by Melody Rose
“That would be pretty wise, wouldn’t it?” I stuck my tongue out, optimistic despite the wicked shiner I sported. “But I’m kind of restless from that freak show back in the woods. I’d really love to have a bite to eat, then maybe we can get down to business and get me fixed up.”
Damian rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then petted Aurelius’ head as he considered my words. “Well, if you say so. I want to keep an eye on you, though, and make sure that you don’t pass out in the middle of the meal hall. With all that clattering and conversations, it could be really overwhelming for you. You okay with that?”
I already knew that I was going to eat with Theo, my normal routine for all my meals these days. I didn’t mention that yet, though, because I didn’t want to ruin the moment. Damian might run off if he felt he had to compete with the most popular, or maybe most notorious, boy at Bouclier. Maybe I’d be able to swing having both of them hang out and fuss over me, but then again, that was probably incredibly greedy.
“Yeah, of course,” I chirped, scrubbing away any doubt from my voice. “Maybe we should pick up the pace, though? I’d love to get out of this creepy part of the woods as quickly as possible. Bouclier can get pretty nuts, but it’s mundane compared to what we just went through!”
“You’re the one holding us up, lady!” Damian chuckled and shook his head. “You’re practically limping your way back, so I would have felt guilty if I rushed you. Maybe I should give you a hand?”
Just then, he knelt down and offered me his back. My heart caught in my throat from his suggestion. I guess even in Lemuria with all its old-fashioned ways, mages had heard of piggyback rides. Even though I was blushing over the possibility, I had to admit it wasn’t a bad idea. My muscles were aching, and I was basically dragging my feet. I took a couple of steps forward, placed my feet on either side of his torso, and yelped in glee as he reached from behind and grabbed the back of my legs.
Welcoming the lift, my whole body relaxed now that I was safe in his hands. I even felt his back tighten, maybe a reaction to my breasts pressing against it. Despite his reflex, he didn’t make any vulgar come-ons. That made me trust him even more, so I allowed myself to just melt and almost doze as he made his way back to campus.
Aurelius didn’t have a problem with this at all, trailing after us as Bast floated higher to make space for me. It seemed that Damian had gotten even chattier, maybe to distract himself from my bare thighs and soft chest. I wondered if this was the first time he did this, or if I just sparked the nervous reaction.
“You know, when you’re up to it and if you’re not too traumatized by that demon, we can start to train together… er… with our familiars, I mean. So they can get stronger, you know?”
I nodded, only half-listening. I was in a serene daze, enjoying being off my feet and finished fighting. I daydreamed about how much longer I could shirk challenges. I had never enjoyed a real vacation, not since my father passed. Instead, competitions, trials, or exams were always present in my mind.
“Yeah,” I said noncommittally. “That sounds really nice. We should try it out sometime.”
My fear started to ebb, and the trees we passed gleamed with sunlit green leaves instead of being covered in shadows and cobwebs. Damian’s aura glinted like freshly polished topaz, excited by my approval. It was super endearing how easily encouraged he was.
“Of course, you’ll have to be in the right headspace,” he went on, speeding through his thoughts. “I’ve been able to cross-reference what I’ve learned from ghosts with my warlock almanac, and we’d all channel our will most effectively when it’s dark.”
I didn’t know if it was so I could keep my balance, but I ended up squeezing him tightly. I told myself it totally wasn’t a stealthy hug, that I wasn’t rewarding him for how adorable he was when he was on a roll.
The sprawling lavender pasture was back in view, the floral scent soothing my nerves and telling me I was safe. I breathed in with pleasure and savored the purple drenched scene. Damian, meanwhile, was still lost in his own world, riding his train of thought about honing our magical skills.
“Basically, if we sync our training with the lunar calendar, and we repeat the same rituals with enough full moons,” he excitedly chatted. “Then we’ll be able to take on the entire circle of death! We were caught off guard tonight, but imagine what we’d pull off with enough preparation.”
I leaned my cheek against his head, groggily nodding. I wasn’t trying to get too close for comfort, but I was really crashing hard. I never did well on an empty stomach, and that fact was even more obvious right now.
“Sounds like a plan,” I droned on. “I’m up to it, for sure, just so long as I don’t have too many other exams to prepare for. I’d definitely like to up my game as much as I can. Let’s look into it later, yeah?”
“I guess now isn’t the best time,” Damian admitted sheepishly. “It’s just been a long time since I’ve been able to enjoy myself with anyone. A living mage, at least. Why don’t you just doze off until we get there?”
I wasn’t interested in resisting. My eyelids fluttered shut, and my consciousness was almost immediately wiped out by sleep. While I was whisked into my dreams, everything was a bunch of brief, unconnected flashes. Demonic wings unfurled, causing a chill to run down my spine. I tore through pages furiously. Aurelius and I then strolled through a peach orchard. The last sensation I recalled was peering through the lush trees, worried I was being watched.
I woke to the sound of confused murmurs. We were among the other students now, and I suddenly felt uncomfortable, like I was being publicly shamed. Still riding piggy-back on Damian, I nudged him with my knee, a silent way of begging him to put me down. This was totally fine when it was just the two of us, but now I was worried that I’d get in serious trouble.
“Is that… Joan?” a fourth-year mage in a plush robe whispered. She rubbed her thumb against a pendant as her forehead wrinkled. Was that the Lemurian way of clutching pearls in horror?
I kneed Damian, basically begging to be put down. My cheeks burned as my peers gawked at me. In my desire to get some shut-eye, I didn’t even think about how awkward this would all look. Even though I wasn’t caught in bed with him, I felt the old cliché excuses bubbling up: Wait, wait! I can explain!
Damian cleared his throat but didn’t rush to greet everyone or answer the questions written on their faces. Thankfully, though, he did take a knee and let me speak for myself. Once I was upright again, I nodded to the little audience we inspired.
“Hey, all,” I started. “I guess you’re getting dinner and a show! I don’t normally need a piggyback ride…”
“A what?” another student, this one with long blue hair, chimed in.
“Er…” I couldn’t believe I was breaking this down. All I wanted to do now was to be left alone to eat. “It’s a human custom of allies agreeing to carry one another after an intense fight. I think we went too far into the circle of eternal death while training our familiars. We ended up encountering a demon, and frankly, we’re lucky to have survived!” I pointed at my black eye. “Needless to say, I wasn’t in good shape after the whole ordeal. Once I learn how to perform a strength buffer, I’ll totally repay the favor. Or maybe I’ll just levitate Damian to safety next time we’re in a tough spot?”
Everyone’s faces paled at my story. They seemed to have the epiphany that I was in real danger. Instead of shaming me for being out with a boy who wasn’t Theo, they all rushed to check up on me.
“That’s really bad!” Ivy, a Seelie with a garland of leaves on top of her red hair, stepped forward. Without any care in the world about boundaries, she pressed into my shiner.
I winced, biting back some choice four-letter words. I couldn’t help yelping in pain, though.
Damian looked like he was ready to fight, but not quite yet. He petted Aurelius and glowered a bit. Maybe he didn’t want me to get any negative attention, or he could have just respected a girl’s independence.
&n
bsp; “Ow!” I squeaked. “Do you mind?”
“Sorry,” Ivy apologized. “I just wanted to see how bad the damage was. I’ve started some healing classes, so I thought I might be able to help. Being demon-touched is serious, though. I probably couldn’t completely fix this, but maybe you’d want me to try?”
I smiled weakly. “Why not? That’s really nice of you. I’ll catch up with you after I eat.”
Suddenly, five hands shot up. I blinked, confused at how everyone went from suspicious to hospitable in the span of a couple of minutes. Either Lemurians forgave and forgot quickly, though Lydia wasn’t a great case of that, or I was just overthinking everything before. Being the girl of the most well-known mage at Bouclier made me feel a little like an ant under a magnifying glass, always at risk of searing hot scrutiny.
“I’ll help!” a shifter with scales down his neck offered. His eyes were dark as coal, but I could see the sincerity in them.
“Me too!” I had to look down to see who wanted to pitch in. A gnome with goggles slung around her neck and the hem of her robe pooled around her volunteered.
Before everyone else put in their request, I bowed my head with respect. I didn’t want to discourage the good Samaritans, but I also wanted to be tucked away in Theo’s private meal quarters. I didn’t want all this fuss. Really, what I was in the mood for was a nice steak or some buttery mashed potatoes. Some hearty comfort food to take my mind off of things.
“I really appreciate all of your offers,” I said, trying my best to sound like I was chock full of thankfulness. “I don’t want to take up everyone’s time over my own problems, but it does sound practical to get some extra spellwork for this nasty black eye.”
Aurelius whimpered and nudged Damian’s shin. Even Bast started to get restless, stomping her little feet on her companion’s shoulder. Both of the familiars were doing me a solid, making it clear that I was done being the center of attention. At least when it came to a bunch of mages that I barely talked to, even though they all seemed to know me.
“Sounds like a plan then,” Damian cut in, saving me. “We’ll pool our magic together to heal the demon’s mark on Joan, but only after she’s eaten. There’s no substitute for a real meal, after all.”
My peers nodded. It was common knowledge at this point that I didn’t eat with everyone else. Of course, it was more of a necessity at first. I was basically Bouclier’s resident pariah. Still, I was damn stubborn, so I didn’t accept Theo’s repeated offers to eat with him. Plus, dousing him in gravy after seeing how he treated the waitstaff didn’t exactly help. Instead, I’d just hole up in my bedroom and share my creations with Aurelius.
Eventually, though, as I moved up the ranks at school, earning high marks and victories for our team, I had a whole other reason for eating alone. I guessed I could even call myself popular, as alien as that term was for me. I’d get practically assaulted with all the questions and invitations to sit at special tables. I couldn’t possibly cave and make everyone happy, so I took the path of least resistance.
Finally, I relented and gave in to Theo. I told myself it was just to enjoy not being bugged. Over time, and after a lot of my lectures about not being a snob, the cold blond warmed up. He even tried to cook with me, though I usually needed to fix all the kinks in his spells. I found that the headmaster’s son really grew on me, to the point that I genuinely looked forward to our little meals.
Without any grouching, everyone let me walk on into the dining hall. I gave Chef Douglas, a faun with hooves, furry ears, and a knack for turning memories into lip-smacking dishes. Aurelius barked happily and bounded over to the kitchen to cozy up to his talented friend. No one really had to worry about FDA regulations or sanitation standards in Lemuria. If you were in control of your kitchen, your will would keep everything spic and span. My wolf was able to enjoy all the bacon and sausage in the world without getting run out for shedding.
“Aye! That’s my favorite cooking mage, yes she is!” He crossed his arms over his brawny chest, raising an eyebrow. “I never pegged you as a fighter, though! What d'ya get inta? I can already sense you look mighty tired! I can use a replication spell for tonight’s dinner, then whip up a nourishin’ feast for ye!”
I laughed as my familiar raced off, too tempted by treats to worry about tagging along with me. My stomach was sore, and my muscles ached from my giggles. Even so, I didn’t hold it against Aurelius for choosing Chef over me. He had an exhausting battle, too, and deserved the reward.
“That sounds nice!” I answered. “You two take care of each other! I’m sorry I can’t help you out tonight, but I’ll make it up to you!”
“Agh!” Chef Douglas cried out in mock annoyance. “Don’t insult me with such nonsense, lassie! Now get off with ye and get settled!”
8
Joan
With Chef Douglas’ blessing, I turned away from the serving counter to make my way toward Theo’s personal dining room. Before I could get too far, though, Damian called out from behind me.
“Sorry about that! Everyone else acted like they were fine seeing you go, but by the abyss, were they nosy! I had to field a ton of questions, then Bast started whining in hunger. That’s when they finally left us alone!” He placed a hand on my shoulder and smiled. “Hey, why don’t you sit with me? I know a haunted section of this hall that keeps the normie mages at bay. Everyone just passes by it and never even thinks of getting anywhere near! It’ll be great, not a soul to bother us!”
“As great as that sounds…” I struggled to find a gentle way to let him down. Hanging out with a bunch of salty ghosts didn’t exactly sound like a scream, but I had to admit I wanted to get to know him better. “I actually made lunch plans with Theo. I didn’t know what a whirlwind adventure today would end up being!”
“Oh, okay… of course!” Damian quickly recovered. I could still detect a hint of disappointment, though. “I’ll leave you to it, then. It was, uh, nice seeing you.”
I didn’t know what had gotten into me. Usually, I avoided people like the plague during my meals. It wasn’t that I hated anyone, but I really needed some time to recharge. Once my mortal enemy, only a slight exaggeration, Theo had become a warm shoulder to cry on. And boy, did I cry. I wasn’t exactly homesick since my stepfamily was such a fraud. Even if I was free of their abuses, it wasn’t as though you could wave a magic wand and just wish away culture shock. Not even in Lemuria. So, after a learning curve, Theo figured out how to express real empathy and always calmed me down when I felt like I was a total wreck.
Didn’t I owe it to Theo to stick to our agreements? Especially since he went so far out of his way to comfort me. I mean, it was unspoken, but I was pretty sure he didn’t want me to invite random men to eat with us. Damian being handsome in an edgy, mysterious way probably wouldn’t make it easier to sell the idea. Still, my heart broke a little bit to see how I knocked the wind out of the goth boy’s sails.
“Hey…” I hid my reservations with a big, devil-may-care smile. “Why don’t you come to hang out with us? Granted, Theo’s dining area isn’t swarming with ghosts, so that might be a bit of a bummer, but we’ll all have our privacy! That’ll be nice after all the excitement, yeah?”
I blushed as a brief and pretty sordid idea came to mind. I shook my head to chase it off, causing Damian to look at me like I had three heads. His confusion wasn’t enough to turn me down, though. He gave me a shy grin and nodded, excited at the opportunity.
“I’d love to!” he said with total earnestness. I dug how he didn’t even try to play it cool. “You don’t think the old ball and chain will mind, though? I don’t want to intrude.”
I squinted. That caught me totally off guard. For one, Theo and I weren’t married or even destined to be, for all I knew. I mean, sure, I was his girl, but how could I be sure of where life would take us? Also, it was a bit eerie how even Lemuria had an expression to poke fun at commitment. Did everyone, even interdimensionally, think monogamy was a drag? At least for now, The
o kept me on my toes, even if we had a… not so rare disagreement here and there.
I waved my hand as though there was no reason to be worried. Not one at all. “Oh! He’s a big boy!” I dismissed Damian’s concerns. “Totally secure in our relationship, just like me. Now, let’s stop standing around and get to eating. I’m freakin’ famished!”
I marched on ahead to mask any creeping paranoia. Of course, I hoped that Theo wouldn’t fleece me for this, but if we were going to be together, he’d need to be forgiving.
Once we had both made the semi-long trek to Theo’s dining quarters, all of my frustrations from the day melted. Gone were my fears that my aristocratic boyfriend would shame me for my disappearance and my new friend. Instead, my heart burst from seeing him again. I salivated at his tailored black dress shirt, well-fitting slacks, and polished shoes. I had told him to lighten up with the old-fashioned wardrobe, and he certainly delivered.
“Joan!” Theo exclaimed happily. “Don’t worry. I tided myself over while you were gone, so I won’t rush our cooking togeth…” He paused mid-sentence, his eyebrows raised in shock. “What happened?!”
I guessed that as happy he’d been to see me, the black eye didn’t occur to him. Now, it hit him like a tidal wave. I saw his face go pale with a mixture of rage and protectiveness. My stomach twisted in a knot, wondering what he’d be capable of in this state. Not only did he see my face was marred, but he paid real close attention to Damian. I was pretty sure that Theo knew, deep down, that the fairly mild-mannered goth boy couldn’t be responsible for this. Otherwise, he probably would have clobbered him on the spot.
Instead, Theo turned on Damian with a fiery look. “Who are you?!”
I waved my arms to try to dispel his irritation, tell him that this kind stranger wasn’t the problem, but my riled up boyfriend was too focused. I sighed in exacerbation. Hopefully, this would be resolved soon so that we could all eat.