The Zero Blessing

by Christopher Nuttall

  I scowled. “Doesn't that bother her?”

  Akin looked up at me, one elegant eyebrow rising. “Doesn't it bother you?”

  I shrugged, conceding the point. “What are you making her?”

  He smiled. “What are you making for yourself?”

  “Nothing I care to talk about,” I said. Akin was good, but he couldn't match me. And he’d given me an idea. I had three days to add a few other tricks to my list. “You should be teaching her how to make them for herself.”

  “I believe she is currently training with her friends,” Akin said. His smile grew wider. “Or playing games. It’s hard to tell the difference sometimes.”

  I nodded. Dad had taught all three of us some games that were meant to help us develop our magic, although they’d been useless for me. I’d always wound up frozen, waiting helplessly for the spell to wear off or someone to release me. In hindsight ... I wished, suddenly, that Dad had known the truth. But so much knowledge had been lost with the Thousand-Year Empire that Dad had no way to know what he was missing.

  He didn't even think there was something odd about the way I threw off spells, I thought, tiredly. That was going to change, whatever else happened. He just thought my magic was repressed.

  “I’m sure it will be a spectacular duel,” I said, crossly. “Are your friends already laying bets?”

  “Of course,” Akin said. “The odds are currently five-to-one in Isabella’s favour, although quite a few people are betting on you. Do you want to place a bet?”

  I shook my head. My parents had warned us against gambling. Maybe it started out harmless, Dad had said, but it could easily grow into an addiction. He’d known people who had gambled away their entire lives, just because they were convinced their luck would change tomorrow. And they’d almost always been wrong. It was a mistake, he’d warned, to gamble when you couldn't afford to lose.

  And I don't have anything to gamble with, I thought. Unless I ask for an advance on my allowance ...

  I glanced at him. “Are you betting?”

  “That would be unfair,” Akin said. “And I think the odds are a great deal more even than Isabella thinks. Is that not correct?”

  “Of course,” I said. “I may have only recently started using magic, but I have been making up for lost time.”

  “So I hear,” Akin said. He shrugged. “You do know that Isabella won’t be holding back?”

  “I know,” I said. I shivered, feeling cold. I’d been convinced, last night, that she intended to kill me. Sandy might well have saved my life. “I won’t be holding back either.”

  Akin smiled as he slotted the lenses into place. “I trust you’ll understand if I don’t wish you luck,” he said. “Isabella and I do have to share a house, you know.”

  “I understand,” I said.

  The thought made me smile. I’d never been to Rubén Hall, but I doubted it was much smaller than Aguirre Hall. Akin and Isabella could avoid each other for the entire winter holiday, if they wished. They probably had their own dining rooms. Why not? Alana and Bella had asked for their own, years ago. Mum had said no, but I had a suspicion she might change her mind as her daughters grew older. All three of us were meant to be developing our own network of friends and clients over the next few years.

  I met his eyes. “What’s she like? As a sister, I mean?”

  Akin shrugged. “Driven,” he said. “I told you about my father, didn't I? Isabella spent most of the last five years in the library, trying to master as many spells as possible to prove herself worthy. I generally find it easier to nod and then let her get on with it while I concentrate on my own studies. Dad ... was not too pleased when I insisted on taking the one-star exam.”

  “But he let you continue,” I said.

  “Yeah,” Akin agreed. “I took the two-star the following year.”

  I frowned. Carioca Rubén should have been delighted that his son was learning to forge Devices of Power. If nothing else, he and his successors wouldn't be dependent on outside forgers who didn't have blood ties to the family. But if he felt that Akin had to be his successor, he might have had other ideas. Studying for the two-star would have consumed much of Akin’s time for the entire year.

  “She’s vindictive,” Akin added. “She never forgets a slight. She’s been known to drive servants out of the family, simply because she dislikes them. She once destroyed my favourite toy because we'd had a fight. I sometimes think she’ll eventually challenge our father for control over the family. That will be something to watch, from a very safe distance.”

  “Ouch,” I said. I couldn’t imagine Alana challenging my father. It would end badly. But then, Alana had no reason to doubt that she was the heir. She could be patient. Isabella didn't have that luxury. “Are you going to let her?”

  “I don't want to lead the family,” Akin said, bluntly. “Isabella ... is the one who takes after our father. No wonder they don’t get along.”

  “I suppose,” I said. What would happen, I wondered, to Isabella if she issued the challenge ... and lost? Her father wouldn't be particularly forgiving. A challenge burned bridges, no matter the outcome. “Do you have more in common with your mother?”

  “I’m not sure, really,” Akin said. He sounded oddly dismissive. I was surprised. No one would ever dismiss my mother. “Mother ... is a society wife. She’s not interested in anything magic.”

  I blinked. “Why not?”

  Akin held up a carving blade. “Power comes in many forms,” he said. I blinked. Was there a hidden message in his words? “You should know that. Don’t you?”

  And he smiled.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  I couldn't help feeling nervous when I stepped into the Great Hall on Saturday, even though I’d had a week to prepare my defences. The crowd of students - lowerclassmen and upperclassmen - parted as I walked through them, followed by Rose and Henrietta. I was wearing enough jewellery to make me rattle, a handful of earrings jangling together as I headed toward the centre of the giant room. A low rustle ran through the room as they saw the spectacles on my nose and the devices on my belt. I tensed, despite myself. There didn't seem to be a teacher in sight.

  “Stop,” Sandy ordered, shortly. She sounded as tense as I felt. My heart was thumping like a drum. “Wait there.”

  I looked around the room. Someone had drawn out a giant warding circle on the floor, surrounded by a handful of glowing runes. Our spells would be trapped inside the circle, if they’d done their work properly. We could step out of the circle at any moment, but that would be counted as a forfeit. The rules also stated that shoving someone out of the circle was a perfectly legitimate way to win.

  Isabella was standing on the far side of the room, flanked by Zeya and Ayesha McDonald. She wore the same school uniform as myself, but she’d added a belt lined with three wands and two Devices of Power, one of which I didn't recognise. Akin had made it for her, I assumed. I’d tried to sneak a peek into his private storeroom, but he’d warded it against all intrusion. Luckily, the hex had worn off before anyone had come to investigate. Isabella looked confident, yet I thought I knew her well enough to tell that she was nervous. I knew she had far more to lose than I.

  And our family will really not be weakened if I lose, I thought, dryly. This duel is nothing more than hurt feelings run amuck.

  I met Isabella’s eyes for a second, then looked away. Alana and Bella were standing in the middle of the room, their faces expressionless. Robin stood next to a couple of other upperclassmen, exchanging bets. I wondered, absently, if he was betting on me or Isabella, although I suspected I’d probably never know. He wasn't the only one placing bets, either. I could see several older students doing the same thing. Maybe, in hindsight, I should have put a bet on myself. The odds were strongly against me.

  Sandy cleared her throat. “Be silent,” she said. The whisper of conversation faded into the background as we all stared at her. “Isabella of Raven Dorm has claimed Scholar’s Rights against Caitlyn
of Raven Dorm.”

  There was a long pause. My heart was beating so loudly I was surprised no one else could hear it.

  “By tradition, the winner may ask the loser to leave the dorm,” Sandy added, her voice calm and composed. She glanced at me, then at Isabella. “There will be no other consequences for losing. Is that understood?”

  I nodded. I was too nervous to speak. Isabella nodded, too.

  “Very good,” Sandy said. “Isabella of Raven Dorm. Do you still wish to claim Scholar’s Rights?”

  “I do,” Isabella said.

  Sandy looked displeased. I couldn't help feeling sorry for her. She wouldn’t face any punishment - not officially - for allowing Isabella and I to duel, but unofficially ... the whole affair would look very bad on her record. Caught between two powerful families, she’d let the whole affair spin out of control. In hindsight, perhaps she should have clamped down harder on us. But she didn't want to turn our families into enemies.

  Too late for that now, I thought, as Sandy turned to face me. No one is going to be very pleased with her.

  “Caitlyn of Raven Dorm,” Sandy said. “Do you wish to accept the challenge?”

  I hesitated. Would it really be that bad if I conceded? I could go to another dorm ... but I didn't want to run. No one would respect me if I just surrendered. And besides, I didn't want to leave Rose alone in Raven Dorm. She’d be outnumbered eight to one. Isabella wouldn't show Rose any mercy for not bowing the knee to Isabella when Rose had had the chance.

  “I do,” I said.

  My voice sounded weak, even to me. This could go horrendously wrong. I didn't think I could be killed, or even seriously injured, but I could be humiliated. If I was wrong, if I’d made a mistake ... I swallowed, hard. It had to be done. I wasn't going to allow Isabella to intimidate me into submission.

  But perhaps you should, a little voice whispered at the back of my head. She is far more powerful than you.

  I told that voice to shut up. My sisters had been far more powerful than me from the moment we’d turned seven, but I’d never let them crush my soul. I’d fought back, using trickery and knowledge to even the balance. And yet ... I knew, all too well, that eventually I would have lost. Permanently.

  And yet, I now know what I can do, I told myself. I am not weak or powerless.

  “Then enter the circle,” Sandy ordered.

  My legs felt like they were made of lead. I had to force myself to walk forward and cross the circle. The runes seemed to brighten as I passed, sealing us inside. Most magicians would be a little uncomfortable inside the circle, according to the books. Isabella certainly looked jumpy as she crossed the line. Maybe that was an advantage, I told myself. Or maybe it was something that didn't matter. Jumpy or not, Isabella was still a formidable opponent.

  I braced myself as the upperclassmen walked around the circle, checking and rechecking the wards. Judging by the runes, it looked as though the circle would absorb any stray magic rather than reflecting it back at us. That was a good thing, I supposed. Neither of us would be able to bounce a spell off the wards and into the other’s back. Isabella met my eyes, just for a second, as the runes grew even brighter. I could make out the disdain on her face.

  Zero, she mouthed.

  I glared at her, but my planned insult was cut off by Sandy.

  “You both know the rules,” she said, sternly. She’d gone through them with us the previous evening. “The duel will start when I blow the whistle and end when one of you is unable to continue. If either of you want to quit, you can just step out of the circle. Do you understand?”

  I nodded. After a moment, Isabella nodded too.

  “Good,” Sandy said. She lifted the whistle to her lips. “Good luck.”

  She blew the whistle. Isabella held up her hand and cast a hypnotic spell. I rolled my eyes at her as the crowd started to laugh. The spell wouldn't have caught even a weak magician for long. One of my earrings grew warm as she pushed more and more magic into the spell, but it had no effect on me. I lifted my hand and mimed casting a spell, then released one of the spells I’d stored in the rings. Isabella darted to one side, tossing back a trio of spells of her own. I dodged two of them and caught the third with a deflection spell.

  Isabella eyed me darkly, then hurled a nastier-looking spell at me. It struck me ... and shimmered out of existence. I felt the world spin, just for a second, before everything snapped back to normal. She’d tried to turn me into something, only to have the spell break down too quickly to do anything. I saw her eyes go wide - for a moment, I thought I saw fear - as she cast five more hexes in quick succession. Two were absorbed by my defences, while the remaining three missed.

  I smirked. “Give up?”

  Isabella snapped out three more spells as I drew a wand from my belt. I was very proud of it, even though using the device in public was a risk. Her first spell impacted on the wood and faded away, a faint tingle passing over my fingers as the last of the magic shimmered out of existence. I battered away her next spell too, taking a step towards her. Isabella moved back, then stopped herself before she could accidentally back over the line. I groaned, inwardly. It would have been a great deal easier if Isabella had managed to forfeit the duel.

  Her hand dropped to her belt. She drew a wand and pointed it at me. I braced myself, knowing that the wand would focus her power. It might - might - be enough to let her win, if she struck me with concentrated magic. I stepped to one side as she cast the spell, then threw back another stored spell. Isabella deflected it, her own spell slashing into the ground in front of me. I grinned as I waved my wand, tauntingly.

  I realised my mistake a second later as the floor below me shifted and melted, trapping my feet. Isabella laughed, then launched a series of spells at me. I ducked and dodged as best as I could, but I knew it was only a matter of time before I was caught. Two of my earrings were already burning hot, the pain making it hard to concentrate. I unleashed two more of my own spells in quick succession, then hastily scrambled out of my shoes. Laughter echoed from behind me as I jumped backward, leaving my shoes stuck in the floor. Someone was going to have a very hard time getting them out afterwards.

  Isabella cast another spell, then another. My earrings grew even hotter. I gasped in pain, then hastily pulled the overheating ones off before they actually started to burn my skin. I heard her snicker, an instant before the next spell struck me. My entire body locked solid, unable to move. With two of the earrings missing, my defences were weakened ...

  “She can't move,” Isabella called. “I ...”

  The spell broke. I saw her eyes widen with astonishment as I launched two more stored spells at her, making her leap aside. The crowd cheered, some of them calling my name while others booed Isabella. I wondered, suddenly, just how popular Isabella actually was outside the dorm. Perhaps it was her father they were booing.

  Her eyes hardened as she yanked one of the odder-looking devices off her belt and pointed it at me. I saw it light up, a second before an overpowered spell blasted over my head and slammed against the wards. Someone shouted in disbelief. I allowed myself a smile - Akin had done a good job - as I pulled the dispeller from my belt, catching and dispelling the second spell before it could do any harm. Isabella recoiled as I plunged forward, holding the dispeller out ahead of me. Her protections started to collapse, but she managed to force me back just in time.

  I grabbed one of my more interesting creations and held it up, just as Isabella blasted me with a third spell. A beam of light struck me ... and froze. The device vibrated in my hand, violently. I realised, in a moment of brilliant amusement and relief, just what she was trying to do. Shatter spells were designed to break Devices of Power - they were the standard defence against people armed with magical weapons - but they were useless against Objects of Power. I heard people gasping behind me as my device remorselessly failed to shatter into debris. Brilliant magic cascaded around me, never touching my skin.

  And then it flickered, suddenly
. Isabella stared at me, real fear written all over her face. I’d done the impossible. Everyone had seen me do the impossible. She’d planned to use the shatter spells as her ace in the hole - the harmonics they created should have destroyed my devices - but instead, they’d survived. And what did that say about me?

  I held the device up, reaching for a second device with my other hand. Isabella merely stared, her face glistening with sweat. She’d probably pushed herself to the limit casting that spell. And yet, I’d survived it. I could practically see her trying to decide what to do ... if she should try to find a way to continue the fight or if she should take a step or two backwards and concede. And yet, if she conceded, she’d never hear the end of it. She’d made her bed, and now she had to sleep in it.

  Silence fell as we studied each other for a long chilling moment. Isabella moved first, casting a series of brilliant spells towards me. I dodged or deflected them, silently complementing her on her chosen tactic. With half of my earrings gone, a couple of direct hits might be enough to take me out long enough for her to win. I gritted my teeth, then threw the second device towards her. It lit up so brightly that I heard her cry out in agony - my spectacles darkened automatically - before she managed to hit it with a blasting hex. The device exploded, brilliantly.