“Your additions? Some of the brightest minds in the Academy placed those protections.”
“Around the entirety of the city, or just the Academy?” Havash asked.
“Why would we need to place them around the city? We can’t restrict trade,” Ben said.
“And why around only the Academy? If the city is safe enough—”
“The accident happened inside the Academy,” Ben pressed. “And we do not know if it is an attack or merely an accident.”
Havash arched a brow. “The accident happened where it shouldn’t have.”
A pale white light from Ben flowed around Havash. With a wave of his hand, that power faded. Havash turned to look at Ben, locking eyes with him. “I would prefer you not do that.”
Ben released Havash’s arm. “It will be good to have an Alchemist within the Academy again. Having lost so many was a terrible thing. Will you need quarters arranged?”
“That will be unnecessary,” Havash said. “If the alchemy section is unavailable, I believe I can find my old quarters just fine.” He flashed a smile. He nodded to Sam and Mia. “And see them placed into a tower. And let Bethal know that I will meet with her after her visit with the students.”
“Who is Bethal?” Mia asked.
Ben turned to Mia, frowning. “Why she is the Grandam. She leads the Academy.”
As Sam watched Havash depart, he couldn’t help but have even more questions. Who was this man that could demand a visit with the head of the Academy?
And what had he gotten himself into?
Chapter Seven
Sam kept his gaze on Havash’s back as he made his way down the hallway. He reached the door at the far end, where he paused for a moment, a faint trace of pale white light beginning to glow from him. It lingered briefly before fading.
“Come along, then,” Ben said. “The two of you can wait in the hall until the others arrive.”
He started toward a stair at the end of the hall opposite direction that Havash had gone.
Sam hurried after him, taking Mia by the arm, guiding her alongside him. On their way, Sam had a moment to skim his gaze along the line of portraits on either side of the wall. Each one was the painted face of some distinguished individual. There were a few sculptures, including one that looked to be shaped something like a massive fish shooting out of the water. Sam could almost imagine that the sculpture was alive and that the fish would cross the hallway.
When they reached the staircase, he finally spoke up. “What are we going to wait for the others to do? Are they coming?” That didn’t quite fit with what he had thought Ben had said earlier. As far as he remembered, Ben had claimed that the other students had already arrived and that he and Mia were too late for the opportunity to study at the Academy.
“The rest of the students have already begun getting settled. As I said,” Ben said, glancing back, his gaze hard, though softening a little as he looked at Mia, “the selection for the others happened recently. You aren’t too late, but unfortunately, you will not be offered the same accommodations as you would have if you arrived earlier. The earliest students get sorted the soonest and placed into their tower.”
“What happens in the tower?” Sam asked.
Now that he was away from Havash, he felt freer to question, and though Ben had looked at them with a sour expression, he had at least answered him. Besides, Sam had a feeling that he was going to have to get used to asking questions around the Academy in order to satisfy what Havash wanted from him. Mia might be able to stay with her penchant for magic, but Sam would not. There was a real danger in getting separated from her, and if he were sent away and perhaps even sent out into the city, he wouldn’t be able to help her get through the first year. If she could manage that, succeed in her testing, then she could remain. And if she did that… Then they could finally be safe.
“There are four towers in the Academy,” Ben explained, watching them both with a hint of curiosity in his eyes. “Though I am surprised I must share that with you.”
“We don’t know much about the Academy,” Sam admitted. “We came from Erstan.”
He thought it was best to be honest with that and feel out how others might respond. It was possible that most in Olway wouldn’t even know where Erstan was. They were far enough along the border that they might as well not even be a part of it.
“He brought you from the border?” He frowned and looked past Sam again as if looking for Havash.
“He was coming through, and he tested my sister. She had potential. As did I,” Sam added with a bit of a rush.
Ben pressed his lips together in a tight frown. “Interesting. We’ve always been told that there are none with any real potential from those lands,” he said. “But perhaps we have not had the opportunity to evaluate. It might be a mistake that needs correcting.”
“I don’t think it’s terribly common,” Sam said. “We haven’t seen too many with the ability.”
Ben nodded as if he expected nothing less. “Well, then much of this might be new for you. I suppose that is unfortunate, but maybe we should be prepared for that.” He nodded again. “I will give you a taste.” He continued up the stairs and paused at the top of the landing. It opened out into a massive hallway, with doors lining either side of it. Could those be the classrooms?
“There are four towers within the Academy,” he began. “Each one represents an ancient weapon. The founders believed that the Arcane Arts were meant for defense, and what better defense than an ancient weapon?” Ben smiled tightly. “But those who know of the workings of the Academy understand that it is more than just ancient weapons. It is ancient spells, in particular. When you are sorted into a tower, you will live and study amongst the others there, but that does not mean you cannot mingle with other students. It only means that you have a predilection.”
Sam felt his heart beginning to pound a little bit faster. “How are we sorted? Is there something with the Arcane Arts?”
Ben clucked. “No. Nothing so much like that. It’s more about how you were tested. I imagine Havash gave you some instruction as to which tower you belonged in?”
Sam swallowed. He hadn’t. “I don’t know if we had an opportunity. We had to hurry back.”
Ben’s frown deepened, growing more severe. “That is unfortunate. Well, what type of magic are you naturally inclined to? That is the older way of sorting.”
“Mia can stop things,” Sam said.
Ben turned to her, regarding her for a moment. “Is that right? No wonder he thought that you should come. You are the right age, but you are a bit reserved. I had thought that perhaps he brought you along because of your brother.”
“What is it?” Sam asked.
“What you called stopping things is known as sharan. It is actually one of the four cornerstones of the Arcane Arts, and it is what one of the towers is named after.” He smiled. “Perhaps Havash didn’t assign you to a tower because he simply knew.”
Sam wasn’t sure if that was the case or if Havash had simply forgotten about it. He still had to wonder about Havash and his role in the Academy.
“And what about you?” Ben asked, tapping his cheek. “He didn’t give you any insight? I must say that you are a little older than the students we usually get, so you will find that the other students in your grouping are more your sister’s age. I hope that does not offend you.”
Sam almost burst out laughing. “No. It won’t offend me.”
“Good. The Academy is a place where all can gain an understanding of the talents they were born with and can gain mastery of the Arcane Arts.”
“All?”
Ben chuckled, starting to turn away. “Well, not all, but those who are born with the natural potential can. Much like you.” He glanced over to Sam. “You haven’t shared with me your predilection.”
“Alchemy,” Sam said quickly.
That elicited a deeper frown from them than anything else so far. “Alchemy? Ah, well then, I’m afraid that will be
a bit of a challenge.”
“Why?” Sam had to be careful here.
“Given the accident in the alchemy section, the fifth tower, such as it once was known, despite not being an actual tower, is no more. Students who had a predilection for alchemy were sorted into one of the other towers.” He glanced over to Sam. “Do you have any other predilections?”
He had no idea that alchemy was an actual predilection, and he had said it without really thinking, only wanting to understand.
“There’s a pressure with the Arcane arts and color…” He started, remembering what he had seen when Havash was using his magic. Sam doubted that was much of anything and certainly not magic, but maybe it would make a difference to Ben and the Academy. He didn’t have to make a whole lot of sense anyway. They were from the border, and they would be expected not to really know the workings of magic.
Ben regarded him for a long moment. “Alchemy and tolath. Interesting. Well, then you have your sorting. Mia, you will be assigned to the sharan, and your brother will be assigned to tolath. It does not mean that you won’t get to see each other,” he said, waving his hand as if dismissing a question he knew would be asked. “But it does mean that you will be less likely to study together. All towers have some intermingling, and of course, classes are shared.”
“What about the other two towers?”
“There are grisenack and olwand, but neither of you will be linked to them.” He stopped at the door and pressed on the handle, opening up a massive chamber. It was far larger than any place Sam had ever seen before. Dark stained wood covered the walls, and a plush carpet covered the floor. It was beautiful.
“This is the grand hall,” Ben said. “And the Grandam will meet with all the students here. You can wait here. I imagine that the others will gather soon.”
Ben turned away, and Sam cleared his throat, trying to catch him.
“Do we need any… I don’t know… supplies?”
Ben sniffed. “All supplies are taken care of. As are expenses while you are here. You will be given a small stipend, like every other student, and if you have additional funds, you may spend it as you please.”
“How much is the stipend?”
Ben glanced back. “Oh, it’s not very much. Only a silver a month. Barely enough to get into any trouble in the rest of Tavran.”
With that, he stepped out of the door, leaving Sam speechless.
When the Secundum was gone, Sam turned to his sister. “A silver a month? Which means between the two of us, we’ll have two silvers a month.” Sam had already started doing the math, and as he pieced it together, he figured that if they could save the silvers since all supplies and boarding needs were taken care of, he could live off the silvers after he inevitably flunked out of the Academy following the first year.
He started to smile.
“What is it?” Mia asked.
“I’m just feeling like our luck might be turning.”
“It just seems like so much,” Mia said, her own smile widening.
“It is a bit much,” Sam agreed. “And…” Despite everything else and the excitement that he had started to feel, maybe that was a mistake. “I know we’re not going to be in the same tower, but I’ll figure out what we need to do to study together.”
“What if they don’t let me?”
“Havash and Ben have already said that we can see each other.”
“Not them,” Mia said, stepping closer to him as the door opened, and a mousy-looking young woman stepped in. She had glasses, her hair and pigtails, and was about the same age as Mia. She looked at them before moving apart. “What if my tower doesn’t let me?”
“Why wouldn’t it?”
“Why would they separate us? They want to divide us, don’t they?”
“They are separating us because…” Sam didn’t really have a good reason for why they were getting separated. Maybe because it was about the predilection for various magical uses, but from what he’d seen and read, they were all going to be taught the same topics anyway, so it didn’t really matter. “I don’t know. We’ll figure something out.” The door opened again, and another student came in, then another.
They stood at the back of the room, neither of them speaking, both of them looking on in shock as nearly a hundred different people filed in. Most were dressed in formal robes, each of them colored, and they separated off in different directions. At first, Sam thought they were groupings of friends, but it soon became clear that the different colored robes stayed together.
He saw robes striped with four different colors. Green. Blue. Deep red that was almost maroon. And yellow.
Sam leaned close to his sister. “I think the robes signify which tower you are in.”
Mia nodded. “I saw that too,” she said.
“Of course you did,” he said to her. He often treated her like she wasn’t as bright as she was, but he knew better. Mia had a quick mind.
“And it’s even more reason for me to think that we won’t be able to see each other,” she said.
She took his arm, holding onto it.
She might be right. And if that were the case, then they had to figure out something. But they would have food. Safety. A warm, sheltered place to sleep. They wouldn’t have to fear getting grabbed by soldiers and dragged off to the mines.
And at the end of the year, Sam might have twenty-four silvers that he could use to figure out what he would do next. Mia didn’t need the money. She would have enough. She would have her own stipend the following year.
Whatever else happened, he was determined to see she succeeded. This was far more than he could have ever imagined.
He looked up again when the door opened, and the steady murmuring in the room suddenly went silent. The woman who entered was short and petite, and her robe was almost impossible black, barely skimming along the surface of the carpet. She strode forward, hands clasped behind her back, a stern expression in her eyes as she swept it to the four different groupings of students.
“That has to be her,” Sam whispered.
“I know,” Mia said.
He looked over, saw her staring straight ahead, and he nodded. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed otherwise.”
She squeezed his arm. “You did what you promised to do and got me here. Now you can relax.”
“I have a feeling that I can’t really relax here,” Sam said.
Mia squeezed his arm again. “No. I feel the same way.”
The woman turned and faced the gathered students. “Has everyone been settled into their tower?”
There was a nervous murmuring around the room, but no one spoke up. “I see almost everyone has claimed the appropriate clothing.” Her gaze turned to the back of the room, settling on Sam and then Mia.
There was something about the way that she looked at him that filled him with a fluttering of panic.
Her eyes were an intense green, almost impossibly so, and they seem to hold him from a distance. What kind of magical ability did she have? It had to be something. It had to be one of the different towers, but which one?
“Late arrivals.” She sniffed, and more than a few people turned to eye the new arrivals.
Sam held his attention straight ahead, afraid to meet anyone’s gaze. He didn’t need any more attention than necessary. He already felt like there was going to be too much focus on him during his time in the Academy that he had to be careful. Havash would have him investigating, and there was the simple fact that he had no magic that put him into an uncomfortable situation.
Mia, on the other hand, belonged here.
With increasing certainty, Sam knew what he needed to do.
He gradually pulled his arm away from her. When she looked up, meeting his gaze for a moment, he smiled tightly and then nodded to Bethel. Mia didn’t need him bringing her down. She had to succeed.
That wasn’t to say that she couldn’t acknowledge being his sister, but she had potential. It was her time to shine. This was her plac
e.
“This is your official welcome to the Academy of the Arcane Arts,” Bethel said. “You are blessed with being the one-hundredth class to enter the Academy.” She paused, and it was almost as if there was silence waiting for a round of applause that never came. “We had anticipated bringing an equal number of students as there were classes, but that was not to be.” Sam wanted to take a moment to count the others in the room with him, but he didn’t dare. “First, a few points to discuss. Each of you has been assigned to a tower by now. If you have not,” she glanced toward them again, and Sam found himself growing irritated, “then you must speak to one of the hall monitors, or perhaps even an instructor, and find your way. Classes begin at eight bells in the morning. You are expected to arrive on time, which means being early. Tardiness will not be tolerated. The Academy is a place of the exacting standards, and if you cannot meet those, you will be expelled, no questions asked.” She swung her gaze around the room, and for the first time, Sam didn’t feel as if she were singling he and Mia out, but when she finally did reach him, she left her gaze leveled on him for a longer moment than the others.
Maybe she knew.
“Meals will be held in the common room. They are twice a day. You may take something for the morning, if necessary,” she said as if dismissing that idea, “and you will have one day to yourselves each week. Use it wisely. The curriculum is intense. Not only will you be expected to master the Arcane Arts, but students of the Academy are expected to excel in other matters as well, as graduates have become leaders all throughout Olway.” She smiled, and there was something almost terrifying in the way that she did. “There is one caveat this year, a new rule for those of you who have older siblings here. The alchemy tower is off limits. Unfortunately, there was a horrifying accident some months ago, and it is dangerous for any with magical potential. I can say this in no uncertain terms. Do not go into the alchemy tower. Those who violate this decree will be expelled.”
She looked around the room, and Sam tried to keep his expression as neutral as possible.
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