Watching Neil interact with Noah was different than seeing him with the rest of us; sometimes, it was like Neil viewed us not only like three younger siblings, but as responsibilities.
My own shoulders relaxed in response to Neil’s expression. He rarely looked like other seventeen-year-old boys, so it was nice to see him act his age instead of like a worried old grandpa.
Neil smiled at something Noah said, and one of his dimples peeked out. I smiled along with him, glancing between him and Gray.
Neil didn’t have Gray’s amazing good looks, but he was attractive in his own way. It just wasn’t due to his dimples or bright blue eyes. It was the way his presence made me feel secure and the thrill that went through me when he flashed his crooked smile, knowing I had made him happy. And his nice forearms and solid chest didn’t hurt, either.
Ivy threw a folded piece of paper at me. It smacked me in the face and plopped onto the table.
I stuck my tongue out at her and opened it with a loud crinkle. She’d drawn a cartoon version of me staring at Neil with hearts in my eyes. Across the top she’d scribbled: ‘You’re doing it again.’ I hurriedly shoved it in my bag before any of the boys could see, tossing a glare her way.
“I’ll see you later.” Noah stood and cast a general wave around the table. “I have a meeting with the headmistress I can’t be late for.”
“What for?” Neil asked.
“I’m not sure, but I think it’s about my plans after graduation. She thinks I have a future in politics since I’m so good at relationships.”
“Isn’t it a bit early to talk about that?”
My heart thudded painfully. If Neil left, who’d keep the rest of us out of trouble and always have our best interests at heart? And who would commiserate with me when Gray and Ivy had their poetry competitions?
“It’s never too early for Grade Tens to think about their futures,” Neil responded as if quoting someone, probably Elsie.
A flutter of panic took flight in my chest. I didn’t want him to graduate yet. With his birthday around the corner and talk of graduation, the life I had known was slipping between my fingers like sand.
“Please don’t quote Headmistress Elsie to me," Gray groaned. "I get enough of her wisdom during my Light Magic class. ”
Noah snickered and slung his bag over his shoulder.
“See you back in the room.” Neil turned to his homework again. He always put one hundred and ten percent effort into his assignments.
My own attempt for a poem was too pathetic. I crumpled it up and reached into my backpack to get a fresh sheet of paper, but my hand found a school book instead. I pulled it out.
“Pst, Gray,” I whispered, trying not to alert Neil to my lack of productivity. “When do you need your book back?”
He scribbled on his homework. “What book?”
“A History of Light and Dark Elements,” I muttered. How could he forget? It was his book.
Gray stuck the end of his pencil in his mouth while he considered it. “Ah, that one. Keep it for as long as you need.”
“Won’t you need it for class soon?” I pulled it out and held it up.
He shook his head. “Nah, it’s better for you to have it.”
Aw, that was strangely sweet.
A grin lit his features. “That way, when the teacher asks me about my homework, I can have a legitimate excuse for not having it done.”
Or not.
Ivy joined our conversation. “I don’t think losing your book is a legitimate excuse.”
“Sure it is. How can I be expected to do the work if I don’t have the book?” Gray pointed out in a tone that suggested any other way of thinking would be ridiculous. And, to him, it probably was.
Ivy’s nose scrunched. She even did that delicately. If I did that, I’d probably look like I was trying to snort toadberry mushrooms. “I believe they’re kind of expecting you not to lose your book in the first place.”
Gray puffed out his chest. “And that’s why they’re underestimating me.”
“I think the word he’s searching for is overestimating,” I muttered to Ivy.
Poor Gray. He glared at us, and we erupted into a fit of giggles. Figuring out the way his mind worked was almost more impossible than figuring out my magic.
I slid the book across the table to him. He glanced at it briefly, pushed his lips into a pout, and slid it back. We continued pushing it across the table until Neil sighed in aggravation and cast a pointed look at our unfinished homework.
“Fine. Have it your way.” I pulled the book in front of me and cracked it open.
Light and Dark Magicals appeared in Andar after Magicals began binding with those from other regions, and less is known about them compared to the other elements. It is impossible to predict when they will be born, but they can come from any mixed Magical pairing.
Light and Dark Magicals are considerably rare, with only a few born in each generation, and their magic is some of the most powerful. Magicals born with Light Magic are always gifted with Dark Magic, but its use was forbidden after the Shadowed Days. [See chapter four for more information.]
I spun around in my chair to block out Ivy and Gray’s discussion.
Light Magic uses the Magical’s own energy. A Light Magical can perform varying tasks, the most common of which is healing. Dark Magic, able to steal energy from the surroundings and leave behind havoc and decay, only uses a fraction of the Magical’s energy.
They have one main similarity. Both Light and Dark Magic are highly addictive and dangerous. Since Light Magic uses the Magical’s own energy, there is always the danger of using too much and burning out. Light Magicals have been known to lose consciousness after healings or performing other feats of magic. They are strongly discouraged from using their magic when they are not at full strength, because they could easily attempt more magic than their body could handle.
Dark Magic does not have this same limitation. Unlike Light Magic, it is not restricted by the Magical’s energy. A Dark Magical can feed on the energy of the surroundings and continue to work far past the point when a Light Magical would already be exhausted. While Light Magic is stronger when the Magical’s feelings are pure, Dark Magic is stronger when there is negativity and chaos to feed off of. In times of war and distress, Dark Magicals are at their peak, and it can seem like they have the strength of two or three Magicals during these times.
I flipped the pages until I reached Chapter Four. Too bad it was such a thin book. I could read about this all day.
The Shadowed Days encompass Years 26 to 30 of Andar’s history during the reign of King Aiden and Queen Layla. Andar was unprepared for such an occurrence as Dark and Light Magicals were still fairly new to the country.
The Shadowed Days were only ever briefly discussed in our history classes. It was like the rest of the country was trying to forget it had ever happened. I shook my head. We should learn from the past instead of hiding from it.
During this time, a Dark Magical rose to power, terrorizing all of Andar. He employed many artifacts Andar had never seen before, such as Arresting Crystals and Burning Runes.
His power grew at an alarming rate, and all of Andar was covered by the shadow of Dark Magic. Those who wanted to join him were gifted with exceptional powers, while those who tried to stop him often disappeared.
A chill raced across my neck, and I glanced at my friends, reassuring myself I wasn’t alone.
Like all Dark Magic, the chaos fed his power, and more and more Magicals fell to him until his name was celebrated and feared.
The page rustled as I turned to the next one, almost ripping it in my haste.
The lives of many Magicals were lost in an attempt to stop him. Finally, the monarchy, the Koban and two Light Magicals and their bound ones, worked together to stop him. By working together and combining their magic, they were finally able to stand up to all the Dark Magic he accumulated.
It was a bloody battle, but in the end, the Light Ma
gicals were able to overcome the Dark Magic, and he was killed by King Aidan.
The chapter ended without any more details. The next chapter wasn’t related to the Shadowed Days. I flipped the page back and forth a few times. That was it?
“Ok, that’s it.” Gray spread his hands across the table top.
“What’s it?” I closed the book, giving him my full attention.
Ivy stared at Gray with a smirk on her face.
“We need to settle this fight the old-fashioned way.” Gray’s serious tone contradicted the twinkle in his eyes.
Neil also closed his book with a sigh. “Not again.”
“Em.” Ivy put a hand on my shoulder, but didn’t take her attention off Gray. “It’s time for a poetry throw-down.”
Neil and I looked at each other in horror and scrambled to gather our things.
“Oh, it’s on,” Gray whisper-shouted too gleefully. He took a moment, a pensive expression on his face, then intoned in a deep voice, “‘Those who lack bravery are sure to die many times, but the strong in heart will only die once.'”
“Puh-lease,” Ivy scoffed. “Are you even trying? That’s obviously from Rina Folke.”
Gray crossed his arms. “I took it easy on you, since it was the first set.”
“Or maybe the easy ones are all you know,” Ivy teased. “Then I guess I should go easy on you, too.”
Neil and I made our escape as Ivy began. “'A rare few are inherently created with power; an even smaller amount achieve it on their own; but the rarest of all are those who are forced into power and must accept it.'”
Her voice faded when the doors closed, and Neil burst out laughing, dimples coming out again.
Several girls cast admiring glances his way, and my smile dimmed. Those girls didn’t know the real Neil. They just liked him because of his status. They had no idea that Neil was the kind of guy who’d tell someone what they needed to hear, even if they didn’t want to hear it. All they saw was his three-magic specialty.
His steps turned toward the library, and I followed. I needed to finish Gray’s book and return it to him, despite what he thought. Even though I couldn’t take their classes, they often shared things they learned with me. And Gray was more than willing to lend me his school books.
“How are your classes going?”
He was always so good about focusing on other people. It was another one of the million things that made Neil lovable. His hand brushed mine, making me hyper aware of how close we walked.
“P-pretty well,” I stuttered, immediately cursing myself. I never stuttered around Neil. He’d know something was up immediately.
He glanced at me with a small frown. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” I responded too quickly. I needed to tell him something. “What do you think about the missing princess?
“Her appearance would be a miracle.” His hand brushed against mine again.
Hot tingles broke out on my hand and raced up my arm. It wasn’t fair for him to be so incredible. I reached for his hand.
Prancing pegasi, what was I doing? Neil didn’t like me like that. I’d ruin everything.
I gripped the straps of my bag and took a deep breath, ordering my heart to calm its frantic beating. What were we talking about?
“But you don’t actually believe she’s still alive, right?” I tightened my grip. “I don’t like how much everyone counts on the idea of her. If she’s alive, she probably would’ve come forward. But the odds are, she isn’t. So everyone should stop holding their breath.”
“I think you’re right. She probably isn’t alive, but she is the country’s last bit of hope. Can you blame everyone for preferring to call her the missing princess? The fact her body was never found is the only thing that’s feeding everyone’s hope.”
That was another thing about Neil, Gray as well—they never gave up hope, something I was too quick to do. “I know,” I agreed. “But we should try to solve our own problems, not wait around for something that may never happen.” A bit hypocritical considering the state of my love life, but whatever.
“You’re right. Even if Princess Nicola did appear and the political situation settled down, it doesn’t help with these missing kids.”
“Plus, if she appeared, then you’d be encouraged to date her,” I muttered. “And Gray,” I added belatedly.
“I don’t want to date the princess,” he whispered.
His stare sent electric tingles through me. Who did he want to date? I ached to ask him, but wasn't sure I really wanted to hear the answer.
Should I ask him? Did I really want to know? I opened my mouth. But what would I do when he said someone else’s name? I wasn’t prepared for that kind of disappointment.
We arrived at the library, and he held open the door for me.
I walked past him and sighed. So much for that opportunity.
About a week later, the four of us were on the quad, enjoying a rare warm white season Noxday afternoon. Neil was the only one being productive while the rest of us lounged around.
The buzz of other conversations from surrounding groups fluttered around us on the breeze, but the only sounds at our table were the scratch of Neil’s pencil as he worked on designs for one of his inventions and Ivy’s quiet humming.
I tipped my head back to the sun and closed my eyes. If only this afternoon could last.
“Don’t you three have any homework to do?” Neil’s voice carried from my left, accusation in his tone. “You don’t want to fall behind in your classes.”
“I thought I’d give mine to you. You seem to enjoy doing it.” There was a thump, and then Gray grunted.
“Put your blueprint away, Neil,” I said. “It’s too beautiful of an afternoon to ruin it with work. Besides,” I cracked an eye open, “you’ve been stressed since the term started. Bring fun-Neil back for a while.” I closed my eyes again and folded my arms behind my head.
“Fun-Neil, huh?” His voice got closer and a whisper of wind threaded through my hair.
An explosion shattered the peaceful calm of the quad.
My heart skipped a beat, and I cracked an eye open. Even if situations were expected, they weren’t something you could get used to. It was like trying to get used to Gray popping out of random hiding places on campus and scaring us.
Gray laughed. “What did you do, Neil?”
Neil held his hands in front of him defensively. “That was not me.”
I sat up, joining the other students scanning campus to pinpoint the source. Situations like that were common, since a lot of the younger grades still had trouble controlling their magic. Even with the best teachers in the world, like we had at Ackley, such incidents still happened. Everyone knew it was best to figure out where the problem was so we could stay out of the way.
“Good thing the buildings are resistant to magic. That was a pretty intense blast,” Ivy muttered.
“If I’d known the Fire Magicals class would be that exciting, I would’ve signed up for it,” Gray joked.
Neil groaned. “Gray, you don’t sign up for—”
A scream echoed across campus, and the relaxed chatter turned into a wave of panicked voices.
I turned and met Neil’s worried gaze. “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know. But we need to get inside now. This doesn’t sound like a problem with the younger grades.” He frantically shoved things into his bag while the rest of us flung our unopened bags over our shoulders.
People rushed around in a chaotic stampede. Someone collided with my shoulder, and I lurched forward.
Neil caught me. His hand slid down my arm until it found mine, and he held on tight.
With his hand holding mine, I was able to take a deep breath and push down on the panic swirling inside me. I reached behind me for Ivy’s hand.
Another scream sounded, closer that time.
Neil shoved a path through the swarm of bodies rushing for the safety of the buildings, casting frequent glances back at
the rest of us.
Gripping Ivy’s hand tightly, I pulled her behind me, and Gray followed. I glanced over my shoulder and stumbled.
A lone girl walked across campus. She stood out—a calm figure in the sea of disorder, ambling toward the center of the buildings. Her unhurried pace and black clothes made her stand out even more. She wasn’t an Ackley student.
Neil pulled us into the closest building. Through the glass doors, we watched the empty quad.
It was easy to see the Academy Heads and a few Magicals I didn’t know as they spread out around the intruder. They must be the security personnel Headmistress Elsie mentioned. Until now, the Koban had done a good job of staying out of sight around campus.
Drifting across the grounds, the girl appeared unaware of the obstacles in her path.
I held my breath. Was she looking for something? Or someone?
She flicked her hand and one of the benches caught on fire.
Mr. Mizuno quickly doused it with his Water Magic.
Miss Ventor, the Air Academy head, stepped forward and pushed her hands out in front of her.
The girl jerked to a stop.
My palm was slick with nervous sweat inside of Neil’s hand.
He squeezed my fingers, and the frantic beating of my heart eased a little. I glanced behind me at the teachers trying to calm frantic students.
Mr. Harper and Mrs. Mallin walked among the panicked students. “If everyone would calm down, this will be taken care of shortly.”
I turned back to face the front.
The girl’s vacant expression never faltered. She threw her hands against the wall of air and pushed. When that failed, she stepped back and threw a huge fireball toward it. It smashed into the invisible wall and disappeared into smoldering tendrils.
Again, she stepped back. Her hands came together in front of her chest and, for a second, there was silence. She could’ve been praying.
Then she disappeared—consumed in an explosion so intense, it shattered the prison of air around her. Indigo-tinged flames shot in every direction, suddenly free from their restrictions and eager to consume anything in their path.
Unleashed Magic (The Chronicles of Andar Book 1) Page 5