The Awakening of Ren Crown

by Anne Zoelle

  ~*~

  Bruised, confused, starving for lunch, and determined to do better—while also figuring out a way not to ignite my brother when I got him back—I entered Top Circle paying only half-attention to my surroundings.

  “Tricorn!”

  Tricorn?

  But, in the magical world, I had figured out quickly that when people yelled things, it meant:

  A) you should run;

  B) you had to watch for other mages, for as a society they ascribed to the well-used rule that you didn't have to be faster than the bear, you just had to be faster than whoever you had tripped in front of the bear;

  C) that you should pay special attention to the exact word being yelled, so you'd know what you were running from.

  To fulfill Point A, I started sprinting. B had me quickly sidestepping a particularly sly looking mage with dirty blond hair and errant feet. And, C had me thinking of the American Revolution and men with bayonets and pointy hats charging after people in retaliation for dumping their tea. I could imagine people shouting about reading leaves in the harbor.

  A horse with three horns wasn't quite what I had in mind. But when it shot toward me, I quickly changed course and adjusted my mental image.

  Tricorn. Got it.

  The animal was fast. And it could fly. Well, more a flying gallop, but it definitely was leaving the ground every few strides.

  It was faster than I was, and the dirty, blond-haired mage was extending an ankle. I darted to the side before he could trip me—thank-you, football drills—and he swore loudly, then got poked in the rear by a tricorn horn. He leaped forward, leading with his hips, yowling profanities.

  “Ha!” I threw over my shoulder. “Creep.”

  I dashed behind a tree as threads of offensive magic raced toward the tricorn. It sidestepped and ducked as the multiple flashes converged. Then it rolled its head and flung three jets of magic, one from each horn.

  I edged around the tree, back pressed to it as people shouted and booms sounded on the other side. My headache had cleared right up with the triple-shot of adrenaline.

  A guy ran past me with a sword, charging toward the melee. Seconds later, I watched him flee in the other direction, his rear lit with blue flames.

  I needed a weapon. I rummaged through my bag looking for possibilities. Pen, no. I could barely remember how to draw a square at the moment. Though, if I threw some paint on something, maybe a squad member would show up. Notebook, no. Justice tablet? Maybe. But I didn't think the tricorn was going to agree to community service.

  Why hadn't I brought my Marsgrove snare sketch?

  A loud explosion rocked Top Circle, and a body landed ten feet from me, rag-dolled on the grass. His limbs were entirely too still—like Christian's had been. All I could think of was ninety-five-percent and ten minutes.

  I automatically started for the boy, but loud breathing—huffing—stopped me in my tracks. The tricorn was on the other side of my tree, snorting and breathing heavily. I remained as still as possible, my eyes glued to the unmoving body splayed on the ground.

  Not funny. Not at all.

  Where were the professors? Or the Justice Squad? Or whomever?

  Then again, here I was with my justice tablet, a law breaker and new purveyor of order. Who in their right mind was running this place and letting people like me dole out punishments?

  I could hear a stamp and snort on the other side, and the rampaging tricorn took off again. I ran to the body on the ground and thanked all that was holy that I had read the first one hundred pages in my manual already. First Aid spells used campus magic and came standard on the tablets, due to all the accidents that occurred with magic offenses.

  I snapped off a First Aid enchantment by pressing the clearly marked button. I wasn't in the least qualified to do more to help, though. I didn't think the guy would want me leaping ahead of the ten minute death limit, trying to raise him with my purely paper knowledge of how to bring someone immediately back to life or with one of my sketchy rituals. I'd probably make twelve toes grow out of the guy's forehead, even in death.

  I kept an eye on the galloping horned beast. It was headed for a door opening in a building directly across from us. The opening door was the only movement in the now-still field.

  It seemed a pretty reliable theory at this point that a tricorn's predatory senses relied on movement.

  The person opening the door was screwed. Whoever it was had no idea what he or she was about to walk into.

  I saw a slick pair of Mary Janes, before my brain clicked to the realization that it was my roommate exiting the building.

  I lurched in her direction, chasing after the rampaging beast.

  “Get back, Olivia!”

  She looked up, startled, and froze as one ton of horse flesh lunged toward her.

  I threw my tablet forward and magic shot up my arm. I shouted the first thing that popped into my head as the magic raced back through my arm and into the tablet.

  “Toad Justice!”

  Seriously? Had I just yelled that? Toad Justice? What the—

  My intentions crystallized with the tablet's magic and flashed out, slowing everything in my view, as if I had hit a frame-by-frame option on a video. Movement to my right immediately caught my attention. I hadn't seen Alexander Dare there, but I saw him now. Whatever the tablet magic was doing allowed me to have just a half a second faster momentum than those around me. He was doing something with his staff. He was going to blast the tricorn before it impaled Olivia, but whatever I had done was going to get there first.

  That meant my mojo was going to strike the tricorn, and if it moved the beast, then Dare's mojo was going to hit Olivia. With a surge of adrenaline, I sent a second pulse toward the clear ripple of Dare's spell, and prayed.

  Time sped back up and the tricorn turned into a toad and my second pulse hit Dare's beam a split second before it hit Olivia, diverting it, changing it, and causing an architectural gargoyle to fall off the roof of the building and explode on the walk into little stone toad pieces at Olivia's feet.

  Dare spun toward me with his lethal staff swirling, obviously expecting another threat. I held my hands and tablet up, cringing, and awaiting the blow.

  He spun the staff away and kept it spinning until the energy wound down, and, I suspected, some of his immediate rage.

  “What the hell did you think you were doing?”

  His non-immediate cold rage seemed in perfect working order.

  “Uh...” I looked at the toad hopping in front of Olivia. It had three conspicuous warts on its forehead. “Helping?”

  Little wart bubbles of magic popped up and dissipated in the air, as if it was trying to cast. The tricorn toad looked pissed.

  People were running toward us. Finally. And I saw Doctor Greyskull bend over the fallen mage, then saw the sudden rise of the mage's chest. Shaking relief seized me. An adult in a polka dot bow tie appeared next to us. He raised a brow, then conjured a cage and scooped the toad inside. “Well, I have to say that is a most...interesting...way of managing a tricorn.” He nodded at me. “I'll tell Professor Wellingham what a fine job one of his squad members did.”

  I didn't correct his assumption that I was on the right side of the Wellingham service camp, but just nodded.

  “Mr. Dare, fine job, as always.”

  Dare lifted his chin in acknowledgment as Bow Tie left. Then he stared hard at me—and not in an I am in love with you forever type of way—before turning on his heel.

  I sagged in total relief, nerves catching up with the adrenaline. “Whew.”

  “You saved me.”

  I startled, having forgotten for a moment that Olivia was standing there. “Er, yeah, sorry about that.”

  “Sorry? You are sorry you saved me?” she demanded.

  “No, no.” God, I sucked today. “But it seemed all under control. That Dare guy would have zapped it.” I jammed my thumb over my shoulder, as if I wasn't referencing the hot guy on whom I had a stran
ger crush. I might have to rethink that crush thing, though my brain was refusing to re-catalog him yet.

  “He was definitely going to save you,” I said. “I had to use another jet of magic to avoid catastrophe.” With his blast taking out part of the building, I somehow didn't think he had been intending to turn the tricorn into a toad.

  “You used another blast of magic?” Olivia asked in a deadpan manner.

  I waved the tablet. “It was this, not me.” I hugged it to me. I loved it already.

  “Magical items are powered by mages.”

  “Yes, but believe me,” I said. “I suck at magic.” Otherwise I would have had Christian back by now.

  I thought of the laurel wreath. Soon. Soon I would make it so that I could do anything. So that I would never lose him or anyone else I cared about.

  She observed me through narrowed eyes. Then she turned and started back in the direction of our dorm. I hurried to get in step with her. Maybe this would be our turning point, and we could be friends.

  “What are you doing?” she demanded.

  And...maybe not.

  “Er, walking back with you?”

  It was amazing how eloquent I could be. Olivia and Dare seemed to be continually impressed by my prowess.

  “Why?” she asked.

  “I want to?”

  Amazingly eloquent.

  Christian snickered. I was relieved to hear it.

  “Is that a question?” Olivia demanded.

  “I suppose it was. You don't seem to want me to walk with you.”

  She said nothing for a moment, and I almost changed my course in order to leave her alone. She shrugged. “Do what you'd like.”

  I took that as tacit approval. “Ok. I think I'll walk with you then.”

  “Fine.”

  “Great,” I said.

  “Fine.”

  I shut up before I could undo my progress. We walked in silence for about a hundred yards, before she spoke again.

  “Where did you get that?” She pointed to my tablet, which I hadn't realized I was still clutching.

  I tucked it carefully back in my bag. “Professor Wellingham issued it.” Maybe she wouldn't know—

  “You finally did something bad enough to get community service?” She looked disapproving.

  “Er, yes.” I rubbed the back of my neck. I suppose she hadn't ignored all those service calls after all.

  “What did you do?” She was looking at me coolly, as if I'd murdered twelve mages in a blood sacrifice of epic proportions.

  “I sort of blew up one of the art complexes.”

  She looked as if she would have been more supportive of the bloodshed. “That was you?”

  “Er, yeah.” I rubbed again.

  “And they issued you a justice tablet for your ill deeds?” She shook her head. “When I'm in charge...” she muttered.

  “Hey, apart from the brush with accidental death at the hands of a combat mage, the tablet came in really handy. Maybe they should issue one to everyone. Save the hotshots the trouble.”

  She gave me a distasteful look. “Lots of people have weapons. There is an entire mage force at this school that carries them. Having a weapon means nothing, if you lack the courage or self-preservation to use it.”

  I felt like maybe she was giving me a compliment in there, but then again, maybe she was calling me an idiot.

  “I'm glad you are ok,” I said, pretending it was the former.

  She stared at me through narrowed eyes, then sniffed. “Thank you, and thank you for your help.”

  I hoped she meant it, and that she wasn't just following the rule of good manners. But Olivia's manners seemed to be impeccable, cold, and unfeeling, so I couldn't be sure. She would probably thank the gum on her shoe, if it was required by the magical version of Emily Post.

  I decided to press my luck. “Why did it take so long for the professors to arrive?”

  “Excelsine has a strict student-led policy. The Justice Squad and the combat mages are in charge of our security. The professors are on the advisory council and used as the last resort. They consider it good practice for real life.” She looked coolly at me. “Then again, they are putting law breakers in charge of campus security, so perhaps it is time for a change in policy.”

  I laughed nervously.

  “Who assigned you to community service?” she asked.

  “The provost.”

  A tight smile worked over her lips. “I see.”

  She obviously did, but I didn't. “Why does that matter?”

  But she didn't say anything and we finished our trip back in silence.

  Ren Crown secret lair = +10

  Ren Crown secret crush = -5

  Ren Crown roommate situation? I tentatively decided to put it at even.

  Chapter Twenty-Two: Service with a Smile

  I arrived promptly at eight Wednesday night for my first bout of community service but with horrible, chartreuse streaks coloring my hair.

  Earlier in the day, I had conducted a soul-binding mirror ritual in the empty upper room of the Okai building that had backfired. I had thought for a moment that I had seen something in the mirror shard I had borrowed from the mirror room, but then...well, the mirror had tried to scalp me. I'd accidentally shattered the shard, and a gross, misty green substance had striped me down to my toes.

  Soap had washed my skin, but nothing had worked on my hair. That was the last time I was attempting that Bloody Mary and lighter than a feather crap without the benefit of a sleepover.

  Christian had alternately lamented my lack of past sleepovers and disturbingly talked over plans to collect nubile young mages as future sacrifices.

  I didn't want Will and Nephthys to know what I was doing—I didn't think I could handle their disapproval—but maybe I could get them to try a group ritual that I knew would only hurt the magic caster—me.

  I had tried the paint I had mixed with Stevens, and though not as powerful as the lavender, I was getting some good results with depth and shading. The lavender tube was half gone, so I needed to save it until I was sure of the test. Promising preliminary tests with my Stevens'-mixed paint would determine its use.

  My magic was running more freely again. I was going to need Draeger to check my limiter once more. Events were getting close, I could feel it.

  Standing near the coffeemaker was the good-looking, uniformed guy with smooth, dark skin and closely-cropped hair who had handed down my first offense. He was scrolling across a royal-blue tablet with his finger.

  “Hi, I'm Ren Crown,” I said, as he looked up.

  “Isaiah Gellis.” He smiled and barely glanced at my peculiar hair. “You are the student who took down the tricorn, right? Welcome to campus law enforcement.” He smiled warmly. “I'll be setting you up. Did Wellingham show you how to use your tablet?”

  “Briefly.”

  “Well, just keep your intentions pure, and you'll be fine. Easy to learn on the job.” I pulled the tablet out as he talked. “The amphibian tablet is a great one.”

  I looked at it. It didn't have any resemblance to a frog other than the strange green colors that happily mirrored my hair at present.

  “It turns people into amphibians,” he said, holding out his hand. I handed it over, and he magicked something on the screen. “It's one of my favorites.”

  The tricorn toad suddenly made total sense. “I think...I think the tablet communicated with me.” I didn't think I normally would have yelled “Toad Justice!” otherwise.

  “Yes, the tablets are made of fantastic magic.”

  “...I can actually turn people into newts with this?”

  “Yes, but they'll get better.”

  We exchanged smiles, and I thanked my luck. Peters would never watch Monty Python.

  “Be careful, though. Service can be fun—it's all in what you make it—but if your intentions aren't perfect, you'll be the one to turn into the newt.”

  “So...how do I turn people, and why?” I really h
oped I didn't have to go around yelling “Toad Justice!” at everyone.

  “You zap them. But only if they resist.” My blank stare must have registered with him. “There is a practice mode. Here.”

  He handed me the tablet and grabbed a pink eraser from a large bin. “Only use the practice mode on these erasers, though. I mean that.” He shook his head. “Or else you will turn into the newt instead. You can push the round red button in the corner of the tablet display or funnel your magic through.”

  Funneling my magic? I thought of the roses growing uncontrollably in the engineering classroom, then replaced the image with frogs, toads, and newts. For now, pushing the button, it was going to be.

  “So what is the deal with the tablet colors and size?” Other than Greyskull's, they had all been strangely hued. “Wouldn’t something the size of a card be easier to carry around?” Or a cell phone?

  “The tracking magic could be used in rings and holograms and magic manipulation, but the karmic magic strains and storage systems require a bulkier container.” He shrugged. “A smaller item would require a mage to manipulate universe space, and only one mage type can do that. And that mage type would send people running scared without justice magic on their side.”

  I blinked and opened my mouth, but he waved my question off.

  “Don't listen to the whispers. There hasn't been one in three decades. Back to the tablets, beside the necessity of their size, the unmistakable colors of the devices make it plain you are a justice wielder or service provider. Trustworthy.”

  A ringing noise sounded through the room, and Isaiah checked his tablet. “Lousy timing. Level Four offense. I have to answer.” He stood and picked up a messenger bag. “You should only receive ones and two's tonight, unless the rest of us are overloaded. We have a few bad nights every so often. Be a shame should you get one your first night, though. You have your manual handy?”

  “Yes. But I stuck it in my tablet,” I said nervously.

  “Good. That was a smart thing to do.” He smiled. He had a very reassuring smile. I felt infinitely better about campus law enforcement already. “I programmed an emergency code for my tablet into yours, in case you run into trouble, but I think you'll do just fine. Refer to your manual, take your time, don't let anybody bully you, and above all, keep your intentions pure. The tablet will take care of the rest. And if you get a call that needs reversal, send it to the Neutralizer Squad.”