CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Numbering Days and Stealthy Ways
FLINT
The tension in the class dissipates slowly. Heeler busies himself by answering pointless questions by the girls in the front. So far, we've learned that Mr. Hotshot has a lovely wife and three young pups. He's a married man that enjoys the dotting attention of barely legal beauts. Verity seems to be the only girl in the class who couldn't give a shit about what spews from the man's mouth. I can respect that even if she wants me dead for whatever reason.
I keep my eyes at the front, avoiding the lush blue hair that desperately grasps my attention. I almost didn't hear Mr. Heeler's question directed towards me.
"Flint," he said, "I never got the chance to ask due to the circumstances. But have you recovered well?"
The bastard is calling me out for my fainting spell. I nodded and fought the urge to bite my bottom lip in irritation. "Yup, just altitude sickness."
Heeler smiled in amusement. "That's right. You're human half must have a hard time here in Mythicae. Care to share with the class how you discovered your magic?"
Not really. Seems like everyone hates me for not being pureblood. Everyone except my roommates, Sash and Piper at least. I don't need to give them a legit reason. Heeler presses, and all eyes fall on me. I feel tiny in their gazes. It's a suffocating pressure. I sighed, leaning back in my chair. "I had a guy who wouldn't leave me alone so I crossed him. He came at me, and I set his house ablazed."
This caught Verity's attention. I don't bother mentioning Samantha who I used to call Sammy. Or that it was an accident. If I hadn't torched the fucker's house, he would have blown my brains with a steel barrel. I'm starting to think that my fight or flight instincts set me up for a much more painful death in the end. My eyes met Verity's who leans against her desk, propping her chin with an opened palm. She smiles wickedly, and I feel bile fill my throat.
"Tell them about what you told me, love." She said, capturing everyone's attention. Her sweet smile spoils into something rotten. Verity bashes her full lashes innocently and gently bites her thumb watching me. "About Sammy. It's my favorite part."
The heat in my skin rises. My eyes don't fall from hers. How the fuck did she know about Sammy? I've never mentioned it to Sasha or spoke about her publicly. No pictures, calls, or messages. Can fae kind possess a supernatural ability? I don't remember Sasha or any professor specifying that mythicals can hold a specific ability like a superpower. Magic isn't meant for wicked deeds so the coven would've already sought her. But Verity must've read my thoughts. Listened to my meaningless rant for a sliver of information, and I just gave it to her blindly. That's the only logical explanation.
We hold a heated gaze to each other. I don't bother glancing at Heeler or the multitude of astonished eyes. I'm sure Wrath is death gripping his chair. My brain feels like it's ready to split into two, but I don't look away despite the gnawing pain. "The guy wouldn't leave me alone. He was just a shithead so I slept with the dude's girlfriend."
This earned a whooping wail of whistles and applause from the male students in the room. All except from Wrath who glares at Verity while Heeler commands everyone to be silent. Verity smiles at her ex, but her eyes are glued on Minnow. "See ladies," she quipped, "a man who takes what he wants. No matter how unethical and he's single."
Minnow shrinks in her seat. I don't get why Verity drags the poor girl into things, but I do know she's building a fire of rage in Wrath. I'm going to die by the hands of a literal stone beast. He turns to face Heeler, huffing in place. The professor ignored the obvious tension and asked, "but how did you figure out you possess magic?"
I stared at him confused. I already explained, didn't I? "He pressed a gun to my head and I didn't want to die."
The classroom resides in silence. I don't bother explaining further. Some details are meant to stay with its true holder. I didn't want to die as my life flashed before my eyes and the last meaningful thing to me was seeing dad's pickup from the collision. Picking up his papers inside the glovebox and holding onto the scentless air freshener for a keepsake. I wanted to welcome death on my own terms. Where I found a shred of happiness and maybe even had a family of my own. Be like my dad in a sense. The thought of falling in love like dad explained has been heavy on my mind. I don't want meaningless hookups and trying to remember names based on the color of her panties. I talk a lot of shit about Andrew because I was him back home. Just a cheaper, less powerful version of him.
"Tell us what really happened, Flint." Heeler huffed, settling at the edge of his desk. "I saw what you did. You didn't just want to see another day."
Fucking prick.
"I wanted to scare him off." I said bitterly. "Hurt him without touching him. So I aimed for his house."
Heeler chuckled proudly and clapped like a proud father at a baseball game. I'm puzzled by his reaction as well as the class who gawk at me. Once I couldn't stop the surging heat in my wrists, I aimed away from Bobby. I was afraid I would kill him. No matter how twisted the situation was, I knew he didn't deserve to be scorched to death. The heat trickled down to my fingertips and I knew the life I took for granted was over before the sparks started flying.
Verity is watching me with a perplexed expression. I can't read it nor understand why she's observant of my fidgeting. The look in her eyes is soft, and I find it hard to believe that she's being sympathetic for me. I look back at Heeler, ignoring the glowing red eyes that wanted me dead.
"Flint," Heeler cooed, "you're remarkable. Aiming your magic for the first time is unheard of. Discovering your ability is the deep connection of your body. Think of it like this, you don't have to tell yourself to breathe. Your lungs naturally expand and decompress without needing a command until the day you die. The magic in your veins is the same."
I don't trust the things the professor is spewing. Instead, I'm stuck watching Verity who remains motionless with her eyes glued to her book. Something about Heeler urks her the wrong way, and I have a feeling it isn't because he's easy on the eyes.
Heeler likes to talk with his hands. He moves them frantically with gestures that are out of place or unnecessary. Obviously new to being a teacher because he's shit at explanations and speeches. His words are jumbled and rushed. It's a miracle this fucker landed this job. No wonder Verity looks like she could kill him at any moment. I may not know much about this way of life but even I can tell he's unqualified. Heeler lacks in every category; professionalism, knowledge, and communication skills to be a professor. He's nothing like Lucian or Geraldine.
"It's been a part of you since the day you were conceived." Heeler finishes, "your will to live outweighed your animosity towards the person who sought harm upon you."
For the next hour or so, we sat in a lecture that was never meant to last that long. I listened as he began to explain the four rooms in the Kiner Stadium. He starts with the home room, explaining this room is where we go to first for instructions. He plans to use this room to give lectures and essentially aid students who may need more attention.
The Wielder of Steel room is where students will practice with their magic and train with selected weaponry. I pictured knives, hatches, and maybe even scythes as weapons when I first learned about the class. I'm wrong. As usual. Instead of weapons forged by humans, the classroom is filled to the brim with magic wielded into its cold cast iron. According to Heeler, some of the weapons even decide if its wielder is worthy of its strengths. That's right. A weapon can decide if it's willing to work for a master. How that works is beyond me. Beside the wielder room is Casts of Endurance. This is where it gets worse.
This room is an open field. Meant for teamwork, Heeler said unconvincingly. He'll pair two or three students together who tough it out with another team in order to train them with the taste of battle. He mumbled something about the surge of adrenaline and dopamine have a part in situations of high stress, fear, or distrust. All I can picture is Verity or Wrath ripping me in half either by magic or their bare hands.
Lastly, he briefly mentions the Panic Room. I noticed students tense at the words. That's never good in a room full of shithead Mythicals. Heeler loosely explained that it's a stimulator that shows your worst fears. You have to find the key to unlock the subconscious door in your mind in order to make it out before the embodiment of fear swallows you and spits you out in shame.
Heeler decided we should know his life story after that. From the slums of Montana's mountains to a hotshot professor of Mythicae. It was life draining having to sit through it without banging my head on my desk. Every once in a while I'd glance over at Verity. Almost afraid she'd take her chance and end me from the sheer boredom. I wouldn't have been mad if she did when Heeler talked about his kids birth.
She turns her head to eye me, and I notice crimson dripping at the bottom of her earmuffs. The sweet delicate droplets flood my senses. I bite the inside of my cheek. I'm curious as to why she's bleeding from her ears. What is the point of wearing them? I don't think I've ever seen her take them off. Is that her weakness? That can't be it. If her weakness was a simple pair of noise canceling headset then everyone wouldn't be that scared of her. I bet even Grimm stays away from her once a month. She's fucking terrifying.
A smile ruptures from her face and I'm caught in the web of her beauty. Her luscious lips pull into a genuine smile like she's fighting herself from laughing. She's a crazy one, but she made it hard to not watch everything she does.
"I know your previous professor liked to teach differently. More to the book." Heeler announced, "I will do no such thing. You have a week to impress me before I make my selection."
The student body erupts with worried whispers at the jigsaw he scattered among us. He doesn't plan on explaining what he meant by selection. Instead, I swear his gaze burns towards Verity.
"Things will not remain the same, and everyone should rise to the occasion. The Talc rein-"
"Denik," Verity said bitterly.
"-will not survive this year if the rest of you realize your potential."
The Talc rein? He doesn't mean..
Verity and Callum, does he?
"Watch your tongue," Verity says, picking her book up and snapping the binding shut.
"I'm only speaking the truth, Ms. Denik. You took over the charts once Callum passed. It's a shame," Heeler said unsympathetically. "Such a brilliant student to be ended easily."
Verity's head tilts. The students around her quickly move to the side of the room. I watch Heeler, curious at what he achieves by mocking a student about her sibling's death. Her voice is low, filled to the brim with hatred that drowns my other senses.
"If my brother's death moves you so much, you can join him. Dig yourself a shallow grave."
Heeler grins, flashing blinding canines. It does nothing to Verity, but the girls in front are in awe. "Is that a threat, Ms. Denik?"
I'm starting to hate Verity's laugh. It's never genuine. The tone is devoted to bitterness. An intoxicating mask to hide her suffocating hatred. It's nice to watch her aim her animosity towards someone else. The sweet sound is replaced with mockery. She eyes the giant of a man like a stack of juicy premium steaks.
"Don't tell me you feel threatened by little ol' me." She quipped, "not very alpha of you, Mr. Heeler."
She stands. Heeler holds his ground. His thin lips shift into a scowl. The bell tower chimes in the distance but Verity is the only one who moves. She makes her way to the door with a multitude of eyes on her. I can't lie and say I never noticed how nice she looks from the back. Verity stops, inches away from Heeler. She doesn't bother lowering her voice and she threatens him.
"Keep my brother's name out of your filthy mouth, wolf."
Minnow squeaked when the doors clasped shut behind a waning Verity. Heeler blinks away his fears. He turns to face the class again. The color from his face drains. He dismisses us shortly after, and I find myself wandering back to my dorm room. The sharp wind feels good on my skin. I noticed for the first time just how much heat was building in my flesh. The dorm is deserted by the guys. I reside in my bedroom anyway, not bothering to close my door. I kick off my shoes and crash onto my bed. I have an hour to myself before I have my elixir and potions class.
I tried to ignore my thoughts and mindlessly dig into my scroll. The contents flash in front of me, and I scroll through it for a while. I stopped, noticing a new message from Sasha. I scan through her messages and smile. If I would've remembered to check it earlier, I could've been smacking on some wings. Damn, I'm a moron sometimes.
1:20 Sash
"Tell me how it goes!"
1:59 Sash
"I don't think I said it earlier but good luck!"
3:50 Sash
"Want to get a snack before dinner? Pip and I will be at the shack. They have some of the best honey wings."
4:40 Sash
"Is it true?"
4:43 Sash
"Did Heeler drag Callum into conversation? It's all over campus."
I let out a breath I've been holding. I don't know why Callum's name has everyone shook. Despite the bitterness from Verity, I've noticed the dripping sadness that follows from the sheer mention of the guy from the other students. As if Callum was a pleasure to know and be known by. I wondered how different Mythicae would be if Callum was still alive. Would Verity look at me the same way I look at her then?
I make a mental note to ask Donnic next time in private what happened to Callum. I'll have to figure a way to ask without Verity or the school knowing- considering Mythicae is a living beast that reports to Grimm. The sheer thought reminds me of a beehive like it mimics a hive mind.
I should reply back. It's the right thing to do, but my head ripples from earlier. I pull the clasp of my scroll to snap it shut. I need to head out for potions. I stop midway when I see a new message appear. Swearing under my breath, I picture a blue headed beauty dragging her fingers across her scroll.
4:48 UNKNOWN
"Your days are numbered, human."