by C. A. McHugh
One by one, the other masters nodded their heads until he came to Seroney at last.
Aware that his were not the only set of eyes focused on her, she slowly nodded as well, fighting back the wince of pain. Even that subtle movement sent a series of stinging needles racing along her spine.
He raised a questioning brow.
“To be honest, I’m a bit banged up,” she admitted, “but I’ll live.”
“Very good. Now, would you be so kind as to explain how a Jarilith came to be chasing you? Arcana is home to some of the stranger creatures of this world, but any demon is most certainly not of this world.” His tone left no room for argument.
“It’s quite obvious, Master Binnius,” Philgus chimed in, circling her with hatred spewing from his words. “She was the one who summoned it. She was leading it this way to destroy us all. She knew everyone would be in the Great Hall for tonight’s celebration—the perfect situation to unleash a demon on us.”
“That will be quite enough of that, Philgus. Your accusations are completely without grounds.”
Binnius sent at spell at her, and Seroney’s body suddenly glowed a bright blue. Fear gripped her heart when she spotted flecks of green Elvish magic and the bright violet of Fae magic spiraling within her aura. But with the mere utter of a word, the spell ended, hopefully before most of the onlookers had a chance to note the other colors.
Of course, most didn’t mean all.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spied Aerrin, Nyssa, and Leandros standing nearby, wearing matching expressions of thin-lipped suspicion. On one hand, she was thankful they’d managed to escape to safety. Perhaps they’d even alerted the masters. But on the other hand, their faces looked like they were inclined to believe Master Philgus.
“As you can clearly see, there is no trace of red in her aura. Obviously then, she has never had any dealing with demons in her life. However,” Binnius added as he peered at her over the rim of his glasses, “I do believe without a doubt that she knows who did summon the Jarilith.”
“I do. I’ll show you where it was summoned.” She turned and took a few steps toward the room in the north wing. At least some of the culprits would still be there, and judging by what she knew about Naisibus, she suspected he’d give the names of his accomplices if they’d already fled the scene.
“That won’t be necessary. Between you and the demon, we have a sufficient trail of destruction to follow. Karena, Eamon,” he said, turning to the two masters beside him, “please find those involved with the summoning. Bring them to my office once you have had a chance to see to any injuries they may have.” Then he focused his attention back to her. “Seroney, you will come to my office now and give your side of the story.”
“So that’s it?” Philgus asked in disbelief. “You’re just going to ask her to give her account of what happened and believe her. No punishment? No expulsion?”
“Master Philgus, please kindly remember that I am the headmaster of the Academy, and I will take what actions I deem appropriate. She did not summon the demon—that much is clear. In fact, she may have saved our lives by wearing the demon down before leading him here.”
“But the North Foyer is completely destroyed. She must be held accountable for her actions.”
An amused smile played upon the headmaster’s lips as he studied the other master mage. “Your face is taking on a rather unappealing hue of red. I suggest you calm yourself before you suffer an apoplexy. I will hold those involved responsible for their actions, but not before I know the entire story. In the meantime, I suggest you either assist Masters Eamon and Karena or return to your quarters.” Philgus opened his mouth to further the dispute, but Binnius silenced him. “That will be all, Master Philgus.”
Outraged, Philgus stomped off in the direction of the wing that housed the masters’ quarters, muttering to himself.
Seroney wrapped her arms around her chest and followed the headmaster, grateful to escape. Her hair was awry and singed, as were her clothes. Blood oozed from the small cuts on her face. And she had the sneaking suspicion she would have a black eye in the morning. Magic could be used to correct all these flaws. She had more important worries.
Once they reached his office, she sank into the chair he offered to her. Every muscle in her body screamed at her for what she’d done tonight.
Binnius seemed to have read her mind because a shower of healing magic flowed around her, easing her aches and pain. Then he handed her a glass of wine and sat behind his cluttered desk. “That was a rather impressive display of magic out there, even if the North Foyer is without a roof at the moment. Not many mages would take on a Jarilith on their own. You are either very brave or very stupid, but no matter which one, I am very proud of you. However, it still doesn’t explain how the Jarilith came to be in my academy.”
He steepled his hands in front of him in an inquisitive manner and leaned back in his chair. “So, Seroney, where shall we begin?”
Chapter 15
For the next week, all the students of the Academy could talk about was how Seroney had battled a Jarilith. It took a great deal of power to battle a demon of that size. There were even a few masters who they doubted could take on a Jarilith and live to tell about it. Some believed that she had something to do with the summoning. Others said that she had innocently come across it and had tried to defeat it by herself. Some thought she was a villain, others a hero. However, they all agreed that she was not a normal student.
And Aerrin had no idea if he should thank her or fear her.
He’d come too close to running into the demon. If Seroney hadn’t drawn its attention from him and his friends, he doubted they’d be alive right now.
With lightning quick agility, she’d dodged the reach of the demon’s deadly claws and was merely thrown into a wall rather than being completely impaled. And then there was the blinding ray of light she’d cast that surpassed any magic he’d seen his classmates conjure.
Without a doubt, the night of the feast raised even more questions about Seroney than he’d had before the incident.
And now Nyssa had sent him a message, asking to discuss her roommate. They met her under one of the large flowering cherry trees that grew on the grounds of the Academy. He brought Leandros with him, wondering what prompted her request.
“Seroney’s been acting strangely,” Nyssa began.
“Stranger than before?” Aerrin asked. “How so?”
“I’m actually worried about her. She barely sleeps. The first couple of nights after the feast she had nightmares. She screamed so loudly one night, I swear she must’ve woken everyone up in the surrounding rooms.”
“So, she’s having nightmares?” Leandros asked, stretching his long legs out in front of him and leaning back on his elbows. “You would, too, if you had a Jarilith chasing after you.”
“But there’s more. Now she doesn’t sleep at all. She’s hardly ever in the room. I asked her yesterday what she’s been doing up all night, and she said that she was studying. I like to study—” Leandros snorted at that comment, procuring a glare from Nyssa before she continued, “but even I need to sleep from time to time. Not to mention, eat.”
Aerrin thought back to the last time he’d seen her at a meal. “You’re right. I haven’t noticed her in the Great Hall since that night. Do you think she’s eating somewhere else?”
“If you had the whole school terrified of you and whispering behind your back that you’re a demon summoner, would you want to eat in the gigantic Great Hall?” Leandros asked. “Who wants to eat where everyone in the Academy can stare and point fingers at you while you chew your dinner?”
“Point taken.” He came to Nyssa. “Anything else?”
“When I did catch her in our room, I noticed she was reading a book about demons and how to vanquish them.”
“Again, if you just took on a Jarilith, wouldn’t you want to brush up on your vanquishing skills?” But despite the sarcasm in his voice, Leandros shifted uneasily w
here he lay.
“What is it?” Aerrin asked. “Did you get an opportunity to read her mind? Did you discover something about her?”
“Sort of. As much as I hate to join this little Seroney bashing session, I saw Master Philgus following her around. He started muttering something about her being a Meritis and sneaky and stuff like that.”
“Just what are you talking about?” Nyssa crossed her arms and scooted closer to them.
“I’m just reporting what I heard.”
“Meritis? Is that her family name?” Aerrin rubbed his palms on the grass. He realized he didn’t even know that much about her. He looked at Nyssa, hoping she had the answer.
“I never asked her for her family name,” Nyssa admitted. “I don’t think people should be judged by things like that.”
“Of course not,” Aerrin said. “It’s just I don’t recall any nobles with that name.”
Nyssa scrunched her face up. “What makes you think Seroney has to be of noble birth? Commoners can cast magic just as well as nobles. After all, Master Binnius was common-born.”
“But Master Binnius never dresses the way Seroney does,” Aerrin argued. “She must come from a family of means.”
Leandros burst out laughing but quickly stopped when the other two looked at him. He cleared his throat. “Sorry. I just got a mental picture of Master Binnius in one of her dresses.”
Nyssa giggled. “Don’t worry. I sort of have the same picture in my mind at the moment, and it is rather funny.”
Aerrin couldn’t believe they were joking around. “I guess I need to phrase my words a bit better or I’ll have you two laughing so hard we’ll never get to the real issue.”
“The issue is that she’s not sleeping or eating,” Nyssa said.
“Well, maybe she has a guilty conscience. Maybe she’s posing as a student so she can spy for him. Or worse, so she can wreak havoc here at that Academy.”
Leandros tossed a wildflower at him. “Or Seroney could simply be common born, with a father who’s a wealthy merchant and not a member of your courtly circles.”
Nyssa nodded. “You can’t know all your subjects’ names, Aerrin.”
“Perhaps I should ask for her pedigree.”
Leandros unexpectedly grasped his shoulders. “No, Aerrin! You’re not that desperate for information. Don’t sink that low. It would put you on the same level as Naisibus.”
“Speaking of which, has anyone noticed he’s been scarce as well?” Nyssa asked.
“That’s because he was expelled, along with two of his friends, ” Aerrin replied, remembering with a shiver the shrouded body as it was carried out of the Academy. “The third one wasn’t so lucky.”
Nyssa jumped on her knees and leaned forward. “Expelled? Where did you hear that?”
“I’m not really supposed to talk about it, but as the king, Master Binnius informed me of their situations. It seems the four of them were the ones who summoned the demon.”
“See? Seroney had nothing to do with the demon summoning, and the real culprits are being punished.” Leandros stood up. “I have to get to fencing practice. You both need to find a hobby. That way you’d have something to do besides worry about Seroney.” He walked away.
Nyssa gave Aerrin a pleading glance. “He has a point. Why are you still pressing the issue about her?”
“Because Naisibus made some very strange accusations. He claims Seroney appeared shortly after the demon was summoned. But he also begrudgingly admitted that she saved his life when the demon attacked him.”
“Aerrin,” Nyssa said gently as she laid her hand over his, “I think the Raven Bringer is the one you’re really worried about. Let’s go inside. I want to see if we can get Seroney to join us for dinner.”
Aerrin rubbed his aching temples. Why was he the only one still concerned about her? Were Nyssa and Leandros right? Was he just overreacting and being paranoid? After all, Naisibus did have a red glow to his aura and was caught with a book of demonic spells. He was obviously the one responsible for everything. Perhaps he was one of the Raven Bringer’s apprentices. If so, then that at least solved one of his problems.
But that night, there was no sign of Seroney at dinner. Afterward, Aerrin decided to go to the one person that might finally set his mind at ease. He climbed the winding staircase to Master Binnius’s office and knocked at the door
The aged voice from the other side replied, “Come in, Aerrin. I’ve been expecting you.”
Aerrin nudged the door open to find the silver-haired mage sitting in front of a fire beside a table with two steaming mugs.
Master Binnius motioned at the empty chair beside the table. “Have a sip of tea. It will calm your nerves.”
“What makes you think I’m nervous?” he asked as he sank into the chair. After a sip of the honey-sweetened tea, the knots in his shoulders relaxed.
“This is my academy, Aerrin. I prefer to know as many of the activities in it as I can. I know you’ve been a bit worried since the night of the feast. And I believe you came here tonight to see what I had to say about everything. Am I right?”
He nodded and took another sip of the tea. “Do you know all the details of what happened that night?”
“Indeed, I do. Why? Do you wish for me to repeat what I’ve already shared with you?”
“It would help answer some questions I’ve been having about Seroney lately.”
Binnius studied him carefully. “Well, it seems Lord Kalmoon was given a rather nasty book of spells by a ‘friend of the family’—he declined to say whom, but we both know a person with an affinity for demonic magics who wouldn’t be above tricking a young man into unleashing a demon, especially since he recently boasted about having his servants inside our walls. Seroney happened to be in the right place at the right time to save him and two of the others. The fourth young man…” Sadness filled his normally merry blue eyes. “Well, we can’t save everybody. Does that answer your question?”
“Yes, but that doesn’t explain her recent behavior. Nyssa says she’s not eating, not sleeping. She’s never around, it seems.”
“Have you tried asking Seroney the reason?”
“But Master Binnius, you claim to know about all the activities here in the Academy.” The sarcasm felt good, even though he knew the old man would only reveal what he chose to reveal.
The headmaster cocked his head to the side. “What do Leandros and Nyssa think?”
Aerrin stared into the amber liquid in his cup. “They think I’m overreacting and being paranoid.”
Master Binnius nodded. “And you have good reason to be. You’re a king, Aerrin, whether you like it or not, and you will always have to be on guard around most people. That unfortunate incident in the temple has probably contributed to your desire to distance yourself from anyone new, and that is to be expected. But there are still those you trust. You trust me, or you wouldn’t be here talking with me about your troubles. You trust Leandros and Nyssa. And you’ve learned to trust the Lone Wolf and Raimel. Perhaps one day you’ll be able set your fears to rest.”
“The Lone Wolf urged me to be on the lookout for anything strange. And Seroney is, well, strange. There’s no other way to put it. She’s not like the other students here. She proved that the night of Gutenfest.”
“And is that a bad thing?”
He chewed his bottom lip. “No, not necessarily. I can’t think of another student who would’ve taken on that demon. But there are so many things about her that don’t make sense.”
“Ah, I see,” Binnius replied, nodding his head slowly. “Just because something is new and different, it needs to be feared. Is that what you are telling me?”
“No, that’s not what I’m trying to say.” Aerrin jumped up from his chair and began pacing in front of the fire. “I know that just because something is normal and familiar doesn’t make it right. But I also know to trust my instincts, and they’re telling me that Seroney is not all that she appears to be. She’s hiding so
mething, and now she seems to be avoiding anyone who would dare confront her about it. That doesn’t strike me as purely innocent behavior. And I have the feeling that whatever she’s hiding involves me.”
“Aerrin, how many times do I have to tell you that I would never allow any harm to come to you? Seroney is a young woman who is quite powerful. She would be a person I would have as an ally. And although her training prior to coming to the Academy is a bit unorthodox compared to our teaching methods, I believe we can use that to our advantage and allow her to teach some of your fellow students useful spells that have been long forgotten. In other words, Seroney is at the Academy because I thought she would enhance the environment here.
“And I was right. After all, if she hadn’t been here, how many students would have perished the night of the feast? Would we have been able to discover that Lord Kalmoon was one of the Raven Bringer’s apprentices if she hadn’t caught him in the act?”
“So you think he was an apprentice?” This was news to Aerrin. “You didn’t say so before.”
“I thought this was obvious.” Binnius rose and moved to his desk. “The hour grows late, Aerrin, and perhaps it is time all of us retire so that we may gain a few hours of sleep before the sunlight fills our windows.”
Aerrin realized he was being dismissed. “Sending me off without answering my questions again?”
“Of course I am. There are many things in life that require a second look. Once you give it, you may find the beauty lying beneath the rough, as well as the evil lying beneath the beauty.”
“But how I will know which is which?”
“When it matters most.” A soft smile formed on the old man’s lips after giving another vague and frustrating reply. “Now run along. I have to compose an explanation to the Privy Council as to how students at this Academy came to acquire the components needed to summon a demon.”
Aerrin winced in sympathy. Until he officially came of age and could take complete control of the kingdom, they all had to answer to the Privy Council. One more reason for him to complete his training as quickly as possible. “Good night, then.”