by Bob Dattolo
She stared at me long enough that I thought she might not say anything, “I don’t even know what to say.”
“Can you give me anything?”
She shrugged, “I just don’t know. You’re…you killed that fucking dragon. You’ve done some crazy stuff since we got here. We’re trying not to piss you off, all the while both of us want to dominate you.”
Wow, honesty? “Thank you for that? I wasn’t expecting a real response from you.”
“Like I said? I’m not even sure what to say. I don’t know why I said it at all. I’m powerful. My family is powerful. Our extended family is powerful. I may not be a dragon, but I’m way, way up there when it comes to water power. There are only a few people in my entire family stronger than I am, and some of them basically control huge areas of land and ocean. So I come in here and see you? You’re a former stricken. Someone we’re taught to fear and hate. Someone that’s a sign of the people that we may have known or known of that simply disappeared one day. Everything about you from your size to your looks makes me want to be a bitch. Then I go back to what I’ve seen and…”
Ugh, “So the jumpiness?”
She shrugged again, “Kinda wondering if this is the moment that you decide to come over here and attack.”
Oh my freaking hell. I just…what… ”Seriously?” Rubbing my face doesn’t help. Much. “You’ve been here for the entire school year so far. Seven months pretty much. In all of that time, when have I ever gone after someone just for the hell of it?”
“You went after those two freshmen?”
“Ummm, no. In point of fact, I did not. She went after me because she thought I was rude to her in a diner when she treated me like shit. He went after me because she hit me into him. At no point did I set out to go after them. I gave them out after out. Hell, I left him alive!”
She snorted, “You know he was dead before the end of January, right?”
My mouth fell open, “Uhh, what?”
Tiffany sat up and cocked her head, “You didn’t know?”
“I’d say know what, but I have to assume it’s that he died? What the hell happened?”
She sniffed, “Fucking hell, you really didn’t know?”
“I had no clue. How would I have found out?”
“Someone had to have told you!”
More face rubbing, “Tiffany? I get that there are still rumors that I can hide my scent and can trick truth spells, but this is the God’s honest truth. Who would I have spoken with about it? I live in a school with more than 100 classmates, and the rumors pretty much try to fuck me every day. They have me coming and going. If I’m at breakfast I want to kill people. If I don’t go, I want to kill people. If I talk to this person, I want to kill them. Or everyone else. I can’t do anything without people reacting like I’m trying to set them all up for a murder spree. I’m in this fucking school with a ton of people, yet I’m literally the only person that can’t talk to people without everyone thinking the worst of me. I keep myself away from everyone to stop that bullshit, yet even that means that I want to kill everyone.” Another rub of my face, “I told you about my rage. My anger. You have no fucking clue how close I’ve come to making the rumors a reality. None. Half of me wants to get up in the caf one day and simply call out everyone. I don’t want to kill anyone here, not really, yet that person? If I found out who was spreading the rumors, I’d be hard pressed to stop from tearing them to tiny shreds and eating them. They’ve systematically made my life a living hell since last year, and I’m kinda heading towards being beyond able to hold myself back.” Deep breath, Maddie. Deep. Fucking. Breath. “So, given that, who would have told me? I haven’t heard anything about him. I assumed he’s still there hopping around. Somehow. Did he get challenged?”
She sniffed again and again, “He was barely healed when he challenged two kids. Killed ‘em both. Stupid reasons, although I don’t remember what they were.”
“Fuck. He won?”
“He did. Motivated. Powerful. Just not quick.”
I simply can’t imagine how a one-legged kid beat someone in a challenge. They must have been weak. Or unprepared? I’m not sure I can see him physically beating someone, so it had to be his magic. And he just wasn’t that fast at it at all. “Okay? How’d he die then?”
“No one knows. Went out for a walk and was found dead.”
“Umm…” my brow furrowed, “Heart attack?”
“Not unless a heart attack breaks nearly every bone in their body? Someone fucked him up with spells. Dead. Gone.”
“Oookay. No, I had no idea about that. I have to assume there’s a rumor I haven’t heard about it being me that did it? If so? I’ll refute that right now. I could have done it in the circle without a problem, I had no reason to go hunting him down. Frankly, I’m not even sure how someone with one leg goes out for a walk, but that’s neither here nor there.”
She snickered, “You and me both.”
That doesn’t help me much with them being on edge. It really doesn’t. “So, moving beyond that? I wasn’t planning on attacking. Eva’s kept her throat stabbing knife away from me, so we’ve been good. Like I said before, I just want to graduate and get the fuck out of here. This place is a madhouse, and I don’t get why adults allow this crap to happen to us. Yet it’s not like we’re gonna be able to stop it from in here.”
She nodded slowly. Tiffany sat forward as well, “You really didn’t know about him? You didn’t kill him?”
“Didn’t know. Didn’t kill him. I don’t care that he’s dead, so don’t misunderstand me. I just didn’t have any part of it. Nor would I have had a reason to kill him like that and leave him there. I could have swooped down, picked him up, and then flew him 50 miles away and hidden his body if I wanted to. Or just done it when he challenged me.” No response to that as I stood. “Sooo, yeah, do whatever you were gonna do? I’m sorry about the pain from the spell. That wasn’t what I intended. Otherwise? I don’t have any plans to attack.”
Neither of them responded before I headed out, leaving them behind. Will any of that help in the long run? No clue. I hope so. We’re not too crazy far away from the trial, so I’d love to find that I don’t have any active enemies heading into this thing. That’d be lovely.
Instead of fretting over it, I headed out and accidentally met up with Levi in a rather public spot. He caught me throwing out a shredded shirt and questioned me on it. So, I let some hints slip that someone got around my protections. Or they’re weakening. One of the two.
It was a quick and dirty discussion, yet one I’m hoping bears fruit. I can go with some really good news.
Chapter 34
Staring at my collection of grimoires as I step out of the bathroom, I can’t help wondering just who the hell is messing with things.
I came back here Friday night, and everything was glowing again. After weeks of nothing, the fucker finally struck. Based on the rumors I spread? I’m just not sure. I’d like to think so. I made it stronger by being seen dumping shredded clothing three more times after that initial one.
Then everything was glowing.
Once I saw that I headed back out and started taking an unofficial headcount of people. The spell was in place until Sunday when I killed it. I have no idea if it worked or didn’t. As far as I can tell, everyone was accounted for. True, not teachers, but I’m not thinking it’s them. Most kids wouldn’t take rumors from them very easily. Sure as hell not in the numbers we’re seeing around here.
And yet I couldn’t identify who might have tried it and was possibly hit by it. No one was stuck anywhere that I could identify. Everyone was around doing whatever at some point or another.
Fuck.
Needless to say, that made for a crappy school day today. Most kids don’t like Mondays, yet today was even worse with me constantly thinking about who might be trying to mess with me on top of not having anyone I can really speak with without causing issues.
Eva and Tiffany haven’t been quite as wei
rd the past couple weeks, so that’s a plus. Others go in and out, with most of them falling into a sort of middle ground right now. The rumors seem to not be getting as much traction as before, so that’s good.
That still leaves me here in a bad mood.
“Fuck it, let’s go to town.” Two grunts from nearby rooms of girls hearing me, yet none of them said anything that I could pick up. No flaring of magic, either, so they’re probably just making a sort of judgement about me doing it.
God, this is so painful. No, not painful. Annoying.
No one comments as I take off, flapping for altitude. It’s not snowing today and the mass of snow on the ground has started to melt, so the world is looking browner than it has for a while. Still cold, just not below zero, so there are more people out and about on the grounds. The mages are decked out like they’re going to freeze to death, which probably wouldn’t happen.
Maybe.
So hard to tell as a dragon sometimes.
One correction. No, two corrections. The ice mages aren’t dressed like that. The fire mages aren’t quite as carefree. They have an easier time moving heat, as you’d think, so they tend to kick that into gear right quick.
My flight takes me high even though I don’t have to waste the energy. I’m not looking to get to town immediately. I don’t have any plans other than wanting to get some food and think. That means there’s no reason to hurry, you know? Heck, I can stay here and eat alone and think. This is just a change of pace and scenery.
What a mess today. Some people were acting weird because I was studying everyone. That had me cutting back as I desperately attempted to figure out who’s attacking me. I even talked to some people, although I kept it quiet and short. No one picked up on anyone acting weird.
I was just about to ask Kaylee in the caf over lunch when she saw me coming, screamed, and ran.
Seriously, what the fuck? Why are people messing with her so much that she freaking runs away?
Even Levi was confused by it when I looked over at him.
My internal debate about visiting Alicia fizzled when I realized that might seem like I’m checking up on her and the charms. I know she’s attempted again and again, yet she can’t quite push it enough. She’s trying to expand her power to try more, so we’re hopeful she’ll be able to do it.
I’m so tempted to talk to her about hiding the glow and the focus aspect of things, yet that’s still information that I don’t want to get out there. Like at all. I still haven’t told the others outright and I’m kinda holding off being annoyed that I told Kaylee, yet she wouldn’t have made it to this year otherwise.
My empty stomach pushed me to head down towards the diner again. Not the small one, but the larger one where I got into the fight last time. I haven’t been back since then. Not for that reason. It just never worked out the times I’ve been here and was hungry.
No one caught me coming in for a landing behind the place, at least that I picked up, so I got dressed and headed for the front.
I really like this area. While Florida screamed to me, like it connected with my soul, the area here is still pretty sweet. The mix of forests, hills, mountains, and cliffs combined with the huge sweeping plains is like a dragon’s wet dream.
Which makes me wonder where I’m going to live when, or if, I get out of here. Heck, I don’t even know what I’m doing between this year and the next. Travel the US again? I’m not sure if the girls are going to do that or not. That could mean that I’m on my own. Will the researchers want to run tests on me all summer?
I can’t say that I’m up for that idea. At all. It’d suck donkey balls to spend all summer being tested only to die like the first week back. Not that it wouldn’t suck anyway, but it’d suck more to miss out on experiencing things.
They’ve run enough tests so far this year. Just nothing that tells them why I am this way. Still no idea, although they’re pretty sure my affinity is magic. That might be why I can feel magic and see it. Not that I’ve explained that to them.
That seems stupid.
They’ve gone through a ton of things. Healing. Shifting. Strength. Thinking. Speed. You name it, they’ve wanted to test it in some way or other. Honestly, I think they’re just having fun on some of them.
While also trying to get an idea of what makes me tick in case someone kills me.
I get that.
They’ve also been trying to integrate themselves. No luck there, either. They believe they were kind of close to getting their dragon out with them, it just never quite happened.
No one said anything to me in the diner, which is a plus, and I got a table without any delay. The girl that sat me didn’t even make any faces or act like she was going to question my hair or eyes. Point for her, especially since she’s a norm, which means all of this is kinda out there for her. At least typically. Most norms don’t care a ton unless they’re into magic. It’d be like meeting a pro basketball player when you don’t follow basketball or even care about the sport.
Very few kids from the academy here today. Most don’t go out on a weekday, although it’s not uncommon to see kids out here. Especially third year kids. Although there are some from my grade here too.
The food’s delicious, fighting for attention with the random thoughts plaguing me. In no particular order we have my attacker, the rumors, no friends, being alone, being lonely, why I am this way, this food, schoolwork, whether or not I should just ignore the rumors and do what I want, who my parents are, if I’ll live to enter the trial this year, who will die in the trial, and if I’ll survive overall.
There are a few other things popping in and out as I drift from topic to topic, so it’s a bit confusing even to me.
Ugh, I just wish I could have gone to college, you know? While I can leave here and go, I have a date with hunting down some people and killing them. I’m not sure how long that’ll take, but I want to do it. Sure, I could hold off and do the college thing first if I want to, that’s true, I’m just…how do you go to a normal college when you leave here with the mindset that everything is war and death?
The third-year students over there are seriously like watching a group of special forces people talking and eating. Constant alert. Watching everyone. Everything. Especially the people with them. That has to be so freaking tiring.
And yet I can’t say that I’m not heading that way. This world forces it, just like it does for troops out there, so…yeah, we’re products of our environment.
That’s a bucket of suck right there.
Were my parents like that? I seriously don’t have any memories making me think they were, but the impression I have is that they were powerful. Very powerful. That more than likely means they finished all three years. If they did, then I’m not sure I buy them not being like what I’m seeing. Unless they’re older and it sort of faded a little? That’s a possibility.
Screw it. My food’s done, so now what? Check out Alicia’s place for more grimoires? That has promise. I’ve been monitoring her site online, but it doesn’t hurt to go check in person. Or so you’d think.
The girl at the front desk gave me a happy wave as I left and headed out. Flaring wings brought my head up and I caught two massive ice dragons landing on the street. My guard went up as they furled their wings and headed towards me.
“I love this diner. I haven’t been here in forever.”
The huge male grunted, “Good, I’m hungry.”
Okay, they’re not heading for me, they’re heading for the diner behind me. They can’t fit in like that, so that should mean that they’ll shift back here in a sec…
Ice spells triggered without warning and I found myself encased up to my waist in solid ice going out close to 10 feet. Thousands of pounds of it.
Then the rest hit.
Ice breath from the two in front at the same time various spells raced at me.
From up on the roof of the diner, which I hadn’t noticed before, two other ice dragons are also hitting me with their bre
ath and spells.
Gravity. Crushing. Burning. Trying to slice me to bits. Trying to specifically break bones. Trying to confuse me. Blind me. Tear off skin.
Blood began flying as at least some of the spells got through my natural protections, making them laugh as I screamed.
Then my magic triggered, earning me dragon roars of pain.
Blinding lights for each of them. Fire. Piercing power. Stone spikes. Metal spikes. Metal spheres. Gravity.
Most of them fizzled against their armored scales, although some did get through. I can feel that the one in front on the right got hit with more of them than the others, so let’s see if we can do this.
The same spell that I used on Samantha’s parents triggered, but this time I purposefully raked at her eyes.
And was rewarded with her power flowing into me as she screamed and collapsed.
Not dead. Just blind. And magicless. And stuck in dragon form. I had no idea I could drain her like that. Wooonderful.
The male stopped attacking me to figure out what’s wrong, which allowed me to flex more power and shatter the ice and jump to the side. The two dragons on the diner roof are massive and focused on me. They both come down like quicksilver, huge mouths reaching for me. They want to bite me? Then let’s let them?
The male came in first and engulfed me with his fang-lined mouth, clamping his huge jaws on me with enough power to crush a car.
Too bad he never saw that I created a halo of metal spikes around me.
While things like this can’t always pierce scales, he just bit a huge mass of spiked metal.
It worked just fine.
I have a feeling that one’s a keeper if I’m ever in this situation again.
Another roar as he tried to pull away, not realizing that the metal is anchored into the ground far deeper than he can pull out.
I’m not trapped, though.
His mate doesn’t seem to realize what happened until my magic went off and the front of his face was obliterated, top and bottom jaws tearing free from the combination of forces and metal in his face.