Emotionless: (Prototype: Zero book 1)

by Shaina Anastasi

  “What?”

  “Thank you for informing me about what has been happening at my school while I was away. I will give all the parties a thorough wording to.”

  “Like I give a shit.”

  “If you ‘didn’t give a shit’ you wouldn’t have gone out of your way to say it."

  He laughed wickedly, hopped off the table and walked out, the amusement plain on his face.

  He sold me on rune shop. He didn’t need to say rare and cannot get anywhere else. I will go anywhere that has runes in it. The excitement was bubbling on the inside. I looked over at the now sleeping Lawliet and knew I must do everything in my power to make him agree and sign the slip to go on this Academy excursion.

  Staring at him intently, he was ignoring the stares. He would have been soundly asleep if it wasn’t for the doting Shapeshifter voice of Hopper who was calling my name from the door.

  “My Mistress,” he said breathlessly. “You did not eat breakfast. I cooked and ran here as fast as I could to give you your eggs and bacon along with lollipops for your friend?”

  His words ended in a question, as he looked around the classroom and settled on Lawliet who peered out of narrowed gold eyes. Hopper slumped shoulders a little, and smoothed his face over and went passive. An expression my mum and Dad trained him to learn when he was amongst others that are not family. He isn’t allowed to be as friendly as he is with the family. He needs to be proper and formal at all times.

  “Lawliet Clarintine. Is this your friend, my Mistress?”

  “Friend?” Lawliet huffed a laugh. “I will consider the notion if she doesn’t agree to go on that stupid excursion.”

  “Ah, your brothers brought a letter home yesterday. It is a beautiful place for mages to go. There is also a rune shop you can go to, my Mistress. It is dazzling. I hope you do not stare at the runes for too long. I don’t want your eyes to be damaged.”

  “We are not going,” Lawliet stated.

  “Yes, we are,” I mumbled.

  “Good luck trying to convince me.”

  “Young mage, I do not want to come across as rude or inconsiderate of your abilities of refusal, but you will not win against my Mistress Eileen. Whatever she wants, she gets.”

  “Shut up,” Lawliet yawned. “This is why I hate mages and their pets.”

  Narrowing eyes slightly, I looked away from Lawliet and towards Hopper who seemed exasperated and drained from meeting my ‘friend’.

  “My Mistress, your food is in this container and a singular lollypop because I still don’t condone so much intake of sweets.”

  “Ok,” I responded.

  Thus, the long day of being ignored came around. I was disappointed I couldn’t think of a reason for him to come because of his set notion and apparent dissatisfaction of the excursion. Instead, I set my eyes to the blackboard. Not having time whatsoever to create my rune due to untimely energy consumption on potion bottles, lack of sleep and mind control, I was fully absorbed into it now. Nearly finished, hands covered in chalk dust, I scanned the elements on the board. Every symbol, sign, the cursive line has meshed into the activation circle they will soon reside in and become whole. Arm stretching, bones aching, I stood there for hours until my hand moved up, around, joined with the symbol and flicked into its perfect circle. The rune lit up a beautiful bright blue, and I stepped back to admire it.

  Leaning down, I took off my boots, wiggled toes through a thin layer of cotton socks and went to grab a chair. Dragging it over to the board, I stepped up and lifted a leg and balanced on one foot. Pressing foot on the rune, I took a deep breath out and lifted my other leg and quickly planted it in the rune when everything went down the slope. Literally. My body wasn’t strong enough and instead of sticking similar to a straight hard plank, my back arched, legs bent, and I knew my head was going to slam against the chair seat.

  Closing eyes, I heard the knocking of furniture. My feet that were stuck to the rune dropped, and I sucked in a breath. Warmth flooded into me like dragon breath. Hot and ferocious. I slammed into something hard and squishy as I declined. My stomach was doing backflips. I clung onto someone. My fingers found a shoulder, I think, and softness as well.

  “I would like to keep my hair,” the voice of Lawliet broke the silence.

  Opening my eyes slowly, I looked up and noticed that I was in Lawliet’s arms and positioned awkwardly. My legs tucked up, his arm underneath them while the other was over my shoulder. I had an arm going underneath his arm and clung to the back of his shoulder while the other gripped his hair. It wasn’t a light hold. A death grip of survival. Releasing the grip, a part of me expected strands to come loose, but the ends flicked up a little.

  Sitting there on his lap, he rolled his eyes, leant back, slipped his arms away from where they were positioned and tilted back to look at the board. The rune is having a clear sign of destruction happening to it. Fingers along the board have severed the ties.

  “The rune was nearly perfect. One thing you missed was tension,” he said.

  “Tension?” I questioned.

  “A small symbol that tightens your torso and locks your legs so that you don’t lean forwards or backwards to only slam into a wall,” he explained clearly.

  “I see.” Looking up at the board, I pictured the whole design, imagined a little ST to go into the rune, and nodded. Confirming that that could be the reason I was falling backwards instantly. “Show me.”

  “Can you get off of me then?”

  Shuffling to a stand, Lawliet stood as well, cleared the board with the duster and sent white specs of dust to linger around him as he drew. It was the design that was on his boot. I have memorised it entirely to know I was looking at his perfected rune.

  After he had done that, he dragged an arrow line to a tiny flicker of a design that was underneath his make stick symbol. It was close to the curve of the bottom S. It almost looked as if was joined to it.

  “Victor was the very first mage who decided to create his runes. Just like elemental minerals, you have to start from the core. With defying gravity and walking along walls, having tension works for balance. I have tried placing the symbol everywhere else, but it didn’t work so well. After hundreds of torn papers, anger management and cool off sessions, this is what I ended up with and stuck to it. I don’t know where yours will go. But if you try to, I don’t know, jump vertically again against a wall, have someone there to catch you when you fall.”

  “Ok, thank you.”

  “For saving you from a concussion or giving you pointers for a rune?”

  “Pointers for the rune,” I answered, and he chuckled.

  The low audible sound didn’t look as if it should be coming from him. However, it made me feel light and a little fuzzy on the inside. I have never had someone help me with a rune. I was afraid of my parents and always wanted to hold up the rune that needed work, but there was the fear that they would ignore me or not have time to help me. Grandfather couldn’t speak, so it was hard for him to describe through the paper. Hopper spoke too much and didn’t like new ideas and creativity. Isilies was lurking behind Donte and Nixon and was cleaning up the mess they made. I was on my own with such things. Now I have someone who excels expectations and is better than me at runes, doesn’t talk much and is very blunt and straight to the point.

  I got a queasy feeling in my stomach because of it, and if I could smile outwardly, it would be small but enough to know that I was happy with our progression as teammates that were sharing the same space.

  I guess this is what a non-over the top, obnoxious, loud friend is. Another being that meshes and balances perfectly on the other side of the weighers.

  “Going to get water, want one?”

  Blinking, I turned away from the board and noticed Lawliet at the door. Highly suspicious of him asking if I want one, I slowly nodded and watched him leave. He may come back with a black eye, or not at all. Something tells me that he probably won’t even come back with water, but be sent away because
a mage ridiculed him.

  Puffing cheeks, I tore away from the board and walked out after him. He works fast, as I walked down the hallway and the flight of steps. I got to the end, moved past seniors who must have thought of me nothing but scenery as they went up. Close to round the corner, I already heard the dangerous threat arise but made no intentions of moving, as I listened to the same voice which was annoying Lawliet the other day.

  “How’s your eye?” he asked. No comment. “Where is the other D?” he asked, the amusement plain in his vocal chords. “What did Rebecca call her? Droid?”

  “Beat it, parasite,” Lawliet growled.

  The cafeteria was quiet. The only sound was of Lawliet, the other Lowborn mage and I think one of the chefs that were trying to break it up, but it wasn’t working.

  Leaning around the corner, I peered at Lawliet who was towering over the other. Two water bottles were hanging from the gaps between fingers. The gold in his eyes heightened, dilated and filled with rage.

  “Heard you called Rebecca out for instigating rumours on Droid. Hit a nerve? Had to protect your girl –”

  I saw it coming. The one who was instigating the fight flew back more than a few feet from the punch coming from Lawliet’s left fist. At this given moment, he did look like a fire-breathing dragon about ready to erupt. However, with the angered stares and disappointed looks by teachers, I believe Lawliet’s anger is a recurring thing, and he is disciplined a lot more than Lowborn mages because of it.

  “Mr Clarintine, come with us,” Mrs Robertson demanded.

  “I am going back to my class. Get my guardian to sort this out; I have had enough of this bullshit.”

  “Then don’t come to the cafeteria,” a group of boys on a table shouted. “No one wants you here.”

  “Yeah, we didn’t ask for you Highborn.”

  “You cheeky Lowborn mutts!” Lawliet snapped. “Come say that from down . . . what the fuck?”

  “Lawliet,” I murmured from beside him. “I’m thirsty.”

  “How did you get here?” he asked.

  Shrugging, I tugged on his sleeve and pulled him in the opposite direction. The teachers seemed to relax, either because he was leaving calmly or because Isilies was talking to them reassuringly.

  The thing is I don’t know how I often get to places sometimes. My feet move, and I instantly am there. I think it comes from my dedication, either from looking at what I want or what I want to help. In this case, I wanted to help Lawliet. The teachers were not here, but I doubt they would be able to believe Lawliet if there was a whole student body that was saying the opposite of what happened. It must be tough being teachers, but even more tough being Lawliet. How he lasted three years the only Highborn student at the school, I hadn’t had a clue. I suspect he never left the east tower and avoided everyone like the plague.

  Disappearing from the ranting cafeteria and up the flight of stairs, I released my grip on Lawliet and walked beside him in silence. It suddenly dawned on me that this is the first time I have ever done something rather than stand there and watch. It is not as if I am defying everyone, but I am doing things I wouldn’t originally be doing. It may be because I feel connected to Lawliet somehow on a mature friendship level or this is what I wanted to do. Things I never thought to be doing. Either way, judging by the death stares from Rebecca and her minions, I believe no matter what I do, nothing or something, I would still have rumours spread about me, tales that everyone thinks are true, even my brothers.

  Droid isn’t a new thing to be called. The robot, mechanical mage and alien from students at various other schools I used to go. It wouldn’t be the first nor the last, but it I guess hurts more knowing the fact that everyone is against me and were saying it loud enough for me to hear. I have never been the one to express emotions outwardly, but I still do feel everything that happens to me. As my heart churned on the inside, and eyes burned with unshed tears. What makes them think that I am not just like them? A mage that only wants to be left alone and not spoken about when my back is turned or not.

  It doesn’t feel right. This feeling is crap, and all I want to do is crawl back into the classroom and never leave it again.

  “Did you hear what they were saying about you?” he asked.

  “Yes,” I nodded.

  “To be perfectly honest. You do stare at the board like a Droid,” he smirked playfully.

  “And you get angry like a fire-breathing dragon.”

  He chuckled lightly. I averted eyes and felt the churning feeling in my heart lift softly. It is strange, the way he calls me a Droid. He wasn’t saying it out of spite or was talking about it as if that is all he sees in me. I believe he is teasing me about the rumours and I done the same. It didn’t hurt when he said it. Why doesn’t it?

  I am not naïve, but I am certainly not smart about different feelings. If I spoke to anyone about it, his or her conclusion would be love, and I am smart enough to know that this wasn’t it yet. I suppose, well I mean, I guess this is what a close friend feels like. Feelings you can cherish about the other.

  I wouldn’t mind it if we could stay like this, but I know we can’t. I am too invested in him and his runes. I want to know more about him. Why he looks and speaks to everyone as if he doesn’t trust them? Why he had a black eye the other day and why he sleeps during the day but seems so alert at night.

  I suppose I am a little too obsessed, but I don’t mind that because these are the normal thing to be thinking about. I would be worried if I were staying in a classroom with a part vampire who probably was only talking to me to drink my blood someday.

  Lawliet’s black eye. If it had something to do with the altercation that just happened because Lowborn were calling me Droid. I want to know. And I also want to know why he doesn’t trust me. That one could easily be explained. We don’t know each other very well. It has been a week, and we only started to talk properly three days ago,

  Puffing cheeks, I looked up when Lawliet opened the door. His outward loud groan alerted me that there was someone already in the classroom. Again, this mage shouldn’t be sitting on a table and looking as if he came from a preschool, with eyes that can drill a hole through our heads.

  I take back what I said recently, about me not fearing the Head Mage. For at this moment, I can see why the students are afraid of him. He reminds me of a little devil with that elegant staff by his side. Ready, as if he was bringing hell up to us.

  It was a frightening look.

  “Mrs Robertson said you requested for me.”

  Requested? The only mage Lawliet asked for was his guardian and . . .

  “I see,” I mumbled.

  Mika, the Head Mage and the master mage is Lawliet’s guardian. It seems I want to find out how that appeared to happen.

  Chapter 11.

  Eileen – jump.

  I was excused for the remainder of today while the rest of the students were requested to go to the hall to talk about the incidents that led up to the rumours, instigation and violence as well as discrimination between students. I didn’t have to go. Lucky me I suppose. I get to sit at home and draw in my grandfather’s book in silence. It was reassuring. After I had stumbled on the fact that Mika was Lawliet’s guardian - a little bit shocked - I walked back to where I am most welcome, in the warmth. Oh, and with Hopper who was lurking outside my door, not knowing if he should knock and ask if there is something wrong or if I’m hungry – which I am – or stand there for hours until my brothers get home to tell him what happened and why I am at home.

  Lifting legs up to my chest, I puffed cheeks and stared at the rune with irritation. How am I supposed to figure out the best place for the stiffening rune now? They will be tattooed on my feet. I don’t want any mistakes where the rune will frizzle up and burn the flesh from bone. This project is more complicated than my defence one. The complexity is something never seen before.

  “My Mistress?” Hopper tapped on the door after half an hour of contemplating if he should or not
. Hesitant as always, he opened the door slowly and peered through. “May I?” he asked, and I nodded slowly. He came through and sat in the corner part of the bed.

  Hopper in a butler suit shouldn’t necessarily be sitting on my bed with his hands in his lap. He should be doing a productive chore or issuing orders, not awkwardly sitting on my bed, lost for words.

  “Out of all of you children, I find you the easiest to talk to, however, hardest to figure out. Maybe it was because of what happened in your childhood, for you to push everything emotionally invested in the back. I haven’t had the slightest of ideas, my Mistress.”

  “I see.”

  I knew something would have happened when I was younger, to make me this way. It was never acknowledged, not until now, with I assume the slip of the mouth because Hopper glared down and was silently cursing at himself. To know more would be impossible right now. What he said was a mistake, and he was hoping it won’t go back to my mum and Dad. He would be punished for it. Right now, I will not persist and will stay silent, like always.

  “It is an actual weekend. Two-day holiday. How would you like to walk around the city freely? I will personally escort you.”

  “Ok.” I agreed.

  “It will get you away from that boy. He is nothing but trouble, and I do not condone any relationship with him. He is bad news, my Mistress,” he said sternly.

  Type of relationship. I don’t understand where he was coming from.

  “You aren’t . . . I mean; My mistress isn’t in a relationship more than friends with that boy?”

  “Lawliet,” I corrected.

  “Are you?” he persisted.

  “No.”

  “Thank the heavens,” he sighed deeply. “We will explore tomorrow morning. Whenever you’re ready.”