“You son of a bitch,” I said, pointing my wand at him. “Drain Life.” I watched as his life force was sucked out of his body. He looked surprised at first, but he didn’t resist. He didn’t move, dodge, or fight. He just collapsed.
“Liam, stop,” Carmilla said. I ignored her. “STOP!” she shoved me, breaking my concentration, releasing the spell.
“You did this!” I said, rushing him. Randolph didn’t back down, though, he just stood in shame. “She knew our plan because of you!” I said, waving my wand in his face.
“She did,” he admitted. “Liam, I’m sorry. But telling her probably saved their lives.” He gestured to my girls.
I studied him carefully. And then I calmed down, thinking more clearly. He didn’t have to come here. He gained nothing from it. He knew how I might react, and he still came.
“For what it’s worth,” he said, “I made her promise not to hurt any of you. You wouldn’t have won anyway. She might have killed everyone but Liam for all I knew, so I had to say something.”
I looked up and closed my eyes, putting my hands in my pockets. My shoulders sank as I lost myself in thought for several seconds. “Is that the only reason you did it?” I asked.
He sighed. “No. Liam, I was jealous of you. I like you, I really do. You’re a good guy, but you’re powerful, and inexperienced, and reckless, and your power just feels so… unearned,” he said, venting his frustration.
I said nothing. I just watched him carefully, hanging onto each word he was about to say.
“Here you come, out of nowhere, hot dude, super powerful necromancer, most powerful Affinity in our generation, and then you’re the first harem-magus in hundreds of years, effortlessly seducing practically every girl I’ve had a crush on in the last year or so...”
Evelyn coughed conspicuously.
“Except you, Eve,” he winked. “And, truth be told, I’ve always respected the Headmistress. I’ve always been loyal to the school. All that combined with my own jealousy and I—”
“You fucked up,” Carmilla said flatly, scowling at him, her hands on her hips to show her disapproval of his excuses.
“I fucked up,” he agreed. “I’m sorry. I really am. If you kill me, I deserve it. But I did make her promise.”
I stood up straight in front of him and looked him dead in the eye. “I forgive you,” I said. “Because it doesn’t matter.” I turned to look at everyone, their faces showing relief at my mercy. “None of this matters. The Headmistress was right. Carmilla, I don’t care that you ate your grandma.” I turned to Dahlia and opened my mouth to speak.
“Liam, I can expl—”
“I don’t even want to hear it,” I said, shocking even myself. Rebecca deserved better, but it was true. “I know you’re my destiny, so if you killed Rebecca, then what choice do I have but to accept it? I have to just trust that it happened for a reason.” I repeated the Headmistress’s nihilistic words. “It doesn’t matter.”
“It does matter, Liam,” she said, then went silent. Dahlia looked as though she desperately wanted to say more, to explain, but I wasn’t going to hear it. I couldn’t let myself hear it. I needed to move forward now. It was time to lick our wounds and plan our next steps.
“Can we trust you now?” I asked Randolph. He nodded. “Good. Well then, why are we all still standing around here?” I asked. “I say we get some dinner and rest and regroup this weekend. How does that sound?” Everyone agreed.
Things were simple before. When I got here, all I cared about was having fun, gaining power, and forgetting my past. Well, things had changed. Now the game was all about survival, and it was a long, punishing game. It was a battle of endurance. If I rested one moment too long, I lost precious time that I could have spent preparing, improving, growing, and refining my skills. I can’t lose again. I won’t. Despite everything, I won’t lose. I was determined now. Resolved. The battle was only beginning, and I was going to end it on my own terms, one way or another.
I looked up at the swirling storm clouds, only now beginning to relent after some time had passed since the Headmistress’s departure. They were a stark reminder of her power, but I decided to remain unimpressed. Someday soon I’d make it rain blood and bone. I’d make the clouds teem with necrotic bolts and flying phantoms. Who would be impressed by a little lightning when that was going on?
I leaned across the balcony handrail, propped up against a gargoyle as I looked out at a slowly setting alien sun. “Carmilla,” I said, calling out for the vampiress.
She walked beside me, leaning into my shoulder. “Mmhmm?” she hummed.
“Soon I’m going to make you a full vampire.”
Even out of the corner of my eyes I could see her expression light up. “Really? Do you think you can do that?”
“I can and I will,” I said, draping an arm around her for a brief moment.
“At some point you’re going to have to explain why I have claws and wings, too,” she smirked, holding up her monstrous-looking hands. They were already starting to shrink back to normal, and the wings were receding on their own as well.
“Right. Will do. Dahlia,” I said, turning my attention to the celestial-eyed sorceress. “You need to obsess over perfecting both your void and divination powers,” I said. “The void powers are another thing that we have which the Headmistress doesn't have, so it’s an advantage. It’s something she can’t predict or control.”
“I will, Liam. I promise,” she said, her voice soft and full of shame.
“How about me?” Memento asked.
I turned around to look at her, my back to the setting sun as I leaned against the balcony rail, exhausted. “You need to work on creating permanent minions that can regenerate,” I said. “Like we talked about before. And fix Brian’s arm as soon as possible.”
“Right,” she said. “No problem.”
“You can fix my arm?” I heard Brian ask with a gasp. I ignored his question, letting the two of them discuss it on their own. I looked at Randolph, Brian, and Evelyn. Evelyn and Randolph were looking back at me, clearly waiting for some kind of instructions as well. Brian had fallen into an excited conversation with Memento.
“The three of you just get stronger. Do missions. Cultivate. Every little boost in power helps, even if it seems like nothing next to her.”
Randolph and Evelyn nodded. Brian didn’t seem to hear me as he was locked in conversation with Memento, but I didn’t think he needed to be told what to do. He was already invested. He was a good friend, and he’d do everything he could to help. Especially once we managed to get him a new arm.
The sun was fast setting, and even more stars of brilliant and varied colors speckled the sky. The storm clouds had all but dispersed now. It was the end of the day. From my balcony I could see dozens of clueless students meandering about campus, totally unaware of what had just happened here, about who their Headmistress really was.
The sky darkened as we stood in silence. I couldn’t pretend to know what my friends were thinking, but I imagined it was similar to my own thought processes. Dread. Ambition. Determination. Resilience. All of these aspects, though, combined to form a recipe for survival. We would not be defeated.
Followed by my friends, I walked back into my room. The day was not yet over. There was still time to study, to practice, to work.
There was still time. And I still had that crown. The one everyone urged me not to use, but I felt—I knew—was something powerful. Something necessary. I felt egged on by the realization and the fresh memory of the mural in the cabin cellar. What did it say? Oh yeah, that’s right:
All Hail King Skeletox, baby.
Join the Revolution!
Please leave a rating if you enjoyed the book!
You can find my website (and newsletter) here:
https://www.virgilknightley.com
Follow my author page on Amazon here:
https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B097P6PSFJ
Check me out on Facebook here:
https://www.facebook.com/virgilknightley18/
And email me here:
[email protected]
Esoterica 1: Liam's Awakening: A Lovecraftian Fantasy Harem Adventure (Esoterica Chronicles) Page 26
