Gail scoffed and shook her head. “I doubt that, Eileen. From what I could remember, you were more powerful than mage teachers at Mage Academy, or surrounding Academy’s. I assume you have not lost your touch. If anything, you would be level with year twelve students. I have a theory that whatever Guardian you summoned is something else entirely. Possibly even stronger than a dragon Guardian. Obviously, they do not want to be known. That gold aura was a cloak.”
“A cloak?”
“Before I became a therapist, I specialised in Guardian knowledge. Some Guardians cloak themselves in an aura to conceal their identity. Your Guardian doesn’t want to be seen. Your Guardian is protecting itself, and that is more frightening than a dragon Guardian could ever be. It’s also illegal and hard to do. Every Guardian has to reveal itself, so mages know who they are up against. Fiona had no chance against your Guardian. Be careful and mindful. Your Guardian seems to react to your emotions.”
“I don’t have emotions,” I replied blankly.
“On the inside,” Gail corrected herself. Silence then filled the air as I dwelled on what she has told me. “Uh… hmm. Has anything else happened since coming to Mage Academy?”
“Yes,” I agreed. “Recently.”
“Go on?” She persisted.
“I think I am being followed.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but the morning breakfast bell rang. A sound that’s not really heard unless on the first floor of the Academy, near the cafeteria area. It alerts students that food has been prepared and unique breakfast and hot food are available. I sacrificed sleep to come here, for I desperately wanted to talk to someone before I went crazy. However, I wasn’t going to limit myself and sacrifice breakfast as well. I already skip recess because I want to spend time with Lawliet.
I knew she wanted to persist, but ended up letting me go when I stood and walked to the door and out. I didn’t say goodbye or thank-you for the session. If I did, she would have retaliated and wanted to ask why I believed I was being followed. I didn’t want to answer her because I am not for sure certain if I am being followed or not. I just have that overwhelming feeling of a presence behind me, but when I turn, nothing is there. Not sure if it is all in my head or if a mage was playing tricks whenever my back is turned. I needed to know more before I spout out to everyone that someone is following me. Not even to Lawliet, the one I already deem closest to, aside from my family and Hopper, the over-exaggerated bunny that would have more than likely break out in a cold sweat if I told him.
Inside of the cafeteria, my brothers were seated with Charlie, Kent and Lollie. As I walked past, I overheard them rambling on about all the rules they place on each other.
“Dude,” Nixon started. “If Donte broke rule one-hundred and thirty-seven I would be pissed off!”
“What’s rule one-hundred and thirty-seven?” Charlie asked.
I immediately rendered their conversation useless and persisted towards the cafeteria line. My eyes darted left to right, seeing if anyone was looking at me suspiciously. All there was, were the teenagers that sneered, whispered and talked about me when my back is turned. There was no feeling like when someone watches me. At least not yet.
I took a dish from the stacks and stood behind a group of people that didn’t necessarily form a straight line. They were clumped together in a ball of social skills. Nervous, I tugged the sleeves of my jumper down over my wrists and the runes. I began to become impatient. All I wanted was to grab my food and sit down, but this group was not budging in the line at all.
A girl with red hair in a braid looked back and snorted a laugh and tugged the girl’s shirt from beside her. She leant in, almost like she wanted to whisper her a secret, but it became painfully evident that she wanted me to hear her. “Both of the double D’s are here.”
The girl beside her looked back at me and snickered. “Shh. She’s behind you,” the girl with dark black with a tinge of blue hair hissed.
There was no denying she was talking about me. Perhaps a new rumour that has spread without my knowledge. Doesn’t surprise me. Sooner or later, I assumed they would start and spread virally like tales usually do. Next, they would be in every newspaper, magazine and in the tabloids, like rumours about me typically do. Mages love the mention of my name.
I wonder who the other D stood for.
The group of girls that were before me finally took their food and left the line. I took a step forward, placed my plate on the silver bench and went to reach for a jelly cup that had crystal flakes inside when Lawliet came into view. That’s when the voices became louder inside my ears. They were hushed, whispering, hissed voices, but they grew, amplified. Louder and louder to the extent that I wanted to give up. I left the plate there on the bench with the jelly-cup and decided to wait outside of my English class instead.
I crouched down before the door to the English class, took out my notebook and touched the rune that was nearly perfectly designed on the page. Lawliet said there needed to be a few more components left, but I am sure I can make this rune work without them. Perhaps I should try the rune at recess time when I usually go up to the tower.
I took out my pen from my bag, within loose fingertips, my pen dropped and rolled along the stone ground. Puffing my cheeks, irritated, I crawled over to it. I reached out and went to pick the pen up when I heard this creaking sound from behind me. I looked back and to light that seeped through the crack of this door that was closed before.
I ignored the pen that was within fingertips reach and stood. I crept to the door. Every step that I took, it was silent. Veins lit and edged to the surface. I could activate every rune on my body or my boots if I wanted to or if I needed to. Standing before the door, part of the light covered my body. There was no warmth. Even in winter, sunlight doesn’t keep one warm even in daylight. Brown oak door stood in my way from the presence that seems to follow me when my back is turned. Fingertips gently pushed the door open and white, pale light covered over all of me.
It was a room like every other on this floor. Tables and chairs before a blackboard, but there were no signs of life. Not a mage soul inside. An empty room and no presence or chill like I felt before when that door opened while my back was turned. I puffed my cheeks while I turned around and desired to jump when someone grabbed hold of my arm.
“Hey.” My heart that skipped a beat went back to its usual thump when I noticed that it was just Spencer. “Is this yours?” He raised my pen.
I took hold of the pen within his grasp. “Yes,” I answered. “Why are you here? You don’t take an amateur English class.”
“I overheard Donte and Nixon’s conversation in the cafeteria. You weren’t there, and I know sometimes you tend to leave earlier to class. I hoped you didn’t go inside. You would probably reek of skunk.”
“I am smarter than that,” I murmured. “I have been dealing with them for years.”
Spencer laughed. “Right.” He nodded. “Poor you.”
“Poor me,” I whispered.
The bell rang. Now that he knows that I wasn’t going into class, he left and went back down the stairs. I waited, and it was easy waiting out the front. No one thinks anything of it when I sat there and drew in my book. Even my brothers. They waved gleefully and were the last in the line. They waited outside and counted down from five. By the time I stood and walked over to them, a bang rumbled the classroom and green smoke puffed out of the door. Screeching echoed in the room as well as hurling noises and gaging sounds. I think mages were vomiting because this splatter sound also came from the room.
Beside me, Donte and Nixon had brimming grins on their faces as they cackled evilly. The pitch of their voice rose higher and higher to the point that when the teacher came out with the students, covered in a green powder, she immediately knew exactly who ]the culprits were.
English, again, was dismissed because of them. For some reason, Donte and Nixon don’t like English. Not sure if it was because English tests their vocabulary and grammar. A s
ubject they never excelled in, really.
At recess time, I went straight up to the tower. Inside the room, Lawliet was sleeping on the table and in his usual position. He doesn’t go on edge whenever I come in now. Sometimes he may peek, look at me and go rest once again. This time, he must have wanted sleep.
Beside him was his boots and beside the boots, on my side of the table, there was a jelly cup with crystal flakes inside. I was curious, but not enough to steer me from my objective, and that was the blackboard.
I designed my rune on the blackboard. My hands were covered in chalk, dust swirling in the air. Every symbol, cursive and design meshed into a flawless rune, breathtakingly beautiful. I stepped back and away from the board and kicked off my shoes and took off my socks and wiggled toes. I then took hold of the chair that I usually sit at and dragged it to the board and stepped up on the chair. Then I lifted one of my legs up and placed my foot inside of the rune. My hands rested on my chest, and then I bowed my head. A soft breath escaped my lips.
“Activate, stick rune,” I whispered.
Ready to see if this rune works, I bent my knee, hopped up and let my foot plant onto the rune. Everything went downhill from there. Literally. My body wasn’t strong enough. Instead of sticking, similarly like Lawliet’s had done, my back craned backwards, knees bent, and I knew my head was going to hit against the seat I was standing on. When I closed my eyes, I heard the chair knock over. My feet that were stuck to the rune released and I sucked in my breath. Warmth flooded into me like dragon breath, hot and ferocious. I slammed into hard flesh. As I clung onto someone, I felt the softness of hair and a shoulder within my grasp.
Eyes opened slowly, and I looked up and into Lawliet’s golden eyes. I was positioned awkwardly within his embrace. My legs were tucked up, one of his arms was underneath them while the other wrapped around my shoulders, supporting me into a seated position. I sat there on his lap, unable to think clearly. Lawliet looked down, and we were a breath away from each other. Golden eyes, intense, then rolled and settled onto the board. I followed his sights. He severed the ties to the rune by wiping the activation circle, destroying the rune completely.
“I told you that you needed a few more components.” He relaxed his muscles, and I shifted off of his lap, and we both stood. Lawliet pointed to a part of the rune that wasn’t wiped off. “You forgot tension.”
“Tension?” I questioned.
“A small symbol that tightens your torso and locks your legs so that we don’t have exactly what you did,” he explained more clearly.
“I see.” I looked at the board and pictured the whole design with an addition of a small tension symbol meshing with the rest. “Show me, please.”
Lawliet cleared the blackboard and drew a rune I know very well. It was the rune I am fixated with that’s on his boots. After he finished drawing his rune, he drew a line down to a small symbol that does look like a tension symbol, now that I can see this much larger version of his rune.
“Just like elemental minerals, you have to start at the core,” Lawliet started. “With defying gravity and walking along walls, tension works as a balance. I have tried placing this symbol in other places on my rune, but the tension symbol didn’t work as well. After hundreds of torn papers, anger management classes and cool off sessions, tension worked in that location, and I stuck to it. You will have to figure out where yours will be placed. But, if you ever, I don’t know, decide to jump up on a wall again, have someone there to catch you when you fall.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
“For saving you from a concussion or giving you pointers for a rune?” Lawliet asked.
“Pointers for the rune,” I answered flatly.
Lawliet chuckled. The low audible sound didn’t look as if it should be coming from him. It made me feel light and fuzzy on the inside. It has been so long since someone has helped me with a rune. My parents never around, grandfather – the one that used to help me a lot – disappeared, Hopper spoke in utter devotion, and Silas lurked behind my brothers that destroyed everything in sight and only cared for potions. Now I have someone that excels, more than likely better than me at runes and is very straight to the point. I like that about Lawliet.
A queasy feeling stirred within. If I could smile, it would be small but enough to know that I was happy with our progression. The ill thoughts of the fact that he was a Dragon tend to wash away in these moments when we talk about runes.
“This is for you as well,” Lawliet announced suddenly. I slowly blinked out of my thoughts and noticed Lawliet back at his desk. He dragged the jelly-cup across the table and in my direction. “You walked out without eating. What was on your plate was this jelly-cup. I am assuming those girls bothered you enough to leave instead of eating.”
Beside Lawliet, I nodded in agreement and took hold of the jelly-cup. We sat down, and I used my fingernail to scoop the jelly out. Lawliet looked disgusted enough to look the other way. I found it rather amusing how I disturb mages with my strange eating habit. But I find that eating like this makes me feel like I have emotions I could express outwardly.
“What are you doing tomorrow?” Lawliet asked.
“Charlie, Spencer and I are going into Sorcerer City tomorrow. Supposedly students from St Clairiss Academy are travelling here to shop. They want to view our competition,” I answered. “You?”
“Who is Spencer?” Lawliet asked.
“A friend. I have rune specialist class with him… oh, I have that class next. Why?”
“No reason,” Lawliet muttered. “I have nothing planned so far. Probably sleep.”
“You sleep a lot. Why?”
“I hate winter. It’s too cold for me… my dragon side, I mean. Dragons usually hibernate in winter. We enjoy the warmth and heat of summer. That’s when our fire is strongest.”
“Fascinating,” I mused. Without any warning, I reached out and touched Lawliet’s cheek. Golden eyes widened, surprised by my contact. “You’re warm.” The bell rang. Immediately, I stood, took the empty jelly-cup with me and left. “Goodbye.”
“Eileen,” he called, but I ignored his words and went down the stairs.
I did it again. Reached out and said things I shouldn’t have said out loud. I wonder why. Perhaps the reason maybe because I feel somewhat comfortable around him. I can tell him and know my words won’t reach the tabloids. They won’t go into any newspapers or reach the gossip section in the news. I think I trust him, and I find it rather difficult to trust anyone, even what I say to my brothers. So, this would be a first.
Inside of my Rune Specialist class, I sat beside Spencer. I find it easy to sit beside Spencer in this class. Not that many mages talk or pick on me in when I sit beside him. I think it may be because he is Headmage’s son. They don’t want to get in trouble. Therefore, I find it a good idea to be around him when I am around others. If only he would walk beside Charlie and me in our sports class instead of racing off with the other boys, enjoying their track run in the snow.
I drew a lot in this class. It excites me to learn how to teleport from one location to another. My teacher wanted us to create a rune to teleport an apple, for starters. Teleportation is rather tricky. I could possibly teleport and have half of my body and leave the other half where I was before. A dangerous rune, therefore our teacher wants to make sure we design the rune flawlessly by making we can teleport fruit and random objects without a fault. I most definitely don’t want to be split in two. I can only imagine what gossip would be in the headlines if I were to make a mistake. I doubt my Guardian could save me then, not like my Guardian appears in the first place unless they wanted.
When the class finished, our teacher reminded us to buy proper scrapbook this weekend.
Outside of the classroom, I followed Spencer down and into the cafeteria room.
“We should duck into the rune crafting store tomorrow as well,” he said. I nodded in agreement. “I actually might make a list of what I need to get tonight when I get back to th
e dorms.”
“Same. Do you live with another student?” I asked.
“Uh, yes. Even knowing I am Headmage’s son, doesn’t mean I get any special circumstances.” He laughed, finding what he said was funny. If my dad were Headmage, I would more than likely ask them if I could have my own space. The thought of living with Charlie horrified me. I’d never get sleep. “Who is your roommate?”
“He’s really chill. Wes, the… uh, the dark coloured skin guy in our sports class I always throw the soccer ball to.” I nodded. Vaguely remembering him as the tallest guy in our year. “He might come as well tomorrow. I invited him. I think Charlie mentioned it to Lollie and Kent, so they’re coming as well. It will be a big group.”
I nodded.
I don’t like big groups, I never have. Even when I was younger, I had a few close friends that I sat with at lunch or brought over to my home for “social sleepovers.” Hearing that we are going as a large group made me want to back out immediately. Larger groups cause unwanted attention, especially by mages that don’t like me at all. The last thing that I wanted to do was to bring other people in my mess. In the social light and not for good reasons.
I was growing worried, but not enough to tell Spencer or anyone for that matter. I am too curious about St Clairiss Academy. I want to know who agreed to be up for nomination after I turn eighteen. I want to know who may be the potential ruler of Organisation. I want to see if they would be a good ruler and nothing like Victor Malloy.
Down the stairs and into the cafeteria, Spencer raised his arm and stopped me in my tracks. Confused, I stilled and looked around until I spotted a group of mages egging something on. I ducked underneath Spencer’s arm, and he went to reach out to touch me, by my veins lit up and he immediately retracted his arm. Looking away from Spencer, I went to the crowd. Mages noticed me. Whispers of both Double D’s being here swirled around me once again until I broke out of the crowd and was now in the centre of the ring. Lawliet and Rokk – the one that always bullies Lawliet – were eyeing each other off.
Emotionless (The Emotionless Book 1) Page 20