Thwarting Cheaters (Artemis University Book 5)

by Erin R Flynn

  Idiot.

  Who said I was using a rune?

  The second the horn blew; I clapped my hands with power and sent the guy flying before he could even bring his finger to his hand and to write his rune. I smirked as I watched his body arc dozens of yards away but then frowned as he went crashing into the wall of the seating. He was unconscious before he even hit the ground.

  Damn.

  People froze for half a second in shock, but then others jumped back into their own matches and victors gave cries or cheers like they did something great, not took out a student. Some their own friends.

  There was polite clapping but I knew I had a lot of eyes on me.

  “Disqualify her,” someone yelled above the crowd, using magic to bolster the sound of his voice. “She lost control of her magic. That disqualifies her as clearly stated in the rules.”

  I glanced around and found the person starting the fuss, smirking at them when Headmaster Edelman quieted everyone else. “Says who? For your information, my goal was to shoot his ass over the seating and out of the stadium like punting a football for thinking he was excited to see if his incapacitating rune would work on me and for how long so he could try it on me again later.”

  “We’ve all seen Ms. Vale do much larger power claps than that,” Headmaster Edelman agreed. “That wasn’t remotely uncontrolled. Objection overruled. All victors move onto the next round and line up to the proctors. It’s time for the power gauges!”

  He added a bit of flare at the end of what he said and the cheers started up again. I moved with others, but it was made clear I was supposed to go towards the end to build up suspense. I rolled my eyes but played the game.

  The game I wouldn’t play was going to one proctor who was waving for me. I couldn’t wear my essence charm during the competition as no outside magic was allowed. Which of course meant someone was going to take advantage of that.

  I smirked at the guy. “I’m still a telepath, asshole. You’ve got a species crystal you’re also holding and want to be the one to tell your council what I am. Nice try but you aren’t the first to think of that trick.”

  Before he could even try to argue or start shit, Professor Pillay was there using magical restraints on the guy and ordering everyone who had already tested with his power gauge to retest with another proctor just in case. Smart. If he was willing to do something underhanded, there wasn’t any reason to think he wouldn’t cheat another way.

  I really did like her and not simply because she was fair but because she cared. She hated that people changed the rules to stick it to me and she believed in the Power Playoffs as a way to level the playing field for all supes as it wasn’t only elites that could come out of the gate strong. She was an example of that and pushed to help others like her who needed the hand to do the same.

  When my turn came up, I read the thoughts of the woman holding the power gauge. She was clean, a friend of Campbells who worked at another supe university and took the paying gig to be another set of eyes to judge and help the faculty for the day. She was trustworthy even if she was brimming with curiosity about me.

  I did as she instructed, placing my fingers on the indents meant for them and letting out a slow breath. That was it, the runes on the thing would do the rest. It felt like a tickle of magic dancing over mine as I watched colors swirl inside the glass rectangle. I had more colors than any of the others I’d seen but it wasn’t much different.

  But then it was. It stopped being chaotic like music pulsing and formed into a color spectrum range, pulsating and rippling out. I hissed as it got hot against my finger tips and the proctor gasped, hitting the glass from underneath and punching it out of my grasp.

  I had just enough time to shield my eyes as the thing shattered about ten feet above us. I wanted to curse up a storm at how the glass was going to cut us up but I felt tiny grains landing on me like sand. I waited a few more moments for it to stop and then carefully moved my hands away.

  “Are you all right, Ms. Vale?” Professor White asked.

  “I think so?” I muttered, looking at the sand around us. “What happened?”

  “Your power was too much for the gauge. When it exploded, I rendered it to harmless sand so neither of you were injured.”

  “Thanks. Sorry about your gauge.”

  “First time I’ve ever seen a student break one,” she chuckled, reaching out and brushing some sand off my hair. “Well done. You’re certainly ‘King of the Mountain.’ Now the real games begin, I suppose.”

  “Oh yeah,” I promised.

  People were floored I broke the gauge. Some were cheering but most were not happy, while others you could about see the greed and bad plots they were coming up with like thought bubbles above their heads like evil villains in cartoons. I pushed it all aside and focused on what came next in my plan.

  As “King of the Mountain” I got a second to watch my back like in a duel or a boxing match. It was one of the few concessions we gained that I wouldn’t budge on if I was going to jump through their hoops and play their games. I knew they’d give them because they really, really wanted me to do it. Most of them wanted me to have a humiliating defeat so they thought me an idiot to ask for something so stupid.

  But it wasn’t. No one would fuck with Mel and the guards Edelman wouldn’t wave just because of the tournament. He demanded them as needed even more if I was distracted. Again, they yielded so Zack and Ray were with her bringing everything I packed in advance.

  Which led to the third demand of mine. I had up to five minutes in between rounds. There was no way they could realistically think I could take on half of the freshman class one after another in rapid succession without a break and not have everyone call foul that they weren’t setting me up to fail. Of course they were but they yielded to appear that they weren’t.

  Idiots. I could recharge a lot in five minutes.

  They set up the recovery station like we’d planned with food and drinks just as if I was in a fight, plus a chair if I needed it. I might not be allowed outside charms or magical influence but that didn’t mean the hobgoblins didn’t have some tricks up their sleeves. They had prepared some ultimate recipes made with fae fruit that promised would charge me up as a fairy.

  I had no idea what that meant but I figured they were species perfect protein bars?

  We were ready when the lottery finished off the order of who would go up against me. I didn’t really need it but I took a quick chug of a sports drink, letting out a slow breath, and promising them I was ready.

  “You got this, kid. Do your thing and anyone who really cares for you won’t judge you for doing what you need to,” Mel comforted saying exactly what I needed to hear to give me the right push.

  “Damn straight.” I headed out to where I needed to, smiling when I saw who it was. “Oh, the asshole who smacked my ass a few months ago.”

  He gave me a bored look like he couldn’t believe that even registered and I was petty to remember it. He’d totally forgotten about it considering he did that sort of thing all the time.

  This was going to be so much fun.

  We weren’t doing a fast draw in these battles. No, I would always go first as they wanted me humiliated so they wanted to showcase how fast I ran out of magic, spells, or runes. They were even “kind” and put in a rule that if I forgot I used one they’d remind me and give me the option to try another one.

  Cute.

  Assholes.

  But really idiots as it worked for me now.

  Professor Pillay confirmed we were both ready and waved her hand for us to begin.

  I didn’t hesitate, writing the rune on my arm and putting my magic in it, focused on the guy’s leg… Which I shattered. He screamed to the point it was more a screech most females couldn’t hit and crumbled to the ground. The entire arena went silent besides his bellows and cries of pain.

  “Well I don’t think he’s going to be continuing,” I taunted, putting my finger in my ear and wiggling it aro
und. I smiled brightly at the others waiting for their turn. “Next?”

  “Are you mad? You can’t do that!” someone bellowed from the audience.

  “Actually she can,” Geiger countered, using magic to amplify his voice for all to hear, including the cameras. “The rules are incredibly clear that death magic or any runes leading to death are strictly forbidden but all other options are on the table including maiming. One broken leg will certainly not kill him.”

  “This isn’t the intent of the competition,” someone else argued. “She’s gone feral. That or she lost control of her magic already.”

  Professor Pillay held up her hand to hold off anyone else. “What rune did you use, Ms. Vale?” She pulled out a notepad and pen from her pocket. “Show me.”

  “Of course.” I wrote it down and handed it back.

  She blinked at it, swallowing loudly before clearing her throat. “It’s the right rune. She used the rune to shatter a bone. It’s an attack rune. She didn’t lose control of her magic. It’s a valid entry.”

  “This is insane,” someone else argued.

  I threw back my head and laughed as the guy finally fainted from the pain. I looked up at the school board who was all sitting together, smiling evilly at them. “It’s insane that none of you saw this would be the outcome to your brilliant plan to stack the deck against me. All of your little brats have been bullying me, plotting shit, or straight up attacking me since I got here.

  “And you gave me a free pass to fuck them up as long as I don’t kill them. First shot even. Without recourse. And I’m the one you look down on as being stupid?” I clapped my hands together and rubbed them in glee. “You set this all up, pissing off the administration in faculty for your one chance to humiliate me and put me in my place. Awesome. Just awesome. Sure. Let’s play, kids.

  “You thought you were setting me up to be the mouse to run your maze but you idiots walked your children right into the lion’s den and didn’t even realize it. I’m a trained fighter who’s battled professional MMA fighters. You think that’s the first bone I’ve broken? The only difference is I can do it with a rune now and not even break a sweat.” I glanced all around. “So, who came here for a show?”

  Needless the only people who cheered were the ones who were excited for the idea of someone sticking it to the elites. Or at least had the balls to actually cheer for that with them watching.

  So not many or maybe some who were just on my side. Maybe? It was hard to tell in an arena that large.

  The guy was taken off the field and probably given a healing rune. It was hard not to taunt people that they’d need a lot of them.

  I didn’t take the break and was ready for the next guy. He was another asshole who started shit with me several times in mental shielding class and during my office hours. I wrote the rune for fire and visualized it coming out like ropes, launching them around him and tightening them until the smell of burned skin filled the air as they burnt through his clothes.

  “I yield!” he wailed.

  I glanced at Professor Pillay who nodded they could do that, or at least she accepted it as the ref, and pulled back my magic. While people were fussing with him, I had my telepathy going, focused on who was next. The woman was a complete bitch who had spread rumors about me and tried shit in Craftsman’s class all the time.

  So I projected images and feelings to her that she had diarrhea, seconds from shitting herself in front of everyone. As we stepped up for our match, she took one look at the scorched ground from the last battle and fled. Totally turned on her heel and raced for the locker room we came from.

  “That’s a forfeit, right?” I checked with Pillay.

  “It is indeed,” she muttered, staring after the woman as if not able to keep up with the whole turn of events.

  I shrugged. “Okay then. Next!”

  The woman who stepped up actually extended her hand to me. I smiled and shook it; glad someone had some morals and sportsmanship. I didn’t really recognize her but I learned from her thoughts that was because she’d never started shit with me. She honestly thought I was badass and respected me, wished she had the balls to be my friend, but it was too big of a risk.

  I could understand that. She was in a precarious position like Izzy’s family—just wealthy enough to get into the elite circle but looked down on at every turn. And while her family weren’t assholes like Izzy’s, there was a lot of pressure on her to do well and not make waves for her family.

  Being my friend made waves. She needed neutral and the education Artemis would give her to take their company to the next level. Again, I could respect that.

  And she certainly wasn’t someone I would hurt. I stepped back and wrote a rune on my arm, pushing magic into it as I closed my eyes and focused. Then I raised my arm up and looked to the sky, pushing my power into the rune to give me what I wanted.

  It might have been early on a Saturday, but it wouldn’t have been a true sporting event without fireworks. I started with Artemis’s logo and then went through several representations. A dragon, wolf, bear, falcon… And while lame, I did a pentagram to represent witches. I thought a hat, cauldron, or broom would be racially offensive. Which was why I had nothing for the vampires. Blood? Fangs? A bat?

  Yeah, no. Hopefully that pentagram sort of included all the rest as we had more shifters that weren’t big numbers. And I was a fairy so it was the thought that counted, right?

  No, of course not and people would totally bitch.

  “I cannot top that,” the woman chuckled, dipping her head at me when I looked at her. “That was amazing. Good luck.”

  “Thanks.” I smiled at her and then had another thought, speaking in her head and giving her Claudia’s phone number. Their family company was clean and something that might be a good match for luxury resorts like Cherrywood. No one said we couldn’t be friendly in business even if she wouldn’t be a member of our crew.

  Next was another dickhead but not a complete bastard so I used a rune I learned from Natalie’s family. A magical sandpaper one. I worked it over his skin and clothes until they shredded so I had more skin. He screamed when blood came from the scratches and yielded.

  Good times.

  I had a few more like that and messed with another one via my telepathy. I couldn’t do too many of those without raising suspicion even if it wasn’t against the rules. I knew someone would figure out a way to make it an issue for sure but it was helping to raise the fear levels of the group that others were running.

  There was another person who I had no reason to hurt so I went with a nice rune, focusing on the crowd and making a rainbow of tulips rain on them. There were so many reasons the school board were idiots, but one of the big ones was there were so many runes if people just looked for them.

  Mel, Craftsman, and the others had said it from the start—if you could think it, there was a rune for it. I could think of a lot and there were scores of runes.

  The guy smiled brightly at me. “There’s no way I can beat that. Best of luck to you, Tamsin.”

  “Thank you,” I replied, accepting his outstretched hand.

  I took the break after that even if I wasn’t really winded yet, deciding not to wait until I was down on the tank. I ate three protein bars and a full sports drink while the three of them tried not to laugh at my choices so far, but I could tell they were full of pride I was kicking ass.

  There was another jerk so I used a run to slam a wall of ice into the guy to knock him to his ass and then drop spikes of it into his body until he yielded. Next, I used the shadow rune on a guy who was afraid of the dark and my telepathy to project images of snakes crawling all over him. He ran screaming from the field.

  I smirked up at where the school board was sitting, shaking my head at the idiots. They were pissed things weren’t going their way but they were confident I still couldn’t hold out against the hundreds of students left waiting for me.

  Maybe. That was possible… But not because a trashy unkn
own without elite pedigree couldn’t learn a few hundred runes. That was just stupid. Maybe I couldn’t keep this going or I’d mix something up but they also put a bit too much faith in my opponents.

  Time to show them that.

  The guy I was going up against next never actually started shit with me but Izzy. He was constantly hassling her when I wasn’t around. He didn’t believe in lesbians. She tried to keep it from me and handle it herself but there was no handling bullies unless you had the power to shut them up and she wasn’t there yet.

  “This is for Izzy,” I purred, smirking at him when worry filled his eyes instead of his normal cockiness. I wrote the rune and pushed my magic into it before taking a few steps back.

  He snorted. “You want another shot to do it right? Not even a couple dozen and you can’t not fuck up with a dud, Vale?”

  “Oh, it worked. Just give it a moment,” I promised, giving an evil chuckle. I glanced at Pillay. “You’re going to want to take a few steps back. Trust me.” Then I thought better of it. I wrote a rune on my arm and built us some ice stairs with a platform. “That would be better actually to get out of the way.”

  “This isn’t going to be good, is it?” she muttered, accepting my offer and getting up there with me.

  “I’ll enjoy it, but no, most won’t.” I glanced over my shoulder and whistled to Mel. She tossed over a bag which I caught, offering to share with Pillay. She accepted a drink and I focused on a few of the most nervous jerks waiting, giving them images of their stomachs rolling and ready to puke their guts up to set the stage.

  “There are no rules to limit the time for a rune to work,” Geiger said firmly, already in the midst of an argument I didn’t catch. “Stop trying to add limitations and rules after you already changed the rules of a centuries-old tournament at one school simply for your selfish need to degrade one student who outshines your spoiled children. If your elite children cannot keep up with her, stop cheating for them!”

  “Well he’s reached his limit,” I chuckled.

  “What is happening on the field?” someone asked.