Looking at his plate, Zyacus grinned as he picked up his fork.
“Sorry, the king and queen keep that recipe locked in the vault,” I said and Pink Eyes burst out laughing.
“Visteal,” he nodded toward Pink Eyes, “this is Gracie. One of my best friends and like a third cousin or something.”
“Second cousin,” she corrected and stuck her tongue out at him. “I wondered when he’d finally make a move,” Gracie said and giggled as she picked up her glass.
The girl sitting directly across from me gave an off-putting smile then turned to Gracie. “Were you meaning a move for Jennika or her? Boys seem to change their minds so quickly.”
Gracie cleared her throat and took a drink rather than respond. Zyacus’s head snapped up and I could see his irritation smoldering into anger. “Everyone at this table, but especially you, Baila,” his eyes found hers, “better learn the meaning of respect or you’ll find yourself no longer at this academy if not in a prison cell.”
She looked down at her plate and didn’t say a word the rest of the meal. The authority and reverence he commanded made me want him all the more but it also made me question my own. I should have been the one to say what he said, should have been the one to shut her down. I had as much power as he did in getting someone removed from this academy.
I ate my breakfast and listened mostly to Gracie who kept the conversation light from then on, and I already liked her. She was friendly and funny, but most importantly, she might be one of the only girls at this table who didn’t want to murder me.
An echoing chime told us it was time to go to class. The loud chatter of hundreds of conversations spilled out into the hallways while we stood in the line to exit. Zyacus right beside me was a full head taller and I wasn’t short, I loved it.
“That went pretty good, I’d say.”
“Except for when—” I had to stop myself from saying, your girlfriend, “Jennika almost set the table on fire. But I like Gracie.”
“I knew you would. Everyone likes Gracie. She’s one of those people that you’re just drawn to.” He didn’t mention anything about Jennika, but he couldn’t avoid it forever. Especially after the comment Baila made that nearly got her thrown out of this place.
Chapter 28
As we stepped into our class, Professor Tessam smiled at us as if she’d heard some good gossip. We sat at our table and when everyone arrived she began her lesson. When her face lit up with mischief, I knew today would be different. “Magical dueling.”
That was usually a class all on its own or an extracurricular activity, but I was intrigued.
“Some recent events have me wanting to make sure you’re prepared for—anything.” The knowing look on her face when she turned toward me, said she’d heard about our run-in with the vampires.
Apparently the adults weren’t telling everyone what sort of dangerous people we had creeping about. And after considering it, I didn’t think it was because students would be scared. It was because many would go looking for them, looking to fight, and most wouldn’t be ready for it. The speed of the blood drinkers alone was difficult to contend with.
“Grab a cloak or jacket, we’re going outside.”
With a wave of her hand a rack rolled out of a closet and all of us jumped up to grab one. I found a black suede jacket and the inside was soft with light gray fur. It was especially puffy at the neck area. Zyacus pulled on a light gray cloak lined with white fur and looked like a winter god.
When all of us lined up outside, Professor Tessam clasped her hands in front of her. “This will not be a one on one fight. It will be two against one.”
Someone murmured, “That’s not fair.”
And her steel gaze pinned to a white-haired girl in a gray and green uniform from Collweya. “Battles rarely are. When it comes to a real life or death struggle, it won’t be about fairness.” She walked to the end of the line. “You will be a one or a two and you will gather with your number.” She went down the line, “one, two, two.” Until the last student.
I was a “one”, and I was guessing that meant I would have two against me. After gathering with our groups she picked who would fight against each other.
“Weapons are permitted as well as magic,” Tessam said. “I want you to use a speed enhancement spell and the sunlight spell solaris adonas at least once. Everything else is your choice. Subdue your opponent, that is the goal. When he or she surrenders or—is unable to fight back you will stop, not before then.” My Papa appeared at her side and she smiled. “Professor Magnevera will be my assistant today. We’ll be coaching you as needed. Begin.”
I drew my practice sword and took a deep steadying breath as two opponents, one Collweyan, one Hesstian, circled me. Most of our matches ended when one person was in a “killing” position but not until submission. I had a feeling I was about to get roughed up and it had been a while since that had happened to me.
Mia, auburn-haired and tanned like she’d come from the hot coast, was Hesstian. By her angry expression she had a newfound hatred for me. And the boy with golden locks and a dragon tattoo on his forearm was Logan. I couldn’t see the tat at the moment since it was covered with a thin gray jacket but I knew it was there. He was magic-born, she was not. In the past, Collweya didn’t appear to have magic-born. However, in the last twenty years a new generation of them were born. Not many, but some.
I’d never seen either of them fight so I had no idea of their skill level but I’d find out in a moment.
Logan swung his sword first, I blocked it and Mia threw a kick at me, my shield was instantly up and the blow bounced off. They were only testing me, looking for a weakness. Both swung their swords, I flipped backward out of harm’s way with a little magic assist. They charged, throwing spells and punches. I put up my shield, the one my father taught me would absorb magic, giving me more strength.
Both of them paused, I was one of very few people that knew how to absorb magical attacks. “You have to teach me that,” Logan said and then swung at me.
Clash, ping, pang our swords hit over and over, “It’s a secret,” I said grunting as I pushed my sword against his.
Mia kicked my legs and I went down but into a back roll and barely got out of the way of a sword planted on the frost-covered grass. From a crouched position, chanting the spell in my mind, I let loose the sunlight magic and both of them shielded their eyes, turning away. Whispering a speed spell, Crack I busted Mia in the gut with the hilt of my sword and she doubled over coughing then crashed to the ground. I went to hit her again and she held up a hand, forfeiting. So I turned to Logan. With the magic still coursing through me, I moved at three times my normal speed but Logan did the same as our weapons hit over and over. I caught him on the shoulder and he winced, then the temple and he stumbled, blood spilling down his cheek from a fresh cut and he raised a hand. “I’m out,” he said.
When I thought I’d won, I was smacked in the side so hard my rib cracked and I fell, my breath whooshing from my lungs. Mia came back after I thought she’d surrendered. I tried to breathe in it and hurt so much I whimpered. My side screamed in agony, I tried to get up but my body couldn’t, and a boot collided in my gut. I rolled over coughing, and curled up in the fetal position, tears stinging my eyes.