Survival (Sorrowfeld Academy Book 1)

by Bob Dattolo

  Honestly, there are far fewer rules than I would have anticipated. The thread that I’m picking up in everything, though, is that if you use magic for something? You can more than likely get away with it. That’s not said outright, but it’s heavily hinted at.

  The rules end with a warning, which I thought was interesting. There are no outright rules forbidding students in the various years from visiting the other years. You just have to be aware that other year students may have more knowledge than you do, which means you are at their mercy in the wrong situation.

  That’s their wording.

  So stay the hell away from year two and three people. Got it.

  That might be why I got the warning about going into town. It’s ready-made for interactions to happen, which more than likely puts us at their mercy. That sounds like a crappy idea.

  The supernatural world runs on power, and they use it rather ruthlessly. If there ever was a tl/dr for the rules, that would be it. For most of the paperwork, honestly.

  I still read everything I could, then headed back to the magic book and started looking through it again, trying to not look like I’m studying it. I have a feeling Parece or the others are gonna come back in at some point, and I don’t want to scramble if I can help it.

  Rereading the building blocks was simple enough. I did it again and again and again just to make sure it was set in my brain. Then I looked at the light spell for a bit before looking at some others.

  Light. Listening. Darkness. Silence. Unlocking a door. Locking a door.

  Those are the first six basic spells. They then go into some manipulation spells, like picking something up and moving it, but that seems way more advanced. At least to me.

  Back to light it is.

  Intention. Limitation. Power. Focus. Always with the focus.

  Nothing.

  Do it again.

  Nothing.

  Again.

  Nothing.

  Hmm, change it up a little? Focus first. Feel my magic moving. Really feel it. Captain Garrison thinks I have a lot of it, so I have to be able to use at least some of it, right?

  Light. I want a light. Fuck something small. I want something the size of…a tennis ball. I want it to be bright. I want it right there until I tell it to go away.

  OhmyfuckingGoditworked!

  A ball of light the size of a tennis ball floated right above my hand.

  “I did it!” My soft whisper is hopefully quiet enough that no one could have heard me. I want to scream, but I know I can’t do that. I did it! I created light!

  It faded at my command.

  Can I do it again?

  It took six more attempts before I got it back.

  That resulted in laughter that I couldn’t even bother to hide.

  Four more attempts for it to come back again.

  More laughter.

  My success faded a little, and it was closer to 20 attempts and like a solid hour to get it back again.

  “No…no, I felt something that time, you little bastard!” I did, too. I felt something in my magic that felt like it was working.

  Spell shut down, I tried it again, making sure I wasn’t feeling that feeling. Nothing. Then I did it again, doing the same steps over again, except this time I made sure I had that feeling. That connection.

  I got light.

  More laughter.

  That turned into hysterical laughter as I shut the lights off and sat again, then created 40 different balls of light up near the ceiling. They’re all difference sizes and colors, and they’re swirling around and around, some bouncing from the walls.

  My laughter at watching magic at work above me stopped abruptly as Parece stepped through the door from the bathroom and stared up at the lights. Her dark skin ran pale as she swallowed and looked down at me in my chair.

  My smile disappeared in a flash as I stood. “Probably time for sleep. School comes early tomorrow.” Then the lights disappeared as I snapped my fingers, leaving us in near total darkness except for two wan nightlights I just noticed in the walls. I can see just fine, so I think she can too since she’s a dragon. A mage would have an issue with that.

  Yet one more sign that I’m more than likely a dragon of some sort.

  She didn’t move as I stripped and changed into PJs without trying to hide away from her. She didn’t seem to know what to do when I made my bed, having forgotten to do that earlier. It only took a few minutes for me to do that, set an alarm for me to wake up in the morning, and then slip under the sheets.

  “Good night.”

  She didn’t move from the door to the bathroom for long minutes. Nor did she answer me.

  She smelled like fear the entire time.

  I was up before my alarm, which isn’t a shocker. For the longest time, Reggie demanded that I be awake by 5am every day. I continued that even when he relaxed the rules about it. I could tell that it meant a lot to him that I continued it. Since I was trying to show that I was an obedient pet, you can be damn well sure I tried to do every single thing that he even remotely hinted at wanting me to do.

  Anything to reduce the pain. Anything to ease the restrictions. Since it stopped me from turning into one of the corpses that I saw? I’d like to think that I made the right decision.

  I’m not sure when Parece plans on waking, so I turned my alarm off and debated what to do. I could go online with my laptop, but that doesn’t seem worthwhile. Plus, it might wake her. I’m hungry, so I could go eat. I know they start serving very early, although I don’t know why. If I do that, do I take a shower first?

  The paperwork sort of mentioned that. A lot of kids don’t, although it depends on when they wake up. Those that wake up early enough will go get food in their PJs. Or get dressed a little to do it. I wonder what kids do that sleep in their underwear or naked? Assuming any do here. I’m not sure how they’d handle that with roommates. Given where we are, I’m thinking most would end up being okay in underwear, while only the dragons would be okay going naked. The paperwork didn’t say that there were restrictions on going out there undressed. I just don’t think many do it.

  Nor do I want to be the one to start that particular ball rolling if I can help it.

  Sooo…shower? Wear my uniform? I don’t want to be labelled a suck-up, but it seems crazy pointless to get dressed then get dressed again.

  You know what? Ponytail and sweatpants, it is.

  No movement from Parece as I change out of my PJ bottoms. I had on a normal t-shirt, so that started a debate that lasted a solid minute.

  Bra or no bra?

  I’m decently built up top, but not giganto-boob or anything like that. It’ll be easy to see that I don’t have one on. Then again, I didn’t own any to wear at Reggie’s. Or most other clothes. I can’t say that I’m all that used to wearing them at all…so let’s skip for now.

  Her breathing doesn’t change as I slip into the bathroom and splash water on my face, pee, then wash up. That has me leaving her behind and heading into the hallway.

  I can hear soft breathing all around me in the various rooms. Not every one, that’s for sure. At least one shower is running. A flushing toilet in another area. A soft voice, sounding like they’re on the phone in another. No one else in the hallway so far, although I think someone exited their room as I reached the doors and the morning air.

  I can’t help stretching my arms wide at feeling it. School here starts in September, like a normal school year. But since I’m so freaking late, it’s April. Just about two months from the end of the year. It’s…55 degrees is my guess. It feels invigorating. Makes me want to run around and enjoy it even though it’s pretty darn dark out here.

  Not that it’s bothering my sight at all.

  There’s at least one dragon up flying right now, although I can’t make out their color. They’re pretty high, circling without flapping, so they’re probably out for some fun. They’re smaller than an adult size, so I think it’s a student. Not that we’re not adults, but there�
��s something that screams juvenile to me.

  Although it could just be a smaller dragon. That’s also possible.

  There aren’t many kids between me and the caf, so nothing distracts me at all from reaching the doors and heading in.

  Heading into deliciousness!

  This place smells like heaven, assuming heaven is heavy on bacon, sausage, and syrup.

  God, who am I kidding? I hope it is. I really do.

  Another ripple of people realizing I was there, although there’s minimal conversation that I can overhear. Most of them are at tables of one or two at the most. I’m thinking the stronger groups wake up later or something? That’s messed up if that’s the case.

  The food looks amaaazing as I load up, going for one of pretty much everything. That’s mainly to try it and see which I like. I have a feeling I’ll like all of it, but I’m willing to throw myself on that grenade if I have to.

  Eyes are still plastered on me as I head for a table. The corner tables must be the primary spots because they’re taken already even though there are only…shoot, 18 people here. That’s funny. That’s more than I would have figured for being this early. None are in their uniforms, either. No one naked. No one in their underwear, although I can tell that only one of the girls has a bra on. Make that a camisole, or so it seems.

  Good, I’m not out of place that way.

  Instead of taking the center table again, I head for a spot along the side that’s open, getting to put my back to the wall and smile across everyone before starting to eat. I think it’s the look that got to most of them, because those that I was looking at changed how they viewed me at that point. I just can’t figure out why they’d do that. Something in that made them change their assessment of me in some way.

  The food is better than it even smelled, which is saying something. That’s crazy. If I’m gonna die here, I’m gonna eat the hell out of this place if I can help it. Movement and eating started up again after longer than you’d think, and I made it almost halfway through my food before someone approached. Out of everyone there, I had her in the top three or four for possibly approaching me. Why?

  She looks like she’s scared of her own shadow. She wasn’t sitting in the corner, but she was along the side wall from where I’m sitting, and she was pretty much staring at everyone while also cramming food down. She’s maybe an inch or two taller than I am, but I think I outweigh her. She’s thin, like crazy thin. Ahh, light gray eyes. She’s an air mage. They tend to be on the thin side. Fast as hell, apparently, but definitely the antithesis to water mages or dragons.

  Spells began triggering around us, and I felt at least six listening spells fire off. I’m thinking the others may be dragons and wouldn’t need one. At least if they’re close enough. I’m not entirely sure they can hear across this entire space.

  She kept glancing over her shoulder and around her as she reached the table, tray in both hands. “Is…is it true?”

  “It is. I’m the forgotten love child of Chris Hemsworth and Kim Kardashian.”

  Her eyes went a little wide before she squinted the tiniest bit. It was just for a fleeting moment before it faded, and she looked over her shoulders again. When she spoke again, she leaned in a little, voice dipping even more. It was almost a whisper before, so now it’s crazy. “No! Are you really a stricken?”

  She has food left on her plate, so… “You can sit if you want? If you want to finish eating.”

  She so didn’t seem to want to, yet she sat pretty eagerly. I expected her to stay across from me, but she actually looked around again before sitting a quarter of the way around the table from me, with her back to the least number of people. She’s within arm’s reach now, but since we’re both so tiny, I’m not sure either of us are gonna start swinging. Or stabbing with forks.

  Not that I won’t do it if I need to. I’m just not about to start it at the moment. I reserve the right to change that at any time.

  She didn’t start eating again until I put on a huge smile and basically ate with huge motions. Like I’m trying to get her to do it with me. Which I was.

  It worked, too.

  She didn’t last very long, “Are you? Everyone’s saying that you’re a stricken?”

  Hmm, “I am. I have the last name and everything.”

  Another look of surprise from her, “I don’t…why are you here? I thought everyone that’s stricken has mortmagi…” Her eyes darted to my face.

  “Yup. That’s where the scars are from. I was stricken. Had them put in. The whole nine yards. Now they’re gone, I’m healed, I have magic, and I’m here. Still have the last name, too.”

  More staring at my scars. I swear, if I didn’t have this new part of me somewhat driving at times, I’d be a nervous wreck. Her ping-ponging eyes finally settled on mine, although they continued to move back and forth. I swear that she wants to run. “I’m Kaylee.”

  Holy crap, I get a name without asking for it? “Maddie.”

  She took a bite of food. “I’m an air mage.”

  Most people don’t bother filling that in. We can tell by the eyes. “You’re the first air mage that I can ever recall meeting.”

  She swallowed hard, putting her fork down, “What? What do you mean? We’re not that rare!”

  She looked back to my eyes when I pointed at them with my fork, “These scars aren’t just because they look cool, and all the A-list celebs are trying to get them. I’m a stricken. Mortmagi and the spell and all of that. I lost a ton of everything from growing up. I don’t even know what all I lost, but anything to do with friends or my family? Gone. I may have been an air mage growing up, I just don’t have a clue. My best friends may have been one. Noooo clue. As it is? You see the white. No one knows what’s up with that. The cops don’t have a clue, and they checked into it again and again.”

  She continued to stare for a bit before almost spitting out, “They’re saying someone kidnapped you? That’s why you’re late coming?”

  Rumors sure do travel fast around here! “Nice to know the grapevine is strong here. Pretty much true. All of it.”

  She looked even more nervous at that announcement. The others around us that I know for a fact can hear us have yet more strange looks on their faces. Well, most of them. Interesting.

  She leaned into the table just as I finished my food, “Do you have any allies yet?” I swear, if I wasn’t sitting a seat away from her, I wouldn’t be able to hear her.

  “No. I haven’t even been here 24 hours, so I only have four names of people so far.”

  She looked down, then back up, “I’m not very strong, but…would you be willing to…”

  Wow, what in the world happened in this girl’s life that she’s like this? “Sure. That sounds good to me.”

  One of the doors to the space was yanked open, and every head jerked to see who was coming in. A huge guy with gold stripes in his hair stepped through. He has a scowl on his face and is closely followed by four other large guys.

  The guys from yesterday.

  Kaylee made an eep sort of sound, grabbed up her plate and her tray, and headed straight for the tray return. The guys never even looked at her, so I don’t know what’s up with her little escape.

  Then again, a number of the other tables here are acting more defensive. Two other students are getting up and leaving, although they waited until the guys are past them before making their getaway.

  The four guys behind the gold dragon look somewhat worried, which is a shock to see. They’re still acting like they’re kings among men, yet they look like they’re watching a train wreck happening in real time as they follow him through the tables to the food. Once they’re there, two more tables empty out. Oookay. What’s up with these guys?

  Should I be leaving?

  My debate ended when they turned back towards the table with their food. I knew things were heading down a potentially bad path when goldie saw me and froze in his tracks. It only lasted a second, but literally everyone in the caf here
saw it.

  Aaand now he’s headed this way, four huge trailers in tow.

  I expected him to drop his tray onto the table, but it didn’t happen. He placed it down with almost exaggerated care and leaned onto the wood on huge fists, knuckles cracking from the pressure. “Get lost, trash.”

  I can feel the emotion leach from my face as I tilt my head and stare at him. The other four move around him and put their trays down. “If I had a dick, you could suck it.”

  Blood drains from his face for a heartbeat, then it came rushing back plus like half of the rest of the blood in his body, “What the fuck did you say to me, you stricken piece of shit?”

  More staring for a moment before I pitch my voice loud, “I didn’t realize gold dragons were deaf. Can you hear me now? You asked me so nicely to leave. I told you that if I had a dick, you could suck it.”

  “How fucking dare you! Do you know what I do to stricken?!” Power ramps out of him, although I can’t tell if he’s doing anything in particular.

  My voice stayed loud, “Oh no, are you stricken too? If you don’t remember what you do, then maybe you had the same thing happen? What’s wrong, your parents realize you’re a dick?”

  He began growling, face bulging from the strain of not shifting.

  The water dragon moved closer to me, “Get the fuck up and get out of here. Now. You have no fucking clue. He just got back from burying his parents! Some stricken bastard attacked them!”

  “And yet none of that gives him the ability to order me around.”

  “Stricken garbage killed my parents!” More straining against shifting. I swear, he’s right on the cusp.

  That had me standing, knuckles pressed into the wood as well, “And yet it was a dragon that kidnapped me and raped me for more than four fucking years, and I’m not treating you like shit because of that. Your parents are dead. So sorry. I don’t know them, but maybe they didn’t deserve it. Yet you come in here and decide to treat me like shit for something I wasn’t even remotely involved in? Go fuck yourself, goldie. I was a fucking pet for more than four years, held by that fucking dragon. You come at me with your hurt and your anger, which is justified against whoever did it, but it’s not against me. Just like my anger isn’t against you. However, you want to come after me because a stricken did it? Be my fucking guest. Then I’ll have no reason to hold back.” I leaned farther over the table, “I see you struggling not to shift. Go ahead. I dare you. Sounds like anything I did to you would be justified as self-protection. How fast can you shift?” I growled, letting him hear the rage that I’m barely holding back.