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

by CY Jones

  “I don’t think you’re ready for me to tell you that just yet, but when you are, just know I will fight for the outcome I want with everything I have.”

  “You sound so ominous. Is this you or Joker talking?”

  “Both,” he answers, flashing a wicked smile full of teeth. “Want to play a game?” he asks, changing the subject, piquing my curiosity even more. He’s hiding something, but I know when he gets like this, there’s nothing I can do until he’s ready to tell me.

  Pulling a deck of cards from his jeans pocket, like a magician or an expert casino dealer, he shuffles the cards, sending them flying through the air before landing in a neat pile in his hand.

  “I don’t know. I’ve always been told it’s not wise to play cards with a harlequin. In fact, Dad’s exact words were ‘never play cards with a harlequin unless you want to lose something you’re not ready to give up’.”

  “Dad has always been overprotective of you, but in this case, I can’t say he’s wrong. But,” he says, smiling wider, “my angel pie never backs down from a challenge.” The cards in his hands fly in an arch above his head like a rainbow before returning in a neat pile and he holds them out for me to cut.

  “What are we playing for?” I growl, hating that he’s right. Taking the deck from him, I cut them in threes before returning the deck to him.

  “If I win, you have to take my bell back and all it entails and never give it back, no matter how mad I make you.”

  “And if I win?” I inquire.

  “What do you want?” By his tone, he’s amusing me, certain I won’t win.

  “If I win, you aren’t allowed to miss another one of our free periods together without my permission.”

  “Deal,” he agrees and we shake on it.

  “Rules?” I inquire.

  “Harlequin rules,” he answers, dealing the cards out.

  “So no rules,” I laugh.

  “There’s always rules, angel pie, but as you know, rules are made to be broken,” he says with a twinkle in his eye. “Are you scared now?” He smiles up at me like he’s the cat and I’m the canary about to be served up as a sacrifice.

  “Never, dear brother. I know your weaknesses.”

  “Ha,” he laughs. The game has already started and this competitive banter is nothing more than foreplay. A way to get into your competitor’s head and shake them up. I may not be a full harlequin, but I know how they work. “I don’t have any weakness.” But then his eyes shift to me and he recants his statement. “Well, maybe one.”

  I don’t know what to say to that. I’m not stupid. I know he means me. Truthfully, I’m just the same. I will destroy this world without a backwards thought to keep him safe. That’s how it has always been with us. Even when we were infants, we’ve always had this intense bond with one another. We were always together, and if we were separated, we’d cry until we were back together again. From what Dad told me, it used to drive Leslie nuts.

  Dealing out eight cards each, he sets the deck down and we pick up our cards at the same time. It’s too early to decide if I have a good hand or not. When playing harlequin’s rules, you never know because the rules are always changing. Truthfully, the cards don’t matter. It’s how clever you are that wins the game.

  “Ladies first,” he says, in his cocky tone. Fucker. No way will I be making this game easy on him.

  “Luck’s a lady,” I say, laying down the four of clubs.

  “I’ll give you that,” he replies, setting down a two of clubs and I pull the cards to my side and choose the three of hearts next. “An octopus has three hearts, triple the love, don’t you know?”

  “Indeed that’s a lot of love, but beware the more you have, the more you have to lose. Off with your head,” he says, wickedly, laying down the queen of hearts, winning the hand.

  Slice and dice his deuce of spades cuts through my king of clubs and I have to pull a card from the deck. Cursing, I lay down the five of diamonds and he smiles as he sweeps it away with the jack of diamonds. We go on and on, almost even with our matches won.

  “Ring around the rosey, a pocket full of posies, ashes, ashes, bow down to the king,” I sing, slamming down the king of spades.

  “That’s a good card and normally I’d tremble under such royalty, but everyone knows, no matter who you are, not even the king can control a fool,” he states, laying the colored joker over my card and winning the game. “We can always go best two out of three, but I’ll have to up the stakes,'' he says smugly.

  “No, thanks. I think I’ve had enough fun and games for the night,” I retort, upset that I lost. I was so close.

  “Aww, angel pie, don’t be put out. Here,” he says, handing me the bell. It’s the same as the last, just bigger and I look at it oddly before turning to him.

  “What’s with the bigger bell?” I ask, confused.

  “The last bell wasn’t grand enough if you returned it so easily. No harlequin wants their fiance to be unsatisfied, so I got you a bigger one. Don’t worry, even though it’s new, I imbued it with my essence just like the other one and it plays my tune, so no one will mistake that you are mine.”

  “Wait! What? This is an engagement bell,” I shriek. My eyes are comically wide. How did I miss this? Sure, I know the meaning behind a harlequin giving away bells, but I thought it was a good gesture on his part for feeling guilty about ditching me, not that he actually wanted to fucking marry me. “Have you gone mad?”

  “Angelica,” he sighs.

  “Don’t ‘Angelica’ me. What the hell, Quinn?”

  “It’s what's best and you know it. Even if you do manage to leave here rated in the top ten, you can’t return to the commune without a chosen card and staff. Let's face the facts. You’re nineteen. If it hasn’t happened by now, chances are it won’t. As leader, Dad has some sway, but he still has to follow the rules of our community. If you’re not chosen, he can’t protect you. That’s just the way it is. I love you, angel pie, and because I love you, I’ll do whatever I can to keep you by my side, even take you as my chosen mate.”

  “Quinn, this is crazy. I’m your sister. Your family.”

  “So what? Mom’s sister is mated to her cousin. It really isn’t a big deal.”

  “Okay, think of this rationally then. What if you meet someone you actually want to be mated to? Harlequins aren’t as open-minded as the other communes. You can only have one mate.”

  “And I choose you. I’ll always choose you.” He’s dead serious about this. Crazy stubborn bastard. Since when did Quinn have such a hero complex?

  “Quinn, reconsider,” I plead.

  “No! It doesn’t matter. No one can take your place in my heart. It only beats for you. Always has since we were babies. With all the females I have been with, no one has ever been able to take your place. I’d lay down my life for you.”

  “I would too, which is why I can't allow you to throw your life away because I’m a misfit harlequin. I’m booting you off the island, Survivor style,” I cry.

  “Well, it’s a good thing it’s not your decision. I won the game and the terms are binding. You agreed to wear my bell and all it entails.”

  “Fucking harlequins,” I grumble under my breath. See, this is the exact reason why you don’t play cards with them. Any game really. They’re sneaky bastards and always have a separate agenda to everything they do, and you almost never see it coming until they smack you in the face with it. The terms are binding. I lost, he won. I have to concede to his wishes or face the consequences. I, for one, do not want to know what the Gods would do if I renege on a wager.

  “Fine, whatever,” I huff. “You win this time around, but you’ll be the one to explain this shit to Leslie because I’m not even touching the subject.”

  When she sent us here, I’m sure she was certain I wasn’t returning. Even though it was hard to hear, Quinn is right. If a card hasn’t chosen me by now, chances are it’s not happening. I thought if I trained hard and learned more about myself, I’
d finally be able to call on one, but all I’ve uncovered so far are more complications and powers that are definitely not of a harlequin. If it weren't for my dad, I’d question if I were a harlequin at all. Besides acrobats that have been beaten daily into my body by a tough instructor, I’m pretty much useless. Fuck, Leslie is going to flip her lid. Not to mention, I don’t know how I feel about all of this. Sure, I love Quinn with everything I have, but I never considered being with him. I don’t even know if I can see him that way. Sure, I have eyes. He’s gorgeous and like he said, being with a sibling isn’t a big deal, not like with human norms, but he’s Quinn. To me, he’ll always be my brother, not my mate. There’s five mages in my life that I’m considering for that role and Quinn isn’t one of them.

  “Don’t look so glum; it’ll be alright. Since Hartley is the heir, we’ll have more freedom. We can leave the commune more and travel. It’ll be brilliant, just like old times. You and me and this whole big world to uncover. Just wait and see; I’ll make you happy.”

  He’s way too thrilled. I wonder how long he has been plotting this. Is this what he meant that night when he asked me if I could ever love him differently? Not as a sibling, but a lover? I still don’t have an answer because honestly, I don’t know.

  Just like last time, I string the bell through my hair and spell it so it doesn’t fall out. Quinn’s essence imbues in the strand, and when I move, his tune jingles to the movement. It’s hypnotic, but also one of sorrow, and right now, I’m feeling just that.

  “You should go. I need to study for an exam and I can’t do that if you’re here distracting me.”

  “Are you being for real or are you trying to get rid of me?” he asks, a little put out.

  “I’m being serious. I have a spell casting exam coming up and you know how difficult that is for me with my disability,” I’m quick to answer, but I also shift my gaze away just as quickly.

  “Okay, I’ll go, but don’t be surprised if I stop by again later tonight. I miss you, angel pie. I miss holding you close and you playing with my hair until you fall asleep. In this place, I never know which day is my last.”

  “I miss you too. But I wasn’t the one avoiding you,” I point out.

  “I promise, I won’t do that again. Cross my heart and hope to die, if I shed a single tear from your eyes,” he sings our pledge to each other we made as kids and I smile at the familiarity of it.

  “Bye, goofball. I’ll see you later.”

  With a light kiss, which I’m still trying to get used to, he leaves me to my studying, but after he’s gone, it still takes me a while to settle down. What the hell, Quinn? I’m freaking out now. No matter who tells her, Leslie is going to kill me, not him. I shudder to think of the way she’ll do it. It’ll definitely be slow. She’ll want me to suffer for corrupting her baby boy. Fire will definitely be involved. It’s her favorite form of punishment on me. That and beating me with her staff.

  There’s a range to the powers of harlequins. Mostly, they are made for defense and use their bodies as weapons. Quick, acrobatic, and flexible. The more powerful harlequins have control over the elements, while the rest use the power of their chosen staff. Unfortunately, Leslie has some control over fire. Nothing as impressive as Zion, but enough to be wary of. Combined with her staff, she’s frightening in a fight. I’ve lost count how many times she’s burned me and sent me to a healer to hide what she did from Dad. It may have started when I was as young as nine-years-old when I was told by my father to hide my powers. Not even Quinn knows how far her abuse runs. I never wanted to be the one to tell him his mother is a monster.

  “Your stepmother sounds awful. Would you like for me to take care of her? I could do it tonight and no one would be the wiser,” Archer offers, forming into his corporal form. When he’s invisible, I sometimes forget he’s here and I let my thoughts run free. With his independent function, a lot of the time he is away, watching over the school making sure there aren't any threats nearby and always looking for the best vantage point to take enemies out.

  “Tempting, but no. One day, she’ll get what she deserves.” I just hope I don’t have to be the one to deal out that karma. Killing Leslie won’t go over so well with my other siblings, especially Harley. She already hates my guts without being a kin killer. Harley has always been the craziest out of us all. She’s insane enough to have a grudge with a baby. If she wasn’t a freakin’ psycho, I’m sure Dad would spend more time with her, and she’d stop thinking I stole him from her. Just like Leslie, her power is no joke. Her staff can transform into a violin, deadlier than any weapon you can think of. The strings of that thing are sharper than the stands of my hair and she excels in the art of defense because she has no empathy and actually enjoys killing people. She’s also strategic. If you let her, she’ll get into your head and finish you off with your worst nightmares. I’m sure one day, we’ll go toe to toe, fighting with Leslie will only make that day come sooner.

  I barely study before I give up. I have too many uneasy thoughts to accomplish anything. I’ll just have to wish for the best and hope Oli is right when he said I have nothing to worry about. For the rest of the night, I play a couple hands of solitaire with the deck Quinn left behind before taking a shower and getting ready for bed. Archer isn’t in the room, but I can feel him close by, so I rest easy knowing he’s close, protecting me.

  Oliver

  “What is it?” Zion says, beckoning my brother and I forward. We were out in the hall, waiting until Violet finally gave up on trying to convince Zion it’s a good idea to show his trust by letting her into his room before she finally realized that shit wasn’t happening and left with her friends. I swear, that’s one annoying bitch. No piece of ass, no matter how pretty it is on the outside, is worth all that trouble. If I wanted another shadow, I’d conjure up one.

  “Brother, you look stressed,” Ry says, fucking with him. My twin finds the situation Zion is in very amusing. Ever since we’ve been spending more time with Angelica, he’s been more Team Voodoo Queen than our fiery leader.

  “Fuck off, Ryker. Why are you two here? Aren’t you supposed to be practicing with the little harlequin?”

  “She said she needed to study for the upcoming Spell Caster exam and wanted to do it alone. We can’t exactly force our company on her,” I answer.

  “Never stopped you before. In fact, I hear you’ve been doing a lot of enjoying each other’s company,” he snarls.

  “You almost sound jealous,” Ry smiles wickedly.

  “What do I have to be jealous of? I don’t care what you do with the girl as long as you convince her to join us. What’s taking you so long? It has been over a week. Don’t tell me your bedroom skills aren’t living up to the hype for her to still be on the fence?”

  “Fuck you, Zion,” I growl. Fuck, he really knows how to piss me off. It takes a lot to get through my cool demeanor and he’s always known the right buttons to push. I get this act he has going on is some kind of defensive mechanism, but he needs to tone that shit down or shut it off altogether when with us.

  “You forget Milo told us everything,” I spit out and he winces, knowing exactly what I’m talking about. “We know what happened at your dad’s and what he extracted from that messed up head of yours. You keep acting like Angelica means nothing to you, when it’s, in fact, the opposite. Why else would you be so bothered by a bunch of rumors that have zero truth to them? We’re not fucking Angelica, but even if we were, it would be because we want to. Not to use against her so she’ll do something for us.”

  “I’m surprised you’ve kept your hands to yourself this long,” he grumbles.

  “And we’re surprised you’re still avoiding her. She won’t commit to us if she doesn’t trust all of us and that includes you. Whatever it is you’re doing is hurting us more than helping,” Ry points out.

  “You need to work your shit out,” I add, because, let's be honest here, everything rides on him. For whatever insane reason, Angelica is enamored with the dou
chebag. I’d say her taste in mages suck, but she’s attracted to me and my twin as well. It won’t be long before our restraint snaps and we make her ours. There are no secrets in our little group. We know she’s been with Kirito and Milo, which is why she’s hesitant to start anything with us. I want to tell her who she’s been sexual with doesn’t bother us at all. Tell her about my family and how my brother and I were raised by a mom and three dads. We understand having a heart big enough to love more than one person.

  “I have nothing to work out,” he says in his haughty tone I can’t stand.

  “Dude, that’s bullshit. You know you do,” Ry replies, calling him out.

  “Ry is right. You’re not fooling anyone. If you want her to go all in and have access to her Archer, you’re going to have to swallow your pride and go to her yourself.”

  He’s quiet. I’m almost certain he’s just going to blow my suggestion off like he’s done the million other times I voiced it to him, but then he surprises me.

  “What about Violet? You know the only reason why she’s here is to spy for my father. I’ve been keeping her busy on other shit, but as soon as she sees me getting cozy with the little harlequin, she’ll run and tell my father.”

  “So?” I say, rolling my eyes. “Who gives a fuck? He’s already tried to kill you once and failed. He knows, with your Champion, he’s not stronger than you, and if we win this war, what we’ll gain will be enough to send him running and begging for mercy. Stay the course… unless you’re giving up,” I goad.

  “Of course not. I’m just trying to limit our complications.”

  “Shit is already complicated. You made this mess with your bright idea to rat her out, so it’s only fair that you be the one to straighten shit out and get her on our side. Stop delegating your problems on us because you’ve got daddy issues.” I didn’t mean to be harsh, but that asshole needs more than a push. If goading him works, then I’m all for it.