by Rain Oxford
“Logan. Now, your heart condition puts you at a serious disadvantage, as the powers that protect the key will try to sway your priorities. Be here every Wednesday at dawn. I am technically your elemental mentor, but Logan and Keigan are also going to have a hand in your training, since you need it to get the key.”
“Do you regret taking it?”
“I did at first. I regretted it more than anything in my life up until the moment I met Keigan.”
“Why?”
“He is not the worst wizard from Dothra. I gave up everything, but I couldn’t imagine the destruction someone like Krechea could cause.”
“How can he get the key if you guys aren’t able to?”
“As you well know, people from Dothra can be exceptionally manipulative.”
“Dr. Martin isn’t so bad.”
“And he would have been killed for being a pushover if it weren’t for Keigan. Krechea would have it by now for sure if you hadn’t killed Gale. A familiar can enhance your power more than anything.”
“I was put in the familiar summoning class. Will you talk to Professor Watson to have him transfer me to another class? I can’t afford to fail two classes and I have Professor Roswell, who will flunk me if I miss too many classes.”
“I already spoke with Asrik, and he said you should be fine enough to take your familiar. He has full faith that you can break the curse, but he doesn’t know anything about the key. In all honesty, I considered this dilemma myself over the break, and I am inclined to agree.”
“You want me to take a familiar?”
“Your familiar can protect you where no one else can. It is true that he will die when you do, but I am a very selfish person. In my opinion, if he can extend your life for even a few days, it is worth it.”
“I don’t agree.”
“I know.”
“Why do you want to protect me so badly?” I asked. I really thought he would say because he was my uncle. Even though I was the one who asked, I didn’t want him to lie.
“Because you’re Maria’s son.”
* * *
I arrived at the dining room and sat in my usual spot with my tray of food. Darwin and Henry were both already eating. I spotted Addison chatting with her friends a few tables down and Amelia with her roommates a little further away, so we had semi-privacy. Then again, with the vampires and shifters in the room, nothing we said was entirely private.
“Anything new on saving Astrid?” Darwin asked.
“No. I’m still waiting for a dream or even my instincts to tell me something.” Even if I could get the key, it wouldn’t open the door to Dothra, so I would have to get the key, make a deal with Heather, and then somehow use the key to defeat Krechea. If I was very clever about it, I could use the power of the key to somehow save my heart, force Langril to open the door to Dothra, and save Astrid without having to sell my soul to Dothra.
“So, no one is going to ask me about the gossip?” Darwin asked. Henry and I both gave him a blank stare until he rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically. “Honestly, I think you two just keep me around to look pretty. First of all, Devon, you need to be careful. It sounds like Darnell is looking to have his ass handed to him again.”
Darnell was a wolf shifter who had attacked me the previous semester when Flagstone and Watson were gone. In fact, the man still had a following, although I didn’t think any of them would act out unless Darnell was actually able to take on Alpha Flagstone on his own. Since Flagstone was the strongest wolf in the university, I highly doubted Darnell would ever be a real problem.
“Secondly, the council has been offering some of the older wizard families a share in the power when they start their taxes. They’re tagging them. Some of the students here have been marked against their will and they’re not happy about it.”
“I imagine not.”
* * *
Defensive Magic took place in the practice field. Professor Watson, who was teaching the class, promised that we would manage even if we were waist-deep in snow. Fortunately, there would be no essays or reports.
“Is everyone ready for your pretest?” Half of the twenty students in the class blanched. The professor was cheery, which we all knew to be a very bad sign. “Good, good,” he said when nobody answered. “Your pretest is to survive a dragon attack.”
One woman screamed when a dragon flew overhead. I recognized the red and yellow coloring and shape of the dragon easily. Although I didn’t know that many dragons, I was certain this massive beast was Professor Nightshade.
When she landed between us and the castle, two women took off running into the forest. Becky, Tali, and two other wizards struck the dragon with energy bursts. Jackson hid behind me. “In the face of an enemy such as this, a human must decide whether to use defense or offense. Wizards must also decide how best to use their magic.”
The dragon roared and blew a short burst of fire, just far enough to scare the closest student. “Devon, do something!” Jackson said.
“Like what? Brush her teeth?” None of the students knew that one of the teachers was a dragon. As a couple more students struck her with magic, she blew fire at them. She wasn’t hurting them, but she was keeping them away. Whatever magic the students did hit her scales with no effect. Becky took two steps closer to the dragon and prepared to strike. “Becky, stop.” I didn’t use my magic, but she obeyed just the same. Even the other students who were attacking relented. “She isn’t attacking anyone.”
“What do you mean it isn’t attacking?!” Jackson screeched. “It’s a dragon!”
“I see that, but if she was really trying to attack, she wouldn’t have missed.”
“Very good, Mr. Sanders,” Professor Watson said. “Your first lesson for this class is not to make enemies out of allies.” He then approached the dragon and patted her on the snout. She snarled. “That’s all for today, Dejarus.” The dragon took flight and disappeared over the mountains.
Psychology of Shifters was taught by Alpha Flagstone. There were ten two-person tables. The room was decent, with solid walls and a solid ceiling… except for the pit hole in the middle of the room. It was about four feet wide and completely dark inside. “If anyone fails to complete your homework, you will spend the night in the pit,” Alpha Flagstone said as everyone gathered around the hole. He closed the door, indicating the twenty of us was the entire class.
“But you never assign homework,” a student said. She and two others were very similar in appearance; sisters if not triplets, all with matching gold hair and gold eyes. They were athletically built for young adult women.
I sensed his approach, so I wasn’t startled when Darwin tried to sneak up on me and slapped me hard in the back. On the other hand, despite being very small for a fully-grown man, he was strong, so I nearly lost my step.
“Sorry!” he said, thinking that he had snuck up on me. “I’m in all shifter classes now, which is better than magic classes. Professor Watson thought I should learn about the psychology of shifters because I’m still at odds with my wolf.”
I looked around at all of the first-semester shifters. As if I didn’t feel old enough. Most of the students came to the university right out of high school or the other paranormal schools, so a lot of the newcomers were eighteen or nineteen. Several students, however, waited until after they completed a degree at a human university, so there were a few my age. In fact, all of the vampires attending were older than me. Unfortunately, none of the shifters in this class were even old enough to drink except for Darwin.
“Everyone in here is a shifter. Why am I here?”
“Because I would probably challenge Alpha Flagstone if you weren’t. ‘Sides, Watson thought you would be interested in how shifter brains work.”
“Everyone, get in your seat.”
I went for the seat closest to the door with Darwin right behind me, but Alpha Flagstone grabbed Darwin by the back of the hoodie. “No! Devon, help! I’ve been captured!” Flagstone pushed him into a seat o
n the front row.
“I know about your ADHD, pup. You’re sitting up front so I can get your attention.”
With a sigh, I changed my course and sat next to Darwin. “You owe me,” I whispered to him. Flagstone smirked.
The wolf shifter didn’t bother with a syllabus. “The major distinction between shifters in a wizard’s mind is pack and solitary shifters. For us, there is no major distinction. When we are born, our animal instincts are in control. There have been cases in which a human woman would have a one-night stand with a shifter and become pregnant with a shifter child. In all of these cases, the woman realizes something isn’t right with the child even if it never shifts.”
“Wouldn’t the child’s instincts be to blend in?” Darwin asked.
“It is, but how well they do depends on the animal they shift into. For example, wolf shifters are probably the best at simulating humans. A toddler wolf shifter will watch how his parents behave, whether they are shifters or human. Animals that are raised without their parents are less able to simulate humans. Cold-blooded shifters are never able to completely fit into human society.”
“What about cat shifters? Like jaguars?” I asked.
“Most feline shifter cubs try unsuccessfully to mimic human behavior. Although the behavior of cat shifters is no less humanoid than the behavior of wolf shifters, their instincts are stronger. Most of them don’t shift until they reach seven or eight, but they are fairly destructive in the house, independent, and prone to fighting. Unlike wolf shifters, their instincts drive them to stand out, not to fit into the pack.”
Alpha Flagstone never required reading texts or writing essays; he usually just had discussions. Despite the fact that the professor’s information was plenty interesting, Darwin started tapping his pencil with boredom halfway through. After a few minutes, the pencil flew out of his hand and hit another wolf shifter in the head. The wolf growled, Darwin growled back, and Flagstone slapped his hand down on the table in front of Darwin.
Darwin growled at the professor and his teeth started to change. “Darwin, stop,” I said gently. He did, and his teeth reverted to their human bluntness.
“Alpha, can we go?” one of the triplets asked.
Flagstone checked his watch. “Yes. We will go over sensory development next time.” As the students filed out, Darwin and I stuck behind. “I understand that you are still learning to control your wolf, but when you challenge me in front of the pack, you put their lives in danger,” Flagstone said when we were alone. “You are a younger and less powerful wolf, so to not punish you for challenging me is a sign of weakness, which will make the other young shifters doubt me.”
“I wasn’t challenging you. The wolf just didn’t like the loud and sudden noise.”
“I know, but growling at me is a challenge and I will discipline you next time. If you think you can run the pack better, feel free to challenge me again.”
Darwin stood. “My father is the strongest wolf shifter. The wolf in me may have been dormant his entire life, but he’s just as strong.”
“And I am stronger.”
“I’m not just a wolf.”
I stood up and grabbed my bag. “Well, as exciting as dog fights are, I don’t think it’s good for my health. I have to get to my next class. Darwin, think of what your father would tell you. I imagine he has to deal with what Alpha Flagstone goes through every day.” I left.
Darwin was brilliant, but not all that wise, since he still had a lot of growing up to do. However, I knew Flagstone wouldn’t hurt him and he would see reason before growing furry.
According to my schedule, Advanced Divination took place in the north tower library, where Vincent taught me on Saturdays in the previous semester. When I found the stairway with every other step missing, there were two students pondering it. I recognized them as fifth year students, but I didn’t know their names.
“Hey, Devon,” one of them said. He was about my age, build, and height with dark brown hair and hazel eyes. “You lost?”
“Nope.” I headed up the steps easily, since I was used to them.
“You’re in the advanced class? I don’t remember seeing you in any of the prerequisites, and I know you’re only in your fourth circle,” he said, following me up the steps.
“I’m the professor’s assistant, so I get a fast-pass to the advanced class.”
“How could you be the professor’s assistant? He’s new.”
“He’s my uncle.” Vincent and two students were already in the library when we arrived. Three long study desks were set up in the clearing to the right with five foot-by-foot boxes. “Hunt wouldn’t even give you a classroom?” I asked.
Vincent smiled. “I requested the library. Everyone sit and we will begin.” We all sat down and Vincent made a motion with his hand. The room dimmed.
“There’s only the five of us?” I asked. Aside from myself, there were three men about my age and a woman, in her mid-twenties.
“Most of the C-Five classes are smaller for more personalized instruction,” the same man from earlier said. “I’m Ben, by the way.”
“Take the supplies out of your boxes.” Inside our boxes were two thick candles, a small wooden case that contained a crystal ball, three different packs of tarot cards, a hunk of crystal, and a mirror. “You have all the most standard supplies, along with the books in the library to use. You will not all do the same thing every day, as each of you has a different reason for being here.
“As you all know from your previous studies, divination is the practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by supernatural means. I will not insult or bore you with rudimentary information. Many who took the precursory divinations classes did so because they were merely interested or wanted to use foresight to achieve riches. Those with such shallow intentions should have either been frightened off by terrible visions or lack the skill to begin with. Thus, I will assume you are all prepared. In my class, you will see things you will wish you never saw. Get over it. Life is not easy, and magic comes at a price.”
“We’ve heard that every semester here,” Ben said.
“We learned about balancing our magic. Contrasting elements, passive and active, and all that,” the woman said.
“Yes; an eye for an eye, a love for a love, and a life for a life. Balancing the elements is rather easy. Most of the pure elemental magic is so basic that balance is second nature. Deeper magics that require the use of elements must have a greater force of balance, but you can usually use the contrary element to prevent any accidents. Then you get into dangerous magic, where you can curse your enemies or get personal riches.”
“Professor Ashwood said that even if you do something good for someone else, the balance will be bad. Why? What about karma?”
“No good deed goes unpunished. Have you ever done a spell for someone that is at your detriment? Not for their thanks, to make them appreciate you, or to impress them, but to actually help them when it is not something you want?”
Everyone was silent. I recalled healing Astrid when we were kids and that everything went wrong right afterwards. It wasn’t an act of selflessness; I wanted my friend to be okay. I healed Darwin for the same reason, but there hadn’t been any supernatural retaliation as far as I knew.
As if he heard my thoughts, he continued. “Sometimes, you will never know what the price was. If you can figure out what the price is, you can decide whether it is worth it or not beforehand. Now, to begin, I want to see your best. You will choose from the cards, the mirror, or the crystals. Show me your best magic.”
The other students were enthusiastic. Ben and the woman each got out the tarot cards while the other two men set up the crystal balls. Since the crystal ball was the only object in the box I had ever previously used, I pulled mine out, took it from the case, and set in in the metal frame that was also in the box.
I slipped my ring out of the pouch around my neck. This was probably the single most successful trick Vincent had taught m
e; I could use this very unusual ring to invoke visions. However, my uncle wouldn’t be impressed with me using my ring and telling him about my vision, since that was a regular part of my training.
Instead, I focused on the watch I was wearing, which my mother gave me for Christmas when I was sixteen. She had finally recovered from Astrid’s attack enough to move around the house on her own. It was just me, my mother, and her nurse. I tried to remember what I could as I slipped my ring on. The scene appeared in my mind so clearly that I felt like I was there again. I felt the warmth of the fireplace, smelled the mixture of tree and sugar cookies, and heard the Christmas music she loved.
For the first time, I projected my vision as if I were relaying a message or image. I had been able to communicate with animals for as long as I could remember, but the learning curve since joining Quintessence was almost fairytale after growing up trying to be human.
“Whoa,” one of the students said.
I opened my eyes and saw exactly what I expected to see; my vision playing out in the crystal ball like a three-dimensional movie. Vincent nodded approvingly when I looked at him.
After class, I headed to my room for a nap, since I had to be up early for my elemental training. Instead, I found Ghost waiting for me when I opened the door. “What’s wrong?”
He vanished and left behind a small potion bottle. Trusting the cat who saved the day several times, I reached for it. I wasn’t going to drink it without having Dr. Martin analyze it, but I trusted it wouldn’t explode as soon as I touched it. Just before my fingers closed around it, it vanished. “Crazy cat.”
I took off my boots and was about to get in bed when I saw Vincent’s huge book on my desk. The damned book was always appearing and disappearing, just like the cat and Vincent. I sat down at my desk with a sigh, flipped the book open to a random page, and started reading. I knew enough to realize that the pages changed with time, as if Vincent was still writing it. At least, that was the least supernatural explanation.
Chapter 3
