The Zero Blessing

by Christopher Nuttall

  Rose nudged me. “I thought we had a vast supply?”

  “We do,” I whispered back. “But we won’t after we graduate.”

  I looked around the room as Magister Tallyman continued to lecture us. The forges alone were worth hundreds of crowns, perhaps thousands. I’d looked it up after my fight with Rose. And the steady inflow of raw materials; wood, metal, gemstones ... I dreaded to imagine how much they cost. A lot could be recycled, I knew, if melted down carefully, but there would still be a great deal of waste. I couldn't help wondering if even my father could afford such a vast expenditure indefinitely.

  And what will happen, I asked myself, when Dad finds out what I can do?

  I had to smile at the thought. There was literally no one on the entire planet who could make Objects of Power, except me. I glanced up at the textbooks, the completely useless textbooks ... I could use them, if I had the time and raw materials. Even a simple unbreakable sword would be worth ten times its weight in just about anything. And I could turn out everything from protective ankhs to magic-dampening fields and solid wards. We could make a fortune.

  Another fortune, I thought.

  “You may begin,” Magister Tallyman said. “My assistants and I will move from bench to bench.”

  He nodded at me, then at Akin. I grinned and headed over to the next bench, where Zeya was already drawing out a runic diagram. It was a neat piece of work, I had to admit, although it was very simple. It was clear she didn't want to waste time carving out something that would fail if she made a tiny mistake. I could see several ways to fix any problems, but she might feel differently.

  “Very good,” I said, seriously. “Just be careful what you use to carve it out.”

  Isabella gave me a nasty look as I stepped towards her. She glanced around for someone else, but Magister Tallyman was inspecting Rose’s work and Akin was drawing out an improvement for one of the boys. I was tempted to just walk past her, but I doubted Magister Tallyman would approve. He’d made it clear that we were to put aside all feuds in his classroom while we were his assistants.

  “Go away,” Isabella hissed. She held up one finger, threatening me. “Go.”

  “I have to check your work,” I said. Her face darkened, angrily. Clearly, putting it that way had been a mistake. “It has to be done before you start carving.”

  “Fine,” Isabella growled. She jabbed a finger at me, just to watch me flinch. “But don’t you dare tell me it’s wrong.”

  I eyed her as I took the paper. “What got into your breakfast this morning?”

  Isabella shook her head, angrily. “Check it, then go.”

  I sighed, but did as she said. The runes were very well drawn - it was clear she intended to use the runic diagram to protect something - but they were out of alignment. The magic would fizzle, when the runes were carved into metal. I doubted they would last for more than a few seconds, even if I’d carved them. Isabella lacked my talent ...

  The nasty part of my mind was tempted to let her waste her time, but I knew Magister Tallyman would not be pleased. I had a two-star award. There was no way I wouldn't notice that something was wrong. This wasn't a subtle mistake. If anything, she'd drawn it out too blatantly.

  “You need to adjust the runes,” I said, reaching for a pencil. “If you draw them out ...”

  “They’re fine,” Isabella insisted. “You don’t have to change them!”

  “Yes, I do,” I said. I knew she didn't like me, but ... really. “If you try to draw these out on a sword, the best you can hope for is slow rusting ...”

  “Akin,” Isabella snapped. Her brother looked up. “Come check these, please.”

  Akin came over, looking wary. I wondered, just for a second, what their relationship was actually like. Everything I’d heard told me they were close, but I hadn't seen them talking very often. My sisters and I were hardly friendly. And yet ... it wasn't as if they could share a room. Maybe their parents hoped they’d build different networks of friends and supporters that could be merged together ...

  “You need to realign these four, at the very least,” he said. “The runes won’t hold together for long.”

  “Not more than an hour,” I added.

  Isabella gave me a murderous look. “You utter ...”

  She waved a hand in front of my face. I felt my body go limp, my head falling forward until I was looking at the ground. I knew I should be panicking - the spell had to be powerful, if it had overwhelmed my protections - but I felt nothing. It was almost as if I was looking at my body from outside ...

  She’s put you in a trance, my thoughts warned. It was hard, so hard, to realise there was a problem, let alone drag up the determination to fight. You have to resist.

  “Don’t,” Akin snapped. “Isabella ...”

  He snapped his fingers in front of my eyes. I jerked back to awareness as Magister Tallyman stormed over. “Isabella,” he said, sharply. “What do you think you are doing?”

  Isabella’s mouth opened. “I ...”

  She turned and started towards the door. She got about a metre before her feet were suddenly frozen to the floor.

  “I do not allow students to hex each other in my classes,” Magister Tallyman said. His voice was very cold. “And I particularly do not allow hexes that could cause real harm.”

  I gritted my teeth. She’d hypnotised me. I felt a surge of pure anger, mixed with bitter shame. She could have made me say or do or believe anything ... it wouldn't have lasted, but it wouldn't have mattered. A few minutes under her spell would be more than long enough to wreck my life.

  “Get back to work,” Magister Tallyman ordered. He took Isabella by the arm and marched her out of the classroom. “I’ll be back soon.”

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  “What’s wrong with her?” I asked Akin, as soon as the class came to an end. “Why ...?”

  “Our father doesn’t think she can serve as his successor,” Akin said. He shook his head in annoyance. “He wanted two or more sons, not a daughter.”

  I glanced at him, surprised. “Isabella isn't going to be his heir?”

  “She wants to be,” Akin told me. “And she has the talent to be his heir. But father ... isn't too keen on the idea of her taking his place.”

  I wasn't sure I believed him. Magical talent was magical talent, no matter who held it. And as much as I detested her, I had to admit that Isabella had plenty of talent. She wasn’t that far behind me in theoretical work, while she had a colossal advantage in practical work. Apart from forging, I supposed. I was well ahead of her there.

  “Father didn't want her to learn anything outside charms,” Akin added. “She wasn't permitted to learn potions or forgery ...”

  “Oh,” I said. I believed that, although it was odd. Isabella should have been taught the basics, if nothing else. “And now she hates me because she’s having to catch up?”

  “Probably,” Akin said. He shrugged, expressively. “I’ve given up trying to understand my sister. She is a very complicated person.”

  I rolled my eyes. Isabella hadn't come back to the classroom with Magister Tallyman, which meant ... what? A week of detentions and scrubbing floors ... or something more serious? I didn't think she would be expelled, but she might just be hauled in front of the Castellan and given an ear-roasting. Her father would not be pleased ...

  Just for a moment, I felt another flicker of sympathy. My father had been disappointed in me too, although he’d hid it well. But then, he’d always believed I had powers, even if they stubbornly refused to manifest. I knew he’d be delighted when I finally told him the truth, when we went home for the hols. Isabella’s father, on the other hand, was upset because Isabella hadn't been born a boy. I didn't know what she could do about that.

  It was odd, I had to admit. Magic played no favourites. Women and men competed for the same posts, for the same training ... I didn't know any spells or rituals that could only be carried out by men or women. Maybe there had been, once upon a ti
me, but they’d only lasted until the spells were written to allow more people to cast them. Isabella would make a good heir, once she learned more magic. Her father shouldn't dismiss her so quickly.

  “I hope she isn't too awkward tonight,” Akin added. He gave me a sidelong glance. “She really doesn't like you.”

  I sighed. If I’d had magic ...

  “She and I are the highest-ranking girls in the dorm,” I said, instead. If I’d had magic, I would have had my own circle of cronies ... whether I liked it or not. Isabella and I could have spent the rest of our lives distributing patronage ... and keeping people on tenterhooks with the promise of more patronage. “She sees me as her competition.”

  Akin smirked. “Poor you.”

  I eyed him. He was nice enough, I supposed, but he was a Rubén. It was something I ought to remember more. Just because he wasn't fool enough to get kicked out of Magister Tallyman’s class didn't change the fact he was a Rubén, one of my family's rivals. I liked him more than I should. Dad would not be pleased, when he found out. And what would Akin do when he found out about me?

  “Yeah,” I agreed. I gathered my bag and headed for the door. “Poor me.”

  There was no sign of Isabella when Rose and I went to the library, or when we went to the dining hall for dinner. I couldn't help wondering if she’d been sent home, although I had to admit that was unlikely. Isabella was a Rubén too. The Castellan would need a very solid reason to send her home and hexing another student, even me, wouldn't be good enough. It certainly wouldn't convince Isabella’s parents.

  Of course not, I thought, sourly. They’d have to expel the entire school if hexing another student was considered a suitable offense.

  It wasn't until we returned to the dorm that I saw her, sitting on her bed. She looked upset, her face pale and wan. It struck me, suddenly, that she might have been kicked off the netball team. Even if it hadn't been part of her punishment, being given several weekend detentions would be enough to keep her from practice. And then she’d be dumped from the team ...

  She looked up at me, her face twisting with hatred. I winced inwardly, fighting down the urge to run. I’d charged the rings again - Rose had helped - and I had a couple new trinkets on me, but I knew I was still no match for her. If she wanted to fight ... I’d have to get close and then hit her before she could react. And yet ... she could have protected herself against physical force, if she’d thought of it.

  My heart sank. There was no sign of Sandy.

  Isabella rose. “I’m off the team,” she said, flatly. I would have been sympathetic, really I would, if she hadn't been readying a spell. “It's your fault.”

  I stared at her in genuine shock. “How is it my fault? You ensorcelled me!”

  “You lied about me,” Isabella snapped. “You told everyone I ratted you out!”

  “You did,” I snapped back.

  “I didn't,” Isabella said. “Do you want a Blood Oath?”

  That brought me up short. No one, absolutely no one, joked about Blood Oaths. A person who broke a Blood Oath died. It was forbidden to demand one from anyone, under any circumstances. Isabella wouldn't even dream of offering one, unless she was innocent. I stared at her ... was she innocent? Or was she gambling that I wouldn't be able to accept the oath? A Blood Oath needed a very powerful magician to serve as its warder.

  My thoughts raced. Was she gambling? Or ... the upperclassman had never actually named Isabella, had he? I’d thought nothing of it at the time, but now ...? What if someone else had tipped him off? Sandy? One of Isabella’s cronies? Or someone who hoped that Isabella would get the blame ....

  For that matter, I conceded silently, we could have been caught up in someone else’s trap.

  Rose stepped to one side. “If not you,” she asked, “then who?”

  “Be quiet, commoner,” Zeya snarled from her bed. I felt Rose flinch. “This is between Isabella and Caitlyn.”

  “It’s a good question,” I said, evenly. “If not you, then who?”

  “I don’t know,” Isabella snapped. “All I know is that it wasn't me!”

  She took a step forward. “And then you have the nerve to tell me my runes are out of shape!”

  “They were,” I said. I wasn't sure what kept me standing in front of her. Part of me just wanted to turn and run. “Even your brother agreed that they weren't right.”

  Isabella’s expression twisted. I saw a complex surge of emotions cross her face, too many to follow. I wondered, suddenly, just what she thought of her brother. She had to be jealous of him, just as I was jealous of Alana and Bella. And yet, she had the opportunity to prove herself better than him. House Rubén needed the strongest and most capable magician in command. Only a complete idiot would refuse to name the better sibling his heir.

  “Akin has been spending too much time with you,” she growled. “Why?”

  I couldn’t resist. “Perhaps he enjoys my company?”

  She purpled. “Just because you share a talent for forging? Just how far do you think you’ll get without magic?”

  I snickered, helplessly. If only she knew ...

  “I still don’t think you have magic,” Isabella said. She met my eyes, challengingly. “You didn't wear any jewellery when I first saw you, not even a family ring. And now you have rings on all of your fingers and a pair of earrings.”

  Her voice became calculating. “And Akin said you were spending a lot of time in the workroom,” she added. “What were you making, I wonder?”

  I tensed. In truth, I was surprised it had taken so long for someone to notice. I was sure my sisters had definitely noticed, although neither of them had said anything. Isabella was clearly more perceptive than I’d realised. She was definitely, alarmingly close to the truth.

  “Would I be at this school,” I asked finally, “if I didn't have magic?”

  “Perhaps,” Isabella said. “I’ve never actually seen you use magic without your rings.”

  She smiled. “Take them off and turn me into a cat?”

  I glared at her. There was no way I could and she knew it. Even if I palmed a ring, I couldn't change the spell. She'd suspect something if I turned her into a frog instead. It was time to go on the offensive.

  “Tell me something,” I said. “Are you really so desperate to prove that I don’t have magic?”

  She blinked, but I went on before she could say a word. “What would it prove about you,” I asked, “if I didn't have magic? That you could snap your fingers and turn me into a three-headed horned toad whenever the whim struck you? Would that make you a great magician, or just a bully who likes kicking babies down the stairs? Do you really think that would impress your father?”

  Isabella went white. “What do you know about my father?”

  She clenched her fists. “Why did Akin tell you that?”

  “I don’t know,” I said. I probably shouldn't have mentioned it at all, but I wanted to twist the knife. And I probably shouldn't push her any further, yet I couldn't stop myself. “Perhaps he prefers my company to yours ...”

  Isabella slapped me, hard. I twisted my head, a moment before she struck me. Something dug into my skin, pieces falling to the ground ... I realised, as I staggered to the side, that she’d smashed the earring. My head was spinning in pain ... it was the second time I’d been slapped, but it hurt worse. Far worse ...

  I heard Isabella chanting a spell, but I was too dazed to move. All I could do was throw up my arms, uselessly. The world spun around me, growing larger and larger ... no, I was shrinking. Rose said something behind me, her voice cutting off mid-word ... I hoped she was fine, even though I knew she wasn't. Zeya or her sister could easily have zapped her while she was trying to help me.

  The world stopped spinning. I looked up. Isabella towered over me, her face twisted with rage and hatred. And, perhaps, a touch of self-loathing. She lifted her foot and brought it down hard. I scurried back, dimly aware that I’d been turned into a mouse. Isabella shouted something, deafe
ningly loud to the tiny creature’s ears, then kicked out again. A hex struck the floor a second later, the blast so close that the shockwave picked me up and tossed me across the room. I landed against something soft - a bed - and fell to the ground. A great pair of feet stamped towards me. I ran to the wall, then stopped dead. There was nowhere to run ...

  Isabella raised her foot again, then froze. Her entire body locked solid, then plummeted forward. I squeaked in horror and ran between her legs, just as she hit the ground. It felt like an earthquake. And then an invisible force caught me, yanking me up into the air. My entire body was spinning, but I managed to get a glimpse of Sandy standing there. She looked furious. I wondered, as my spinning slowly came to an end, just how much trouble she was in. Rose had nearly been expelled, I had endless detentions and Isabella ...