He definitely wasn’t a familiar, because according to what I’d learned in class, familiars made themselves known once they attached to a magic user. And honestly, he might have surprised me with how quickly he picked up tricks, but he’d never shown any impact on my magical abilities. Slug was very clever for a cat, though. He even preferred doing his business on the toilet instead of in his litter box.
I sat down next to him, and the big softy crawled into my lap. I’d gotten used to talking to him every evening after class. I’d tell him about my day, and he’d purr and allow me to pet his fur. "Something weird just happened to me, cat. Some kids approached me and asked if I wanted to escape with them. What do you think? Should I do it?"
Opening one eye, he glared at me, and rolled onto his back so I could tickle his tummy. I sighed. "You’re not that helpful, you know? If you're not careful, I won't take you with me."
As I talked, I realized I would agree to their plan. I wanted to get out of here. Strickland was right—something about this place was odd. There was the teaching, which I loved, but then there was the fence around the academy that would have killed me. How did that fit together? Looking after the students as long as they stayed in line, and trying murder them if they didn’t?
And then there was the threat to lock me up until I died. Would I be a refugee if I got away? But if I stayed, would I become a target like Strickland had warned me? If only I could speak to my parents, it wouldn't be quite so hard. I crunched up my nose and rubbed my forehead. The urge to run was like an itch under my skin, driving me towards a panic attack.
But before I could escalate, the door opened and Sharon entered. Walking straight past me, she ignored me as if I were invisible. I didn't mind. Sharon had been like this ever since Beth and Julian had told her to stop bugging me. She still occasionally muttered an insult under her breath, but she was easy to tune out.
Slug turned his head, following her progress with squinted eyes, and when she turned to glare back at, he hissed at her. Good ole Slug. He made sure she couldn’t get at my things or mess with my bed. Otherwise I might have found my blankets missing or honey smeared over my pillow or whatever else they thought was a funny prank in this place.
I didn't hear from Paul until a week later. At the end of Elemental Magic 101, he waited for me near the exit. He didn't speak but signaled me to follow him. I grabbed my bag and notes and walked behind him until we were out of sight of the other students.
"Have you thought about it?"
I wanted to learn more without giving away that I couldn’t cross the perimeter fence. Instead I said, "Depending on what you’re planning, I think I’d like to be a part of it. I’ve got to warn you, though. I haven’t been able to use my lightning powers since I’ve gotten here. The one time with Castle was a fluke. Ever since, I think they've turned the dampeners up."
"It doesn't matter. Lauren’s been watching the guards after hours to see if there’s a pattern.”
"What do you mean, guards? I haven’t seen any."
Apart from the man who’d walked me to the dorm. I hadn’t seen him again, either.
"You wouldn't unless you were watching out for them. But yes, there are guards walking the perimeter fence."
I gulped. Sometimes I managed to forget this was a state-run facility for people who needed a second chance. It chafed. And it made me angry. With new determination, I nodded for him to carry on speaking.
"We figured out the patterns. They don't deviate. They probably don't expect any trouble from a bunch of students. But you and us, we are not ordinary students, are we? We are held here against our will."
I nodded again, more vigorously. He wasn’t wrong. "So what’s your plan?"
"We want to create a diversion. Something that will draw all hands on deck. Something that could threaten the very existence of the academy."
My eyes widened. "And what would that be?"
Paul looked at me steadily as if he wanted to increase the tension.
"We want to set the dorms on fire."
17
I was speechless. My mouth hung open. Paul waited patiently until I’d found my voice.
"Are you serious? You are talking about torching the housing wing when everyone’s asleep."
He nodded, his eyes burning with excitement. I took a step back. Another step. And another. "You’re insane. I mean, I want to get out of here, sure. But not by burning up the other kids."
Paul frowned. "I told you, the diversion has to be big enough to draw everybody in to help. And when they’re all in one place, we will be on our way out the front door, without anybody stopping us."
My anger was growing, and my hands clenched into fists. "You’re actually serious. And even if you pulled off this crazy plan, how do you think you’re going to get away? We’re in the middle of nowhere. You can’t contact anybody at the outside—you said so yourself."
Paul looked around nervously. "Calm down, for fuck’s sake. Of course we planned for that. We have a man on the inside who promised to help us. There’ll be a jeep waiting half a mile down the road, with cell phones, maps, and provisions. You think we're stupid?"
I couldn't believe he was being serious about this. This was the craziest thing I’d ever heard. There was no way, no matter how much I wanted to get away, I’d be responsible for the deaths of more people.
As if he’d read my mind, he said smugly, "I don't know why you’re upset. It's not like you haven't killed before."
That was it. Gritting my teeth, I fought down the urge to slap that stupid grin off his face. “If you think I would sacrifice even one person to help you, you’ve got another thing coming. Yes, I lost control when my power first manifested, and I hurt people. But there’s a huge difference between that and what you want to do. I’m not a cold-blooded murderer. Don’t ever talk to me again, or I’ll go straight to the head witch.”
Before my anger could boil over, I turned around and walked away. My shoulders were pulled up so tightly, I couldn’t even breathe. This guy was unbelievable. And he’d put me into a really bad situation.
What was I supposed to do now? He’d just let me into a plan to potentially kill my classmates. I might not have liked most of them very much, but that didn't mean I would go out of my way to hurt them. But if I went to a teacher and told them about it, I’d have no proof.
And did I really want to become a target? As if my life couldn't get any shittier. I was so upset, I didn't even see Julian until he stepped into my way.
"Hey, Amber. I called you three times. Didn’t you hear me?"
I stared at him as if I'd never seen him before. His friendly smile slowly slid off his face as he realized the state I was in. "You look like you’ve seen a ghost. One that made you really angry."
His lame attempt at humor didn't cheer me up. At all. When he put his arm around me, I nearly pushed him away, but somehow, the contact with his body made me feel calmer. When I wasn’t quite so wound up any more, he asked quietly, "Is this better?"
I nodded. The anger drained out of me and left me weak and upset. I needed to talk this over with somebody. Maybe not Julian, but Slug was always happy to lend an ear. Saying things out loud sometimes took away their power and helped me clarify my thought processes.
What I didn't expect was Julian to remove his arm from my shoulder and take both my hands instead. He suddenly looked like a much younger boy, insecure and worried about how his next words would be received. I tensed up again. Now what? What was he going to ask me that made him so uncomfortable?
"Amber…" He cleared his throat, his pale face blushing. What the hell? Whatever was coming next, I wasn't sure I wanted to hear it. But when I tried to pull my hands back, he held on tighter. "Let me speak. Please. Amber, would you come with me as my date to the end-of-term ball?"
I stared at him, not sure if I'd misheard. One minute I was getting caught up in a murder plot, the next I was being invited by a cute boy to a ball I didn’t want to go to. And then, somethin
g clicked. My powers. The dampeners.
If I could harness my anger and let rip with my lightning powers, might I not be able to blow out the dampeners, which would in theory allow me to leave this place? So really, I might not even be here for the ball.
I’d feel a little sorry—no, who was I kidding—I would feel very sorry to not see Julian again, but all my instincts told me I needed to get out of this place before something dreadful happened. Regret weighed heavily on me as I said, “I'm sorry, Julian. I can’t give you an answer right now. My head is all over the place."
Julian's face dropped, and the excited gleam in his black eyes dulled. I hated myself to let him down like that. Quickly I added, "Just give me a couple of days, okay? I just had some bad news, but I promise, I'll let you know."
He nodded, his face displaying his emotion so clearly as if he were saying the words out loud. He didn’t believe he had a chance with me. Before he could say anything, I stretched onto my tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. That was all I could commit myself to for now. It would have to be enough.
On the way back to my room, I saw Beth rushing away from the building. I was about to call out to her, when she veered off the main path running parallel to the housing wing and cut through a gap in the facade. I wouldn’t have thought anything of it, had she not looked around furtively, as if she wanted to make sure nobody was following her. What was she up to?
I didn’t know what made me follow her, except that something seemed off. And with all that had happened recently, all the intrigue and warnings, I felt that if my roommate was up to something, I needed to know.
I quickly passed through the narrow alleyway and stuck my head out at the other end carefully to make sure she didn’t see me. Beth was disappearing among the trees, following the trail I’d discovered a few weeks ago. As she entered the shaded forest, the light seemed to waver around her head. I blinked, and when I looked again, she was gone, hidden by the trees.
Speeding up, I entered the forest. Beth was a good distance ahead of me. I kept my eyes trained on her while trying to stay far enough back so she wouldn’t hear my steps. She stopped, turned left, then right, before moving off the path. What was she doing? Was she looking for something?
Beth seemed to murmur to herself, although I was too far away to hear what she was saying. She pulled something out of her pocket and flung it into the air. I held my breath, expecting something exciting to happen. I was too new at this to have any clue what my roommate was doing, but it had to have something to do with magic. What I didn’t expect was Beth to cover her face and burst into tears. What the hell?
Suddenly I felt horrible for sneaking after her. Whatever she was doing, it was private and upsetting her. I had no business being here. If she turned around right now, she’d catch me. And there’d be no way to explain away the fact I’d been snooping on her.
There was some dense undergrowth next to the path, perfect for hiding behind. Not a second too early. I’d just ducked behind the thicket when Beth’s steps came closer and passed by without her seeing me.
I peeked through the branches of my hiding place. Dappled sunlight streamed through the canopy of trees. Where it hit Beth’s head, there was a strange halo, as if the light was bending around her hair. It looked otherworldly, like nothing I’d ever witnessed. The more I stared at her retreating figure, the more my head ached. By the time I got back to my room, I’d developed a migraine and went straight to bed.
As I pushed my aching forehead into the cool pillow, Slug jumped up and licked my face.
“Ugh, come on. Your breath smells rank,” I muttered. I didn’t mean it, though.
The big, purring lump pressed his body into my side, providing me with unexpected comfort. I put my arm over him as my mind went around in circles, trying to digest the confusing events of the last hours. Paul’s plan, Strickland’s warning, Beth’s odd behavior. And what about Kiernan’s kiss and Julian’s invitation?
Not that long ago, in my girly bedroom at home, I’d dreamed of excitement and romance in my life. How naive I’d been. My last thought before falling asleep was what I wouldn’t give for some normality.
18
Three days later, Julian waved at me as I entered the classroom. Ugh. I still hadn’t given him an answer. Lying at this stage would be easier than finding another excuse. I sat down and ducked below my desk to avoid eye contact. While I rummaged in my bag for some paper and a pen, the student chatter quieted down. Strickland was about to start class, so it was probably safe to come up again. Sitting up straight, I noticed a folded piece of paper on my desk.
Strange. I glanced at Julian, raising my head minutely and lifting my eyebrow. He tilted his head towards the front of the class where Strickland was standing, indicating the teacher had left the paper.
Strickland? Really? After ignoring me for over three weeks, he’s putting notes on my desk? I’d been jumpy ever since he’d told me there was trouble at the academy. So what had changed? This couldn’t be good. My fingers shook as I picked up the piece of paper.
Glancing to my left and right to make sure no one was watching me, I opened the folded note. In a scrawny cursive it read, “Meet me. Eight pm Mag-Chem lab.”
I crumpled up the paper and dropped it into my bag. Why on earth did Strickland want to see me that late in the evening? Was it even safe to meet him alone? Something about this rubbed me the wrong way. But then I pushed the thought away. Maybe he had more information for me. Yeah, that had to be it. I’d waited so long for the other shoe to drop. Maybe I’d finally get some answers.
I tried to pay attention for the next hour and a half, but there was no way I was able to focus. All kinds of scenarios ran through my mind as I stared blankly into space. By the time the class was over, I hadn't taken down a single word. Thank God Beth’s a great roomie. I’ll ask her for her notes before heading out.
Much later, I'd fed Slug and eaten a bite myself before making my way to the lab. The blockhouse seemed abandoned with its door locked. The evening was settling in, and the lights around the campus came on automatically. I rattled the door handle and peeked through the dark windows. Nothing.
But then, out of nowhere, a voice said, “Thanks for coming, Amber."
I slapped my hand over my mouth just in time, or I would have screamed the place down. Strickland smirked before producing a key and opening the door to the classroom.
When we entered, he pointed to take a seat but didn't turn the light on. Even though the lamps outside poured a faint yellow light throughout the room, I could barely make out the interior of the lab.
Strickland sat quietly for a moment before speaking. "Do you remember our last conversation?"
I nodded. He continued, "There is no easy way to say it without sounding like a lunatic. But I may have discovered a government conspiracy. Very powerful men have become aware of your particular… skill set. I don’t want to scare you, but they are unscrupulous. They are plotting to drain you, to take your powers for themselves. My contact tells me there’ve been others, similar to you, who suffered that fate. They were drained, and…”
He shuffled uncomfortably in his seat, as if what he was going to say next was hard to formulate. "Let's just say, they didn't make it. Draining somebody of their innate magic destroys their bodies. There is no way to separate something that important from your physiology. It is as if someone tried to extract your red blood cells while keeping you alive. It's not possible. And it’s excruciatingly painful."
I’d been listening with a sense of disorientation. I couldn’t process what he was telling me. There were, what, assassins after me? Was he kidding? Yet there wasn’t a hint of humor in his voice. He was deadly serious.
I closed my eyes. I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear more. What he’d told me so far was terrifying enough already. My forehead ached, and I rubbed the skin as my disbelief was replaced with anger. "So what do you want me to do with this information? Are you telling me I’ll be killed, and there is nothi
ng I can do about it?"
My thoughts whirled feverishly as I gripped the sides of the chair. I needed to get away from the academy. But I’d probably blown my only chance to escape when I turned down Paul’s idiotic idea. And now what? Was I supposed to just roll over and accept what was coming for me? No way.
I got up, pushing my chair back hard enough to disrupt the quiet of the room with a discordant screech. "Look, I don’t know why you’re telling me this. What do you want me to do?"
Strickland watched me before saying calmly, "Sit down, Amber. I didn't tell you this to scare you. I wanted you to understand the reality of your situation. In fact, there's more you need to know. The magical conduits—”
“Magical conduits?” I was sure I’d heard the term but couldn’t remember exactly what it meant. Strickland looked at me as if I were stupid. He brushed his hand over his face and sighed.
“I forgot you aren’t one of us. Conduits are conductors of magic. People who weren’t born with the gift, but who were imbued with it after the reactor accident. People like you.
“Anyway, the magical conduits’ families have gone missing. I asked my contacts and searched in official documents. There’s no mention of them anywhere, nothing. I fear they were eliminated as well. Maybe the government was afraid they’d ask questions and go public. I don't know. Either way, we couldn't find any trace of them. The houses were sold, and the families disappeared."
I gasped. The room seemed to spin around me. I couldn't breathe, and my palms were breaking out in a cold sweat. For the first time in weeks, my lightning magic rushed to the surface.
In a distant corner of my mind I realized it wasn’t just anger that triggered my power. Apparently, desperate, cold panic would do it as well. The rush of power from my core was overwhelming. I had no idea what would happen if I released it, but I knew it couldn’t happen inside the classroom.
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