by S T G Hill
Also incredibly stupid, given that Belt could’ve easily done much more than restrain her.
But Ellie was just glad to have at least one friend remaining.
Arabella continued Ellie’s private lessons. They did them in Arabella’s private kinesist workshop in an old L-shaped building called Splinter Hall.
There were no windows, and only a single big, sturdy door. The room reminded Ellie of a warehouse with its high ceilings and neutral lighting.
Arabella hadn’t punished Ellie for her outburst, she’d merely taken her back to this place and they sat together on an antique settee, Arabella holding Ellie close until she stopped shaking.
Today was one in a long succession of days that ended with Ellie in that room, trying to do magic under Arabella’s supervision and guidance.
“It’s working!” Ellie said.
“Keep focusing!” Arabella replied.
Ellie nearly dropped the massive anvil straight onto the polished stone floor. The threads of power, like glowing gossamer strands just beneath the skin of her forearms and hand, faded for a moment and then surged back to brightness.
“Sorry!” Ellie said.
The anvil was a huge and solid piece of cast iron. At the start of the lesson, Arabella told her that it weighed close to a thousand pounds.
Strength, Ellie thought, then she whispered, “Strength.”
The threads under her skin, following the paths the magical power took through her body, glowed even brighter.
With that simple incantation, the anvil weighed no more than a feather. Well, maybe a feather-stuffed pillow.
And even that light weight wore a person’s strength down after a time.
But still, Ellie was doing it. She could hardly believe it.
She’d never concentrated so hard in her life before these private lessons. Her forehead, normally smooth, creased with the wrinkles of her focus. A single, dewy drop of sweat ran down from her temple.
Right into the corner of her eye.
It stung.
“Ah!” Ellie said, jerking back.
The power faded from her body, and the massive anvil crashed to the floor so hard the entire room shook.
“Sorry!” Ellie said.
“No, I think that’s a good spot to end the lesson. That went really well. You’re doing well,” Arabella told her.
Ellie scrunched up her face, “For an ab you mean.”
Arabella walked around her and then sat daintily on the anvil. “ I don’t think that you’re an ab, Ellie. The test was wrong about you. Also, better company prefers neophyte to ab.”
Ellie swallowed. She felt so sweaty now, and Arabella sat there in front of her all prim and pretty. She liked Arabella a lot, but also couldn’t help feeling jealous from time to time.
“Is that why you’re doing this for me? Because you think the test was wrong?”
Not that Ellie didn’t appreciate it. The lessons helped her immensely. On the practical side, at least. Her theory and history courses still left much to be desired, according to interim reports from her professors.
“There’s that,” Arabella said, “But that’s not all. You remind me of someone.”
“You?” Ellie said. That was always the line in the movies, anyway. The teacher or professor or expert seeing something of themselves in some struggling student and deciding to take them under her wing.
Arabella smiled, “No, not me.”
“Oh,” Ellie replied, now regretting asking about it.
“It’s my sister. I saw something of her in you that first day during your examination, and I still see it now.”
“Is your sister here? Is she also a teacher?”
Arabella’s smile faded a little. “No, my sister isn’t here.” She paused. “Sybil is here. Go on, while there’s still time before bed.”
Ellie wanted to ask more. About the sister for one. And about how she could know that Sybil was here.
Arabella offered her another smile, but didn’t move from her seat on the anvil.
“Thanks, I’ll see you next time,” she said.
Sybil was there. The dark-haired girl sat on a marble slab of bench on the other side of the hall.
“You don’t look surprised to see me,” she said when she saw Ellie emerge from the workshop.
“Arabella knew you were here.”
“It’s so cool that she lets you call her by her name!” Sybil said, jumping up from her seat. She wore jeans and a light-colored tee and looked especially cute that day.
“What’s going on with you?” Ellie said, “Is that makeup?”
The blush in Sybil’s cheeks deepened. “I’m not here by myself.”
Ellie looked around the empty hallway. They were alone except for a few marble statues.
“Are you sure? Because it looks like you are,” Ellie said.
“Funny,” Sybil replied, “Come with me.”
Before Ellie could object, Sybil took her hand and led her down the hall. They went into a part of the building that Ellie had never been before.
They rounded the corner of the hallway and came into a disused classroom full of old desks. Dusty smudges covered the chalkboard, and it smelled like old books.
“Here she is,” Sybil said. “He came and found me in my room and asked me to bring him to you.”
Ellie’s hackles rose when a shadow detached itself from a wall by a pile of desks.
The shadow resolved itself into Thorn. He wore his street clothes again this time, jeans and a v-neck t-shirt.
“Oh, that’s why you’re wearing makeup,” Ellie said.
Sybil’s cheeks went even rosier. Ellie realized she’d said that out loud. Instantly, a warm sensation of embarrassment filled the pit of her stomach.
She didn’t want Sybil upset with her.
“Sorry,” Ellie whispered.
“I want to talk to her alone,” Thorn said, ignoring what he’d overheard.
Sybil shot an imploring look at Ellie.
“Just get out,” Thorn interjected. He lifted a hand and the air around them crackled with static power that raised the hairs on Ellie’s arms.
Sybil yelped when that invisible force lifted her into the air and shot her back out into the hallway. The door to the classroom then slammed shut, leaving Ellie and Thorn alone.
Ellie turned towards the door. From the other side, she thought she heard muffled sobs.
She wheeled on Thorn, “Why did you do that?”
I don’t see him in weeks and the first time I do he makes my friend cry! And can’t he tell that she likes him?
“Because this is more important than a silly crush. You really screwed up when you tried to attack Caspian, Ellie,” he said.
He crossed his arms over his chest, which only added to her irritation.
“Screwed up in that I didn’t get to blast him again, yeah.”
“This isn’t funny! Belt noticed you,” he said.
“So what?” Ellie said, crossing her arms as well.
Thorn shook his head, “He’s the one person in the whole world you don’t want to notice you.”
Ellie tried to quell the little tendrils of worry that threaded around in her stomach, “He didn’t seem to notice me. Thorn, it’s been almost a month and nothing’s happened. I barely even got in trouble.”
“Because of Master Thrace,” Thorn said. He sighed in frustration, then closed the gap between them, “Look, Belt has been around a long time. He doesn’t mind waiting to get what he wants. But if you leave Sourcewell, I might be able to hide you from him—“
“Leave Sourcewell? Why would I do that? Tell me what’s going on. What's the big deal?” Ellie said.
Once more Thorn worked his jaw and gave her that look of frustration. “Belt knows me, Ellie. I thought that if I ignored you, maybe he would, too. But I don’t it’s working. I’ve let this go on too long already.”
Ellie didn’t want to deal with it anymore. “Hey, I wasn’t born into this life! I’ve bee
n here all of three months, so forgive me if I don’t know every single little piece of trivia about magic and sorcerers.”
He shook his head again, as though she was the one with the thick skull in this situation. “Just get out of here. Tonight if you can. Tell me when you’re ready.”
Then he shoved past her and started for the door.
Ellie didn’t know whether to be shocked or angry.
“Tell me what the deal is!” she said.
The magic flowed through her outstretched hand when she grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around.
His eyes widened with shock when she did it.
“Tell me!” she said. She squeezed and his lips peeled back in a snarl. The threads of power glowed beneath her skin. Her hand shone with inner light.
“I used to be Belt’s ward, okay? Let go!”
She almost did, it surprised her so much. But then she squeezed harder. He flinched.
“Now tell me why he’d want anything to do with me. Is that why Caspian tried to kidnap me?”
His jaw worked and all the muscles and tendons in his neck flexed. She could feel him resisting her.
“It’s better if you don’t know…”
“If I don’t know what?” Ellie said.
His knees started buckling beneath the pressure.
Then his lips moved in a silent whisper.
The crackling of the air was her only warning before a wave of energy blasted her backwards.
She hit the edge of one of the discarded desks hard and flinched against the pain.
“Tell me when you’re ready to leave,” Thorn said. He brushed at his shoulder where she’d grabbed him.
Then he turned to go.
He just reached the door when Ellie barreled into him from behind. The air crackled all around them.
Little bolts of blue-gray electricity arced along the walls. The whole hallway buzzed with power.
He gained his feet and then cast his hands out at her.
Ellie didn’t understand what she did, only that she could do it.
Stop, she thought, and slashed at the air with the edge of her hand. The blast that Thorn had meant to knock her back shattered. The magic shimmered in the air before dissolving.
He looked at her the same way as back in the alley. Awe and wonder. Fear.
Ellie levitated above the floor.
The magic thrummed and coursed through her body, baying for an outlet. Demanding to be unleashed.
Thorn sucked a breath in through gritted teeth. He held his hands up in front of his face, palms facing each other, and slowly drew them apart while his arms shook.
She could see the power, could watch him form a pure ball of it with his willpower. So much that it crackled and seethed with energy.
Ellie brought her own hands together in a double fist and then brought them down hard through the air in front of her.
Thorn’s attack shattered. The sphere of energy exploded between his hands, blasting him backwards.
He landed on his back and skidded down the smooth floor. Steam rose from his body.
Ellie glided towards him. The magic within her, pulsing out from her chest, demanded more. Promised more.
All she need do was direct it.
“Ellie, stop!” he said from his reclined position, “You have to stop!” he held out a warning hand.
Why stop when I’m about to win? she thought.
“Is this why you lied?” Ellie snarled, “Because you’re jealous of how strong I actually am?”
The energy burned its way through her veins, through her muscles and bones. So much of it. It was intoxicating. It felt like she could do absolutely anything. She didn’t want that feeling to stop.
Still holding one hand out, Thorn pushed himself to his feet. She saw then that he was hurt. He wrapped his other arm around his ribs and limped towards her.
“You don’t understand,” Thorn said.
“Then make me understand!” she said. The power surged again. Long cracks appeared in the stone floor beneath her, the sound of it breaking harsh and sharp.
He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth.
Ellie raised her arms, thinking he meant to cast another spell, preparing the final counterstroke to finish this for good.
You’ll kill him.
The voice inside was small. She barely heard it. But the words hit hard. Because she realized they were true.
What is happening to me?
And with that, the power within her broke. Her muscles went all tight. Then she hit the floor and they relaxed.
Once more, that terrible exhaustion from the alley stole over her. It almost won, too.
Then Thorn lifted her to her feet. “I thought it would be easier if you didn’t know anything,” he said.
He held her against his body while she trembled and some strength returned to her knees.
“It’s okay, I can stand now,” she said. She still felt like she’d been force marched 20 miles, but the exhaustion no longer threatened to send her into unconsciousness. “Please just tell me.”
He guided her over to one of the marble benches. The corner had broken off in that surge of power and shattered on the floor, but otherwise it held them up when they sat down.
“There’s a lot to learn. Some of it you would’ve gotten in class… I guess we’ll start there,” he said, “The strength of magic isn’t constant in the world. It waxes and wanes, gets weaker and stronger in cycles…”
“Like seasons?” Ellie said.
“Sort of. Normally these cycles aren’t too long, and are pretty similar. Usually around a century each way.”
That’s not too long? Ellie thought.
Thorn continued, “Magic has been diminishing in the world for almost 500 years now, and no one knows why. Or when it will strengthen again, if ever.”
“No more big magic…” Ellie said, mostly to herself.
“What?”
“Arabella, Master Thrace, she told me that really powerful spells aren’t really possible anymore.”
Thorn sighed and then nodded, “Yes, that’s mostly true. Though some sorcerers still have a lot of power.”
“Like Belt?” Ellie said.
He nodded again, “Yes. And Magister Cassiodorian, though he has been weakening.”
Ellie sat back against the wall, trying to absorb all this. Then she looked at Thorn, “What does any of this have to do with me? I don’t know anything about magic. I’m just a girl from Brooklyn.”
Thorn’s jaw tightened, like he didn’t want to say anything. He reached out and took her left hand, propping her shortened pinky up on his thumb. She tried to pull away but he held tight.
“I think that you’re the Omenborn,” he said.
“Is that supposed to mean something to me?” Ellie said.
Thorn actually smiled a little, though Ellie had no idea how any of this was funny. “It doesn’t actually mean much to many people. And to many of those it’s just a story. But to some, like Darius Belt, it means much more.
“I don’t know everything, but the Omenborn is the herald of the change in the cycle of magic. But it’s also more than that. I’m not sure I understand fully, but I think that in some way they are the magic.”
It feels like I can do absolutely anything, Ellie remembered thinking when the magic had seized her. Her stomach went cold.
“Ellie, Belt isn’t a good man. He believes in the Omenborn. If he got you, he would do terrible things to suit his own purposes.”
“How do you know what he would do?” Ellie said. Her voice sounded very small.
“Why do you think I left? I couldn’t be one of his wards anymore.”
Ellie surged to her feet.
It was a mistake. The head rush left her staggering, and Thorn caught her before she could fall and crack her head off the jagged marble of the bench.
“What?” he said.
“You said Magister Cassiodorian is also powerful. Why don’t we just go to him?”
Thorn shook his head, “I told you, he’s weakening. They all are. All of them but Belt, and I don’t know why he isn’t. I have my suspicions… But it means we can’t go to anyone, because if it really comes down to it, Belt could mop the floor with them.”
“Why didn’t he see the truth about the alley?” Ellie said.
“Everyone was concentrating so hard on you, they paid no attention to me. I cast a spell and he saw what I wanted him to see, instead of what was there.”
She felt vindicated somehow. Of course, she knew she wasn’t lying. But no one else did. Although his admission didn’t exactly help her right at that moment.
Ellie looked at her left hand, “And what does this have to do with all that?”
“It’s one of the signs,” he said, “I can’t remember the wording. Something about being born with a shortened touch.”
“Thorn, Belt saw my hand,” she said, the panic shuddering through her already exhausted muscles.”
“I know, that’s why we have to get you out of here and away from him.”
“But if you think he’s on to me, why hasn’t he done anything? It’s been so long. Maybe he doesn’t think anything about me,” Ellie said, grasping for any life preserver she could find.
Thorn sighed, “Like I said, Belt’s waited a long time for this. He doesn’t do anything rashly. And he’s patient. So patient that patience itself would get bored of him.
“No, if anything I’ll bet he’s lulling you, making you think everything’s fine. And everyone else, too. Think about it: if you go missing right after that confrontation at the Magister’s Hall people would ask questions. No, leaving’s the only right thing to do. While you still can.”
Ellie looked up at the hallway. One of many at Sourcewell Academy, somewhere she thought she might finally have a place.
Not anymore.
Thorn saw her defiance melt away. “And no more magic. He could find you if you did any. We’ll leave tonight, after everyone’s gone to bed.”
“Okay,” Ellie said, so quietly she barely heard it herself.
***
Neither of them noticed the shadow behind the statue in the corner. When Thorn helped Ellie out, that statue detached from the wall.
Caspian smiled, one corner of his mouth higher than the other. “I knew it.”