“One at a time!” I say, holding my hands in a stop gesture. “You,” I say, pointing at a short brunette girl.
“Uh, well, we’re all wondering if you knew what type of mage you were before yesterday. Or I guess whether or not you expected it.”
“Uh, no. Not really,” I lie. They don’t need to know that I knew what kind of mage I was, just not the kind everyone pegged me for.
“Any advice for people who haven’t found their class yet?” a male student asks, leaning forward eagerly.
“Don’t try too hard. It was like a compulsion, a sudden reaction. I think it will just come out of you once it’s ready.”
“Truer words have never been spoken,” Professor Elphane says while breezing into the room. “Now everyone, take your seats and leave poor Elise alone.”
The others do as they’re told, shooting lingering looks in my direction as they go. I have a feeling that I won’t be left alone any longer and it’s about to become really difficult to stay out of the limelight. Especially with my parents coming to campus this Saturday for visitation day. A cursed visiting hour that the campus holds once a month as a way for parents to check on their children. One I wish my father came to but my mother didn’t, but of course, that’s not an option. Where he went, she went, and vice versa. It’s like they’re chained at the hip or something.
Professor Elphane begins the lecture on mage society and the different roles available to us, forcing me to snap my attention to her. “Mages are well known to all of humanity, not just the magical sector of it. So while you could have chosen to go to a human university, you choose to follow the path of magic. This gives you considerably less options, but more fulfilling ones. At the same time, mage occupations cam be mixed with human ones.”
She pauses to tap the white board. “For example, doctors. There are plenty of healers who open their own practice after graduating from the academy and humans tend to prefer our precise remedies over science based ones. Not to say that science does not have its place.”
She walks around the room, placing a packet of papers one each on our desks, reaching me last. It’s an extensive list of magical job positions. The list is massive due to it including all types of mages, but I quickly flip to the elemental section. It’s broken down by type, and the earth mages have a very small set of options. Council member, professor, scientist, or on site magical growth specialist. The sight makes me deflate a little. None of them seem that appealing to me, but maybe it will grow on me. And of course there’s no section for delphic mage careers because people like me aren’t supposed to exist.
Once she returns to the front, Elphane continues, “All but one of you are still searching for your magical gift. Look at this list, really look at it. Does anything call to you? Sound interesting?”
She goes silent, clearly waiting for the students to begin reading. Out of curiosity, I flip to the beginning where a list of healer professions is listed, and I wrinkle my nose. Doctor, general practitioner, potion maker, magical artifact keeper. I’m certainly not meant to be a healer, I’ve never been good at taking care of other people or their problems. The phrenic positions seem more interesting in comparison. Phycologist, human brain mapping, fortune teller. Wait, fortune teller? Is that a joke? I laugh to myself as I pull out my phone, snapping a picture of the job description. Sending the picture to Demetri, I write a teasing message.
Looks like I found your future job.
He replies almost instantly.
Ha! You must think you’re really funny. What about you? Will you be a plant growth specialist? Or mama’s little council member?
His words hit me hard and it takes me a few minutes to respond. Why does Demetri always know exactly what to say to push my buttons? It’s like he has some kind of sixth sense when it comes to me. And not in a good way. Sighing, I decide to reply honestly.
Yikes. I don’t think I was born to be an earth mage.
Several minutes pass without a response, and I’m starting to think that being honest was a horrible idea. Plus, there’s nothing for me to do to distract myself, as my reading is done. The other students are pouring over the papers, their faces eager and excited. I wish I had that feeling, that’s the feeling I was hoping for when I first came to the academy. My phone finally buzzes in my lap.
Of course you’re not. We both know what you were born to be.
A psychotic super all mighty powerful mage that wants world domination? Or a horny monster? Take your pick.
This time, his reply is immediate.
I’d prefer horny monster. ;)
I’m typing my reply when Elphane claps her hands at the front of the room, “Now that you’ve had time to read through the packet, I want you to pair up. Talk with your partner about which jobs interest you the most.”
My eyes almost bulge out of my head at her words. Talk to a partner about what I find interesting? Not a chance. Her eyes move to me as if she can hear my thoughts, and she motions me to the front of the room. I obliged, trudging forward with my head bowed. Not a day will go by now that I won’t be singled out so I might as well get used to it. My mother will be thrilled to hear I’m following in her very big footsteps. Sigh.
“Elise, why don’t you go into the hall and speak with the other Earth mage about this? He had a free period this morning, so I asked him to come,” she says, winking.
“You did what?” I almost screech.
And why did she wink?
“Go on now! You only have ten minutes of class left before lunch.” She pushes me toward the door as if all I need is a little bit of encouragement.
Is she trying to set me up with him? I step out into the hall to find him sitting on the ground, back against the smooth marble. Aden, at least I think that’s his name, slowly looks up at me. The smile on his face is stunning, making me stop halfway across the hall. I hadn't noticed the other day when I was freaking out, but this boy, no, this man is immaculate. His cheekbones are so rigidly handsome that I wouldn’t be surprised if he was cut straight from the marble around us. And the sheer size of him is daunting, standing he must be at least six foot four with the arms and legs of an Olympic athlete. Plus, his dark hair and green eyes match mine, so it makes sense that people would think I’m an earth mage.
“You’re quite small for an earth mage,” he comments, his voice deep and rough like unpolished granite.
I raise one eyebrow. “I am a girl.”
“Have you seen Professor Orissa?” he asks, chuckling.
That makes me laugh and the spell of his good looks shatters, allowing me to walk across the hall and slide down to sit beside him. His body dwarfs mine, and for some reason it urges me to lie in the safety of those arms. Just to see what it’s like. Then, I’m leaning toward him seemingly against my will before I snap back, a blush coloring my cheeks. He didn’t seem to notice as he plucked the paper from my hands.
“Let’s see here,” he mumbles, eyes scanning the list. “I know that all of these seem boring except for the last one. It’s not what you think it is.”
I have to lean into him to see where he’s pointing. When our arms brush a jolt of power zap from him to me, but it doesn’t taste like Demetri does. He’s all silk and honey and rich. Aden is sunshine and wildflowers and songbirds. That’s the only way I can think to describe them, one is sexy and smooth while the other is thrilling, exciting. It shocks me so much that I almost forget to look at the paper.
On site magical growth specialist
“This is what I’m choosing after graduation, and what I will be training for this year. You help cities and communities rebuild after a drought, or an earthquake, or a tidal wave. It’s subtle, but we use our powers to move the earth back into alignment, to grow rather than destroy.”
The way he described it sounded beautiful, poetic even. “Professor Orissa said that very few earth mages have the power to create, to replenish,” I comment, looking up at him.
He grins down at me, and I could have sworn h
is teeth sparkled, actually sparkled in the sunlight coming through the windows. “It’s true, but I have a knack for it, and so do you, it seems.” He pauses, leaning in so that his lips brush my ear as he rises to his feet. “It almost feels like fate, doesn’t it?”
Chapter Twelve
Lunch is a blur until a tray drops down beside mine, echoing a loud crack through the air. It snaps me out of the daydream I’d been having about a certain alluring earth mage. Good thing too, because it’s Demetri who slides into the seat next to mine, brushing his arm against me as he does. Sage and the other’s greet him, blushing and flirting their brains out.
“You never answered my text, you had me worried,” Demetri jokes, but the attentiveness of his eyes says otherwise, making me think back to his last message.
I’d prefer horny monster ;)
I groan, “You really want me to explain why I didn’t reply to that?”
He leans in, placing his forearms on the table. “Yes, I really want you to explain why you didn’t reply to that. Was that a one time thing or what?”
The other girls are watching us curiously, and I desperately hope that they hadn't heard him as I lean closer still. “See, that’s what I don’t get. Why do you want to do it again? I violated you, stole something from you without your permission.”
He rolls his eyes. “I seem to remember that I said yes, almost hell yes, this isn’t a case of sexual assault, Elise. Plus, I liked it.” His words made my face flush and heat pool low in my stomach, but he didn't stop there. “In fact, I didn’t know kissing could feel that good, that sensual. I’ve had sex before that didn’t top what we did together. So, yeah, I’d love to do it again sometime.”
His eyes meet mine and are full of desire, desire for me. It floors me, and my head spins with the realization that, a, Demetri has had sex before, and b, he said kissing me was better than that. Better than sex. And he wants to do it again. I think my brain might be broken because that thought process makes no sense to me. This boy that I’ve known all my life as the pest who wouldn’t leave me alone wants me. A boy who has outshined me on more than one occasion in front of my mother, a boy who bullied me, a boy who left me feeling worse every time he walked out of a room.
But he’s not that boy anymore, he’s a man now. A new one, a different one, right? I bite my lip, looking back at him, at his lips, watching as he flick his tongue out, tracing them lightly. And lord help me if I didn’t wish I could feel that again, taste that again. If he is different, then maybe I’ll kiss him again, but it’s too soon to tell.
I swallow hard before whispering hoarsely, “Well, thank you for your honesty, but it was just a moment of weakness. I don’t like you like that.”
He had been looking at my lips too, and when he raised his eyes to mine, I nearly combust from the desire raging there. “You’re lying.” He moves closer so that his legs are in between mine on the bench, and his face is mere centimeters away. “I’m a phrenic mage, a powerful one. I know when you’re lying.”
That whisper. . . A shiver climbs up my spine, leaving a deep sense of pleasure in its wake. If we weren’t in the middle of the cafeteria I might have jumped him right here and now. Devoured him. Consume every last bit of that fire leaking from his gaze. I’m not proud of it, but I also can’t help it. It’s like the magical part of me has a connection to him now, heightening my attraction.
Demetri brushes his lips against mine, and I moan into him, but he absorbs the sound, saving me from the humiliation of other people hearing. My knee brushes his inner thigh, and the hard length I feel there throws me out of the moment, out of the desire and into a freezing shower of rain. I stumble out of my seat, grab my bag, and practically sprint out of the cafeteria. All I hear is whispering in my wake, and it confirms that everyone had been watching us. That everyone saw me give in to him. The helpless little first year being wooed into bed with the infamous Demetri Valkyrie. Embarrassment fills my chest where the desire once was, hardened my resolve against him.
He will not touch my body that way ever again, no matter how good it feels.
***
Aden is already there when I stalk into the arena, my anger practically spitting out of me like flames. He raises one hand in greeting from the stands above me, and I can see that he has his homework spread out before him, reminding me that I should catch up on my own work. Taking the stairs two at a time, I climb up to where he’s sitting while trying to school my features into something other than undying rage.
“You look pissed,” he says, alerting me to my failure to do so.
I take a deep breath, sliding into a seat next to him while unzipping my bag. He watches silently as I pull out my own work that had been recently assigned to me by Professor Orissa. An earth mage workbook, textbook, and pamphlets outlining the dangers of earth magic. At first, reading them had made me laugh, but then I remembered what I really am, and how much more danger there is in that. I can still feel him looking at me as I flip through the pages in my textbook, trying to find the right chapter.
“I am, but don’t worry about it.”
“Yeah, riiiight. It’s not about Demetri, is it?” he asks innocently.
I whip my head toward him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
He shrugs, flipping through his notes nonchalantly. “Exactly what it sounds like. You’re with him, aren’t you? Everyone’s been talking about it, and I just got a weird text about a hot porno moment you guys had in the cafeteria.”
Lord please strike me down if the embarrassment doesn’t do it first.
“No, I’m not. We’ve been friends since we were kids, that’s it. He’s trying to make it more, but. . .”
“But?” he asks leadingly.
“But it’s not going to happen, and that’s all you need to know,” I finish while blowing out a breath of air.
“No, what I need to know are the details of this hot porno moment. It sounds epic,” he teases, smiling at me.
My face flames and I shove his shoulder. “Shut up! We’re never going to speak of it.”
He laughs before bending back over his work, effectively dismissing the entire thing. I can’t help but smile as I scribble in my own workbook, feeling way better now that I had talked to him. Despite barely knowing Aden, I can tell he’s a really good guy. And that he’d make an even better friend which is exactly what I need right now. No more fantasies about him and me, or Demetri and me, or anyone and me for that matter. Friendship. Talking. Laughing. That’s it. But then he glances at me, grinning broadly, his tan skin shining as butterflies fill my chest.
Easier said than done.
Just then, Professor Orissa walks into the arena with a massive bag slung over one shoulder. She doesn’t even acknowledge us as she sets up a portable whiteboard and table right on the sand in front of her. I didn’t realize that the arena would be our actual classroom. My eyes follow her handwriting, eager to latch onto any thoughts that aren’t about boys and what their mouth might feel like on mine.
Professor Orissa turns to us, grinning. “Alright, let’s get started. Newbie, just take notes and try to keep up, alright?” I nod, so she continues, “Yesterday we left off on the healing abilities of earth mages. Let’s continue that discussion.”
She turns to the white board, writing out a list of points. Aden begins scribbling them into his notebook, so I do the same.
Healing is simply the transfer of magic from one person to the next
Only healers and earth mages have the ability to do so
It’s similar to focusing magic into creating life rather than taking it
She drops the marker, “Alright, so point number one. The only class of mage that can do this as easily as breathing is healers, it’s their birthright as they don’t even have the capacity to take rather than give. So why am I claiming us earth mages can do it? Magic is not like matter, it cannot change shape or transfer easily, unless the user is incredibly powerful and skilled. It shouldn’t be attempted until you
are positive of your ability to control it.”
My stomach drops at her words. There is one more class that can do it as easily as breathing. Mine. But she’s probably right that it should only be attempted with complete control, and what I did the other day? There wasn’t even an ounce of control in my body. I’m starting to see why so many mages hate my ancestors. The amount of skills we wield is simply unfair, and the way we use them? Unprofessional and downright distasteful. Shame curdles in my chest, and I slink further down in my seat.
“Now that the warnings are out of the way, we can talk about point two a little more clearly. We all know how healers can do it, through their magic if powerful enough or using potions. But with earth magic it’s different. We have to touch someone with a wound or a broken bone and think of growth, or replenishment. Take what Elise did with the flowers the other day as an example. If she had been touching another person while channeling that energy, she could have potentially coaxed new cells to grow and knit a cut back together.”
My eyes widen and I look at Aden, who, of course, is smiling back at me. “Have you ever created life? Healed someone?”
He shakes his head. “I’ve never healed anyone, I don’t trust myself yet. But I have grown a tree from seedling to full height in less than an hour.”
Orissa interrupts him, “Funny that you mention it, Aden. That’s what I’m assigning Elise today. Growth of roses, a tree, anything. Since that was her first manifestation, it’s only plausible that we start there. Learning to destroy and create earth battle magic will be less dangerous if she understands and controls her power at its best and most reparative state.”
I beam. “Yes! That’s so exciting.”
Orissa laughs. “Alright, now stop talking while I’m teaching, you two.”
A Charmed Mind: Mage Paranormal Romance (Illusions Academy Book 1) Page 9
