by Melody Rose
Damian scrunched his forehead at Theo’s immediate hostility, but the dark-haired mage didn’t give in to pettiness. He rubbed his temple, then nodded as though my partner was completely in the right for launching into an inquisition.
“I understand that it would be shocking to see her like this,” he answered as Theo glowered. I was surprised that the blond ball of fire was able to even listen since he seemed overpowered with adrenaline. “Please don’t punch me…”
Theo leaped out of his chair at that, his impulses thrown right out the window at the disclaimer. I had to rush to restrain him, no small feat since he trained so much, and I was just some beaten-up cooking witch. When push came to shove, though, I would always stand up for someone who was clearly innocent.
When Theo’s muscles went lax, I actually smiled, proud of how he was able to calm himself down. Secretly, I knew that it was because he wouldn’t dare put me in harm’s way and fight me off, even if it meant being held back in front of another man. That was huge progress, especially seeing that he once dangled me over an ogre just for defying one of his rules. I wanted to stroke his hair and kiss him for handling his temper so well, but I didn’t want to embarrass him.
“It’s okay… it’s okay…” I repeated soothingly. “If it weren’t for Damian, I might have ended up a missing persons case or dead in the woods.”
Theo’s aura turned from a blazing red to a foggy grey at that, descending into a deep depression at the very thought. I smiled weakly, my eyes gleaming with tears. I realized how invested he was in my well being and had no problems forgiving him for his outburst. It was a bit much, and he didn’t bother to wait for the answers, but then again, would I?
I could see myself retaliating something fierce if I learned that someone had hurt him.
“I… see.” This was all Theo was able to muster. His shoulders sagged, dejected and sad that he couldn’t be the one to save me. Now, with his suspicion dissipated, he looked Damian in the eye without malice. My new friend went on to explain.
“No worries. As I was saying, both of us were trying to train our familiars to earn more spell points, but there wasn’t a boggart to be found… so, even though it probably wasn’t the wisest idea, we…” Damian paused for a minute, studying Theo’s face. I guessed that he wanted to make sure that the aristocrat’s newly expressed empathy wasn’t a false alarm. “We both ventured further into the woods to see if we could finally accomplish our mission. The circles of lunar fairies should have been a glowing red rune that danger was afoot, but I thought it would just be a high-level boggart…”
I corroborated this, pointing to my shiner. “What we got instead was worse even than those creepy skinwalkers you so gentlemanly introduced me to a couple of quarters ago!” I play-lectured, aiming for some levity here. “Somehow, an actual demon from the abyss managed to get into Lemuria. Is that even legal? Seems to be a helluva liability. I mean, I know things get intense here, but that’s a bit much.”
Theo smirked guiltily, remembering the shenanigans he pulled to shake me up as a naïve human. Little did he know how attached he’d get to me. We exchanged knowing, mischievous looks. Meanwhile, Damian shifted from foot to foot, the picture of an awkward third wheel.
“So, as you might have gathered,” the now bashful goth boy cut in to reduce the tension, “she’s now become demon-touched. It all happened so fast that it was difficult to prevent. Not only am I weak in my healing magic, but I have no idea what to do with this situation.”
My boyfriend pressed his lips together in annoyance. Knowing him, he did this to avoid lashing out. Now, he fully appreciated how my life was hanging on a thread, at least the second time during my stay at Bouclier. Even with a negligent headmaster, there was no way that this should have been normal.
“Luckily,” Theo drawled, as though supremely tired, “I can take care of these matters.” Either he was still a little bothered at having our meal crashed, or he was trying not to blow a gasket at how often Bouclier really blew it at serving its students.
I sat down by Theo’s side now, Damian’s cue that he didn’t need to stay on guard anymore. The lone-wolf mage made a quick, calculated decision and settled for a chair that was far enough not to step on Theo’s toes. He watched quietly as I clasped Theo’s hands in my own, cocking my head to the side.
“You never told me that!” I exclaimed, accidentally squeaking in my surprise. Maybe I was just a little offended that he kept this from me. “I thought you were way more focused on arcane combat and martial training. That’s all you’ve mentioned.”
I actually saw Theo squirm at my questioning. It was truly a sight to behold, and in fact, one I’d never seen before. I pursed my lips to fight back a smile and waited for him to answer me.
“Yes. Admittedly, it was a departure from my usual studies, but I had some… troubling visions that compelled me to hone my healing and spell reversal abilities,” Theo went on. “The debacle with Lydia also shifted my priorities a great deal.”
I breathed in, overwhelmed with appreciation. He had a lot on his plate, especially since he shouldered all the responsibilities that his father shirked. Even so, putting the unexpected brush with, or bashing from, a demon aside, I wasn’t sure if he was actually overreacting. Theo always told me that he should have inherited the Sight but that it seemed to have skipped him. Could his dreams really be relied upon, or were they all just some dust kicked up from our near-death experience a few quarters ago?
I tried to move on with my life as best as I could, but Theo probably hadn’t cared about someone in quite some time, if ever, so it might have still been fresh for him.
“That makes perfect sense,” Damian offered. He actually meant it too. There wasn’t a bit of sarcasm there. “You’re a Van Brandt, so I wouldn’t just brush any dreams aside. You probably can sense when something is going wrong, especially if some illicit creatures were invading your ancestral territory.”
The dark-haired mage continued, looking at Theo intently. Briefly, I felt flattered at all of the attention, despite the circumstances that inspired it. “I would suggest taking a look at the demon’s mark before the tainted spirit responsible for it is completely torn apart in the ether. Casters usually bank on their assassins being hard to trace if they do somehow manage to fail.”
Theo locked his fingers together and planted his elbows on the table. “That’s well put, my friend.” I blinked at Theo’s warm attitude. Once he heard that Damian rescued me, he was a lot more welcoming than I’d ever seen him. “Let’s be quick with dinner so we can get this taken care of.”
I smiled softly, glad to see Theo treating another mage as an equal instead of a someone to scoff at. As they whipped up strategies, theories, and conspiracies, I worked on channeling what little mana I had left to create a satisfying meal for all of us.
9
Theo
“You’re such a natural, Joan. Thank you for taking the time to make us a meal even with all that you’ve endured,” I told the humble witch who blushed at my gratitude. As I was more tight-lipped with compliments in the past, she seemed to savor every crumb of flattery as of late.
“Oh, it was nothing, really. I’m embarrassed it couldn’t be more, especially since we have a guest.” She tilted her head toward Damian. As she expressed herself through culinary magic, she would have liked to muster more for a mage who spared her life.
Despite her concerns, I enjoyed the rustic and reassuring quality of her food, a simple but delicious spread of dense bread, butter, chicken, and mashed potatoes. Thankfully, I was even able to find humor in the last dish instead of rueing Joan for dousing me in it all that time ago. At the time, I did have a lot to learn about respecting those who kept Bouclier running, such as Chef.
Cosmoses knew that he put in more effort than my father.
I studied her face, alarmed that she didn’t seem to benefit from her efforts. While her enchanted food had bolstered my and Damian’s strength, she still seemed wan. Violet bl
otches were cast under her eyes like shadows, and her cheeks looked even more sunken. Despite her claims that she wasn’t overextending herself on our behalf, it was plain as day that she was drained.
I needed to act quickly to tend to her. Whatever demon had struck her, it was no minor minion. Even her advanced cooking magic could not contend with the toxic magic rending her will apart.
“Damian, I appreciate all your help so far.” I turned to the respectfully quiet mage. “If it is not too much to ask, I would like for you to accompany us. I believe that I can muster a teleportation spell and have mana to spare for some counteraction and healing, but an extra set of eyes and font of will wouldn’t go amiss.”
“Of course,” Damian confirmed.
Though I was generally suspicious of others, I found myself endeared to him. I could even imagine counting him among my friends if he continued to follow my lead. Well, perhaps it would be more accurate to say I could deem him my one true friend. True, I was highly esteemed at Bouclier, but that didn’t mean I was strictly close to anyone. Save for Joan, that was. While I respected Nathan, he and I were far too busy to find time to speak to one another.
“Very good.” I managed a composed smile, then laid my hand on each mage’s shoulder. Damian still had a good deal of mana, whereas I could feel Joan’s had waned significantly, though I saw a spark of light magenta energy still in her aura. Even in her weakened state, she was gratified by my touch. This pleased me immensely.
“Emmenez-nous trois dans ma chambre. Take the three of us to my bedroom,” I began my incantation. It made the most sense to teleport to my quarters as they were fiercely secured with many wards. I then added more to my spell. “Assurez-vous que nous ne sommes pas retrouvés. Ensure that we are not traced.”
One couldn’t be too sure. It couldn’t have been a coincidence that a demon, a being that was technically banned from our premises, was able to bypass the protective charms my father set in place. I did not want to risk any malicious caster finding Joan when she was at her most vulnerable. The mana that this extra precaution demanded was no concern of mine, and I couldn't care less how paranoid I may have seemed to the others with this precaution.
I made smooth work of my magic, even though most were shoddy when it came to teleportation. It was a very taboo type of enchantment, and students could only sneak illicit glimpses of it in tomes that were kept under lock, key, and a tangle of traps. Even those who were the most intent to decipher the code were only left with a glimmer of knowledge. I, on the other hand, could indulge in most of the Van Brandt texts whenever I cared to. Rather than the dizzying and often painful wrenching through the curious plane between reality and dreams, traveling with me was like gliding down a mild river.
A constellation of unreal stars and phantom light whirled around us, and in no time, we were spirited safely to my room. Damian and I landed on our feet while Joan fell gently into my arms, just as I intended. It wasn’t as though I wanted to send another message to the other man in the room. I simply wished to reassure Joan, as well as add a flair of romance to this otherwise dreary occasion.
“That was surreal. Almost,” Joan’s eyes, usually fiery, were glassy with admiration, “romantic.”
I tightened my lips, not wanting to appear arrogant. It wasn’t just that she was a human. Any mage would be impressed by such finesse. Still, it was painfully endearing to see the spark of wonder in her. How delicious it was to show her my world when she had been raised in the mundane world that only told her what she’d be denied. I was glad to change that for her.
Damian blushed, probably unable to fathom why exactly he was in the bedroom of the headmaster’s son as his lover swooned. I couldn’t blame him. The scenario was rather strange. I couldn’t recall having this many people in my quarters in my entire life. That was if I didn’t count that unfortunate moment that Joan caught me in a compromising position with Lydia. I was just glad that the envious harpy didn’t destroy my prospects with Joan.
“Well…” This new, ah, friend of mine considered his words carefully. “I have to say, your mastery of teleportation is pretty remarkable. I’ve tried my hand at it more times than I’d like to admit, and it was downright nauseating.”
I valued his decorum. Perhaps Joan was right about being a positive influence on me. People certainly were becoming more tolerable. Now that I benefited from her odd but wonderful ability to pull me out of perpetual resentment, it was time for me to repay the favor.
I laid her carefully on my bed, more concerned with her comfort than worried that any residual hex might ruin my duvet. Hopefully, whatever had struck her wasn’t enough to permeate my whole room, but I would deal with it if it came to that. I ached to stroke her hair, but I didn’t want to put Damian through any further discomfort, especially since I would need him for this next step.
I wasn’t used to being this accommodating, particularly with strangers, but felt the situation demanded it. I couldn’t treat him like a pesky commoner when he had done so much for my treasured Joan. As she looked up at me, growing paler by the moment, I compromised by laying an affectionate hand on her shoulder. Then, I returned my focus to Damian, who listened astutely. I was glad that he didn’t begrudge me for asking more of him.
“I realize that you’ve already extended yourself quite a bit,” I began, “but healing is a new vein of enchantment for me, as well as counteraction spells of this nature. I am also going to attempt to detect if the demon was bound to a specific caster. I would very much like to get to the bottom of this, but it will place a heavy demand on me.”
Damian caught on quickly. “So, you’d like me to scrounge up some choice buffers for the task?”
I blinked, surprised by how prepared he was. Most people needed painstakingly thorough instructions to get anything done.
“Happy to do it, brother!” Damian walked over and clapped me on the shoulder.
I winced. While I was glad that he was so attuned to the needs of the situation, it was awkward to have him touch me while my hand was still on Joan. This was pushing the limits of what I was comfortable with. Call it my old-fashioned sensibilities, I suppose.
Joan herself was blushing up a storm, so I shifted my position, lifting my palm from her shoulder. I shook his hand, gaining control of the situation again.
“Excellent, comrade,” I said, trying to return his enthusiasm. Familial terms didn’t really move me, as all my relatives had perished in wars save for my father. To me, a respectful term was far more valuable than a fraternal one. “Let’s get to work, shall we?”
As I turned to face Joan again, Damian immediately began an incantation.
“Lie-moi à Theodore Van Brandt pour ce moment afin que je puisse sentir sa volonté,” Damian uttered in impeccable Lemurian, an ancient accent I thought only my father and I were capable of. “Bind me to Theodore Van Brandt for this moment so that I may sense his will.” He switched over from his more modern speech patterns, but maybe he was so invested in assisting me with Joan that he was giving this his best effort.
With that, his energy merged with mine, a chilling sensation I wasn’t at peace with. I had never needed to ask for this from anyone, but then again, I had never needed to deal with the aftermath of a demonic encounter before either. Now, it was as though cold hooks were carving into my will. Of course, rationally, I knew that this must be the process of two mages cooperating with one another at this level.
Yes, terribly alien, but for Joan, I was willing to entertain it.
I did my best to ignore it, allowing Damian to track my health and mana as I leaned down and whispered into Joan’s ear. She had drifted to sleep while Damian and I linked our wills, but I needed her awake for my spellwork to be successful.
“Darling, this is going to be uncomfortable,” I admitted to her as I roused her awake. I wished that it weren’t the case, but I couldn’t bear to lie to her. “In order for me to heal you properly, I’ll need to activate any concealed hexes within your system. I’
ll also need you to focus on what you’ve endured so that your body and mind do not reject reality.”
“Most people are entranced by infernal creatures,” Damian added in agreement. “They can bore into your mind and make you think you’re only tired. You might even sleep into a blissful coma when they’re done with you.”
Joan grumbled, taking our warnings seriously but supremely irritated that she was forced to. She raised herself with some effort and leaned against the headboard. Crossing her arms over her full chest, she glowered at me, adorably aggravated.
“I can’t eat,” she complained, “not with any satisfaction, at least. That never happens. I feel so freakin’ weak! And now I can’t sleep even though I’m dying to. I’ll try my best to keep my eyes open. If what you’re saying is true, then it’d be stupid not to.”
I pressed my lips together and nodded sympathetically. I did feel bad for her, truly, but she was such a sight to behold. I pet her hair to soothe her, then began to run my finger under the shadow under her eye, the color of plums and coal. It offset her pale skin in an interesting manner and did absolutely nothing to tarnish her beauty. I tried not to be distracted by it, though. This was made easier as she winced in annoyance, pushing me to find the root of her pain as soon as possible.
“Ow!” she howled. “Jesus! Can you be a bit more tender there, Theo?!”
I thought I had, earnestly doing my best to apply the correct amount of pressure to activate my detection magic.
I began to sense the searing torment, the malicious energy that infected her. It was no accident that the demon had gone straight for her eyes. These were vital to mages, necessary for commanding their own reality and making sense of the world around them. If a demon muddled a mage’s vision, then this caster would struggle to see the boundary between objective truth and a hallucination. Proper treatment would be required so she could continue her studies at Bouclier without falling to shambles.