Arcane Dropout 2

by Edmund Hughes

  “You followed your heart, Lee,” whispered Tess. “You can’t have any regrets about that.”

  He looked into her face, noticing the earnest, dimpled smile she was favoring him with. She really meant what she was saying rather than just spouting words to cheer him up. Lee had to look away from her as he felt an odd, burning tingle at the edges of his eyes.

  “I think you did the right thing.” She pulled in closer, leaning her head against his shoulder.

  Lee ran his hand through her hair and embraced her for a moment, letting out a shaky sigh as he tried to accept her words as the truth.

  “I hope so,” he muttered. “I really do.”

  ***

  The next morning, Lee awoke to a frantic knock on his dorm room door. A young initiate that he didn’t recognize stood on the other side of it and began speaking immediately.

  “Instructor Escher needs your help,” said the girl. “She says it’s an emergency.”

  “Can it wait until—”

  “She says it can’t wait.”

  Lee got dressed and made his way to the Seruna Center with all the haste his tired body could manage. The alchemy lab was quiet, almost suspiciously so. He opened the door to Escher’s private office and was immediately yanked off his feet.

  The monster girls were waiting for him in ambush. Lee counted five, all of whom he recognized. Brie, Thumper, Widow, and Naka looked much as they had when they’d been helping him fight against the House of Shadows. Likewise, Ophelia, the lithe, beautifully scaled lamia instantly brought him back to his first encounter with Gabby in the mountain clearing.

  “He’s here!” said Brie. “Oooohhh… Hi, hi, hi.”

  The slime girl had been crouched low, and she began sliding up Lee’s inner leg, her body half-gelatinous, warm, and pleasurable.

  “Such a fine specimen,” whispered Widow as she circled him on her eight, spindly legs. The humanoid part of her was cute enough to make for a strange juxtaposition with the rest, and she reached out a hand that was mostly normal, aside from being dark purple in color, to caress his cheek.

  “The strong one,” said Naka, stomping a massive yak foot. “Lee Amaranth. I wish to wrestle you.”

  Thumper seemed content to watch from the sidelines while hopping from foot to foot, her bunny tail bouncing along with various other parts of her body. Ophelia let out a hissing laugh and proceeded to wrap her lengthy body around Lee’s upper half, pushing her thin, forked tongue into his mouth as she kissed him. Brie slid in for the kill, part of her slime body finding its way down the waistband of his pants and boxers and caressing his nether regions with warm, pulsating goo.

  “Amaranth!” called Escher’s voice. “Are they all distracted?”

  Widow had pulled him into an embrace from the side, while Ophelia continued giving him strange snake kisses. Naka and Thumper were still watching from the sidelines, but their backs were turned to the desk that Lee presumed his instructor was hiding under.

  “More or less,” he called.

  Escher jumped up from behind the desk, assuming the conjuration casting stance as she worked a spell. All five of the monster girls briefly flashed with a purple arcane glow as they dissolved back to where they’d come from, leaving Lee equal parts relieved and disappointed.

  “What the hell was that about?” he asked.

  Escher came around to the front of her desk and sat on it. Her hair was ruffled, and several of the buttons on the front of her shirt were undone, which she hurried to remedy.

  “I got in slightly over my head,” she said. “I had an idea about… well, it’s not important now. It would have worked, had the entities in question not developed such a perverse fascination for you.”

  “For me? What do I have to do with any of this?”

  “They liked watching you fight,” said Escher. “Several of them are interested in facing you one on one, while others just want to play with you.” She shrugged. “It may sound like a hassle, but I assure you, this will be a huge benefit for our research. Assuming we can keep them happy.”

  Lee hesitated, holding his tongue and considering the situation.

  “It sounds like you need my help now, more than ever,” he said.

  “I don’t need your help,” grumbled Escher. “I would, of course, appreciate it. Um… perhaps we can come to new terms? Some type of bonus on top of the salary I’ve already agreed to pay you.”

  Lee glanced at Tess, who’d been watching the scene play out with a smirk on her face. She tapped a finger against her lips and then brightened, coming in close to whisper an idea into his ear.

  “So…” said Lee. “I can’t cast summoning spells. It’s unlikely that I’ll ever be able to. But there is another way in which I could summon the monster girls, isn’t there?”

  “A summoning staff would be far beyond my capabilities to produce for you,” said Escher, shaking her head. “Even the enchanting instructor here at Primhaven would have difficulties with it.”

  Lee flicked his eyes toward Tess. She shook her head and whispered into his ear again.

  “Not a staff,” said Lee. “Spell scrolls. I want you to start paying me in spell scrolls.”

  “Scrolls?” Escher’s eyebrows shot up. “That could be arranged. They’re incredibly inefficient, however. Each scroll is just a singular cast, and the true name of each of the entities would need to be imbued into it. It’s more a plebian method of using magic rather than anything close to an elegant solution. I can’t imagine why a mage would take that approach.”

  Lee shrugged. “Trust me when I say that it makes a certain amount of sense for someone like me. Can you do it or not?”

  “I suppose…” said Escher. “I could provide you with, say, one summoning scroll of a specific monster girl per each four research sessions you assist with.”

  “One scroll for every three.”

  “Deal.”

  Tess let out a whoop and Lee couldn’t help but grin. Escher set about cleaning up her office, and he departed shortly after. He walked hand in hand with Tess as they made it out onto campus.

  “That was a really good idea,” he said.

  “You don’t know the half of it, Lee!” she said. “Not only would all of those monster girls be capable in a fight, but each scroll will basically be like a full recharge for my essence. All you have to do is find a few minutes of privacy, summon one of the girls, and then go wild! We can siphon as much essence as we want from them, since they’ll be heading back home afterward to rest.”

  “Like I said, it’s a really good idea.” He kept his tone neutral, trying to downplay how much the idea of having Thumper and Brie and all the rest of them at his beck and call excited him.

  “You should see yourself!” cackled Tess. “You look like Toma right now, with that perverted smile on your face!”

  “I do not!”

  “You’re blushing, Lee! Which one are you going to ask for a scroll to summon first? I’m fine with any of them other than Widow. She gives me the creeps.”

  CHAPTER 48

  Toma was awake when Lee arrived back at his dorm. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, posture crestfallen. He frowned and shook his head as Lee came into the room.

  “What’s up?” asked Lee. “I haven’t seen you this disappointed since your invisibility potion fizzled out. Don’t tell me that you’re mad about me being a no-show last night?”

  Toma sighed. “You actually made the right call, which is totally cracked. The party got busted before it ever even started. I was there early to help Jenna set up when Mattis came down on us, and I was basically the only one who got a real punishment.”

  “What’s she making you do?”

  “I have to serve as an assistant to one of the instructors,” said Toma. “Honestly, I saw it as an opportunity when I first heard, but Mattis didn’t include Nurse Susie among the choices. This would have been my best chance to figure out who she’s been boning.”

  “Some mysteries are best left uns
olved, Toma,” said Lee.

  “Screw that. I’m going to find out who it is eventually.”

  “When you do, be sure to come tell me first.”

  A knock came from outside the dorm. Toma opened it, letting Eliza inside. She was dressed in her initiate robes and immediately brightened upon seeing Lee.

  “Hey,” she said.

  “Hey.”

  They both looked at Toma, who took an exceedingly long time to take the hint. Toma cleared his throat, nodded to them, and left.

  “About yesterday…” said Eliza. “I think… I was in a bit of a weird mood.”

  “I get it,” said Lee. “After what we went through during the Equinox Ball, everybody is a little out of sorts.”

  She smiled at him. A curly strand of auburn hair fell loose across her face, and she brushed it aside.

  “I like you, Lee,” she said. “As a friend! I mean… as more, but not as like… Well, maybe eventually… Oh jeez. What I’m trying to say is that I don’t just want to be friends. I want to be more like friends with, uh, extras. Er, no. More like friends with benefits! Yeah! Wait, no. that’s not what I mean, either. I—”

  Lee stepped in and kissed her, cutting her off. Eliza tensed momentarily before melting into him as he embraced her. She blinked and stared at him as their lips parted, finally at a loss for words.

  “Let’s just take things slow and see what happens,” he said. “Sound good?”

  Eliza gave him an exaggerated nod, her face turning redder than her hair. She glanced at the door, then back at him, and then she kissed him. Her body felt really good against him, and it took a measure of willpower to keep from throwing her down on his bed and seeing what happened.

  “We have class,” whispered Eliza.

  “We could skip.”

  “I could,” she said. “You couldn’t. Not with your grades.”

  “Ooh, shots fired. I’m going to make you eat those words the next time we duel.”

  Eliza grinned. “Looking forward to it.”

  He let her head off to class ahead of him, deciding that checking up on Harper took priority over being on time. She was already in the process of getting dressed as he arrived, pulling a t-shirt on over her bra and lifting her ponytail out of the neckline.

  “Eldon,” she said.

  “Harper.” He grinned at her, unable to keep his relief at her being recovered from showing.

  Harper crossed her arms, looking decidedly sterner and more authoritative than she had during their last encounter. “You didn’t tell me about your meeting with Zoe. You kept that from me.”

  “And you lied to me about going home on medical leave,” said Lee. “How did you even find us?”

  “I followed you down to Gillum,” said Harper. “It wasn’t exactly a challenge to figure out what was going on.”

  Lee raised an eyebrow. “I guess not. How’s your shoulder feeling?”

  “It’s the only reason why I lost that duel. Zoe is powerful, but I would have defeated her easily at my full strength.”

  “Sure you would have.”

  Harper let out a single, amused snort. “Fair enough.”

  “Do you really think the situation would have played out any better had I told you about the meeting ahead of time?”

  Harper sighed. “I doubt it, at least knowing what I know now. I understand why you did what you did, Eldon. Had our roles been reversed, I’m not sure it would have been wise for me to tell you about the meeting, either.”

  “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

  He drew in closer to her, feeling an intimate, fluttering tension in the air between them.

  “You’re going to be on your own for a while,” said Harper, breaking the silence. “Mattis is insisting that I take some time off to clear my head. A replacement elemental instructor will be arriving from the Order to fulfill my duties in the meantime.”

  “Is this out of concern for your health, or as a punishment?”

  “Knowing Alora, likely both.” Harper sighed and shook her head. “Stay on guard while I’m gone. I have a bad feeling about the situation here on campus, and I’m not the only one, judging from the number of mages the Order has sent to provide stability.”

  “Do you think it relates to the House of Shadows and the Dealmaker?”

  “Perhaps.”

  Lee sat down on the infirmary bed next to Harper, saying nothing for a moment.

  “Zoe told me what really happened,” he said. “How she ended up joining up with them. The full story. If you’re interested in hearing it…”

  “I’m not.”

  “She isn’t evil, Harper.”

  “I know.” She looked over at him, letting her eyes settle on his. “Eldon, it isn’t about good and evil. I know Zoe, who she is, how she is. The world isn’t simple. It’s unfortunate, but entirely possible for two people who love and care about each other to end up on separate sides of a conflict, both with valid justifications for doing what they must do.”

  “But what if…?” He trailed off, unable to finish the question he knew Harper must have also considered.

  “She isn’t,” said Harper. “I can’t make any promises about what will happen moving forward, Eldon.”

  “I know.”

  She reached her hand over, threading her fingers through his. It was a small gesture, but still more intimacy than his master usually allowed herself. Lee stared at her, though she didn’t turn her face to meet his gaze this time.

  “You chose to stay instead of going with her,” said Harper.

  “I did,” he said. “She wanted me to bring you along, too. That would have ended badly.”

  “Very badly.”

  She finally looked at him. Lee felt his heart skip a beat at the vulnerable intensity of her deep-blue eyes. He did the only thing he could do, given the circumstances. He leaned in and kissed her.

  She didn’t stop him, and when the kiss ended, a small smile played across her lips.

  “Keep it in your pants,” she said. “Though your cheekiness can, at times, be endearing.”

  “She’s not the only one who thinks so,” whispered Tess.

  Lee chuckled and shrugged. “Think of it as a goodbye kiss. Rest up, Harper. Primhaven is going to need you back sooner rather than later.”

  “Let’s hope that’s not the case,” she said.

  EPILOGUE

  The water weighed Zoe’s clothing down as she pulled the mansion’s front door open and stepped into the warm interior. She’d done her best to keep her thoughts calm, guarded even from herself, on her way up from the beach. Especially from herself.

  She exhaled, letting out both her breath and her resolve. Eldon’s face would forever be burned into her mind. His furrowed brow, the conflict and hesitation in his eyes. She’d meant what she’d said to him. She would always love him, but much like the complicated nature of their other loyalties, it wasn’t a simple matter of just saying the words.

  Zoe blinked, feeling a few tears fall loose. Their warmth contrasted against the cold of the rest of her body. She unzipped her soaked winter jacket, pulling it off and preparing to head to the laundry room in the servants’ quarters to toss it into the dryer.

  “I’ll take that for you, Ms. Brock. I can also prepare a warm bath, if you’d like?”

  Ryoko accepted the wet jacket from Zoe, setting a fluffy white towel into her hands in place of it.

  “That’s quite alright,” she said. “Thanks though, Ryoko.”

  “He’s waiting down in the living room,” said Ryoko. “He told me that you should head in as soon as you’re ready.”

  “I will.”

  Zoe dabbed at her eyes with the towel first. Ryoko gave her a small bow before heading to tend to other household members. She technically had seniority over Zoe, over nearly everyone outside of the Dealmaker, but she was committed to her role as the caretaker of the mansion’s household.

  She went upstairs and changed into dry clothing. Most of the other members
of the House of Shadows lived outside of the mansion itself, and she appreciated the comfortable familiarity of the quiet hallways and calm ambience.

  She headed back downstairs in a t-shirt and sweatpants, still feeling cold and out of sorts. It would have been so much simpler if Eldon and Harper had just come with her. She’d been so sure that she could find a way to convince him. Her failure was deeply personal, and it almost felt like a condemnation of the choices she’d made, and the things she’d done.

  “Are you alright?” asked the Dealmaker.

  He was sitting in a lounge chair, staring into the fireplace. Zoe could only see the back of his profile, but his voice was tender and sympathetic. He’d placed his trust in her by letting her stay behind outside of Primhaven and reach out to Lee. He already knew that she’d been unsuccessful, but somehow, that didn’t make it any easier to face him.

  “No,” said Zoe. “I will be, though. Hopefully.”

  “I’m sorry, Zoe,” said the Dealmaker. “I know how badly you wanted to get your brother back.”

  “He’s so young and idealistic,” she whispered. “If he would have just listened to me for a little longer he would have seen the truth. He would have understood… if only.”

  “It isn’t always that simple,” said the Dealmaker. “Did you ever hear about Katie’s past? Who she was back before it all began?”

  “Only a little.”

  He stood and came around to the other side of his chair, folding his hands and smiling at her. Zoe felt her cheeks flush slightly at the intensity of his stare. She was perpetually surprised by how much younger he was than he seemed, only a year or two older than her, and rather unassuming in both face and body. He was just a normal man, not overly tall, handsome, or strong, though a tad paler than average, for obvious reasons.

  “She was my grandfather’s apprentice. Neither of them was affiliated with any factions. After he died, and I became what I am now, she eventually went on to join the Order of Chaldea.”

  “She was a member of the Order?”

  “Yes, for half a year or so before leaving. She left because of me. Because she couldn’t bear to fight me, even though she thought she should.”