With hasty movements, Kage steps to the side, giving me a wide berth. It’s an obvious sign he’s uncomfortable with my nearness. Ziv made me promise I wouldn’t touch the demon, but I doubt I even could. He avoids me like the plague.
I fight the urge to look over my shoulder when I cross the threshold of the room, but the impulse evaporates when I get a good look around. The space is huge, almost as big as the first arena Ziv walked me through, but the floor isn’t made of sand,nor are there seats for spectating. There are, however, plenty of other individuals, all seemingly in their early twenties, and a heavy air of suspicion.
It feels as if time stops when I enter the room. Every head is turned in my direction. A male leans over to speak to the person beside him, drawing my attention, and his features strike a chord of remembrance. He came to see me several months ago. I remember being terrified when he sent a swarm of insects at me. I think it was one of the times I actually screamed in terror, but his horde parted around me as if there were an invisible pillar of protection around me. He didn’t give up though, he just kept sending them for me. I remember wishing I could disappear, but his magic only affected the bugs, not me, so I just had to stand there, feeling like creepy crawlies were all over me, and wait for him to grow weary. It felt like hours, and when he finally stopped, he tried to attack me. Luckily, there was another male with him who stopped him, because I know Philip would have stood and watched him beat the shit out of me.
I don’t realize I stopped moving until I hear someone farther in the room beckon, “Join us, won’t you?”
The small group parts for the male, and I’m not surprised to see it’s the same one who kept bug boy from pummeling me. He’s dressed just like all the other instructors I’ve happened across, including Ziv, wearing black from head to toe. There doesn’t seem to be much more of a requirement, considering all the cuts of clothing and materials are different, but it does set them apart from the novices, who all wear shades of ecru.
A moment of recognition passes between us, but I can’t pretend to know what it means, other than an acknowledgment that we each remember each other. Kage passes me to get closer to the group, but his eyes are locked on the side of my face as he does. There’s a small part of me that wonders what bug boy was whispering to the person beside him, but the thought is fleeting.I have much bigger things to worry about, starting with the instructor, who is facing off with me.
“Briar.” He says my name with too much familiarity, and I’m not the only one who takes notice. Kage steps right in front of me, creating a very obvious barrier between me and the instructor.
“It seems you’ve made some better friends since the last time we met.” There’s an air of mockery in his tone meant to belittle me, but I learned to ignore most verbal jabs a while ago, especially when they are weak. However, I don’t know how or if I should respond.
“Considerably.” Kage takes the guesswork out of it for me. Does it make me weak to let him answer for me? Yes. Do I care? No. The inky-haired demon finally steps to the side, allowing me to see the instructor again. The smile curling his lips is directed at Kage but doesn’t falter when his eyes shift to me.
“How about a demonstration of your power? I’m sure everyone is dying to see you in action, Briar. Oh…” He winces with feigned embarrassment. “Poor choice of words, considering recent events.” The indication that he believes I killed the other novice is clear, and I’m not interested in convincing him otherwise.
The instructor looks around the room, scrutinizing everyone before his eyes land on Kage. He taps his finger to his lips and muses, “I wonder…”
I know what he’s going to say, and apparently, Kage does too, because he takes a step away from me and firmly states, “No!”
“It was just a thought,” the instructor defends. “Doyle, how about you?” He moves on to the other person so quickly, it’s easy to assume this was his plan all along.
A large male weaves through the small group. “Instructor Arnold,” he says, but he never takes his eyes off me. Kage shifts again, almost like he wants to move to block me, but I widenmy arms, keeping him at bay while signaling the challenger can come closer.
This is familiar. I hate it, but I know what to expect. If anything, I’m a little surprised he didn’t sic bug boy on me again. I drop my arms and brace myself. Maybe I should have warned Ziv about what happens if I get bombarded with too much magic. Too late now, but I make a note to mention it next time I see him. I have a feeling he would go a little crazy if I up and disappeared for a few hours.
“Wait a minute!” Arnold calls loudly, taking my attention from the approaching male. “Kage, give them some room.”
“I’ll be fine,” I promise, hoping he will stay out of it. I don’t want anyone getting hurt because of me.
Without warning, or so much as an introduction, the boy flings his arm out, and a bolt of lightning streaks from his fingertips. Terror grips me for the millisecond it takes for the charge to reach me.
Three tense heartbeats pass before someone mutters a low, “Holy shit, that should have killed her.”
“Syn was my friend,” the lightning wielder sneers.
It’s not a leap to assume he’s talking about the novice who died. “I didn’t kill Syn or anyone else,” I tell him truthfully, but I doubt he’ll believe anything I say. He still looks like he wants to kill me. I might be in trouble if he decides to give it a go with his bare hands instead of magic.
“Quite impressive,” Instructor Arnold mumbles, but I don’t take my eyes off Doyle, not even when I feel Kage’s gaze drilling into the side of my face. “Let’s see how she does against Aggie.” Another novice steps forward to take Doyle’s place. I wouldn’t be surprised if he decides to test me against the entire class.
Kage makes his way in front of me. It’s a valiant effort I wish I could allow, but it’s a waste all the same. The instructor isn’tgoing to let me out of this, and even if I did get out of it now, it would only postpone the inevitable.
Kage nearly jumps out of his skin when I lay my hand on the middle of his back before he spins around. “I’ve got this.” I try to use my eyes to communicate everything I would say if we were alone and I knew him better.
When I face off with Arnold, Kage still seems spooked about the fact that I touched him, but I didn’t break any rules. Ziv explained Kage’s ability only works with skin-to-skin contact, and he’s wearing a shirt.
I scan the line of novices, wondering where the next attack will come from, but a door at the back of the room opens, distracting me. Syrinx casually leans against the doorway as if she’s expecting a show.
I look back just in time to see a single female become more than ten in the blink of an eye. I’ve encountered mimics before, but they are tricky, especially if I can’t keep track of the right one. Her copies will pass right through me, but not the real one. She’ll be able to inflict damage.
In eerie unison, every one of the females runs straight for me. I lean back on my heels, prepared to take a blow as they converge on me. Two copies pass through me. I don’t keep track of what happens to them after, I’m too busy watching to make sure I don’t get gutted by the real one. The next three leave me feeling slightly woozy from the magic, but it’s nothing I can’t handle. When the original comes for me, I sidestep her advance, and she lets out a howl of frustration.
“Echo!” Instructor Arnold yells excitedly.
Everyone in the room covers their ears just as a boy, who looks no older than my youngest brother Conner, opens his mouth wide. I look around as many of the novices in the front bend at the waist, tilting their heads from left to right while still covering their ears, but I don’t hear a sound. He snaps his lipsclosed, and I could almost laugh at the perplexed expression on his boyish face, but Arnold bellows another name, and another, until bug boy is the only one left. I’m tired, tired enough that I know I’m waning. If too much more magic is pushed through me, I’m going to end up going ghost.
