by Eva Ashwood
We took turns sparring back and forth and blocking, the intensity getting stronger by the minute. I sent out a stream of magic, and he dodged it—but before I could block, he whipped his hand around and his burst of bright green energy knocked me right off my feet. I hit the floor hard, knocking the air out of my lungs.
Anger flooded me as I watched him laugh and chuckle with his buddies.
He and Merrick were good friends with that Trace guy too, and despite Trace’s obvious interest in me that first day, all three of them seemed to have decided they hated me, probably because of some bullshit half-truths Merrick had told them about our time together.
What a fucking cock. All three of them actually.
Three walking, talking dicks.
Still lying on the floor, I flung out my hand, and a stream of twisting magic gathered around my forearm before shooting from my fingertips straight toward Lachlan.
To my chagrin, he glanced up just in time. Swiping his hand across his chest, he repelled my magic, and it came spiraling right back at me. I tucked and rolled, letting the blaze of magic slam into the floor where I had just been.
Holy fuck. My eyes flew wide with shock.
If that’d hit me, it would’ve done worse than knock me off my feet.
Professor Howes called time, and as soon as all the sparring partners broke apart, Eden darted over and offered me her hand. I took it, and she helped me stand.
“So much for taking it easy on our sparring partners,” she whispered breathlessly, glancing over at Lachlan.
“Yeah,” I muttered, my lips pressing into a line as I took in his smug expression.
I’d been drawn to the guy the first time I’d seen him, but now that I knew what he was like, I couldn’t stand him. All I wanted to do was knock him down a peg. He was powerful, but he underestimated me, and one day, I was going to get the upper hand. If we were fighting without magic, I would’ve already put him on his back.
When the class ended, Lachlan shoved past me, hitting me in the shoulder.
He turned around, walking backward out of the large stone-walled classroom so he could look me in the eyes as he taunted me, raising his voice to draw the attention of everyone around us.
“I’ve told them time and time again, women shouldn’t be allowed to spar. Don’t ye have better things to do? Maybe go use your magic to whip me up somethin’ in the kitchen?”
He laughed and walked out of the room with Merrick, leaving me standing there fuming. Trace walked up beside me and shook his head, draping his arm around my shoulder and giving me a look of mock sympathy.
“Ouch. That must’ve hurt. Sorry, sweetheart, but he has a point. If you can’t take the heat… well, you know the saying.”
Yeah, that really helps. I had to give it to him, he was hot, but that didn’t keep me from being extremely annoyed with him.
I’d never understood why these guys needed to be such cocky dicks. Did it make them feel better? Because it sure as hell made me want to punch them right in the throat. I had more power with my non-magical abilities than I did with my magical. I was starting to feel like it was a waste of time being there.
“Just ignore them,” Eden said, walking up next to me as Trace sauntered out after his two friends. “Once we finish our training, you’ll never have to see them again. All that matters is doing well, pleasing the gods, and mastering your magic. If you do that, you’ll have an opportunity for some really great jobs when you graduate.”
Maybe she was right. Maybe I had my emotions way too mixed up. If I had to be here, and I wasn’t ever going to be able to fight again in human circles, then I had to look for a better future.
I was determined not to turn into one of the creepy dark magic users I’d worked for before—the ones lurking in the shadows and doing shady shit for money. I wanted more than that life, and if doing well at the academy was what it took, then I needed to focus all my energy on that.
I bumped Eden’s shoulder with mine as we walked out of the room. “You’re right. Screw those guys. I’m not going to let them get under my skin anymore. I’ve faced much bigger assholes in my time, assholes who would take them down in two swings of their fists. No magic needed. I don’t need to prove myself to anyone.”
Eden pumped her fist, enthusiastic as always. “Heck yeah!”
Her beaming smile drew an answering grin out of me, and I shook my head as we walked down the hall surrounded by the slightly glowing bodies of other students.
What the fuck is my life coming to?
Chapter Seven
“All right,” Professor Howes said. “Last week, you managed to master the carafe challenge. Now I want you to work on something a little bit bigger. In front of you is a large boulder. Don’t worry, it’s not actually real, it’s magic, but it has the same weight density of an actual stone, it just can’t hurt anybody. I want you to concentrate hard, lift the stone up off the floor, and then carefully set it back down.”
I shook my hands and rolled my shoulders, drawing in a deep breath. I cracked open the floodgate of magic inside me just a bit and let it surge down through my hands and out my fingertips. I held it in place, waving my fingers back and forth as the color swirled vibrantly around me.
Focusing on the stone, I sent the power spiraling out to wrap around the base of the boulder. Using the motion of my arms to direct the magic, I lifted them up in the air and watched as the boulder moved with me.
It hovered about ten feet off the floor for a moment and then—very carefully—I lowered my hands down, setting the boulder so gently on the floor that I couldn’t even hear it touch down. I unraveled my magic from around the base and let it slowly sink back into my fingertips and up into my core. I mentally shut the floodgates, stopping the magic from spilling out.
Eden clapped, my three rivals scowled, and Professor Howes smiled, nodding. “Very good, Aria. That’s a lot better.”
I had to admit, about a month into the classes, I was actually starting to feel like I could do this. Professor Howes had been infinitely patient with me as I had struggled through sparring match after sparring match and broken at least a hundred carafes.
But what I’d finally realized was that I needed to visualize my magic. Some people were capable of just turning it on and off, but for me, I had to “see” it somehow. With the help of my professors, I’d come up with little things like floodgates and imagining the heaviness of an object in order to better control my powers.
Combat was the last class of the day, and I was buzzing from my feeling of accomplishment as Howes released us. Not only had I done the best job levitating the boulder, but in sparring, I had taken a third-year down and then caught them with my magic so they hadn’t hit the floor hard. Professor Howes had actually applauded at that.
As we left the large classroom on the second floor, the sound of Dean Frost’s voice began to float through the halls of the school.
“Attention, students. Before heading back to your dormitories after class, please make your way to the Great Hall. There will be a short assembly, so gather quietly and quickly and sit with your assigned year.”
Excited murmurs broke out in the corridor as the dean’s voice faded away, and I glanced over at Eden, whose face flushed as her eyes shone. I didn’t really understand what was going on, and when my new friend grabbed my elbow to move me along faster, I lifted an eyebrow at her.
“Why the hell are you so excited?”
She shook her head, speaking breathlessly. “I don’t want to ruin it for you. But if this is what I think it is, it’s a big freaking deal.”
I sighed, wondering whether I’d agree with her assessment once I found out what this announcement was all about.
We headed to the Great Hall, and I kept my gaze forward as we passed Merrick, Lachlan, and Trace. They were surrounded by a gaggle of first-year girls, something I was positive Merrick encouraged as a way to make me jealous. And I’d rather stick red-hot needles under my fingernails than admit it was wo
rking in any way.
I could hear the three men muttering and snickering, but I was determined not to let it bother me.
Inside the Great Hall, we found all the normal tables and chairs gone. In their place were risers that surrounded the perimeter of the massive room, almost like bleachers in a stadium.
We gathered roughly by year, and when everyone was seated, Dean Frost walked out to the center of the room, wearing her usual dark robes. She put her arms out and smiled, and everyone cheered.
Well, almost everyone.
I caught sight of a few confused faces in the crowd from first-years like me. Others seemed to be whooping and hollering just because everyone else was, with no clear idea of what they were cheering for. And a few second and third-year students looked almost scared.
What the hell is going on?
Finally, when everybody had calmed, the dean lowered her arms. She waved a hand in the air, and what looked like an enormous movie screen popped up behind her. There was no sound to it, just video-like images of students competing in some sort of tournament.
“It’s that time of year again,” she said, her magically amplified voice resonating with excitement. “We will be having our schoolwide competition to determine who will participate in the Gods’ Challenge this semester. Remember, these events are separate from your regular classes, but anyone who participates will receive credit for it. The winner of the challenge will be afforded the opportunity to meet the gods face-to-face after they complete their training at Magic Blessed Academy. For those of you who are new, this is one of the highest honors you can be awarded.”
My eyebrows lifted, and I sat up straighter in my seat.
I didn’t know what the Gods’ Challenge was, but I was all about competition. I’d been competitive my whole life, often to a fault—but my determination to come out on top had gotten me this far, so I wasn’t going to change tactics now.
The dean continued as the screen disappeared from behind her. “All students, from first-years to third-years, are encouraged to compete. While I know some of our returning students spent all summer preparing for these challenges, everyone should feel welcome to participate. As usual, if you have any questions, please see Miss Avery in the administration office. Good luck to everyone, and may the gods be with you.”
All of the higher-level students repeated the statement back to her in unison, with the first-years tripping along behind them.
“May the gods be with you.”
Dean Frost spoke for a little while longer before releasing us. As we all filed out of the Great Hall to head back to the dorms, the very air seemed to buzz with excitement. I’d never really been big on sports or cheerleading back in high school, and I wasn’t much for “school spirit”. But I was always up for a challenge, a competition, a chance to prove myself against daunting odds.
But what the hell was the Gods’ Challenge? Dean Frost hadn’t really given us any specifics, except that the preliminary competition would take place the following week.
Eden was practically bouncing with excitement as we made our way through the halls, but I shook my head to tell her to wait as I cocked my head and listened to the hum of conversation around us.
Thanks to Merrick being a giant asshole, none of the second or third-years would give me the time of day, but I didn’t have to be friends with them to eavesdrop on them.
Eden and I stood right outside of the Great Hall for a little while, listening to everyone talk about the challenge and speculate about who would win. Apparently, the event happened every semester and incorporated intellectual, magical, and physical trials that students had to pass.
Had I heard about this when I first got there, I would’ve laughed at the idea of trying, but now that I’d actually gotten some control over my magic, I was intrigued.
“I know I won’t win.” Eden shook her head, scrunching up her nose. “But I’ve heard about these for years. My parents used to work for a magical couple, and they talked about the challenges. It’s something only students from Magic Blessed Academy do, but the competition is broadcast so that anyone in the magical community can watch. They’re apparently insanely difficult, and only a small number of students get picked to participate each semester. But no matter what I score, I still want to try.”
I smiled at her, liking her enthusiasm and determination. “Don’t say that. You have just as good a chance as anyone else. Your magic may not be as strong as some, but your control is great. Don’t sell yourself short.”
The gray-eyed girl grinned, her cheeks rosy. “Thanks, Aria. I know I’m not as badass as a lot of people here. Heck, I’m a grown woman, and I’m scared of spiders. But I appreciate the vote of confidence.”
I grinned and punched her lightly on the shoulder. I sucked at touchy feely stuff, but I was starting to genuinely like the bubbly girl with golden hair. She was a couple years younger than me, and I was positive we never would’ve been friends back in Boston, but here, our friendship made perfect sense.
“You’ll compete, right?” she asked, her eyes going wide.
Pursing my lips, I shrugged. “Yeah, probably.”
I didn’t know how excited I was about actually meeting the gods, but I liked the idea of the competition. It shook things up a little bit, made them interesting. The newness of the school had already begun to wear off, but the excitement of the competition was bringing it back.
“Probably?” Eden scoffed. “You definitely should. You could win the whole thing, I’m sure of it.”
We started making our way through the hallway toward the dorms, making our way through clusters of students talking in excited voices. As we rounded a corner, I ran right into a hard chest.
“Fuck, sorry—”
The words died on my tongue as I got a whiff of a familiar scent. Bergamot and honey, an addictive aroma that made a conflicting rush of emotions fill me every time I smelled it.
Very slowly, I raised my gaze to meet Merrick’s. As I did, I realized it wasn’t just him standing in the hallway, but Trace and Lachlan too. Of course. The three of them were like the three fucking stooges.
Good Lord, could I be any luckier in my life?
“Be careful, Merrick, she might shoot a stream of magic at ye and explode your body like that carafe.” Lachlan laughed.
I faked a laugh, then dropped my smile quickly. “Good one. I’m sure you’re the riot in Ireland. Though I don’t really find you very funny at all.”
Trace chuckled. “She seems a little sensitive today, gentlemen. What’s wrong, haven’t gotten laid in a while?”
My gaze whipped back to Merrick, my eyes narrowing. What a fucking prick. I was sure he’d told them all about our encounter in the supply closet my first day here. Not that he’d had to—the whole damn school knew about my jaunt through the hallway in nothing but a man’s shirt.
He just stared back at me and smirked as the other two men continued to talk shit.
There were a million things I could’ve said to all three of them, but I knew it would only egg them on further. And oddly enough, I was actually enjoying listening to them. While I hated cockiness, something about it kind of turned me on. Not to mention the fact that the entire time I was standing there, I was imagining kicking their ass in the Gods’ Challenge.
Beating the hell out of them in an organized competition would be so fucking satisfying that I got a little turned on just thinking about it. Hell, if I had a dick, it would’ve been rock hard.
They deserved to get their ass kicked. All three of them needed to be taken down a peg. Taking them on in the hallway would just get me in trouble, and I wasn’t about to ruin all the advancement I had made over the last month. But from the sound of it, this competition would be the perfect chance to take on these assholes without risking getting busted for it.
By the time I was done with them, they would be crying for their mommies.
Chapter Eight
The week following Dean Frost’s announcement flew by as
everyone trained extra hard, wanting to be as prepared as possible for the preliminary competition.
On the day of the competition, Eden and I practically sprinted downstairs for breakfast. The dining hall was on the first floor, and even though we were early, we obviously hadn’t been the only ones excited to start the day. The place was packed.
Everyone ate in a hurry, the buzz of conversation louder than usual, and adrenaline hung so heavy in the air I swore I could almost taste it.
The preliminary competition would be held right on the grounds outside of the school. There was a large, open-air stadium that was magically opened up to lead out to a massive maze. Apparently, inside of that maze would be all types of different tests. Excitement and battle hunger blazed through my veins at the thought of it, though I still had lingering fears that I would struggle to control my magic. Hopefully it wouldn’t give me trouble today.
Eden lingered in the dining hall to talk to a couple of other first-years, but I wanted to get my head on straight before the competition started. When I’d fought in the underground ring, I’d always taken a few minutes to clear my mind and center myself before a big match. It helped.
I walked through the corridor and into the large entry hall where everyone was talking and laughing. They hadn’t let anyone out of the building yet, so I propped my shoulder against the wall behind two professors standing close together. Initially, I hadn’t even thought about listening to what they had to say, but their irritated voices caught my attention.
“I hate this time of year,” one of the teachers hissed. “These Gods’ Challenges are ridiculous. They shouldn’t be allowed here.”
The other professor nodded. “I agree. But what are we going to do? You know we don’t make the rules. Instead, we’re left to pick up the pieces. One day, I’ll have my say-so in this, but until then, I’ll just stand by like everyone else.”
I furrowed my brow, not really understanding why the two teachers seemed to dislike the Gods’ Challenge so much. They didn’t say what their reasons were, but it was obvious they didn’t support it.