The Mage’s War (Crescent Moon Academy Book 1)

by CY Jones

  I give my audience a flourished bow at the end of my little show and wait for their applause. Nothing? Wow, tough crowd. It doesn’t matter. My point is made. Fuck with me and you will end up very dead.

  Zion

  “Your plan failed,” Kirito says in a sing-song voice as he and the twins enter our secret lounge. It’s not actually secret, more like everyone knows not to come in here uninvited. At the bar, I pour myself a stiff drink and take a long sip, letting the expensive bourbon burn its way down my throat. The twins look just as gleeful, even Ryker, who’s the sterner of the two. They are happy she survived, while I’m reveling in uncontrollable loathing. What is it about this girl that allows her to get under my skin so easily?

  “Aren’t you going to say something?” Oliver asks.

  “What do you want me to say, Erwin? She survived. I’m not going to dwell on it.”

  “Why can’t you just admit she’s more powerful than you first thought? Morgana and her crew wasn’t top par, but they weren’t weak either and this one girl took all three of them out without breaking a sweat.”

  I find that hard to believe, but Morgana isn’t the best at planning. I first put the bug in her ear last night while I was fucking her. Making her believe her status will rise and she’d finally make it into the top ten if she took out a Boudreaux. With her brother’s new rise in rank, going after him was out of the question, but the little princess, on the other hand, was fair game. I knew after Morgana trashed her room, she’d come after them. I thought she did at least get one of them after what I witnessed in class. Was it too much to ask for them to succeed? It’s clear the foolish girl isn’t exactly stable. I heard it was a light mage she attacked in class and her even crazier brother finished the job, striking even more fear of them throughout the campus. Morgana told me she planned to finish her off tonight, and I was going to reward her with a good dicking down if she succeeded. I certainly did not expect her to be the one to get killed.

  “How?” I question, finishing off my drink.

  Ryker answers this time. “She threw hot grease on Chelsea, strangled Sabrina, and while fighting Morgana, she broke her neck with her bare hands and hung her from the doorway. Her body is still there if you’d like to pay your respects, by the way,” he snarks. “I’m not gonna lie. Watching her fight made me hard.”

  “Everything makes you hard,” I grumble.

  “Hey, don’t get all pissy with me ‘cause she killed your little girlfriend,” Ryker laughs, clearly amused.

  “Morgana wasn’t my girlfriend.” She had a great body and could suck like a Hoover. She amused me, that’s it. “I don’t do girlfriends.”

  “Methinks the lady doth protest too much,” Kirito teases, reciting Hamlet.

  “Fuck you, Choi.” And he laughs long and hard right in my face. I want to punch him, but I refrain.

  “Are you ready to invite them into our circle now? Clearly, they are stronger than you first thought. They will get a champion and I rather not have to fight them as well as the champions of the other academies. You know as well as I do that’s suicide man.” I listen to Oliver’s words, but I’m still not convinced.

  “Rising to the top of a bunch of light mages isn’t shit. I could do that in less time than it took him. She may have taken out Morgana and her crew, but she’s still at the bottom of the barrel.”

  Kirito groans, not happy with my answer. “Why are you so damn stubborn? That pride of yours is going to get us killed.”

  “I second that,” Oliver chimes in.

  “Third,” Ryker agrees.

  Fuck them. She will not join us unless I’m confident it’s the right decision. Unlike them, I’m not thinking with my dick.

  Chapter 10

  Angelica

  Maybe I should have woken up with an ‘I won’t kill anyone today’ mantra. Now, I can see how serial killers get carried away. After the first one, it’s in your system and before you know it, your numbers have risen to national news level. I’m not saying I’m that bad, but my kill count is at seven. I’m starting to make a name for myself, which is what I wanted, and truthfully, I should have been better prepared for the fallout. Two people came after me this morning with the false pretences of taking revenge for Morgana. The ringleader of those petty bitches I killed last night. Too bad for them I woke up in a bad mood and stabbed one in the throat and cut the head off the other. Quick, easy kills. I didn’t even have to use any magic, just my trusty dagger. The only downside was sawing someone’s head off can get pretty messy and I ruined more clothes from my dwindling wardrobe.

  I went by Quinn’s dorm room last night, but he was out, so I couldn’t tell him about the three chicks I killed or thank him for my room. I’m sure he was busy fucking someone, judging by the look on Goliath’s face when he informed me my brother wasn’t there. I don’t know why he looked so guilty. I don’t care who Quinn fucks. I’m his sister, not his girlfriend. Per instructions given by my brother, Goliath walked me safely back to my campus as I grumbled the whole time. I walked there by myself damn it. I don’t need an escort.

  Completely bored with myself, I ended up taking one of the dune buggies to the diner and purged on pancakes and bacon. Dad used to make me breakfast for dinner all the time at home when I was feeling down, and it always worked, but this time, with food cooked by a stranger and my brother not there with me, it just felt hollow.

  I went to bed in a bad mood because I had to eat alone, like some loser. I woke up on the wrong side of the bed because Mr. Meow decided to stretch his whole fury body out on the bed, and completely took over my side last night. How can something so small take up so much room? Then throw in my favorite band shirt being ruined by those idjits I killed and add the kitchen running out of coffee. All together, you have one pissy voodoo priestess. Mages can’t live on tea alone and not kill anyone, as I’ve just proven.

  It’s the last class of the day, and if my resting bitch face doesn’t say ‘stay the fuck away from me,’ I don’t know what will. In this particular class, I share it with both Zion and one of the hot twins, Oliver Erwin. Today is the first time I’ve actually seen him come to class since he was absent yesterday doing Goddess knows what. The first time I laid eyes on him was while he watched me in my killing haze. Zion was conveniently absent from our first class of the day and I was late anyways after my long breakfast. I have no proof, but I’m pretty sure he sent those two assholes after me this morning. Through the grapevine, I heard Morgana was his girlfriend. I think it’s kind of sweet he’d seek revenge for her. I didn’t think the stick wedged up his ass allowed room for him to care for others. Guess I was wrong.

  I may be pissed at the world, but Daddy raised no fool, despite being a harlequin. I keep my eyes open and my ears alert, humming my death song silently to myself. Until things change, they are the predators and I’m the prey, and right now, they are looking at me like I’m a snack. The hunger in Zion’s eyes is hard to read just like him, but the heat in Oliver’s irises shine bright within those deep blue depths. He wants to fuck me, craves it even, and even though the feeling is reciprocated, I could use that to my advantage.

  For today’s lesson in Spell Casting, we’re doing a scavenger hunt. I have most of the hour to find ingredients for the spell I drew from the teacher’s caldron. As everyone breaks off, I scan my list. Most of this stuff is easy to find. The toad I can get from any of the ponds around campus as well as the swan’s feather. The green house has most of these herbs, but this one in particular, a petal from a sun lily will be hard to find. They only grow on the roof of tall buildings. It’s something about the placing of the sun in the sky that nurtures the plant to grow. I’m not a botanist, so I couldn’t give you specific details as to the whys or hows. Seeing that it’s the hardest ingredient on my list, I gather the others I need first and save that one for last. If I don’t find it, at least I’ll have everything else and won’t completely fail.

  With the hour almost up, I have all my ingredients except o
ne. That damn lily. I’ve already been on five rooftops with no luck. I’m about to give up when I spy Oliver sneaking into the bell tower. Humm, I may not be the only one with this ingredient. Just because we pulled different spells doesn’t mean the ingredients don’t overlap. Trusting my gut, I follow him, making sure to stay out of sight. If I get caught, he may misjudge my intentions and try to kill me. I’m not sure if I’m strong enough to take him on just yet. I don’t have a handle on my own magic, like he does. Like Zion, he’s a seasoned mage from a powerful bloodline that can annihilate me without blinking an eye.

  This tower is tall and I climb up the spiral staircase as quietly as I can without being spotted. I wish I had the power to bend shadows. It sure would come in handy right now as my process is slow going. When I finally reach the top, I’m panting. My body is hot and I have a sheen of sweat on my forehead. I definitely need to add more cardio into my daily routine. The top of the bell tower is empty, so I climb out the side and haul myself onto the rooftop deck where both Zion and Oliver are standing over a small garden with another mage I recognize from the book I got from the library. Allister Castor. Currently ranked number ten in the running. When Zion sees me, he frowns, but Oliver gives me a delighted smile. At least he’s happy to see me.

  “So, you’re the girl everyone’s been talking about? Seeing you up close, I don’t see what all the fuss is about,” Allister sneers. He has a deep English accent, and if he wasn’t insulting me, I’d think it was sexy. His eyes assess me, but not because I’m attractive. No, he’s sizing me up, looking to see how much of a threat I really am and any weakness he can exploit.

  “Maybe you should wipe off your glasses so you can see better,” I throw back and Oliver snorts.

  Allister is unfazed by my comeback. I can see why he’s ranked number ten. He stands almost regally; poised and cunning. His features are sharp and despite wearing glasses, he comes off as a person who sees everything. He’s also hot, in that pompous sort of way.

  “I wasn’t expecting this, but one shouldn’t waste opportunities,” he states before I’m hit square in the chest with a beam of magic. My chest burns and I slam into the tower’s wall hard, making the brick crack around me.

  He’s strong, his power I’m guessing is bending light, which is only amplified being up here close to its source. I was not planning on fighting any of the top ten just yet, at least not until I had a better understanding of my powers, but if I sit back and don’t do anything, I’ll die. I doubt Allister will let me reschedule this little duel, and it appears Oliver and Zion are not going to lift a finger to help me. Not that I thought they would. The latter has his arms crossed and a delighted smile on his face. I’m sure if I die here now, Zion will not shed a tear. In fact, he’ll rejoice and carry on with his life after I’m long gone. At least Oliver looks uncomfortable.

  I cough, my chest wheezing from the blow I took and my ribs ache. A couple of them may be broken. It wasn’t a fatal hit, but damn, it hurt like a bitch. Allister strikes again, but this time, I dodge the beam, rolling away and landing nimbly on my feet. I pull a strand of hair and like last night, I form it into a whip. With my other hand, I take out Dagga. I want to use as little magic as possible, but I do dip into my pool and construct a shield around myself. Allister is going all out, no matter the company, and I’m barely holding him off. Not only can he bend the rays of the sun, but he can use them to phase in and out, making my speed useless. I twirl out the way, barely ducking in time when he comes up behind me. Sweeping his feet, I flip out the way and bring my whip down on his shoulder. He cries out, aiming his hand at me and a beam of light shoots out his palm, breaking through my shield and catching me in the side.

  “Fucking hell,” I scream.

  We’re a series of movements, almost even in strength without me using my extra powers. My humming grows louder and I can feel my magic gathering inside me. They boil in me like acid and I’m sure if I don’t release them, they’ll leak out of me on their own volition and wreak havoc on the boy in front of me. Suddenly, a giant bird dives straight for me and I have to dive to the ground to keep my eyes from being plucked out. The move cost me, and Allister pounces, landing on top of me and banging his fist against my face in an attempt to knock me out.

  Wrapping my legs around his waist, I use my thigh muscles to pull him towards me until I can roll us and I’m on top of him. The bird, which I’m guessing is his familiar, makes another go for me, but Mr. Meows appears just in time and launches himself airborne and grabs the bird in his teeth before he bites down and starts to shake. Allister screams, bucking up under me in an ill attempt to shake me off, consumed with his familiar’s pain as it reaches closer and closer to death. It would be pretty shitty to kill him now, but there's no place for remorse here. It’s either kill or be killed, and if the tables were turned, and it was my familiar at the mercy of his bird, he would not hesitate to take my life.

  Bending forward in his ear, I whisper so quietly that only he’d hear, “Two can keep a secret if one of us is dead.” My intent is clear and his body gives one last shudder until it stills.

  I push off his body, wanting to be nowhere near it. Out of all the people I killed, he was a worthy opponent and I did not get any joy from his death. More like a sense of respect. Standing over his body, I whisper a prayer before his soul is taken off to the Underworld. My gift to someone I deem a formidable warrior.

  Mr. Meow meows loudly in warning, and through his eyes, I’m able to move out of the way before a burst of power from a new attacker hits me and blows a hole through the deck where I was just standing.

  I turn on the intruder furious. My eyes glow with unhinged power, a kaleidoscope of colors as my anger consumes me. “How dare you attack me while I’m giving my respects to the dead,” I growl in a voice that’s not mine.

  The girl, someone I have never seen before wearing an unfamiliar uniform takes a step back, realizing she has fucked up. She’s scared shitless, but I’m not myself, and right now, I’m past caring. This bitch has really pissed me off. The Gods of Death want to play and I’m in the mood to let them.

  I twirl in a circle, spinning round and round on the very tip of my toe before I halt and prop my hand on my hip, holding the other high in the air. A last performance from the Harbinger of Death before she dies.

  “I have a song I keep handy just for people like you,” I tell her gleefully, reveling in the thrill of ending someone’s life who truly deserves it. I skip forward and she moves backwards another step back, but unless she can fly, she has nowhere to go as the opening to the clock tower is on the other side. She knows it too. She used it to sneak up here like a pitiful assassin. I wonder what her powers are? If she was smart, she’d use them while she can. My eyes lock on her, hypnotizing her with their ever changing colors and she holds still transfixed as Death knocks on her door.

  “Knock, knock, do you hear it?

  Death is at your door.

  Let him in, let him in,

  Best to let him in before he gets bored.

  Tick tock goes the clock

  He asked if you have the time?

  Oh dearest me, how can that be?

  It’s time for you to die.”

  In a flash, I’m right before her, my hand firmly on her neck. I squeeze and she chokes, her eyes wide, popping out her head, but I’ve seen what one looks like strangled and repeated kills are boring, so I hold her up in the air as her body kicks at me in some futile, last ditch effort to get free and with a wide smile, one that’ll frighten anyone, I carelessly toss her off the tower. Quickly, I look over the bannister just in time to catch her crashing to the pavement, her skull shattering to smithereens. Around her is an artwork of her blood. A beautiful painting for all to see.

  “How fucking unhinged are you?” Zion asks. My head slowly turns until my gaze lands on his. I contemplate his question. The answer is elusive. I don’t know what to tell him. I kill to survive, but is my count too high? Nine deaths in two days may see
m a bit much, but it may not be the number of deaths, but the deaths themselves that pushes him to question me. I enjoy killing. Thrive on it. It nourishes me like the soil nourishes the plants behind him. It took coming here to bring that aspect of my being to light. Are all mages like this? I’m doubtful or there wouldn’t be many of us left. These academies’ sole purpose is to weed out the weak, but what of the bloodthirsty? The ones that are too dangerous to let out into society. Who takes them out? Who will take me out?

  I don’t answer his question. Instead, I leave the way I came, not even bothering to collect the petal of the lily or go back to class. I guess I failed this assignment, but who cares. One stupid assignment seems insignificant compared to the revelation I just had. I know exactly who takes out the bloodthirsty, but will I be ready when Zion comes for me?

  Zion

  “Do we have a true alliance or do you help out when it’s convenient to you and your brother?” I question.

  “You know we do. Why ask that absurd question?” Oliver answers, frowning with a confused look on his face.

  “Isn’t it obvious? From what I just witnessed, it’s obvious you two have been leaving a shit ton of details out of your reports.” After seeing her kill Allister and then that girl without breaking a sweat, I’m certain they have not been telling me everything. Just bits and pieces. I labeled her weak from what I’ve been told, but it’s clear her powers are far more than a harlequin’s. I already knew that, but I suspect she’s not just a voodoo priestess either. It’s mind boggling. I hate puzzles. Always have. I have the pieces, but I can’t quite put them together. There’s something missing. Something vital that I’ll need to solve the puzzle that is that girl. What? I have no clue and these assholes aren’t helping.