After about ten seconds, Tony popped his head in. “Mr. Stillman will see you now.”
I grabbed my bottle of Coke and headed for the door. I followed Tony down the stairs and to the opposite side of the house. He stopped outside of a large wooden door. The door was amazing; it had been carved so that a relief image clearly stood out. The carving presented a picture of two men fighting each other in an arena. It kind of reminded me of the Coliseum from Gladiator. The edges that bound the wooden relief were set with gold. It had to be the single most impressive door I had ever seen.
Tony knocked on the door, and must have heard an answer, because he quickly opened it and stepped to the side. He waited for me to enter the room and then moved into the doorway behind me.
Mr. Stillman stepped around his massive desk and shook my hand. “Good to see you again, Jackson.” He motioned to one of the large leather chairs seated in front of his desk, and I took a seat. Mr. Stillman looked past me toward the door. “That will be all, Tony.”
I didn’t see Tony exit the room but heard the soft click as the door settled back into its frame when he closed it. Stillman moved back around the massive desk, taking a seat in the chair facing me. The room smelled faintly of cigar smoke.
“Jackson, I’m sure you have some questions, but before you ask them, I’d like the chance to explain a few things to you and offer you an opportunity, if that is all right with you?”
It was phrased as a question, but the tone of his voice left no mistake; this conversation was going to be going the way he planned it, or not at all. Before he had the chance to keep talking, I cleared my throat and started to talk. “Mr. Stillman, before you fill me in on what is going on, I just wanted to say thank you for getting me out of that place, and for the food and clean clothes. If it wasn’t for you, I’d probably still be stuck in that cell.”
I saw a genuine smile spread across his face and knew instantly I had said the right thing to him. Hopefully it would help him open up a little bit more than he originally planned to. I might have just lucked into getting some real answers. It would be the first time in the last couple of days that real answers would be coming my way. I still was not sure if I could trust this man, but I was willing to hear what he had to say.
He looked back across at me with that same smile still in place, and asked, “Jackson, what do you know about magic?”
I almost coughed on the sip of Coke I had been taking. “Magic, Mr. Stillman? You’re joking, right?”
The smile dropped from his face in almost an instant. He looked a little shocked at my response, but he still had a twinkle in the corner of his eye. “Jackson, what if I told you magic was real? About one in every million people has the chance to be born with the gift. These odds can be . . . enhanced, let’s say, if one or both parents are Gifted. Some are very powerful, and some can barely light a candle, but magic is real.”
Now I couldn’t tell if he was pulling my leg or not, so I sat back in my chair with a slight feeling of disbelief. Magic couldn’t be real, could it?
“Jackson, magic isn’t something from movies or some kind of fantasy video game. There are those of us born with the talent to shape and control mana.” As if to emphasize his point, he created a ball of blue flame in his hand. He bounced it over to his other hand and then held a piece of paper to it. The paper burned to ash almost as soon as it touched the flame, but his hands remained untouched.
He extinguished the flame with a whisper and then looked at me and continued talking. “Jackson, you were born Gifted and, by the size of the circle you left in the desert, it has become apparent to us that you have the potential to be very strong. The one regret I have is that we didn’t make it to you before the slavers did.”
They saw the circle in the desert? How long had they been watching me? I had to wonder, was it his men who came to my home? I mean, he said it was a type of slaver, but I couldn’t take everything he was telling me at face value. Especially not when he knew more about me than he should have. I surely wasn’t going to trust this man on blind faith.
His expression turned solemn and was tinged with regret. “There are factions of Pretenders who scour the world for untrained Gifted. The slavers try to break them so they can be sold to the highest bidder. If they can’t be broken, they are simply killed. There will be a lot for you to learn about our world. My biggest regret so far is that we didn’t reach you before the tragedy of what happened to your family.”
He sat back in his chair and looked as if he was really thinking hard about what had happened to me today. I struggled to keep my feelings buried inside. It wouldn’t do me any good to start crying and miss my chance to find out what was going on. My parents had been about to tell me, but they were dead now, and I had to take the information any way I could get it. I made a motion with my hand without meeting his eye to let him know to continue.
He started talking right away, sounding a little tired but also excited about something. “Jackson, we have a school that is set up to train young members of the Gifted, and based on your potential, I think you would be a great fit. I have been in this office since we returned, making calls to have you enrolled at the academy. There you will learn all you need to about our society, and you will have a choice to make when you graduate about the type of career you would pursue in our world. Or you could simply walk away and return to your life as it was before your time at the academy.”
He smiled again; this time I received the impression that he was remembering a fond time in his life. “The academy is run by a group called the Ascendancy. Their leader, and head of the academy, is a man named Adam. The Ascendancy serve a higher purpose in our world; they protect all of humanity from any external threat. The Council and the Ascended might not always agree on politics, but they find common ground in keeping our people safe.”
He gave me a look just to make sure I was keeping up with everything. He must have thought that I was handling things all right, because he continued. “All members of the Gifted tend to specialize in one kind of magic. The talents tend to vary quite a bit from person to person. Some are masters at hand-to-hand combat, while others excel at enchanting, mind control, or summoning. Your gift is only limited by your ability to pull in mana, and your imagination when you shape it. We face a constant struggle, Jackson, to keep ourselves hidden from society and to keep the Pretenders from doing unrepairable damage to our world. Our job is to make sure humanity remains safe and magic remains hidden. So what do you think, Jackson? Are you ready to learn how to use your magic?”
I really didn’t have to think about the decision at all; I mostly paused just so I wouldn’t sound too eager. I mean, seriously, who wouldn’t want to be able to use magic? The reality was I didn’t have any job prospects and my family was dead. How could I possibly explain what happened to the authorities? By simply not being around when they finally found the bodies, I was going to look guilty. The straight-to-the-electric-chair kind of guilty. If I wasn’t already the police’s number-one suspect, I surely would be.
So when I opened my mouth to make a choice, there was really no choice at all. “I’m in.”
Mr. Stillman smiled from ear to ear. “Fantastic! Jackson, you are really in store for a treat. With that being said, it is awfully late and I’m sure you’d like some time alone. I’ve had your own clothes cleaned and have set up a card for you to use to order more. The academy starts in two weeks, so the timing couldn’t really be better for that. Go online; order yourself some clothes and shoes. You also have full access to the house, kitchen, and gym. So make yourself at home. I’ll have business to attend to that will keep me out of the house, but I will be back in time to take you to the academy myself.”
I got up from my chair and shook Mr. Stillman’s hand again. “Thank you again for all you are doing for me.”
The door opened behind me, and Tony entered the room. “I’ll show you back to your suite, Jackson. If you need anything, just pick up the phone in your room; it goes d
irectly to our service line. We would be happy to get you whatever you need, even if it’s just directions to find your way around this place.”
When we got back to my room, I thanked Tony for the heads-up and the help. He let me know they had put a mini-fridge in my room with some drinks and snacks in it. I headed inside the room. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I unlaced my boots and then crawled into bed. I buried my face in my pillow and screamed. I didn’t stop until the tears came.
It had been a hell of a day. Waking up in the desert, finding out I was adopted, watching my family get murdered, getting kidnapped, escaping from prison, and now I was going to be able to use magic and go to a fancy magical academy. Seriously, if this were any weirder, it would have to be a movie. Even then, I doubt they could fit all this into one day. I cried into my pillow until exhaustion took over, and I fell into a deep dreamless sleep.
True to Mr. Stillman’s word, the next day Tony gave me a laptop with a user name and password for Amazon. He indicated that the card information and address were saved under the username, and that I should feel free to order whatever I wanted. Mr. Stillman also provided me a small list with some ideas of what I would need: workout clothes and shoes, jeans, T-shirts, shorts, swimsuit, boots, socks, underwear, luggage, and a laptop. At the bottom of the note, he wrote, “Spare no expense. You need quality clothes that will last, so order the good stuff.”
Taking a look around eased my guilt about spending someone else’s money for my school supplies. Also, true to his word, I didn’t see him again until the day I was set to leave. The two weeks had flown by. I had spent the time getting over the loss of my family and taking out my anger and frustration in the gym. I mostly stayed to myself. I didn’t want to get in anyone’s way; they all looked like they had more important things to do than waste time waiting on me.
So, I spent my time by taking three trips to the gym, followed by a huge dinner and falling into the dreamless sleep of exhaustion every night. I was ready for a change, and I was happy it was time to go. The staff had cleaned all my clothes the night before and packed them for me; all I had to do was wake up in the morning, hop in the car, and I was on my way to whatever the future held.
Mr. Stillman met me at the limo before I left. He shook my hand and said, “I really wanted to go with you today, but I have had some business come up. Here is my personal number; if you ever need anything, do not hesitate to call me. I hope to see you again someday, Jackson.”
Without further pause, he ushered me into the limo and waved to me as it pulled away. I took my laptop out of my duffle, fired up some music through the limo’s speakers, and started to think a little bit about what I had just committed myself to. I was going to learn how to use magic. How cool was that? Eat your heart out, Harry Potter.
8
Jackson
I woke up with just a little bit of drool on the corner of my mouth. Yeah, I just admitted that. Hey, it could happen to anyone. The limo slowed down, giving me some time to wipe off the evidence and come to my senses. Long car rides always had that kind of effect on me. Something about the gentle motion of the car just put me right out. Unplugging my laptop, I tossed it back into my bag. When the door opened, I gave the seats around me one final check for anything I may have left behind and then exited the car. The bright afternoon sun temporarily blinded my eyes, and the heat was stifling after the cool air conditioning I had enjoyed on my ride to campus.
The weather was still oppressively hot here, so I knew I couldn’t be too far from home. The academy’s campus wasn’t what I expected. There were four three-story buildings, one on each corner, and a huge central courtyard. After the splendor of the mansion, I felt slightly let down walking onto campus for the first time. The buildings were formed from a simple brick construction; each level had a wide bank of windows. The buildings themselves were squat square structures with no architectural significance. Purely function over form. They could have just as easily belonged in an office park anywhere in Arizona.
Looking around, I spotted signs for New Student Enrollment and headed in that direction. I hoped the signs were actually for new students and not some prank by the ones already enrolled here. You never knew, or maybe I had just watched too many college comedies. I could not shake the feeling that something was off. Everything I looked at was so normal, but this was a school for people who could use magic. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t just some nice office buildings. I started to wonder if I was late, or if maybe it was the wrong day to enroll. There were no lines, or clubs recruiting. It was so different than how I imagined enrollment at a normal university.
Slowly walking through the courtyard, I finally made it to the table for registration. I was promptly greeted by a plump older woman with a nametag that read Betty. She reminded me of your classic grandma from a fairytale; the only thing missing was the milk and cookies. Instantly I felt better about the time I was going to be spending here.
Betty gave me a good-natured smile and said, “Name, please.”
I returned the smile. “Jackson. Jackson Fairfield.”
She started working down a small list of names on her clipboard. “Oh, here you are, Mr. Fairfield. Let me just grab your welcoming package and badge.”
Betty pulled out a black binder and handed me a badge. “The most important thing you have here is your badge. This is going to get you into your room and all the buildings. Think of it like the card key at a hotel. Any areas you are restricted from entering will just remain red when you swipe it. I would suggest if a door turns red that you double-check where you are.”
She looked at me to make sure I was still listening. “Yes, ma’am, red means turn around. I think I get it. Anything else I should know?”
She passed over the binder after placing a few more sheets of paper into it. “There is an orientation meeting tonight at seven. I’ve included a map in your binder so you can find your way around.”
She pointed to the left of us. “These are the dorm rooms. Your room is number 304. Very nice; most first-year students don’t get rooms on the third floor.” She pointed off to the right. “That building is where the cafeteria is and where the orientation meeting will be held tonight.”
I flipped through the first couple pages of the binder. Nothing too earth-shattering, just directions and hours of operation for some of the more important services, like when the cafeteria was open. Was there really anything more important than food? From the look of it, all first-semester kids had the same classes. So I could find a group and just follow them around if I had to.
I smiled at Betty again. “Thanks for all your help.” I started off to the left toward the building she indicated was the dorms. I could not wait to get my bags up into the room and get out of the sun. I hoped this place had decent A/C.
Heading inside, I made a beeline for the elevators. Even though I was in great shape, lugging my bags up three flights of stairs didn’t sound like a great way to spend my time at school. All I needed from my room was a bed, a desk, and some really great A/C. What I got when I opened the door was more than I ever expected. I was starting to understand why Betty was shocked I had a room on the third floor.
This place was nice. I almost felt like I had walked into the reveal on one of those home renovation shows. The floor had nice long tiles that looked like hardwood. The kitchen was amazing. Did I just say my dorm room had a kitchen? Yep, I sure did. Not only that, but it was filled with stainless steel appliances and some kind of fancy stone countertops. Walking past the fully furnished living room, I dumped my bags onto the floor of the bedroom.
A king-sized bed drew my attention first. It looked so comfortable, I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to crawl out of it. The bed had one of those foam mattresses that you just sink into. Interestingly, there was no storage in the room, just a bedside table with a lamp on each side of the bed. A ceiling fan over the bed would provide a little extra cooling for the hot summer.
What was behind do
or number one? A giant walk-in closet with enough storage for anything I could buy. Well, that explained the lack of storage in the bedroom itself. Door number two must lead into the bathroom. Opening the door showed that that was the right assumption to make. The bathroom, if that is what you could call the huge space, was as spectacular as everything else I had run into. Full-sized Jacuzzi tub and a separate shower. In hopes of being completely blown away, I looked for a certain set of knobs by the light switch. I let out a little shout of joy while rocking a righteous fist pump. “YEAH!” I had heated floors. Seriously, I couldn’t have asked for more if I’d built it myself.
With my bags firmly secured in their new resting place on the bedroom floor, I moved back into the main living quarters to check it out. The back wall had been turned into a workstation. A very nice steel and glass-topped corner desk was in place. The wall behind the desk had a solid built in bookshelf. To the right and left of the desk were two small cabinets for storage. The rest of the room was dominated by an oversized futon and an even bigger TV. I couldn’t help but notice there was the latest PlayStation hooked up and an assortment of games. Wow. I had been begging my parents for one of these, and it never materialized. To be fair, I had burned their house down, so they had been less inclined to give into me when I asked for one.
The only thing that could make this better was if somehow the kitchen was stocked with food. Opening the freezer, to my delight I found it crammed full of frozen pizzas. Just what a growing boy needed. I pulled one out and placed it in the oven. Then I gave the fridge a look. It was stuffed full of Gatorade and some basic items like eggs and milk. I knew we had a cafeteria, but I might never have to go. As far as making an amazing first impression, the academy had done that as soon as I saw my room. The outside of the buildings sure didn’t hint at the opulence within. I went to my room and took my Kindle out of my backpack. It was time to test out this new futon while I waited for my pizza.
The Arena Page 8