Trial By Fire (Schooled in Magic Book 7)

by Christopher Nuttall

  “There is something that needs to be said, and said clearly,” he said. “It is why I am serving as your Year Head, even though you are Fourth Years rather than Sixth Years, and why I am speaking to you now.”

  This was it, Emily realized. She glanced at Caleb and saw him smile. This was what he’d hinted at, yesterday. But the Grandmaster was still talking.

  “Over the years,” he continued, “many students – young men and women like yourselves – have questioned the very purpose of Whitehall School. And when we, your tutors and teachers, have answered, we have told you about the advantages of learning in groups, of meeting your fellows before you reach true adulthood, of sharing the experience of discovering magic together. All of those answers are true.

  “But there is another answer. Whitehall School exists for your protection and the protection of others.

  “Magic is a great gift, but it can also be a curse. Here, you have learned how to use magic safely – and, perhaps, learned what it feels like to be without magic, to be at the mercy of those with greater power. Here, we can cope with problems that would kill you, if you lived outside the school; here, we can discipline you if you act like children, if you use your magic as a weapon. The outside world has fewer options when it comes to children granted the powers of gods. They must kill you, if you remain weak, or bow to you if you become strong.”

  Emily shuddered. How long had it been since she’d come within a hairsbreadth of killing Alassa?

  “Some of you, raised among mundanes, will see magic as a way to boost yourself, to become powerful, to exact revenge for slights real and imagined. Others, raised among magicians, will see yourselves as separate from the mundane world, able to interact with it on terms you choose. Neither feeling is healthy, nor is it good for the future of the Allied Lands. We seek to teach you how to handle your powers responsibly, because in the wider world it is often the case that the only check on your power is you.

  “For many of you, this will be your final year at Whitehall. You will be released to walk the land, to become everything from alchemists to court wizards, taking with you what we have taught you. You will be released on a world that will bow to you, that will see your robes and your power and grant you respect. You will define yourself by how you handle what you have become, if you tame magic or if you allow the magic to tame you.”

  He paused, looking down at them. Emily felt her breath catch in her throat.

  “I do not count our successes as those who learn to handle great power, who can perform vast feats of magic, although those things are important. I count our successes as those who end up calm and confident, reasonable people whom the Allied Lands can depend upon in the endless war. Some of you will feel otherwise, and that is understandable. However, you must learn to shape your own path in the future. Your lives are what you make of them.”

  He repeated himself, slowly. “Your lives are what you make of them.”

  There was a long silent pause. He was right, Emily knew; she’d seen too much abuse of mundanes by magicians to believe otherwise. If her life had been different, if she’d had magic on Earth, her stepfather wouldn’t have lived a year...and how many others, perhaps, would she have sought to hurt? There were times when she wondered why Frieda hadn’t gone back home, one final time, to avenge herself on those who had cast her out. Maybe Frieda was just a better person...

  “Dismissed,” the Grandmaster said, very quietly.

  The doors opened, allowing light to spill into the Great Hall from the corridor outside. Emily looked at Caleb, then at her thoughtful friends, and started towards the door. Outside, Aloha stood leaning against the wall, wearing the red robes of a Fifth Year student. Her dark face was marred by a worried frown.

  “Emily,” she called. “I have orders to take you to the Grandmaster’s office.”

  Alassa elbowed Emily. “What have you done now?”

  “Nothing,” Emily said. She hastily recalled her timetable. “I’ll see you in Healing?”

  “Of course,” Alassa said. “We’ll take very good care of Caleb, don’t you worry.”

  Emily felt herself flush - Caleb was blushing, too - and followed Aloha up a small staircase to the Grandmaster’s office. The room was unlocked, but she felt the wards probing at her magic as she stepped inside; if she hadn’t been cleared to enter, she suspected she wouldn’t have enjoyed the consequences. Trying to break into offices was an old tradition at Whitehall, but so were a whole series of unpleasant hexes intended to keep out trespassers.

  “It’s good to see you again,” Aloha said, as she closed the door. “I heard interesting things about your summer.”

  “It was...eventful,” Emily said. She didn’t really want to talk about it. Aloha was the brightest student at Whitehall; given time, she might figure out the truth. “And yours?”

  “I studied,” Aloha said, flatly. “I...”

  She broke off as the door opened and the Grandmaster stepped into the room. “Emily, Aloha,” he said, as he closed the door behind him. “Thank you both for coming.”

  Emily nodded, once.

  “The pair of you present us with an odd problem,” the Grandmaster said. “You have both completed the levels of Martial Magic provided at Whitehall, at least for students, but you’re too young to go straight to an apprenticeship. I have no intention of allowing you to waste what you’ve learned, however, so I have taken the liberty of arranging for private training sessions with a respected combat sorcerer.”

  “Thank you, sir,” Aloha said.

  Emily smiled. Someone she knew? Lady Barb? Sergeant Miles? She could learn from both of them...

  “You will study with him when you should have Martial Magic,” the Grandmaster continued. “It will not be a full apprenticeship, but you should be well-prepared for one by the time you graduate from Whitehall. I believe you may be able to complete such an apprenticeship within a year. If, of course, you choose to work towards becoming combat sorceresses.”

  He waved a hand at the door, commanding it to open...

  ...And Master Grey stepped into the room.

  Chapter Seven

  EMILY FELT A LEADEN WEIGHT DROP INTO her chest as Master Grey bowed politely to the Grandmaster, then stared at Aloha and her. Master Grey didn’t like her. Master Grey had never liked her. He’d expressed his disapproval time and time again, first to Jade and then to Emily’s face. To have him teaching her...

  Aloha elbowed her, none too gently. “You’re meant to bow,” she reminded Emily, very quietly. “Now.”

  Emily did as she was told, even though she hated the idea of taking her eyes off him for longer than a second. Master Grey merely nodded, his cold blue eyes fixed on her face. He was a tall, powerfully-built man, his black robes carefully tailored to both show off his muscles and allow him to move freely. His head had been shaved, like a monk; a silver stud was placed in each ear, presumably charmed to offer protection. Emily forced herself to keep looking at him, even though she wanted to step backwards. Master Grey scared her in a way she couldn’t quite name.

  “Master Grey has considerable experience preparing younger students for their apprenticeships,” the Grandmaster said. If he was aware of the tension in the room, he didn’t show it. “I believe he will make a suitable tutor for both of you, probably for a single year.”

  “I have no objections to remaining longer,” Master Grey said, gravely.

  Emily swallowed. Who’d had the bright idea of inviting him? Lady Barb would have known it was a bad idea, Sergeant Miles would have had his doubts; hell, surely the Grandmaster would have consulted Lady Barb before inviting Master Grey to the school. Or...had Master Grey volunteered for the task? And if so, why? It wouldn’t give him any more apprentices to his name, only deprive him of the chance to find another apprentice or whatever else he did when he wasn’t attending fairs or patrolling the Allied Lands.

  “We will see how things go,” the Grandmaster said. Emily wanted to protest, but she knew from bitter ex
perience that it would be unwise to protest with Master Grey in the same room. “I believe their timetables have been arranged to allow you to have Tuesday and Thursday afternoons with them - and perhaps more, if you find it to be necessary.”

  He can’t kill you, Emily’s thoughts reassured her. He really can’t kill you.

  Of course not, her own thoughts answered. But he can make your life miserable.

  The Grandmaster cleared his throat. “I expect you to make the most of this opportunity,” he said. His words were addressed to both of them, but Emily had a feeling they were aimed specifically at her. “It was not easy to find someone willing to teach you both.”

  He rose. “I’d like my office back in an hour,” he added. “Until then, I suggest you spend the time to get acquainted. You must have much to discuss.”

  Emily wanted to ask him to stay, to beg him to stay, but she couldn’t speak. She watched numbly as the Grandmaster walked past her, out the door and into the corridor. The door closed with an audible thud, sending chills down her spine. They were alone with a powerful magician who hated her.

  “Your posture is bad,” Master Grey said, looking her up and down. “You need to straighten your back and hold your hands behind your back.”

  Emily flushed, but did as she was told. Sergeant Harkin had told her how to stand properly, but she’d slipped after going to Mountaintop and then desperately working to complete Third Year with her friends. Mountaintop...another shiver ran down her spine as she recalled that Master Grey had graduated from Mountaintop, the school she’d turned upside down. He had more than one reason to hate her.

  “Your posture isn’t bad, but it’s too tight,” Master Grey said, turning his cold gaze to Aloha. “Relax slightly, very slightly.”

  He watched her for a long moment, then turned his gaze back to Emily. “It has been a month since we last spoke,” he said. “Do you recall what I said?”

  Emily nodded, looking down at the floor.

  “Look me in the eye,” Master Gray ordered. “Do you recall what I said?”

  “Yes, sir,” Emily said. It was easier to look at the Gorgon, snakes and all, than it was to raise her eyes to meet Master Grey’s. “I remember what you said.”

  “Good,” Master Grey said.

  He clasped his hands behind him, never taking his eyes off her face. “The two of you are in an odd position, as you should be able to understand for yourself,” he said. “On one hand, you have passed both years of Martial Magic at Whitehall; on the other, you need more experience - and to graduate - before you can take up an apprenticeship.”

  “The Grandmaster said that,” Emily said.

  Master Grey scowled at her. “One demerit for interrupting me,” he snapped.

  Emily blinked. A demerit?

  “I will therefore be concentrating on building up the military and self-defense skills you both need,” Master Grey continued, resuming his speech. “You will be taught some skills which are rarely taught outside apprenticeships, but you will also be introduced to concepts that are not covered in your selected classes, purely because of their military value. And you will be doing a great deal of physical exercise.”

  He paused, then went on in a decidedly nasty tone of voice. “Each demerit will be paid for, young ladies, with an hour of physical exercise,” he informed them. “I expect each demerit to be worked off within the next few days. Should you build up five demerits without paying them off, there will be a harsher punishment in store. I was intending to explain this to you later, but as one of you has already managed to earn a demerit...”

  Emily flushed, looking back down at the floor.

  “Look me in the eye, Lady Emily,” Master Grey repeated, tartly. “You must learn to present yourself as a confident person, no matter what you’re feeling inside. Far too many little tragedies might have been avoided if the victim had looked able and willing to defend herself.”

  He’d read the reports, Emily realized, and probably her school records too. Lady Barb had made the same observation, the day after Hodge had tried to rape her. If she’d looked more confident, she’d told Emily, Hodge might have known better than to try to attack her - or anyone. And maybe the Ashworths and Ashfalls would have thought better of allowing themselves to come to the brink of open war in her territory.

  And if he’d read her school records, she wondered, what else did he know about her?

  Master Grey peered at her, then stepped backwards. “You will report to the Armory after lunch on Tuesday and Thursday,” he added, coldly. “I will not accept any excuses for lateness; if you happen to be in a sickbed, bring that sickbed with you. Do you understand me?”

  “Yes, sir,” Aloha said.

  Emily echoed her a moment later. Her friend seemed almost enchanted...but then, Aloha had always thrived on challenges. Master Grey might come across as a bloody-minded asshole to her, yet he was also someone at the top of his game, someone who could actually teach her how to expand her skills. Emily understood...but she also wished it had been someone - anyone - else. She had the nasty feeling that Master Grey’s bite was a lot worse than his bark.

  “We will be using that time to carry out practical exercises,” Master Grey informed them. “I expect you to wear standard uniforms for Martial Magic, not your robes or anything you might wear outside class. You will be worked hard.

  “In addition, you will be set homework each week, which I will expect you to complete and hand in on schedule. You will need access to the military annexe of the library, for which I have made arrangements with Lady Aliya. Do not try to take any of those books out of the library without special permission. Some of them are quite rare and valuable. Failure to hand in your homework on time will not go unpunished.”

  Of course not, Emily thought, sarcastically. Her teachers on Earth hadn’t given a damn if she completed her homework or not, but Whitehall’s tutors were quite prepared to issue punishment exercises, to be completed in detention, for anyone who failed to do their work outside class. He’s just looking for an excuse to punish us.

  “This is a rare opportunity for you - for anyone,” Master Grey concluded. “I don’t think I have to tell you just how few students are given personalized training. The Grandmaster, I believe, will have told you what advantages you can expect from these sessions. A student who does well, here and now, will complete an apprenticeship far quicker than the average apprentice. Even your former boyfriend” - he eyed Emily darkly - “took two years to complete his apprenticeship.”

  Emily flushed. Jade might have asked her to marry him, and she thought he’d meant well, but it wouldn’t have worked out. He was decent, but he was far too forceful and he wouldn’t have given her any time to herself. Alassa and he made a far better couple. It had stung, when she’d heard they’d become engaged, yet she didn’t begrudge them their happiness. Alassa deserved someone who not only challenged her, but watched her back.

  “Good,” Master Grey said. “You kept your eyes on me, this time.”

  He watched her for a long moment, then smiled. “With that in mind, remember this: I have no obligation to teach you and, if you act badly, I will have no hesitation in evicting you from the lessons. The Grandmaster cannot force me to take you on, not like this. If I decide you cannot be taught in this hybrid format, you will not be taught. Do you understand me?”

  “Yes, sir,” Emily said. It crossed her mind that she could convince him to kick her out, but Aloha would be furious. “I do understand.”

  “Glad to hear it,” Master Grey said, once Aloha had echoed Emily. “You will report to the Armory, after lunch, on Thursday for your first lesson. I suggest” - his voice hardened - “that you recall what you might have been taught about eating before intensive physical activity. If you are late, you will regret it.”

  He reached into a hidden pocket and produced another sheaf of papers. “These papers discuss potential careers in the military, almost all of them relating to combat sorcery in all of its forms,” he ad
ded. “I do not believe that either of you are suited to non-magical positions in the fighting forces.”

  Emily felt Aloha stiffen beside her, but - for once - she found herself in agreement with Master Grey.

  “I will not, thanks be to all the gods, offer you any career counseling,” Master Grey continued, as he passed her the first sheaf of papers. “Should you wish it, speak to Sergeant Miles, who will be happy to advise you. Bear in mind that applications for apprenticeships do not have to be submitted until the end of Fifth Year, so you do have some time to make up your minds.”

  He paused. “Do you have any questions?”

  “Yes, sir,” Aloha said. “What will you be doing when you are not teaching us?”

  “Paperwork,” Master Grey said, bluntly.

  So you won’t be working with Sergeant Miles and the other Martial Magic students, Emily thought, feeling a flicker of despair. You’ll only have to worry about making our lives miserable.

  Aloha nodded. “And are we allowed to ask you questions?”

  “If they’re valid questions,” Master Grey said. “Waste my time, just once, and you will regret it.”

  Emily nodded. That, at least, wasn’t an uncommon attitude at Whitehall. Help might be provided, if a student needed it, but only after the student had become well and truly stuck. A tutor who felt his time had been deliberately wasted wouldn’t take it very well.

  Master Grey cleared his throat. “Lady Emily? Do you have any questions?”

  Emily met his eyes...and fought down the urge to take a step backwards. “No, sir.”

  “Good,” Master Grey said. He looked at Aloha, then back at Emily. “I have been assigned an office next to the Armory. Should you think of any questions - valid questions - you may find me there, during the school day. I will be residing in Dragon’s Den at night.”

  He paused, as if he was waiting to see if they were going to ask any questions, then smiled coldly.