by Melody Rose
My cheeks burned at the attention, and I felt a warmth creep down from the crown of my head to the back of my hand. At first, I thought it was just embarrassment or shock. When I took a closer look, a gold light seemed to be dripping down from above me. Subconsciously, I glanced at Damian, the only person I really knew in this class.
A glowing illusory laurel wreath with forest green leaves hovered over Damian’s head. That prompted me to flick my eyes up to see a dazzling gold crown with the same design above my own head. Without even needing to be told, I could tell that I’d somehow become the victor of this scenario.
As far as I was concerned, though, Aurelius deserved the lion’s share of praise. He was the one who had valiantly fought for me and incinerated my opponent. Unless our familiar-companion bond somehow enhanced Aurelius’ power, I didn’t even know if I deserved any prize.
When I looked down at my hound to tell him so, I noticed he had his own levitating circlet, too. That put me at ease, even though Aurelius’ hackles were still up. He was standing on the tips of his paws with his back arched, not soothed that the simulation was over. Granted, the aftermath was pretty grisly, so I really couldn’t blame him.
“As we can see,” Professor Refuir began, “Bouclier places heavy demands on its pupils. This continues to be one of the most mana-taxing courses you will encounter, and while this did not follow the pattern of our previous mid-quarter exams, expect more of these trials in the future. I credit… most of you for your quick thinking.”
I did my best to keep tight-lipped, even though his speech seemed a little off. Since he was so militant in his delivery, I stood up. I figured that it would’ve been too sappy for the occasion to cuddle my hound. Interestingly, I spied maroon fringing Professor Refuir’s otherwise topaz-yellow aura. As a witch with a higher level of empathic powers, I was probably the only mage to pick up on this. If this meant if he was angered, surprised, or even somehow in on how this class turned out, I couldn’t be sure. What was clear, however, was that some part of this ordeal did not go according to plan.
As I laced my fingers in front of me, Professor Refuir gracefully walked over to me. He pulled a finely carved oak wand from a holster, then tapped it to my shoulder as if he were a king knighting me. Despite all my suspicions, I couldn’t help feeling proud. That sensation only grew when I saw him kneel down and repeat this motion with Aurelius. My familiar’s distrust seemed to thaw, and his back leveled back to normal.
“Lady MacKenna, I was dubious that you would be able to perform well after having been absent for all of our gatherings,” he told me as he rose to look me in the eyes. “However, you and Aurelius have exceeded my expectations. So much so that you have accrued enough familiar training points to compensate for all that you’ve missed.”
I smiled gratefully and dropped my head in respect. Even though he was really intimidating based on first impressions, Professor Refuir’s heart was in the right place. Maybe he just wanted to make sure that all of his students didn’t buckle under the pressure of life or death situations. That was pretty consistent with what Lander always reinforced. After all, that’s why Cavallian pups needed to face their worst fears just months after being born.
“I am honored, Professor Refuir,” I responded, hoping I had the right gravity in my voice. Though I was still a little nervous, it felt like a great storm had passed.
“Not at all, Joan.” Professor Refuir waved my modesty away. “You and Aurelius have more than earned your accolades today. Do trust me, for I am rather sparing with my esteem. I’m sure many of your peers will tell you this.” Any vague trace of praise in his voice disappeared. The same aloofness I’d recently grown used to returned. “Now, pardon me. Damian and Bast made a strong effort today, and I need to speak to them as well.”
Damian sneakily gave me a thumbs-up and a sly grin as Professor Refuir walked toward him. As my instructor spoke to the dark-haired mage, his loyal bat pacing on his broad shoulder, a shimmer of stars showered down upon me. This happened every so often as a little theatrical flourish for stellar achievement after a final project or exam.
So far, I was only treated to this during my culinary classes and a couple of Spirit Releasing sessions. Other than that, I wasn’t exactly known for having top performances, just a solid spell point average. Maybe that explained the mixed bag of looks I was receiving.
As I stomached the assortment of facial expressions, some still paralyzed with fear, others impressed, and a sprinkling tainted with envy. I covered my teeth with my bottom lip, a vague smile that could be interpreted in many ways.
Once Professor Refuir wrapped up a conversation with Damian and dismissed the class, my fellow mages finally began to break away from their line-up. Some were able to walk out with their familiars by their side while others had to carry their terrified beasts in their arms. A twinge of sympathy pulled at my heartstrings, and I silently muttered a charm, an intention that all of the afflicted familiars would regain their courage.
As I followed everyone else out, I felt a hard metal materialize in the palm of my hand. Instinctively, I created a fist to keep this new item, I guessed a coin, from falling. I didn’t want to make anyone jealous, especially seeing how stressful this mid-quarter exam was, so I didn’t give it a second look until I was safe from everyone else’s eyes.
14
Joan
Even though I heard Damian’s footsteps quicken to catch up with me, I didn’t give him the chance. It wasn’t exactly that I didn’t trust or like him. In fact, it made sense to pursue me because he and I bonded over similar struggles. We had both tried to give our familiars advance training in the circle of eternal death, defied probability to defeat illicit demons, and received the highest marks in our Familiar Hunting class. That should have been enough in common to give him the time of day.
Still, I simply didn’t want the company and decided to put it off. I needed some ‘me time’ to sort out my thoughts. I was beginning to feel very disoriented, almost out of touch with reality. It seemed that just as I was adjusting to Lemuria and putting my human life aside, odd situations cropped up that no one could quite explain. If it weren’t for how little I had left for me beyond the portal, maybe I would’ve found myself running back. I could barely even drag myself through writing postcards or emails associated with the fake IP address Becks had conjured for me.
I never even got a response back except for one from my stepmother asking for last month’s rent because I had left so unexpectedly. That resulted in a fun sleepover with Becks, where we performed a replication spell on a twenty-dollar bill with a charm that randomized serial numbers. I smirked at the memory while I scaled up the stairs to my room. While I probably could’ve been loaded if I went back to Earth, trolling my family by lording above their heads that I had a young, handsome sugar daddy was just too rich.
Wherever Damian’s dorm was, it probably wasn’t on the same floor as mine because I’d never crossed paths with him. Plus, he told me he was on some off-the-grid haunted room that wasn’t even permitted to students. After a while, I heard his stride break away until I was walking only with Aurelius. He must’ve finally got the signal, especially since it would’ve looked like he was stalking me if he continued following me. I sighed in relief as I made it to my suite. Grasping the doorknob with my free hand, I opened my door as fast as I could and ushered Aurelius in with me before shutting it.
Away from everyone’s prying eyes, I finally opened my hand to see what had appeared there. The once-cool gold of the coin was now warmed up to my body heat and was absolutely gorgeous, exquisitely colored and polished. It was engraved with a ferocious beast that unhinged its jaws in a majestic roar. On closer inspection, I noticed that the etching was a stylized version of Aurelius himself. Flames shot out from the hound’s head, a perfect depiction of his transformation. The spell that created it must have imbued the coin with whoever ended up being the victor. That led me to wonder, though, did the charm pick up on what Aurelius had b
ecome, or did this hint at what he would be permanently?
Not that it really mattered. I’d accept him for whoever he ended up being.
“Good job, honey bun!” I congratulated Aurelius. “You really knocked it out of the park, sweet boy!” Free to use pet names now that we didn’t have to act tough, I had no problem laying them on thick.
Aurelius responded with gratitude, wagging his tail with great zeal. His flames receded in the comfort of my room, with only the red sheen of his fur and his larger proportions showing that he was basically a hellhound. I patted him in his relaxed state, though honestly, I knew I wouldn’t burn my hand off even if he were up in flames. My heart fluttered with pride, and I decided that we needed to commemorate all that Aurelius had accomplished this semester.
I didn’t feel right holding onto the coin myself. I was such a small fraction of Aurelius’ performance, or more accurately, brawl, that I figured I’d package the coin as a memento for him. I walked over to my writing desk to rifle around for an envelope or a trinket box. Considering Aurelius had reduced armor and weapons to a shiny slop, I was worried that he would destroy the gold if he got overexcited. Maybe his flames were proof from roasting innocent mages but were a crack at dissolving metal.
Since I’d advanced to Alchemy II and, on top of that, had to transfigure metals on the spot when Lydia cornered me in a cooking lab, I knew a bit about alloys. Plus, Theo, who was better at conjuring items than he was at shapeshifting or cosmetic charms, had tutored me in invoking strong metals, like titanium and cobalt. Theo even gifted me with a small chunk of wolfram ore, a material that was not just ideal for crafting but also prized for holding claim to the highest melting point.
He did warn me that I needed to be “judicious” when channeling it for protection. To make his point even more clear, he told me a story about an army of warlocks that forged a battalion’s worth of armor out of wolfram. Apparently, they exchanged so much will to protect themselves that they lost their courage. As far as the forces overlooking this realm were concerned, seeking out too much security actually uncovered how little faith a mage had.
It shouldn’t have been a problem in this case, though. It wasn’t as though I wanted to save my own skin. I just wanted somewhere to store Aurelius’ coin. Still, I felt so jittery as I stood in front of my desk and deliberated over the best base item to use. Maybe a lockbox wasn’t the right call because it screamed insecurity. A good old-fashioned envelope that was flexible and could be easily opened should’ve done the trick. That’s really all I needed, and I trusted that no one was stupid or rude enough to break into my dorm over a coin. It probably just had sentimental value, honestly.
Shifting through a scatter of envelopes… I wasn’t exactly neat when it came to stationary and didn’t even bother wasting mana on a tidying charm… I stiffened. A gold filigree letter holder that most definitely wasn’t mine was positioned at the corner of my desk. It was absurdly elegant and stood out like a sore thumb or a snobby debutante. In fact, this piece of decor looked as though it were standing as far away as it could from my chaos.
Aurelius trotted over to his upscale dog bed, and I gave a secret smile. This had Theo written all over it.
I delicately plucked the trifold parchment from the letter holder, struck both by its peony pink tone and its scent. I smirked as the cherry blossom notes wafted toward me. It was all rather feminine, but that was Theo’s style when he was courting me. Occasionally, he gave me little gifts that were truly me, like a sterling silver pie cutter or a set of Damascus kitchen knives. Even though I appreciated Lemurian cooking, I still got withdrawal from cooking the old-fashioned way. Even so, Theo often slipped into spoiling me with beautiful but impractical presents, such as a sapphire bracelet or a diamond choker. This wasn’t surprising, coming from a man who spruced up my suite to look like it was straight from the macaron-filled world of Marie Antoinette.
Tickled by the memories, I opened up the letter. I raised an eyebrow when I realized that it wasn’t Theo’s penmanship at all.
Dear Mademoiselle MacKenna,
You never cease to amaze, don’t you? From a modest human to an enchantress and beast trainer virtuoso. Why don’t we discuss your future here at Bouclier? Without your familiar, of course. Mage to mage, yes?
Your Dean of Student Culture
P.S. Brava on your and your hellhound’s show today. An unparalleled display.
I was swept away with how out of place it seemed, way too frou-frou for Nascha, the elegant succubus that was our Dean of Student Culture. She preferred the more baroque look of black stationery and blood-red ink. I admired how, like me, Nascha wasn’t afraid to claim who she was and wouldn’t deny her roots. Maybe I was dizzy with gratitude over how she championed for me to attend Bouclier because I started to get real light-headed. The ground melted away from my feet, and I fainted into a cotton-candy sweet ether.
It was all strangely psychedelic, a mix between a carnival and a crystal caravan. Even though this interdimensional experience was relatively easy on the system, I was a bit unnerved. I inhaled what seemed to be sweet smoke, and I thought I could taste blood in my mouth.
I thought I’d land as easily as a cat after that advanced teleportation spell, but the sensation was closer to crashing onto the ground. As my feet made contact with the floor, I realized that being a mage didn’t make me shock absorbent. In fact, the ache was so incredible that it was on a par with shin splints. It took me several inhales of breath and a painkilling charm to make sense of my surroundings. Eventually, the vague swirls of color gained clarity, and I was able to check out what should have been Nascha’s study.
Did she decide to dip into some spring cleaning? Get in touch with her dainty side? Finally feel pressured to glamour away her infernal heritage? This wasn’t the office of the dark and mysterious but always kind-hearted succubus I had grown to know and love. I was so used to this refuge because I dropped by so often for mentorship and support. It was way too difficult to get the ear of Abelard, and Nascha really seemed to know what it meant to get by as an outcast.
Gone was the comfort of mahogany mantelpiece lined with amber candles, onyx perches accommodating all manner of owls, ravens, and crows, dark violet urns etched with black swans and filled with midnight roses, and end table topped with decadent truffles. In this former eccentric sanctuary’s place was a dollhouse on steroids. I couldn’t help but cringe at the cream wallpaper sprinkled with Pepto-Bismol pink peonies and the white vases that burst with coral roses, adding insult to injury. My heart broke a little, and then was ground to a pulp, when I walked forward to greet the dean.
“Ah! Joan!” she chirped. “So good of you to make it! I know that you’ve had quite a tumble this semester, what with your skirmish in the circle of eternal death and your inspired and ignited presentation today. I’m honored that you made an appearance here!”
It’s not like I actually had a choice.
“Um, Nascha?” I asked hesitantly. “What’s all this about?” I made an open, sweeping gesture with my arms, expressing that the sugary spectacle seemed a bit much for me. “Did Abelard put you up to this? Did you think that your background would lose Bouclier recruits?” Still a bit of a haze, I rambled on. “I don’t think you should have to worry about all that. I know that succubi are… an unconventional choice for the faculty, but I’ve never had a problem with it. You’ve done so much for all of us.”
The Malibu Barbie concoction in front of me pursed her glossed over lips. Whatever I said really wasn’t controversial at all. However, it didn’t land well at all. Nascha, whose hair had changed from its usual raven locks to blonde ringlets, laced her fingers together. I blushed, embarrassed to step on her feelings, then squinted. It occurred to me that her horns weren’t showing anymore. She really committed to going down this “squeaky clean” rabbit hole. That, or she had a lobotomy all so that Bouclier could save face.
“No, Joan,” she responded bluntly. Somehow, she maintained her high-pitch
ed, feminine voice even in her irritation. “Nascha isn’t here. In fact, you won’t find her at all.”
I stood there stupidly and blinked. I had no idea what to say. Was she really getting so far into her act that she was going to pretend she didn’t exist? That’s when my senses fully cleared, and despite similarities between this new woman and Nascha, it was clear that this wasn’t the same kindly dean I expected to find. It couldn’t be that Nascha was…
“She’s not…?” My heart sank, not able to finish the whole question.
Miss Barbie placed her hand on her chest and gasped. It seemed so put on that I thought I was on the set of Gone With The Wind.
“Heavens, no! Nothing like that. It’s only that, well… it isn’t appropriate for a succubus to wield so much influence in such an upstanding institution, you see. It was a bad look. Now, that’s not all that matters, of course. It’s just that those infernal dwellers, they shouldn’t be on the surface at all. I just made sure she was out of range and couldn’t prey on the minds of our best and brightest.”
I took a short intake of breath. Really, I wanted to break down crying, but I decided against it. This woman seemed to have a real axe to grind with Nascha, not that I knew why. I already knew that the succubus had innate charms and effortless glamour. That was how she was able to act as an ambassador on Abelard’s behalf, especially since he didn’t have even a spoonful of charisma. She secured so many scholarships that every talented mage in need was able to attend Bouclier. The only other way she used her abilities was to give stellar pep talks, ones that always helped me stop second-guessing myself.