by Amanda Ashby
“Stop it. First of all, you’re not that important,” Loni said in a stern voice. “And besides, you’re breaking new ground. No one else has ever really tried to slay fairies before.”
“Yes, that’s because they’re not worth slaying,” Emma muttered.
“Hey, Em,” Tyler said, leaning over Loni. “The explosion sucks, but don’t let it get you down.” He gave Emma a pat on the hand, which would’ve been comforting if he hadn’t been wearing a pair of thickly spiked, flame-resistant gloves that he used when he was hunting salamanders.
“Ouch.” She whipped her hand away.
“Sorry.” Tyler shot her apologetic glance. “Someone bet me that I couldn’t wear these bad boys all day. I forgot they were on.”
“Just like you will no doubt forget your brain one day, Tyler Owens.” Loni shook her head in disapproval. “My mom warned me what would happen if I became friends with a Leo, but would I listen?”
“Well you didn’t complain when I helped you pass your tracking test the other day,” Tyler reminded her, but before they could continue bickering, their math teacher walked into the room.
“As you know, there are twelve elementals. Three air, three fire, three earth, and three water,” she said as she approached her desk. For a moment Emma wondered if it was a history lesson since learning about the elementals was fourth-grade stuff. “But it doesn’t stop there. Take, for instance, demons. They might only be considered as one elemental group, but there are at least a hundred and five known subraces. So what if you were working on the Department’s logistics team and had to decide how many agents you needed to send to clean up a newly hatched phoenix nest, two battling ogre tribes, and a problem on the East Coast with some krakens? How would you figure it out?”
Everyone except Tyler, who loved numbers, immediately started to groan as Professor Edwards held up a bunch of papers, which meant they were about to have a pop quiz. This day was just getting worse by the hour.
By the time Emma walked into the cafeteria for dinner that night, she begrudgingly realized that, despite her inability to answer any of the questions (let alone understand what they even meant), the pop quiz was actually the highlight of an otherwise horrible day. Even now people were making explosive noises and giggling as she walked past them. Also, she’d been unsuccessful in her attempts to track down Principal Kessler.
“What are you doing?” Loni demanded in a confused voice as Emma suddenly slid down her chair halfway through eating her fettuccine.
“Hiding,” Emma whispered as from across the room she caught sight of Curtis swinging his way into the cafeteria. The other thing she’d done all day was avoid her new assignment partner. She didn’t care what Loni or anyone else said: there was no way she was working with him. It was a matter of principle. She watched as Brenda raced up to him, but after a brief conversation, the demon slayer went away and Curtis continued to scan the room.
“Yes, but why?” Tyler craned his neck in confusion. “Is there something I should know?”
“She’s in denial,” Loni explained before lowering her voice and mouthing, “about Curtis.”
“Oh, is that all?” Tyler rolled his eyes before leaning across the table and swiping some of Emma’s uneaten dinner. “At least you got someone who knows how to use a sword. I got stuck with Glen Lewis, and tomorrow I have to let him show me how to slay an ogre. Only problem is that he never finishes his sentences because he forgets that Garry isn’t there to do it for him. Trust me, Curtis isn’t so bad.”
Emma kicked him in the shin.
“Ouch,” he protested. “Why did you do that?”
“It’s just, I thought you’d forgotten that Curtis Green is evil,” Emma informed him. “And if you like him so much, then why don’t you go and sit with him?”
“Because he’s leaving the cafeteria,” Tyler pointed out, and Emma let out a sigh of relief as she realized that after standing in the doorway and looking around for five minutes, he had indeed left the cafeteria and disappeared back out into the November evening.
“You know this isn’t going to work, don’t you?” Loni asked rhetorically as she pushed away the rest of her meal and Tyler instantly fell on it with a zeal she and Emma both ignored. “I mean, it’s not like we even go to a regular school where you can miss a few classes. This is Burtonwood, Emma, and that means you can’t run away from him forever.”
“I can while he has his leg in a cast,” Emma reminded her. “Anyway, until I change Kessler’s mind, there’s no way I’m going near Curtis in case he figures out my plan and tries to stop me.”
“You have a plan?” Tyler finished the rest of Loni’s dinner and looked up with interest.
“Well, it was to talk to Kessler, but since I can’t find him, I might have to come up with something else, and when I do, I don’t want Curtis nearby sticking his nose in it.”
“That’s it? Ruby, my five-legged pet cockroach has better plans than that.” Tyler raised an eyebrow, but before he could say anything else, Ryan Duncan came up to him and they started talking about some football game that they’d been betting on. Loni and Emma rolled their eyes and both stood up.
“So do you want to go to the gym?” Loni asked, but Emma shook her head and yawned.
“Actually, I might make it an early night.”
“Okay, well, I’ll see you in the morning. And Emma, try to remember that, according to your horoscope, you’re actually supposed to be having a good week.”
“Remind me to take cover when my stars say I’m going to have a bad week.” Emma only just resisted the urge to laugh as she said good night to her friend.
She jogged back toward her dorm. Normally she would’ve stopped and talked to the group of sophomores who were all sitting under an oak tree, but tonight she didn’t bother since they were probably talking about her. Instead, she hurried back to her room and halfheartedly pulled out her homework.
An hour later she decided to call it a night since apparently staring aimlessly at her homework wasn’t enough to get it finished. She was just about to turn off her laptop when her dad pinged her on IM.
She considered answering it for a moment before deciding to just call him in the morning. She’d promised after her accident that she’d update him every day about how she was doing, but she just didn’t feel up to it. Especially since, no matter how much he tried, it was impossible for him to understand what she was going through. Not just about her sore eye or even getting stuck with fairies, but because he was sight-blind.
As a rule sight-gifted people tended to stick together mainly because it was frowned upon to talk about elementals with civilians. However, it wasn’t actually illegal, and so when Emma’s parents had met and fallen in love, there was nothing to stop them from getting married. Plus, her dad had briefly worked at Burtonwood, which had made any explaining her mom had to do a little bit easier.
The other reason that most slayers tended to stick together was that the children of mixed marriages were nearly always sight-blind. In fact, until she turned eight, Emma’s biggest fear was that she would be as well and that all the amazing stories her mom had told her would just be that... stories.
But then it had happened.
On her eighth birthday, her parents had taken her out to the beach. It was April and the spring air had been warm and fresh, and the smell of salt had been dancing in her nostrils before it was suddenly replaced by something else. Something evil. Then, without even knowing why, Emma had dropped to all fours just before a large phoenix went swooping over her, missing her by mere inches.
In a second Emma took it all in: The heavy torrents of wind that gushed up as the creature went past her, its dark red feathers that almost seemed to blaze like fire against the blue spring sky. The small orange eyes that were filled with malice. And most noticeably the large beak, curved and deadly.
A second later her mom appeared with a crossbow in her hands and killed the creature before it could turn and dive a second time. Emma had
instantly burst into tears, which her mom had mistaken for fear rather than joy. But how could she be scared when her mom was there to help her? And even better, now that she had the sight, she would be able to go to Burtonwood. It had truly been a perfect day, and together she and her mom spent the next two hours planting a series of tiny electromagnetic wards to stop any more phoenixes from returning to the area.
With that thought she shut her laptop and went to bed. Thinking of her mom just reminded her of how much was at stake. And as she drifted off to sleep, she desperately tried to come up with the perfect Plan C so that she could convince Kessler to change his mind. Her future depended on it.
CHAPTER FIVE
So how much sleep did you get?” Tyler asked the next morning as he carefully studied her face. “I bet it was six hours. No, actually, make that five hours. Am I right? I bet I’m right.”
“Shut up, Tyler.” Loni cut him off with a glare as Professor Vanderbilt started to hand out a photocopied article on how to dismantle a hand grenade. “But seriously, Emma, are you okay? You do look a little tired. Maybe you should go and get checked out again by the nurse.”
“I’m fine.” Emma yawned as she took one of the copies and passed the rest of the pile just as Professor Vanderbilt held up a hand grenade.
“Okay, everybody. I want you tell me three situations when you might possibly need to use this weapon.”
“When you’re in the food court fighting fairies,” Glen called out from the back row, and the rest of the class started to laugh. Emma sighed and slunk down in her chair. Obviously her fifteen minutes of fame weren’t quite up yet.
“Good idea, but remember we frown on hurting civilians,” Professor Vanderbilt said in a mild voice—with a hint of sarcasm—before turning his attention back to the rest of the class. “Does anyone else have any ideas?”
Brenda immediately raised her hand, but before she could speak, Principal Kessler appeared in the doorway and nodded for Professor Vanderbilt to join him. Emma felt her mouth go dry as she studied the headmaster. His tanned narrow face was grim, and his straight gray hair was pushed back off the top of his forehead as he talked to Professor Vanderbilt in a low voice.
She turned to Loni and Tyler. “I bet this has something to do with his meeting with the Department yesterday. And maybe it will explain why I couldn’t find him anywhere.”
Loni nodded in agreement, but before she could reply, Principal Kessler finished his conversation and walked up to the podium.
“The Department’s got word that a zombie virus has been released over in the western suburbs,” he said, which instantly caused a murmur of confusion to go racing around the classroom. Even though there was some cross-training between Burtonwood and the other Departmental branches, zombie hunting definitely wasn’t something that any slayer normally did. “However, their efforts to reverse the virus at stage two have been impeded by a clan of nearby crocus demons.”
Ah. Emma and the rest of the room nodded in understanding. Now it made sense, since while some demons were solitary, crocus demons were notorious for hunting in large packs. And they were deadly as well, especially to zombie hunters.
“The Department’s demon slayers are already stretched thin, so they’ve asked everyone at Burtonwood to help,” the principal continued, his voice laden with authority. “The seniors and juniors have already been informed and will be joining us. People, this is serious. It’s code blue.”
Emma turned to Loni in excitement. Code blue meant fighting. Finally something was going her way. She was going to get some real field hours and, more importantly, the chance to prove herself once and for all as a great slayer of things other than fairies. In short, the perfect Plan C had fallen into her lap, and Curtis had better watch out, because soon she would be back in her rightful spot as dragon slayer. The surge of relief she felt was overwhelming.
“So here’s the drill,” Principal Kessler said in a cool voice. “We’ll be pulling out in an hour to launch a preemptive attack on the crocus demons so the Department can get on with their job of containing the zombies. In the meantime, there are agents waiting in the gym to brief you. Questions?”
No one raised their hand, but after the principal had dismissed the class and they all started to pour out the door for their briefing, Curtis finally coughed. “What about me?” he asked as he glanced down at his cast.
“I’m sorry, Curtis, but you know the rules. If you’re injured, you stay here. No exceptions.” Principal Kessler shook his head as he came over to where Curtis was sitting.
Emma got to her feet and shot him a smug look. She normally didn’t delight in other people’s misfortunes, but she couldn’t help but think that karma was starting to work with her on this one. However, before she could follow Loni and Tyler out of the room, Principal Kessler stepped in her way so that only she and Curtis were left in the room.
“Emma, we need to talk.”
“We do?” She frowned. “Is this about the explosion on Saturday? Because I swear it wasn’t my fault, and most importantly, no one was hurt.”
“Except you,” Curtis pointed out in an unhelpful voice from his chair.
“He’s right,” Principal Kessler said. “You’re injured too, which means you have to stay behind. You and Curtis can start work on your assignment.”
Emma felt like she had been hit by a truck. “But that doesn’t make sense. There’s a demon crisis about to unfold and you’d rather that I stay back here and do an assignment? Please, you can’t leave me behind.” With Curtis.
“I’m sorry, Emma, but it’s not open for debate,” Principal Kessler said.
“This is all because of my eye patch, isn’t it?” She reached up and pulled it off her eye. Ouch. “Well, now it’s gone. Does that mean I can go?”
“Just because you’re not wearing the patch doesn’t mean your eye’s better. It’s policy. I’m sorry.”
“But I can help,” Emma pleaded while secretly trying to refocus her left eye, which felt a little fuzzy. Not that Principal Kessler needed to know that.
“That’s right,” the headmaster cut in. “You can help. By doing your schoolwork. These questionnaires are based on field observations, so while neither of you is fit to slay, there is still plenty you can do. In the folders you can see how I want the reports written up, and Mrs. Barnes will issue you the passes. You know this is twenty percent of your grade, right?”
Emma couldn’t believe it.
“Please,” she tried again. “We all know that fairies aren’t exactly the epitome of evil, and as for dragons, well, I think I know better than Curtis how to slay one. I mean—”
“Emma, I think you’re forgetting yourself,” Principal Kessler said in a commanding voice. “This assignment still has to be done, no matter what you think of it. End of discussion. Now I’ve got to go join in the briefing.”
She stared in openmouthed frustration at the door Principal Kessler had just walked through. Up and down the corridors she could hear the sound of running feet as students prepared for the mission, which just made her feel even worse. But her pity party was interrupted by a coughing noise next to her.
Her eyes narrowed.
“This is all your fault,” she said, spinning around and glaring at Curtis. Her eye was a little less fuzzy but it still hurt like crazy, and there were now all sorts of shadows dancing in front of it.
“My fault?” he started to say before he frowned and studied her face. “Hey, Jones, are you okay? Your eye looks really sore and your face is pale. Maybe you should see Nurse Reynes.”
“No thanks.” Emma shook her head and immediately regretted it as the world started to swim, but she did her best to ignore it. There was no way she wanted to go back to the infirmary. Infirmaries reminded her of hospitals, and hospitals reminded her of her mom.
She shut her eyes to try to hold back the memories that were starting to seep out. The ironic thing was that after risking life and limb battling dragons every day, her mom had been
in the hospital for a simple concussion and had ended up catching an infection that spread to her lungs and killed her. All within four days.
“Are you sure? Because it really doesn’t look that good.” Genuine concern seemed to be etched across Curtis’s chiseled features, and for a moment she felt like he had read her mind and knew the real reason she didn’t want to go.
“I’m fine,” she said in a tight voice as she reminded herself that he was the person standing between her and her goal. “Besides, if you really want to help me, you can go and tell Kessler to change his mind about the designation.”
Curtis tightened his jaw. “Look, I know you’re bummed, but you can’t keep taking it out on me. It wasn’t like I planned this.”
“Oh, really?” Emma narrowed her one good eye at him. “Well, it’s funny that up until five weeks ago everyone thought it was my spot. I mean, for the last seven years, I’ve topped dragon studies, but you wouldn’t know that because you didn’t take any of the classes, yet suddenly you’re an expert?”
“It’s not that simple.” As he spoke he leaned forward so that his brown eyes were staring directly into hers. His tanned face suddenly seemed far too close to her as she watched his white teeth bite into the fleshy part of his full lower lip.
“Is that right?” Emma blinked as she realized she had been staring at him. She dragged her gaze away, almost as annoyed with herself as she was with him. For a moment Curtis looked like he was going to answer, before he suddenly shut his mouth and clenched his jaw.
“Look. I know you’re not happy, but this isn’t the ideal situation for me, either.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Emma demanded, before realizing she knew exactly what he meant. How embarrassing to be stuck with the laughingstock of the entire Academy. As if reading her mind, he didn’t bother to reply as he awkwardly got to his feet and flicked his tie back over his shoulder before reaching down for his crutches. As he did so, his white school shirt strained with the effort. Emma ignored it. Just because he had big muscly arms did not mean he was a better dragon slayer than she was. Once he tucked the crutches under his arm, he paused and seemed to study her for a minute before merely shrugging. As if he was so above her that he didn’t even owe her an explanation.