by David Meyer
Fishing in my pockets, I extracted the canfee. Gently, I tossed it to him. “Drink this.”
He gave it a curious look. “Why?”
“Just do it.”
With a couple of long draughts, he finished the carton.
I produced the bottled potion. Liberally, I applied its contents to the Gratlan.
“Okay,” I said. “That should do it.”
He stared at his shoulder. “Do what?”
“I just gave you some high-powered Garrington Magic healing potion. It should kill off the Gratlan within a few days.”
At first, he looked pleased. But then his smile faded and I saw intense distrust. “Why are you helping me?”
I took a deep breath. “I need a favor.”
“Anything.”
“Can you teach me Chaotic magic?”
“Anything but that.”
“Have it your way.” I twisted around, ready to leave. “I guess I’ll turn you in after all.”
“Cripes.” Slowly, he picked himself up off the floor. “Okay, you made your point. What’s this all about anyway?”
Upon leaving the clinic, I’d seen dozens of signs about the new havoc magic class. It was to be held seven days a week for the rest of the quarter, from six to eight o’clock at night, in Madkey Arena.
“Boltstar wants the students and staffers to learn havoc magic. No credits, but it’s a required class.”
He gave me a strange look. “So?”
“So, I don’t want to end up as Porter’s punching bag.”
He shrugged. “Study the lessons. Practice the spells.”
“You’re talking to a dropout, remember?”
“So are you.” He stifled a huge yawn. “What kind of canfee was that anyway?”
“Sweet Dreams.”
“You’re putting me to sleep? Is this because of what I did to MacPherson?”
“No. But trust me, you’ll appreciate it later.”
Slowly, he sat down on the carpet. “Let me get this straight. You want to use Chaotic magic in your class?”
I nodded.
“What if you get caught?”
“Can you make it so that I won’t?”
“Heck, I don’t even know if I can teach it in the first place.” His eyes fluttered and I could see he was having trouble keeping them open. “Do you even know what Chaotic magic is, Randy?”
I did. Well, at least I thought I did. Regardless, I didn’t want to think about it. Like everyone else, I’d spent my whole life loathing the Chaotics. The fact that I now hoped to learn a little of their magic was already starting to weigh heavily on my conscience.
“It’s a whole bunch of new spells.” He started to protest, but I held up a hand to stop him. “Don’t worry. I won’t abuse it. I just need to learn a few havoc magic-like spells, only with ten times the force.”
“That’s not how it works.” He sighed. “Not even close.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Chaotic magic isn’t a grab bag of spells, Randy. It’s deeply personal.”
“I don’t understand. Are you saying I won’t be able to do havoc magic-like spells?”
“I don’t know. Nobody knows.” He stifled another yawn. “Your Chaotic magic is decided at birth. It’s a part of you, just like your arms or your legs. And it’s not like the Capsudra where you’ve got a little bit of everything. Well, it could be like that. But you might also find that your Chaotic magic consists of plumbing spells and book-binding enchantments.”
Disappointment began to set in. Right away, I banished it to the nether regions of my mind. “But I might have fighting spells.”
“It’s possible. There’s really no way to know until …”
“Until what?”
He started scratching his shoulder in earnest. At the same time, yawns cascaded from his lips. “Until you start casting spells.”
“Fine. So, will you teach me or not?”
“I’d need a wand.”
I thought about MacPherson’s wand, squirreled away within my dresser. “I can get you one.”
“Are you sure you want this, Randy? I mean, are you absolutely certain?”
“Yes,” I said with more conviction than I felt.
“Then I’ll do my best. No promises, though. I’ve never tried teaching anyone before. I’m not even sure Chaotic magic can be taught. I’ve always just kind of … done it.” He continued to scratch his shoulder. His face contorted. I could tell it was taking every ounce of will power he possessed to keep from clawing the Gratlan right out of his skin.
At long last, his eyelids drooped, then closed. He sagged to the carpet. Soft snores escaped his lips.
I examined his shoulder. The Gratlan was still there, pulsing and throbbing. But it was a little smaller now. Its color had lightened as well.
I wondered if I should hide him. Ultimately, I decided it wasn’t necessary. The search parties had already cleared the room. When they failed to find him anywhere else, they’d assume he’d escaped into the Floating Abyss.
Hunting about the room, I discovered a bundle of old cloth. Wadding it up, I shoved it under his head to use as a pillow. Then I draped a flannel blanket over him.
“Enjoy your nap,” I said softly. “Because when you wake up, that itching is going to be a whole lot worse.”
Chapter 19
My nerves went haywire as noisy chatter reached my ears. It was way late. For a variety of reasons, I’d hoped to return to a quiet dorm, one where everyone had been beset by sleep. Instead, it sounded like I’d be walking into the crowd of a hotly-contested ramball game.
Placing my ear against the door, I listened for a few seconds. Over a dozen voices reached my waiting ears. They came from all over the place. The lounge area, the bunks, even the little alcove close to the door.
I grabbed the knob and gave it a twist. Voices practically exploded in my ears as I opened the door. I had a story ready in case someone saw me. Something about how I’d been in the clinic this entire time. Hey, it was partly true, right? And as long as no one went sniffing around, my secret trip to see Tad would stay safe with me.
I slipped into the dorm and shut the door behind me. Chest heaving, I stuck to the shadows. Jenny, Nico, and Jeff were close by, regaling each other with what they’d seen and heard that night.
They were close enough to touch. Heck, I was practically breathing on Jenny’s left arm. I kept waiting for one of them to see me, to say my name. But with every passing second, it became apparent that they hadn’t noticed me.
Sucking in my chest, I slipped along the wall until I was past their little group. Then I stepped into the interior.
“Randy!” Piper darted over to give me a hug. “How are you feeling? Are you okay?”
A bunch of heads swiveled my way. I saw some suspicious looks. Some angry ones, too. But for the most part, it was just a lot of curiosity. Thankfully, it seemed that my fellow staffers were willing to give me the benefit of the doubt. Now, if I could just convince the students and faculty to do the same.
“I’m fine,” I replied. “Itchy though.”
“Itchy?” It suddenly dawned on her and she gave me a knowing look. “Garrington Magic healing potion?”
I nodded.
Leandra popped up on my left. “So, what’s the prognosis?” she asked.
“Two cracked ribs,” I replied.
“And you’re up already?”
“It was either that or sleep in the clinic.”
“Smart choice.”
“Did you talk to Boltstar?” Piper wondered.
She spoke softly. And yet, chatter still died out all around me. I was acutely aware that every single staffer in the room was eavesdropping on our conversation.
“Yeah,” I replied. “In the clinic. I don’t think I was much help though.”
They exchanged looks. “Us either,” Piper said. “He questioned us for almost an hour. He asked about Tad’s interests, his history, his favorite foods
. Anything and everything.”
“That includes my Fizzer, by the way.” Leandra made a face. “He actually wanted to know why I’d invented it in the first place. As if I needed a reason.”
The other staffers turned back to their conversations. Meanwhile, Piper steered us over to the bunks.
“Did either of you see any warning signs?” she whispered. “I mean, with Tad.”
Leandra hesitated. “He always seemed a bit … off.”
Piper nodded. “I know what you mean.”
“But it was just a feeling,” she was quick to add. “I never heard him talk about the Chaotics. Or say anything bad about Structuralism, for that matter.”
“How about you?” Piper asked me. “You knew him better than us.”
“Yeah,” Leandra added. “Did you see this coming?”
I shook my head. “Honestly, no. It feels like a dream.”
“Or a nightmare.”
“I don’t get it.” Piper was silent for a few seconds. “I mean, yeah, Tad was kind of strange. But I never thought of him as a bad guy.”
We stayed awake for another hour. One by one, the other staffers hit the sack. Soon, the lights flicked off and we were in near darkness.
At last, we said our goodnights. I was too tired to clean up so I climbed straight into bed. Pulling the covers to my neck, I lay there, still and sweaty.
Snores filled the air and it wasn’t long before every single staffer was fast asleep.
Every staffer, that is, but me.
Chapter 20
I could take it no longer. Placing my wand on the workstation, I reached under my shirt and clawed away at my ribs. Scratching did me no favors, however, and I just found myself even itchier than before.
Frustrated, I picked up the wand. I knew I should be grateful. After all, things could’ve been much worse. Still, it was hard to feel appreciative when all I could think about was my next scratch.
It had been a strange, unsettling day, full of odd tension and vague unease. Students walked the hallways in small groups. Quiet and wary, they gripped their wands tightly, their eyes on a constant search for trouble. Staffers, with good reason, stuck largely to Shadow Madkey. There had already been six or seven ugly incidents in which students had cornered staffers in the corridors. They’d threatened them, roughed them up, and accused them of being part of a giant Chaotic conspiracy.
The faculty, for their part, seemed not to care about this feckless attempt at vigilantism. Instead, they patrolled the hallways between classes. They acted calm and in control. But their twitchy hands and sweaty brows gave them away.
Elsewhere, dozens of older witches and wizards—Madkey alumni, according to Piper—had taken up residence within the school. Wands at the ready, they roamed the three levels of Torso. They acted, well, normal. Like nothing was wrong. Which somehow made everyone way more uneasy.
A quick glance at the enchanted clock confirmed it was almost six. The new Havoc Magic class started soon. After four hours of restless sleep and a full day at the assembly line, I was drained of energy. Still, I felt a kind of nervous excitement deep inside my gut.
A whizzing sound interrupted my train of thought. “Bubbler at the door,” Jax called out.
“It’s probably my folks,” Jeff said. “They must’ve finally gotten my message about the attack.”
Other people chimed in that they too were waiting for bubblers. One by one, they looked at the door, then turned back to their workstation. Meanwhile, I stared straight ahead. I didn’t look at the bubbler. I didn’t have to.
I already knew it was for me.
Leandra fiddled with her hair. “Who wants to bet that Boltstar’s got somebody spying on bubblers?”
“He can do that?” Nico asked.
“Why not?” She shrugged. “I mean, what can’t he do?”
A discussion over Boltstar’s magical limits started up between spells. Meanwhile, I spun toward the door. A watery bubble, two to three feet in diameter, floated at the threshold. Sure enough, my parents were in the middle of it. They sat at the kitchen table, same as the previous night. This time, though, there was no food.
“It’s for me.” I sighed. “I’ll take it outside.”
Jax shook his head. “Always finding a way to get out of work, eh, Randy?”
I blinked. “I—”
“Just go.” He glanced at the clock. “Oh, and don’t forget about Havoc Magic. If you’re late, I’m not covering for you.”
I hiked to the door. The whizzing noise burned my ears. A light mist sprayed over me.
“Randy,” Dad exclaimed. “We—”
“Hang on.” I squeezed past the bubbler and made my way into Shadow Madkey. I walked to the supply room and opened the door. It was empty, so I went inside and the bubbler followed after me.
“Listen, guys.” I shut the door over. “I—”
“Let me look at you.” Mom set down a steaming mug and I caught a whiff of fresh canfee. Specifically, Somber Silence flavored. She wiped her eyes with both hands. “Oh, thank goodness you’re okay.”
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen her cry. I tried to think of something meaningful to say, but nothing came to mind.
“We got a mass bubbler from Lanctin a few hours ago,” Dad explained. “He told us about the Chaotic attack.”
“How come you didn’t tell us first?” Mom wondered.
“I was in the clinic last night,” I said. “And I’ve been at work all day.”
“The clinic?” Her face tightened up. “What happened?”
It wasn’t easy, but I managed to avoid itching my ribs. “Nothing important. I just needed to get checked out.”
I caught a glimpse of the enchanted cuckoo clock hanging on the wall behind them. A quick check indicated I only had seven minutes to get to class. “Listen, I’ve got to go.” I puffed my chest out. Of course, the class was mandatory. And it didn’t really count for anything. Still, it was kind of nice to be able to tell my parents I was back at school again. “I’ve got class in a few minutes.”
“We know. Lanctin mentioned it in his bubbler.” Dad paused. “Just so you know, this doesn’t change anything. We want you to come home, now more than ever.”
I sighed. “I know.”
“You’ve got a bright future ahead of you, Randy. But you’ve got to work for it.”
And just like that, the conversation morphed into something more normal. Fighting the urge to itch my chest, I endured a full minute of veiled criticism. When I could take no more, I politely told them I was out of time and poked the mist, ending the bubbler.
As I headed for the door, resignation began to creep over me. My parents were being patient with me, but that wouldn’t last forever. Sooner or later, they’d make me come home. I’d start school at YuckYuck. And then Madkey would be nothing more than a distant memory.
Chapter 21
My jaw slowly unhinged as I hopped over a short wall and landed in the heart of Madkey Arena. This certainly wasn’t my first visit to the famous field. But it was my first time actually setting foot upon it.
Madkey Arena was an enormous circular structure, carved out of the statue’s rear end. The field consisted of bright green grass, enchanted so as to grow without sunlight. Stadium-seating, walled off at the bottom, revolved around the field at a very slow pace.
On any given day, a variety of goals, posts, walls, and other objects dotted the field, depending on the sport or game that was being played. As for the green grass, it could be covered at a moment’s notice, replaced with a deep pool for PlankWalker or a ghostly graveyard for Hunters.
Between students, staffers, and faculty, close to one-thousand people called Madkey home. And yet, the arena could accommodate as much as ten times that amount, a fact that hinted at the school’s much larger size during the Chaotic years.
At the moment, students and staffers were scattered about the field. Calvin led a bunch of sophomores in stretching. Nico sat in the bleachers, four
or five staffers grouped around him. Hannah, the new girl, was in attendance, too, a couple of doting guys at her beck and call.
Piper approached me, a nervous smile upon her lips. “Well, this should be interesting.”
“Oh, yeah.” Leandra rolled her eyes. “I mean, who doesn’t love school, right?”
“I’m surprised to see you here, Wolf,” Porter taunted. “Haven’t you failed enough already?”
He stood casually on the field, hands shoved into his pockets, wand tucked under his armpit. Sya stood next to him, arms crossed and leaning on one foot. Gordon and Felicia were there, too.
“He’s not just a failure.” Sya’s face dripped with disdain. “He’s a traitor, too.”
“You’re an idiot if you think that,” Leandra said.
Ignoring her, Sya stared into my eyes. “Better be good, Wolf. Because I’m watching you.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Don’t look now, Porter, but I think your girlfriend’s stalking me.”
His face flushed. “You’re pathetic, Wolf. And I’m going to prove it.”
“Yeah? How?”
“By taking you out in the HMQ.” He smirked. “And I’ll do it in less than five minutes.”
HMQ? What the heck was that? It suddenly occurred to me that I was in a bit over my head.
“Five?” I managed. “Can you even count that high?”
With a sneer upon his lips, Porter waved his wand at me. “Frube Paresnop,” he said in a bold, clear voice.
I went for my wand. Suddenly, it erupted into fiery flames. The fire burnt my fingers and I dropped the stick of enchanted wood. The flames vanished and it landed safely on the grass.
With a chuckle, Porter lowered his wand. “That’s an illusory spell,” he informed us. “My dad taught it to me.”
Porter already knew a havoc magic spell? Oh, boy. That didn’t bode well for my chances in the HMQ … whatever that was.
“Greetings and welcome to my class, Havoc Magic: An Introduction.” Boltstar’s voice cut through the crowd. Falling silent, we turned on our heels to face him.