Emotionless (The Emotionless Book 1)

by Shaina Anastasi

  I didn’t have that much time. The warning bell that declares class will be starting soon rang and I had to pack up and give back Lawliet’s boot to him. I hesitated at first, wondering if I could take his boot home and give it back to him in the morning, but that look in the corner of his eyes told me I should drop the boot and leave quietly. Leaving the boot on the table, I puffed my cheeks, turned and went to the door.

  “Highborn,” Lawliet called. I turned back in his direction.

  He straightened up in his chair but looked as if the words were stuck in his throat. I waited, wanting to know what he was going to say, but he sat there, in silence, and I stood there in silence.

  Tearing his eyes away from me, he looked at the empty bottle on his desk and sighed. “This is stupid,” he muttered and turned his head away.

  Lawliet must have ended that conversation without finishing it. Not that overly worried, I left without a word and went down the stairs and to my rune crafting class. Unlike Donte and Nixon’s class, which was down that dark and foreboding hallway that had all stenches simmering within, mine was where the English classes were located. Must be because there will be a lot more theory work and drawing, mostly. There are no stinky, moving, weird, gross, slimy ingredients to throw in a pot and create.

  When I got inside the room, I was sure enough that I wasn’t unusually late, more on time, but there were only three other students in my classroom. Two I knew and one I wasn’t particularly thrilled to see. Rebecca’s narrowed blue eyes and glared at me, and she sneered. I knew she was thinking up all the vile and cruel things she could do to me in this class.

  I walked to the seat next to the other mage. She then knew that she could annoy or torment me. Rebecca then huffed and looked out the window when I sat down. In my seat, I looked to my left, and Spencer smiled and waved at me. I then ignored him and turned to the teacher that had a standard activation circle on the board. In the centre was a T symbol.

  “For the newcomers who are new to the Academy, I am Mr Gov. Today we are learning about teleportation. In three months, we will try and see if you can teleport from one end of the room to another.”

  Interested, I flipped open my textbook and listened to Mr Gov and what he had to say.

  Today, all we did was theory. There was a lot of writing and listening to Mr Gov. He was an excellent teacher and wanted us to perfect every element. I had to ignore the small balls of paper that hit the back of my head while the two other students snickered from behind and at the back seats of the classroom. By the time the bell rang and the period was over, I had a small pile that littered the ground at the back of my seat.

  “Hey, Eileen,” Spencer called my name when I walked out of the classroom. He quickened his pace and went into step beside me. “Are you going down to the cafeteria room?” I nodded in agreement. I was hungry. “Mind if I sit with you?”

  I hesitated while we walked. I then looked down at his Captains badge. I tried to understand why he wanted to. I assume he was very popular and that he would have many friends to hang out with. However, the more I thought, the more I started to not care on his reasonings. There wasn’t any use on dwelling in wondering what the reason was, and so I nodded, not bothered. He even smiled, pleased that I agreed.

  The cafeteria room was near wholly packed. It was more than hum and more like buzzing of a bee or even a wasp too close for comfort that I wanted to swat away. That’s the sound of mages voices in the cafeteria right now. I could hear some conversations from tables that we passed clearly: about the cliff diving, shopping centres, wanting to go to the movies, all the way to what they were doing after school ends in their free time. They entwined and mingled with one another, and I then knew that I wasn’t going to like sitting in the cafeteria room every single lunchtime.

  Spencer grabbed four slices of pizza and an energy booster mage drink. I took the chicken, and mayonnaise cheese toasted sandwich and a triple chocolate brownie thick-shake that had a Nutella doughnut and a chocolate wafer stick atop of it. Spencer cringed, which didn’t surprise me. I used to be sickened and never had a sweet tooth when I lived in Sorcerer City. But living in the Ordinary-Human world, they had an immense amount of sweet, sugary that got me addicted. To keep my energy levels up, I would eat a lot of chocolates and lollies to sustain me for the day. This thick-shake would be enough.

  We decided to sit with Charlie, Lollie, Kent and my diabolical brothers. The table and chairs lifted upwards as soon as I sat down and crossed my legs over. Once we were up in the air, the conversations started. I enjoyed the fact that I could eat without talking. My brothers tend to fill the void quite quickly and efficiently as they spoke about what they wanted to do this weekend. Even knowing Spencer sitting with us must have been new, they chatted like they were all friends that sit with each other all the time.

  By the time the bell rang for class, I had finished my chocolate thick- shake and had a few bites of my sandwich. Lollie and Kent left earlier, having sports than leave. Donte, Nixon and Charlie ignored the bell and more than likely would be late to class like they usually have been doing lately. Spencer had class in the same direction as I, so he decided to follow me until we get right to the end of the hallway.

  The walk to class was quiet. I didn’t mind it at all. I enjoyed the fact that I didn’t have to fill up the void with meaningless conversations that I knew wouldn’t lead anywhere. I am not very good at starting them nor ending conversations properly unless I had a script.

  Since I was little, I have learned what to say, and they usually were encouraging words or gloating on how amazing I was as a mage to make the Frost family look good. Even at primary school, I had friends, but none I would say I was close to; it was all social status. I rarely spoke, in case I said something that would degrade my family. I kept my words to myself but handed out compliments and encouraging words like they were nothing. I was a mask. Now, when I don’t want to, I am wearing one.

  Spencer cleared his throat when we got to the end of the hallway that I needed to go down while he needed to go upwards, towards advanced English. I went to say goodbye when he looked embarrassed. His cheeks flushed red, and he averted his gaze away from me. I found it rather odd considering I haven’t done anything.

  “Uh, my dad… um, Headmage told me to tell you something.” So, that was more than likely the reason he wanted to sit with me. Spencer wanted a chance to talk to me privately – But with two diabolical brothers at the table, it must have been hard for him to initiate one when they would have listened. “He wanted me to tell you that we have an Academy Therapist that you can see. Her room is two doors up from Headmage’s office.”

  “Okay,” I replied blankly.

  His eyes widened, and he waved his hands before him and shook his head. “Don’t think that he thinks there’s something wrong with you. He said he forgot to tell you in the meeting. It’s mandatory to tell the students of the therapist if they need someone to talk to and there’s nothing the teachers can do to help, you know?”

  “Okay. Thank you very much for telling me about the therapist, Spencer. I greatly appreciate knowing,” I said, using the generic words I have known since I was a child.

  “Oh. Awesome.” Spencer grinned. “I will see you in sports. See yah.”

  I raised my hand, waved slightly and went down the stairs to my stinky, smoky classroom.

  “Therapist,” I murmured. “I wonder if this one will be forty minutes late if I went to see her.”

  Beautiful.

  The next day I left early and so did Silas. He needed to go to the library, and so I decided to follow. Donte and Nixon were plotting another prank once again and their room smelt like a fart bomb about ready to detonate. That led both of us to hurry ourselves out before they set their eyes on us for experimentation.

  I followed Silas and listened to him, ramble on about crystals. He wants to go shopping on Saturday to gain some clear crystals to teach his class how to deodorise them. Not entirely sure if the reason he th
ought of that was that every time Donte and Nixon open their door, it smells of decay, and an unflushed, used toilet bowl. Or perhaps he wants to create them for himself as well and kill two birds with one stone. Teach a class and deodorise our apartment before the stenches linger out and simmer down the stairs and to other rooms and offices.

  There was a door downstairs that goes into the library. Going through the cafeteria, there was a narrow hallway, darkly lit. At the end of the hall was large double doors that pulsed a green in colour. The doors opened before we got too close. They creaked inwards, and Silas flinched at the sound. I felt a slight tweak in the corner of my eye, but other than that, the urge wasn’t strong enough to break this curse.

  Silas left me to my own demise. I didn’t expect anything less from him or my other brothers. They tend to leave me alone and do things myself since I could remember. A habit that was hard to break, considering we didn’t have anything in common. I followed Mum everywhere, which meant sacrificing a lot of things I wanted to do and desire. That meant I spent less time with my brothers and to bond.

  On the first floor, past the receptionist desk, the librarian smiled at me. Brown eyes then quickly cast back down at the book in front of her when she noticed me looking at her. Straggly, straw brown hair then sprung out of the messy ponytail that tied her hair up.

  On the other side, some books were much older and stale. When I opened one up by a random page, I felt how flimsy and delicate the paper was, almost like the paper was going to crumble within fingertips. Carefully closing the book, I put it back and went to search for a book I scouted online. Should be in Mage Academy’s best library and from what Silas told me, the book I am looking for should be in the back-right corner on the first floor. An older model that hasn’t been refurbished, which meant that it would be where all old books go. To rot and die.

  Before the rows of books, there was something that reminded me of an Ordinary-Human ATM. It was a type of search engine. I typed in ‘Creating your own rune.’ I then pushed enter, and a slot where money would usually come out of, a green light came out and floated before me instead. I reached up to touch the green light when it started drifting away from me. I decided to follow the light down one of the dimly lit rows filled with old and dusty books. Nearing the end of the row of books, the light stilled and floated upwards. The dull green light faded from where I stood and subjected me in darkness. When the orb came back down, it had a thick, large book floating over it. I reached up and went to take the book when a loud crash came from behind me. Veins illuminated and I turned to see a couple of books littered on the ground. I then looked up at the gap the books made. A flash of movement surprised me on the inside. My heart pounded loudly in my chest, and I took a step back and hit into a hard object. Back around, the book I was after was right in front of my face. I reached out, and the orb faded, and the book dropped into my arms.

  Once I had the book, I looked back to the hole and peeked through, but there was no movement within the dimly lit row of books. I then lost interest and decided to go to the receptionist desk so that I could borrow this book for some time.

  I raised the book high, fingertips released the sides, and with a thump, the book slammed on the counter. I tried to not make it that loud, but the book was a struggle to carry within my arms.

  The librarian lady jumped out of her socks and yelped, frightened. Bushy brows shot up, and she clutched her cotton, button-up, lavender, long-sleeved, frill shirt, where her heart lays. I wish I could look apologetic, but all she could see was a blank canvas. She may even think that I didn’t care that I made noise or was bored with the fact that I was in a library in the first place and wanted to leave quickly.

  “Oh, my!” She gasped. “You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

  “Can you check this out, please?” I murmured.

  She blinked rapidly and released her grasp on her shirt and reached for the book I placed on the counter. “Wow. This is a wonderful read.” I nodded at her words. “Way better than using someone else’s runes. I recommend this book all the time to students, but no one has borrowed the book in some time. I am happy that you are, it is really knowledgeable.”

  “Yes. Thank you very much.”

  She breathed a laugh and flattened down her shirt. Confused as to why she laughed, I looked down at the book and back at her. She grabbed the book and reached for the scanner to scan the barcode.

  “I used to watch you when you came on television. You used that line a lot, but weirdly enough, deep down I knew you didn’t care, and your words weren’t genuine.” I went to object when she raised her hand and dragged the book back my way. “Eileen Frost, it’s perfectly alright. If you don’t want to say thank-you, you don’t have to, nor do you have to be nice to people that are mean to you. Trust me, when I look back, sometimes I wish I just didn’t say anything at all because those mages came back expecting something from me like I owed them. We are pretty manipulative.”

  “I agree,” I murmured. “I will take your advice well, Miss…” I trailed off.

  “Elizabeth. Just call me Elizabeth, Eileen. You are always welcome here, as well, if you ever want a place to escape.”

  “I will appreciate that.”

  Taking hold of the book, I lifted it with both hands that strained from the weight. I needed to place this book in a safe place before class, or else I will be carrying it around until the small lunch break. Perhaps I should put it in the tower with Lawliet. I doubt he would look at it, and I would need to read it while I am observing his boot so that I know what I am doing. So, it took me some time to carry the book up the flight of stairs and into the room.

  As I expected, Lawliet was sleeping in the spot I usually see him in. Without disrupting him, I placed the book down on the stone ground by the door and silently left.

  By the time I got down the stairs, the bell to alert mages that class was about to start ringing. Instead of getting a bite to eat, I decided to go up to English.

  The first period went quickly. When the bell rang, we all went to our second class, which most mages from English were in the same class. Charlie linked arms with mine, and her grin broadened. I enjoyed the fact that she could fill the silence without me talking. All I had to do was nod along and not listen, and she would talk and talk. She spoke about wanting to go shopping this weekend. Seemed to be on every mages mind besides mine. I wouldn’t mind staying at the Academy and sitting in the library for some peace and reading books that I wouldn’t have gained being away from the mage world for so long.

  I forgot we had to craft for the next class and crafting would have to be my second least favourite class. I enjoyed potions more than I enjoyed crafting. My least ideal class is also sport, which was not a surprise at all. I am not very good at sport, so running along a field that’s covered in ice, with squealing girls behind me complaining wasn’t my idea of fun and entertaining at all. Every time I had sport I imagined sitting by the fireplace in my apartment, soaking in the flames of the warmth.

  Our teacher handed out a crystal that had multiple swirling colours slithering inside. He also gave us utensils so that we can extract one of the colours inside to create a glitter bomb. The class was excited. Sadly, I do recall learning this at home when I was in third grade, so I am not sure we should be that excited. However, I need to remember that I have undergone extensive training in every category while these mages more than likely scraped through and were accepted by Mage Academy.

  Even knowing this was a top tier school, at the end, if we are still in an amateur class and that goes on our report, and we hand it in for a high-level job, but another mage from the same Academy handed in their form but were in masters class, there’s no doubt who they would pick.

  While I worked, Charlie tried to grab my attention by making a sound, similarly like a snake, with her lips. I could easily tune her out if I wanted to. If this were a rune creating class, I would have done so without a second thought. However, I was bored and can develop cryst
als with my eyes closed, especially this type of crystal. All I had to do was pick a colour written explicitly on the blackboard. I was aiming for yellow. I could hear Donte and Nixon behind me whispering about plotting a glitter bomb prank in sports.

  “Eileen,” Charlie hissed from beside me. Deciding to entertain her, I turned my head slightly. “I heard that next weekend some students from St Clairiss Academy are coming to Sorcerer City to shop around.”

  “Okay?” I questioned. “Why?”

  “Sorcerer City is the most famous mage city. We have the best clothes, so maybe some might browse earlier for dresses. I mean, next year we will be graduating. Best look now in case they have a dress you might like. Also, do you want to come and check out our competition?”

  “Competition?” I questioned.

  “St Clairiss Academy is second best compared to us. I am sure you would have applied to that school.”

  I looked back to my work and pushed the pin inside the top, where there was a small insertion hole. I am not sure if I ever applied. I recall my parents applying for many other schools when Mage Academy rejected me, but I had my eyes on Mage Academy and none other, so they did the rest without my consent. At that time, I didn’t really care if I were honest. I summoned a Guardian, and because that Guardian defended me from a mage that wanted to harm me, I became the most hated mage in the world.

  “Okay,” I agreed. “I might come.”

  There was no denying how interested I was to see other mages and how well they faired. I also know there are two mages from that school that have been offered to be potential rulers. So far, one has agreed, from what my mum told me and the other was still waiting. That means a total of four Highborn families, excluding my own, will be in the running.

  I will never be submitted in; everyone is just waiting for me to turn eighteen so that they can vote for another family to be our next ruler. But since coming here, I have noticed some mages are hesitant to vote for another. Not because they like me or deem what I did to be right all those years ago, but because they fear another war just like when Victor Malloy was ruler.