been a stocky, muscular boy, and he grew to six feet tall by the time he started high school. When he graduated, he was six-foot-five, and one of the widest boys on the school’s football team. He was given a scholarship to play for the University of Missouri, but then he got sick.

  Mom didn’t use to believe in mental illness, and Dad didn’t notice it in his son until it got really bad. His first semester in college, Rudy got all A’s, and his professors used words like “genius” to describe him.

  Over winter break, Gabby couldn’t help but notice how tired he seemed. When he wasn’t helping move boxes into the new house, he was asleep. Once, she found him curled up at the base of one of the staircases on her way up to her room. Mom said it was because of all his studying, but Gabby also caught him crying, and she’d never seen her big brother cry before. It had rattled her.

  Before the end of the semester, he had to drop out because he was failing all his classes.

  When she sees him for the first time in months, Gabby’s heart shatters. Rudy, still tall, is now thin as a rail. His cheeks are hollow, and his eyes don’t quite connect to the weak smile that plays across his lips. Everything about him sags, like his whole body is just too tired to stay up. Her stomach flops.

  “How’s it going, sis?” he asks, that weary smile stuck to his face.

  She stands up and hugs him, not squeezing too tight lest she break him. He’s always been the one to look out for her, her partner in crime, and it has definitely taken its toll.

  “I missed you,” she says, her voice thick with tears.

  “I know,” he says, squeezing her before letting go. She can feel everything he feels, of course. The nausea, the sadness, and, behind it all, the o
verwhelming emptiness. Still, it’s better than the absolute dread and hopelessness from this spring. Even a slight improvement is an accomplishment.

  Mom suggests pasta, and Gabby knows that it’s because of the carbs, and because it’s always been Rudy’s favorite. The car ride is long due to downtown traffic, and, to distract her from his ever-present emotions, Rudy tells Gabby a story, designing a treasure map on the back of a receipt. He pretends that they can go out in search of the imaginary treasure. She pretends that there’s a treasure to find—that, maybe, if they go to the end of this map, they can make him better.

  Being in such close proximity with him is horrible, yet she never wants to leave him. She should’ve called him more at school. She should’ve made him stay after winter break. She should’ve gone with him—surely there was a private school she could’ve gone to in Columbia while he was at Mizzou?

  His hand pats her on her head. “Stop thinking so much. It’s giving me a headache,” he jokes.

  Rudy, like Gabby, has powerful spiritual magic. Unlike her, though, instead of knowing the feelings of everyone around him, he knows their thoughts. Like Alex, he’s a telepath. However, Rudy can only hear the loudest thoughts in someone’s head, and, even then, only when he’s touching them. Right now, he must hear Gabby despairing over how much she couldn’t do for him.

  The restaurant they choose is packed, but Dad must have called ahead with a reservation, because as soon as they’re through the door, they’re seated. Despite their parents’ disappointment at Rudy’s life over the past year, lunch is amiable, like they do this all the time. Like they’re visiting Rudy at college instead of a facility. Dad talks about weird cases he’s seen at the hospital, and Mom talks about the weird people she meets at Dad’s dinners.