“What's this all about?” Victor demanded.
“It's nothing,” Alaria said quickly. “Let's get this over with.”
But it worked. We had Victor's attention now. He jumped down off the platform and strode over to Fletcher. “Are you a blood wizard?” he said.
“No! I'm not a blood wizard. Don't be ridiculous,” said Fletcher.
“Awfully outspoken for a servant, isn't he?” I said.
Victor shot me a glare, but then narrowed his eyes at Fletcher.
“Maybe you should check him for a wand,” Tethys called. “He doesn’t seem like the type who would give his up readily.”
“He doesn't have his wand!” Alaria snapped. “None of us do. It's part of our agreement to serve in exchange for being turned!”
I couldn't resist a smile as she gave me more ammunition. “When exactly is that going to happen anyway? You've been here for, how long now, six years, and nobody has been turned yet. Whose decision is that anyway? Are you the one who keeps putting it off or is it Victor?”
“They will turn us when they’re ready,” said Alaria.
“Yet, you keep saying to wait…” Victor said slowly, turning to her.
Alaria pursed her lips. “They're trying to distract you,” she said tightly. “Don’t forget, they’re MES agents. They’re lying through their teeth, coming up with anything to manipulate you and delay the inevitable.”
“They are MES agents, aren’t they?” Victor said. “But MES agents typically don’t lie and manipulate people.” He smiled and his fangs extended a little. “That's why I'm not one anymore.” He turned and shot us all a critical look.
“They’ve been spying on us!” Alaria said angrily.
“Yes, they have…” Victor regarded us thoughtfully. “Maybe they’ve seen some things that have escaped my notice… It is somewhat odd,” he continued, slowly turning back to her. “That you continue to refuse being turned.”
“It's hardly odd,” Alaria began desperately.
“Hey,” Charlie said suddenly. “Who has been using the memory potion on Reave?”
They all turned to look at him in shock. Alaria’s eyes growing even wider in alarm.
“What?” Reave cried.
“They’re lying!” Alaria spat. So, she was in on it; I had assumed it was just Victor. She was probably even mixing it.
“Well, you see,” Danio said, ignoring her. “Reave and I had an interesting conversation the other night about that time I fought a berserker, which I’m sure everyone here remembers.” There was actually some applause and cheers at the reminder. It seemed that even being a MES spy didn’t fully diminish being able to beat a berserker in a fight. “But Reave didn’t remember Cleaver at all.” Reave’s eyes narrowed and he frowned in concern.
“I assume it’s you, right, Victor?” I asked. “Are you getting it from her?”
“Funny,” Danio added, catching right on. “I thought she was in love with Reave. Pretty fucked up if she's been erasing his memory with you. Almost like she has some sort of other plans…”
The three of them looked back and forth between each other.
“They're trying to divide us,” Alaria said angrily. “Can't you fools see that?!”
“Yes…” Victor tilted his head and regarded her curiously. “Yet, they're bringing up some extremely interesting points as they try.”
“You’ve been using a memory potion on me?” Reave demanded, suddenly finding his voice.
“They’re lying,” Alaria said. “Please, my love, you know I would never betray you…”
“If you love him so much, why don’t you kiss him?” Danio said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you do it.”
Alaria glared at him, but Reave’s brow creased in concern.
“While you’re at it, go ahead and let him turn you. No reason to keep putting it off,” I called.
“You never kiss me,” Reave said, stepping back from her. “And you have been putting off being turned.
“I’m waiting until our plans are all in place, until the time is –”
“Excuses!” snarled Reave. “Just more excuses. If not now, when?”
“Soon!”
“You’ve been saying that for six years, Adaira.” Anguish crossed his face as realization slowly dawned. “You don’t want to be turned. You never have… why…”
“Just kill them!” Alaria snaped. “They’re trying to ruin everything!”
“Ruin it for you, maybe,” Charlie said.
She shot a furious look at him, then turned toward Victor and Reave.
“Please,” she begged. “You wouldn’t really believe them over me, would you?”
Something about her changed. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but all at once she seemed oddly, disturbingly, attractive. Alluring even. I realized in alarm she was using her stolen siren powers, trying to beguile herself back into their favor.
Luckily, I wasn’t the only one who noticed.
“Love the castle, by the way, Alaria,” Danio said.
Her shoulders went stiff and she froze as Victor and Reave’s brows furrowed in confusion.
“It looks a lot better than your tacky pink one on Mystic Cay. I’d offer some suggestions, but you already took care of it,” Danio went on.
Slowly, incredulously, Alaria turned to gape at him, mouth hanging open in complete shock.
“Pretty dramatic the way you sank the whole damn thing under our feet like that,” Danio continued, grin widening as utter horror crossed Alaria’s face. “Was that arcanism or just regular blood magic?”
For a long moment, silence hung in the air as Victor and Reave looked back and forth between Danio and Alaria in confusion and Alaria stood motionless, completely stunned.
Then, she flew into motion. With a speed I could hardly follow she whirled toward Danio, drawing a knife. She hurled it through the air toward him. My hearts leapt into my throat, then I heaved a sigh of relief as he barely twisted aside; knife slashing across his upper arm, then mostly-harmlessly sailing by.
Victor's hand shot out and he grabbed Alaria’s outstretched wrist, jerking her arm down.
“How dare you,” he began.
“Don’t touch me, filthy beast,” she snarled. She wrenched her arm free while slamming him in the chest with her other hand. The force of her blow threw Victor to the ground, hard.
Countless gasps of shock filled the arena, followed by silence as Victor climbed to his feet, staring at Alaria.
She clenched her fists and took a step away from him, obviously realizing that she had just used far too much of her force and speed.
“Victor, please,” Alaria said slowly. “Let's just deal with them and then we can talk about this in private.”
“No,” he said coldly. “We will talk about it now.”
“Let's not be hasty,” she said, obviously struggling to regain her calm façade. “They know they’ve lost; they’re willing to spout any sort of nonsense to save themselves.”
“Yet you seem to understand this nonsense,” snarled Victor. He bared his fangs and took a threatening step toward her. “It’s quite clear to me that everything they’re saying is getting to you.”
She held her ground, but he advanced again. Then, to my complete shock, Alaria screamed, “Don’t just stand there, you idiots, draw your wands and help me!”
All around the arena blood casters obeyed, whipping out their wands and holding them ready. Some of them rushed down the stairs toward her, as non-humans cried out and jumped up from their seats in shock and anger.
“No!” Alaria screeched. “No, you fools!” She lunged at Fletcher, grabbing his arm to stop him before he could pull out his own wand. “What the hell are you doing?!”
“You… you said to draw our wands…” he stammered.
“I said nothing of the…” Alaria’s head snapped around and her eyes locked on Danio.
“Oops,” he said in her voice, steadily meeting her gaze.
Her face twist
ed with rage and she clenched a fist, raising it toward him.
“You liar!” Victor roared. “You’ve been deceiving us all this time!” He hurled himself at her, fangs extended.
Alaria easily dodged him and threw him to the ground.
“Adaira…” Reave murmured.
“My name,” she spat, whirling to face him and squaring her shoulders, “is Alaria.”
Reave swallowed hard and in a voice barely above a whisper asked, “Was it all lies? Did you… did you ever even love me?”
“What do you think?” she sneered.
“Why?” he choked, gesturing around the arena. “Why then… all of this…”
“What makes you think I have any intention of telling you?”
“You don't think I deserve to know?” Reave’s voice broke, then he took a deep breath and his fangs slid down. “Maybe you can go ahead and erase my memory after you tell me.”
Alaria laughed at the taunt.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Danio spit and glanced at him curiously. His eyes roved the room quickly, then he spat a second time, right onto his own foot. A ripple of blue curled through his gray eyes and I stared in complete confusion as the spit condensed into a small ball and rolled up his foot and up out of sight beneath his pantleg. I kept staring, watching as he shifted his weight a little, trying to figure out what the hell he was doing. I wanted to ask, but didn't dare draw attention to him. In fact, even watching was probably too much.
I turned away, looking back at Alaria and Reave, just as Victor shouldered his way between them.
“It's obvious she's been manipulating us,” he said angrily. “I say we chain her to the platform and deal with her too.” He lowered his voice and said, too softly for most of the audience to hear, “Then kill all of her witches and wizards for this deception.”
“Then it will be you and yours who die,” Alaria threatened.
I heard a clink of metal and glanced back over at Danio, fighting back a gasp as the handcuffs on one of his wrists fell open. I watched in shock as he twisted his free hand around and rested a finger against the tiny keyhole and drew out the small ball of spit. He wiggled a little and felt for the other lock, then dripped the liquid in. He must have realized I was watching because his eyes flicked up to meet mine and he grinned, ever so slightly. I nodded, then quickly turned away, hearts pounding.
“If you too have a wand,” snarled Victor. “You would be wise to surrender it to me. Now.”
Alaria angrily straightened her shoulders and reached into her shirt, as if she was actually going to draw it. Next to her, Fletcher tensed and took a step forward.
Then a quick rush of footsteps, a flash of movement, and Danio launched himself off the platform, throwing knife clenched in one hand, directly at Alaria’s exposed back.
The four were so distracted by their argument that not a single one even glanced Danio’s way.
He had her!
Time seemed to slow as Danio came down on top of her, knife ready.
At the last possible moment, with inhuman speed, Alaria whirled and thrust out her hand. I expected a wand or a knife, but instead she extended her bare palm toward him. To my complete shock and horror a bolt of lightning arced from her hand and caught Danio square in the chest. The force hurled him back completely over the platform and he crashed heavily to the ground, several yards away.
The attack was followed with a thunderous crack that drowned out the chorus of cries and gasps from all around us, quickly overtaken by total silence.
All eyes turned to Alaria, a witch who had just conjured lightning without a wand.
“What… how…” Victor stammered.
Alaria ignored him and looked all around us, as if realizing for the first time that she had an audience. Her eyes landed on me, pure hatred etched across her face.
“You've ruined everything,” she said.
Victor took advantage of her distraction to rush her. She easily twisted aside, yanking the stake – still darkened with my blood – he had tucked into his belt as she did. He stumbled and Alaria spun and plunged the stake down.
“No!” Reave cried, shoving Victor out of the way.
The stake sank into Reave’s chest and he fell to his knees with a choked gasp, echoed by horrified cries all around us. Even Victor looked stunned. I could see in his face that somewhere, behind the years of betrayal and animosity, there was still a part of him that had cared for his former MES partner. He snarled in rage and lurched for his feet, hurling himself toward Alaria.
She waved her hand almost lazily through the air and Victor went flying up into the stunned audience, crashing into several people. Alaria straightened and looked around, taking a deep breath.
“Kill them,” she said loudly. “Kill them all.”
The arena exploded into absolute chaos.
Chapter Six
Jen
As the weeks went on, my frustration mounted. After Sarah’s horrific murder, I hardly even saw Alaria. The only times I did she was with Reave, acting as Adaira. I had a sinking feeling I had missed my best chance to kill her.
I kept my distance from my friends as well, trying to avoid anything that might cause Alaria to suspect me or them. Luckily, we didn’t have any more close encounters, although I frequently saw them from a distance. But much to my concern their behavior had started changing.
At first Dani and Thomas were almost always together, but now I often saw them split up. I never saw Dani and Charlie together; I assumed they wanted to avoid suspicion like I did, but I wasn’t sure why they would go to such lengths, I didn’t think there was anything odd about non-humans spending time with each other.
Worse, sometimes it seemed like they were all enjoying the company of the other non-humans. Several times I spotted Dani at the bar, surrounded by several others – none of them our friends – and looking like he was having a ball. On more than one occasion I saw Thomas walking down the corridors talking with vampires.
I was starting to worry that maybe, somehow, this place was getting to them; after all, Dani and Thomas had been here for over six months now, the vast majority of that with no one but each other. Even if they were just pretending to be friendly to some of the other magics they surely would have developed some preferences for who they wanted to spend time with. Even after a few weeks, I had found a few blood casters that I liked working with more than others. Sometimes I caught myself, maybe not being glad to see them, but not being disappointed either. Once we started talking some of them sounded downright normal and I imagined it must have been hard to be here for six months and not have a few people who felt like more than acquaintances.
It seemed like Charlie and TS were still settling in, but even though I didn't want to admit it I was pretty concerned about Thomas and Dani. Not only had they been here longer, but water elementals, as Dani was fond of saying, had a tendency to just go with the flow; I was sure it was a challenge for him to not get caught up in the excitement sometimes, even when the excitement was something as awful as Victor’s plans or the arena battles.
Then there was Thomas, who I knew had struggled for a very long time after being turned. Some of the things I heard about why Reave and Victor started their organization made it sound like the sort of thing I thought Thomas would have been interested in joining when he was newly turned. In fact the nights when there were no arena battles and I could see him just hanging out with other vampires – all talking and laughing and drinking blood together – made me concerned that maybe he was getting a little too comfortable with things here. Identifying just a little too much with Victor’s vision.
Then, of course, there was the fact I was starting to scare myself, if I was honest. Down in the private areas, blood casters had a few entertainment spaces of our own; sometimes after a busy day, when I didn't have a chance to even think about what I was doing here, I'd end my shift with popcorn and a movie, spending the evening hanging out with other people. I knew deep down that they were
dark witches and wizards who practiced human sacrifice, and that any one of them would kill my friends and me at a moment's notice, yet late at night when we were tired and watching silly, normal movies, it felt like being back in college. It was weird and disturbing, made all the more disturbing by the fact that sometimes it felt almost normal.
Worse were the insidious things that began to creep into my vocabulary. Quietly expressing disdain for non-humans was getting easy; much easier than I wanted it to be, especially when it came to vampires. Even though I hadn't spoken with her again, Alaria must have told Kayla my lie about vampires killing my mother and Kayla had told the others. There were a couple of other blood casters who also lost family members to vampires and they came to me, not just with sympathy for my situation, but animosity toward vampires – a sentiment I was forced to pretend to share.
But one night when I was in the dining hall giving a vampire a glass of blood, I caught myself feeling uncomfortable as I did. The reaction scared me; vampires drinking blood had never bothered me before.
The absolute worst was one night after a fight when I was in the recovery room. Two vampires came in – neither one of them was Thomas – and it seemed like something had gone very wrong for one of them. The winner was completely unharmed and waved us off, walking straight out of the recovery room without pausing. The other was in very bad shape.
After Malcolm and another blood wizard got her onto a bed, I went over and started rolling up my sleeve, knowing it was my turn to give blood.
“You're the one whose mother vampires killed, right?” Malcolm asked.
I looked at him in surprise. “Um, yes.”
He nodded and then smiled. “Don't worry about it then.”
I paused, confused. “Don't worry about…?”
“That thing,” he said, pointing to the vampire woman. “She’s in pretty rough shape. We can’t sacrifice them, yet, but that doesn't mean we have to save them every time either. Get yourself a little bit of revenge and let her be.”
I froze. “You mean…” I swallowed nervously. “Don't give her any blood?”
“Yeah,” Malcolm said. “That was the last fight anyway. Let's just clean up here and then take her up to her room. If she dies, she dies.”
Rise of the Arcanist Series: Books 1 - 6 Page 69