by Demi Dumond
Actual cheering erupted. I didn’t join in. My suspicious nature was taking over and decided to fold my arms and wait for the other shoe to drop.
“It’s a magical test,” she said. “Just one spell. It’s a combination of the subjects of magical performance and ancient history.” She grinned even bigger. “It’s a magical purity test from centuries ago, used to root out dark magic for security purposes.”
She looked at me. But she already knew I could do forbidden magic. What was the point of re-humiliating me in front of everyone? Anyway, the joke was on her. Instead of taunting me, the students were now afraid and actively avoiding me in the hallways. I can’t say I was upset by the development.
“Ava,” she called. “You’re up first. Try the spell. And don’t forget, class, this is just for historical perspective purposes. If you try the spell you get a perfect score. Refuse, and you get a double zero. Just to be clear, that means you fail the class.”
Ava made her way up to the front of the room. Professor Kiln slid a piece of paper into her hand and then gestured for her to begin.
A few seconds later, Ava said the spell, while everybody held their breath. Nothing happened. Then, a smiling Ava retook her seat and the whole process started again with the next student.
I knew for sure she’d make me go last, for effect, I suppose. I knew that something would probably happen when I said the spell, making me un-pure, or whatever the point of all of this was.
Then she called on Malachai. Oh shit, I forgot about Malachai. He had some dark magic too. I got why she was going after me, but why humiliate the one guy helping you? It seemed like a mean move on her part.
Malachai made eye contact with me quickly before making his way up to the front. He said the spell, a look of concern on his face.
When he finished, yellow sparks left his fingertips. It looked like a much stronger form of static electricity. For a moment, Malachai looked confused. Then he wobbled. If Professor Kiln wouldn’t have burst forward at a dead run to catch him, he would have hit the floor.
She helped him to a nearby chair and handed him a can of what looked like cherry fizz energy drink. I recognized it because it was the only kind they sold on campus. And it was delicious.
“Drink this, you’ll be fine in a couple of minutes.”
Half a dozen hands shot up, they all had questions about Malachai now.
“Yes,” Professor Kiln said, not bothering to call on any of the hands that were raised. “This was expected. Malachai is a fallen angel, and as such, his magic is on a spectrum that would have been viewed with suspicion hundreds of years ago. I would caution you students to understand that doesn’t automatically mean he would have not been admitted to an academy.”
I had to sit there and squirm for the rest of the class waiting my turn. Finally, she called my name. There were whispers all around me as I made my way to the front.
Steadying myself, I prepared to say the spell, wondering if Professor Kiln would catch me or let me hit the floor. Hey, at least maybe I’d get an energy drink out of it. With that thought, I said the spell.
As I did, I felt a strange, new magic flow through me. It was different than the spell I used in the forest against the dragon and different still than the magic that had been trying to push its way into my emotions.
Remembering what Malachai’s reaction was, I turned my fingertips away from the students and toward the wall. Just in time, as it turned out.
The purplish and black streams that left my fingertips popped, crackled, and sparked. The streams hit the wall, which had heavy spells on them that caused my spell to fizzle.
Wherever the streams from my fingers hit, the illusion of castle disappeared and uncovered the regular academy building with the normal windows overlooking the forest.
The other students gasped. Then the spell finished, and I stood there. I hadn’t fallen, I hadn’t wobbled. I stood still, trying to figure out if I was okay. I was fine. In fact, I was starting to wonder if I was going to get that energy drink after all when Professor Kiln jumped to her feet and circled me.
That was the moment that the bell rang, and the other students couldn’t get out of there fast enough, feeling the tension in the air and already freaked out about the new display of forbidden magic.
This time it wasn’t my fault, though, this time it was hers. It didn’t matter though, because of the secrecy spell she had sworn us to. I wondered what other strange classes we’d be subjected to this summer while under the spell.
When everybody except Professor Kiln, Malachai, and I had left, the Professor shot a fingertip at the classroom door, slamming it closed. I heard the mechanism lock.
“What exactly are you, Keira?” she asked, her beady eyes regarding me with suspicion. It was getting old, to tell you the truth.
“You already knew I could use dark magic,” I snapped. “What the hell was the point of all of that? I get humiliating me. And the joke’s on you, the student body already hates me and tried to kill me once.
“But Malachai, well, he’s your lacky. Why would you do that to him? And how does this help you figure out what the hell’s going on around here? Are you so bored?”
I felt like this was my only chance to vent and I took it. What was she going to do? Make my life even more miserable? I doubted that was possible. And besides, I had played along and said her stupid spell. Technically I just got an A in the class.
“Don’t worry, it’s all connected, dearie. It has to be. Now answer the question. What exactly is your heritage?”
“Fuck if I know,” I answered. “Don’t you remember that first day when I took that magical test for admission and I barely passed? Headmaster Crowe said I had little to no magic to speak of. That was the first time in my life that magic or the supernatural ever came up.”
I watched Kiln’s face and I saw the moment she remembered the conversation. “You’re right,” she said. “That wasn’t so long ago, either. Whatever enchantment we’re under here, it’s getting stronger. Either way, I’m going to have to find out what you are.”
“Why?” I asked her.
“If we can figure out your background, maybe we can figure out what part you play in all of this. Because the one certain thing in all of this is that you do have a part to play.”
“I don’t think this is about me,” I said, trying to object, but she was already moving. She unlocked the door and let the students in before informing them she would be taking a sick day.
“Don’t worry, there will be no makeup work. Use this time as a study hall or whatever,” she said as she left with a flourish. Malachai and I just stood there with our mouths hanging open.
17
Keira
It had already been such a strange day. Malachai and I left Professor Kiln’s class and walked down the hallway for a moment together trying to process it all.
Between the Professor Kiln drama and the hunter’s moon tonight, it felt like the calm before the storm. I wanted to do anything besides go to professor Smythe’s class right now. But the one thing I couldn’t do for sure was give him an excuse to fail me. Until I knew more, I couldn’t afford to give him or the headmaster any ammunition against me.
To make matters worse, I had no idea if I could even trust Professor Kiln. I turned to Malachai, who looked lost in his own thoughts. “Do you trust her?”
“Who?” Malachai asked.
“Professor Kiln, you idiot. Obviously you do, or you wouldn’t be running around doing her bidding.” How could I trust anything Malachai said either?
Malachai stopped walking and grabbed me by the arm. He searched my face. “Look,” he said, “I know you don’t trust her, but she wants the same thing as you. Basically, to figure out what’s going on here and get out. She wants us all to survive.”
“I don’t know that she wants all of us to survive. I know she wants to survive. She hates me, and apparently, she has no trouble throwing you under the bus. Why aren’t you worried?”
“I know you don’t trust her, but you can trust me.”
I know what he did before, but I looked into his eyes and I saw something different. Something real. Something I could trust. Then, just when he had me convinced, he pushed it too far. “Just promise me you won’t do anything crazy, especially with the dragon, until she gets back to us about the prophecy and your background.”
“That depends on when she gets back to me,” I said with a scowl. Then I walked away.
18
Keira
The rest of the afternoon dragged on through more classes and lunch. Finally, when we were done with dinner, the sun went down.
That’s when I felt a tingle of excitement. Whether things were going to go well or badly, they were going to happen soon.
Nervous excitement filled me as I reached my dorm room. The only thing I could think to do with my time was refresh my reading on the particular spell I was going to use, even though I’d read it half a dozen times now. I could probably recite it in my sleep.
I had just settled down on the couch when there was a knock on the door. “I got it,” I said loud enough for Ivy to hear, because I knew it would piss her off.
When I opened it, though, I was surprised to see Malachai and Professor Kiln. Both of their faces were dour. This wasn’t good news at all.
“Come in,” I said, although their timing couldn’t be worse. I didn’t care what she found. I was going through with my plan no matter what. Now I feared they were here to talk me out of it.
Professor Kiln pushed her way in first and made herself comfy on my couch. I suspected Ivy was eavesdropping again, but there was nothing I could do about it.
What could I do? Ask Professor Kiln to go in my room, shut the door, and all sit on my bed like we were having a sleepover? Malachai and I sat in the chairs across from the sofa.
“How’d you do it?” Professor Kiln asked me, her eyes accusatory as usual.
“You’re going to have to be more specific when you’re accusing me of being evil after asking me to perform forbidden magic in your classroom,” I said, tiring of the bullshit.
“You do know that Headmaster Crowe called me into his office after I saved everybody from the dragon, right? Did you know that he asked me point blank where all this forbidden magic stuff came from?”
I let it sink in for a moment. “Well, he did. And I didn’t rat you out, did I?” I pointed toward my own forehead. “Well, go on, check your secrecy spell. Did I?”
“You didn’t,” she answered.
“Then you can talk to me like a human being. I don’t deserve all of this shit. I can’t help who I am. I think. Who the hell am I, did you find out?”
“According to the sparks emitted during the ancient purity test, your lineage is dark fae,” Professor Kiln said, causing my jaw to drop. “Judging by the strength of your magic, you could actually be royalty.”
Surprised, I looked from Professor Kiln to Malachai and back, speechless. “Hooray?”
“Judging by the student body distribution, somebody has been weeding out almost all hint of dark magic by not allowing in any teachers or students capable of doing it,” she continued.
“Except Malachai,” I offered up hopefully.
“We had an audit that year,” Professor Kiln said. “In fact, when I checked, records were falsified after the fact, reflecting that a dozen fallen angels and a few dark fae were admitted, all at ten times Malachai’s magic levels.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know, exactly, but I do know only one person could have falsified the records and it’s the same person who administers the tests.”
“The headmaster,” Malachai and I said at the same time. “That’s very bad news,” I added. As far as evil bad guy reveals go, this one was very anticlimactic. I already knew he was after me.
“So the question is how did you trick Headmaster Crowe into admitting you?” she asked.
“Sure,” I said rolling my eyes. “I tricked him,” I deadpanned. “I told you, I’d never heard of magic before I got within these walls.”
“Then somehow your magic was muted when you got here for some reason.” She frowned. “I mean, it was almost non-existent. When did that change?”
“Oh yeah,” I said. “I got a magic ring. From a friend. He said it would augment my magic so I would stop being bullied by students and faculty.”
It was my turn to make an accusatory face. It was actually quite satisfying. “It helped with the magic. Not with the bullying. So mixed results there.”
“But you’re not wearing a magic ring,” she replied.
“Okay, captain obvious. I took it off and I still had magic.”
“Why did you take it off?” she asked.
“To prove I didn’t need it.”
“Who gave it to you?” she asked.
“None of your business,” I shot back. “Why are you two here, anyway? Did you just come to tell me I’m an evil and possibly royal Fae?” Actually, that sounded pretty awesome, although I had to admit I knew almost nothing about it.
An uncomfortable silence settled over the three of us. “Great,” I deadpanned, “there’s more. Out with it”
“I don’t think the headmaster knows the extent of your power,” Kiln said. “But if you change this Dragon, you’ll tip your hand. You’ll be a direct threat to him.”
I stood. “Try to catch up, Professor. He’s already out to get me and I’m running out of time. He’s done nothing but threaten me lately. Have you considered that this dragon may have information that could help us?”
Professor Kiln fixed me with her sternest expression. “Sometimes a dragon’s just a dragon, Keira.”
“Maybe,” I answered, “but you couldn’t even remember my first day here and it was this semester. If this was a former student, you wouldn’t even remember. Maybe he does.”
“He?” She asked.
“It’s a guy dragon.”
“How do you know?”
“I just know. I mostly hear jumbled thoughts and emotions. Sometimes words. I just know it’s a guy and that he needs help.”
“How are you communicating with the dragon?”
“I don’t know. Something about that night when he took me into the forest. Somehow, we connected.”
Malachai shot me a look.
“We connected magically,” I clarified. “Do you really want to go there, Malachai? You’re going to act all jealous of the monster dragon you made sure I was sacrificed to? You’re damn lucky he didn’t kill me, or I swear I would have come back and haunted your ass.”
I looked at Professor Kiln. “He was doing your bidding. It was you who set me up to be killed by the dragon. Why?”
“I thought it would save us all,” she said. “I must have misread the prophecy. In my defense, the prophecy’s all jumbled up. It keeps changing, like the oracle who made it was drunk or something.”
“Wow. That’s not much of an apology,” I glared at her.
I waited a moment to see if she’d expand on her half-hearted apology. She did not, so I continued. “What’s the significance of me being dark fae?”
“There’s one in the prophecy.” She answered. “The dark fae in the prophecy is the part that’s all over the place. Depending on when I read it, you’re either the savior, the sacrifice, or the monster.”
“Perfect,” I said. “Thanks for clearing that up.” I went to the door and held it open. “If you two think of any new tidbits of information, you can text me.”
“But our cell phones don’t work here,” Malachai said.
“Exactly,” I closed the door behind them.
19
Keira
Once they were gone and the room got quiet, I went to the window and looked outside. It was good and dark now, and a shiver of excitement ran through
me.
I went back to the couch, grabbed the book and sat down to read again when Ivy came into the room.
“What is it?” I asked. “You may as well jump in. I know you were eavesdropping.”
“You’re using Rafe,” she said matter-of-factly. “That’s why we’re going out into the forest risking our lives tonight.”
“Technically you’re risking your life for yourself. We’re kind of all in this together. Or did you have trouble listening through the door? Professor Kiln does have a habit of mumbling.”
I put my feet up on the couch. “I could sum it up for you if you like, but we don’t have much time.”
“I know,” she said. “the hunter’s moon. I’ll be in my room getting ready.” She pointed at me. “You step one toe out of line tonight and even Rafe’s orders won’t keep me from clawing out your eyes.”
“Again, nice talk,” I said. Believe it or not, compared to the people I was surrounded with every day, Ivy was starting to grow on me. She was honest, and I always knew where I stood with her.
I know things with her and Rafe had been a little rocky lately, but I’d never be a jerk and throw that in her face. I had no intention of becoming Rafe’s mate, no matter what he said, but she has no way of knowing that.
And his pull was nearly impossible to resist, so nobody could blame her for being jealous.
I knew that the only two things I could do to pass the time were to pace or read. I chose to read. When it was time, Ivy came out of her room and she and I left together, walking step for step down the hallway in a badass sort of competition.
The two of us only slowed down when we neared the double doors that led outside. This was it.
Rafe and the rest of the shifters were gathered outside, in front of the statue. They were whooping and howling and generally acting antsy and wild. They were all dressed like Ivy, in flannel t-shirts and jeans.