CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Elixir Me Not
FLINT
I'm starting to wonder what this school can't make me say. I never thought my first year at "university" would mean freezing my ass in the winds of Montana attending a school full of Mythicals. The sunless sky stretches with thick angry clouds rolling lazily above us. Two students with winged bodies look longingly at the sky as if it ached to not be drifting in the clouds. Now that I think about it, I've only seen students with their horns or wings when they're inside the castle walls. But those two are pressed together in their gloom, unforgiving if the world sees them. I pass them almost thrusting my body inside Hodges Auditorium.
The fresh snow dusts from my hair and I suck in the warmth with a harsh trial of breath. It got cold back home but at least we had two months of mostly sunny weather. This is an injustice to living. I kick the snow off my dress shoes. I've seen students use magic to keep the snow from touching them, but I'm not that fortunate. I know zero magic, possess little to none patience, and I bet I wouldn't be skilled even if I did know a spell. A surge of scents pulsate my senses. I fight the urge to pinch my nose at the ghastly smell. The aromas are filled with what I think is spoiled milk, rotten eggs, and a dozen half-baked armpits. Reminds me of a kid back home who was the star athlete that never showered quite enough.
I enter the large entrance and stand on a giant painted golden flower. Its petals drape over the glossy floor with purple strokes in each petal until it branches off into words. Doesn't take much for me to realize the school is giving me directions. The petal furthest from the door bounces lightly like a breeze touched it. The purple lettering swirls elegantly until its contents are replaced with english. One of the few perks of the school being alive.
ELIXIR & POTIONS I
I follow the lettering and walk down a lengthy hallway. The doors refused to open until I reached midway. A stone plague resides at the brim of the door labeled Elixir & Potions. I walked in when the door opened as if it had a mind of its own. Thick gray clouds plow through the opening and I duck my head at the atrocity. I'm ready to book it for the hills when I see a scrawny woman in front of the class. I take a seat at the lab table furthest away.
The woman, who introduced herself as Ms. Gurely, looks deranged with the orange spirals toppled on her head. She pushes her wide-framed glasses back onto her nose. Her glasses seem to be too big for her crooked nose. She's introducing herself as a level one instructor for the practices of elixirs and potions. I'm surprised when Ms. Gurely mentions she's a phoenix. I always pictured the resurrection bird to be a graceful immortal being. Maybe even a hot chick or good-looking guy. But here Ms. Gurely is in her inventiveness.
The class is small. Thankfully. There's only six of us here. I'm just grateful I don't see blue hair or glowing red eyes near me. I hold back my sigh of relief when someone sits beside me. A soft voice follows, laced with sweetness that bites my stomach. Dammit.
"Mind if I join you?"
Yes I do. Get the hell away before your man comes in.
"No."
Minnow flashes a smile and rests beside me. I don't bother glancing at her. The last thing I need is for Wrath's jealousy to overcook my ass like Myers's thanksgiving dinner. I'm starting to think she likes pissing the beast off for attention. Even if it means he grabs her too hard. I bet he wouldn't grab Verity the way he does with Minnow.
Ms. Gurely begins to explain her lab safety requirements. She went over the basics like bunsen burners, flasks, and vials. Things that humans use too. Then she went off the wall about magically-bonded objects. She mentions a preventive glove of some sort, flasks infused with metal, and a list of materials I couldn't keep up with. I should be taking notes, but I'm warped into delusional thoughts thanks to the smell of iodine and coconut.
The rest of the class is a lengthy lecture on philters. A vial of hibiscus petals, two tears, and a longful cast. In English, I'm referring to love potions. Gurley explains that philters were meant to be a lowly cast, but when in the wrong hands, it can turn deadly. Thus, she notes, is why humans eat chocolate on Valentines Day. A wise tale about presenting your true love, a sweet rich delicacy that held truth for once. Because chocolate is the only thing that can balance out the pull philter has on its victim. If a mythical was to use a philter on another person, one bite of chocolate would shatter its effect. I made a mental note to load up on the savory treat.
Gurley dismisses us as the bell tower chimes twice. I'm one of the first to rush out of the class. I need to create distance from Minnow before Verity or Wrath see us. Minnow doesn't get the message because she's pelting behind me. Her small legs make great strides till she's nearly beside me.
"Flint, wait-" Minnow squeaked. I paused and turned to face her reluctantly. She holds her fingers to my forearm. "I wanted to apologize about Wrath."
"It's fine." I lied. "I don't want any trouble. I didn't know you had a boyfriend."
She bites her lip. There's something burning in her mind, but she settles with a faint question. "Can we be friends?"
I nodded, tucking my hands into my pockets. "Sure. I don't want Wrath thinking I'm stealing his girl though."
"You mean Verity?" Her voice was laced with venom. Minnow turns her heels and walks away with hot tears. I don't know what happened. I'm dumbfounded as usual with women. I thought she was dating Wrath? Verity has made it clear to the entire academy that she's not interested in any man. Especially Wrath.
The image of him pleading with Verity comes to mind. Wrath's expression was gentle and the deep red hue of his eyes appeared soft. His words were sickeningly sweet and full of need. I settle on one conclusion. Wrath is dating Minnow but craves his ex which in turn leaves a jealous Minnow grasping at straws to get his attention. Pissing him off seemed to be the only attention he's willing to give that she desperately craves. I can see Minnow's moves clearly. I wish Verity was this easy to read.
I exit Hodges and make my way to Harts. Dinner starts in ten minutes but I can tell the line will stretch a mile by the time I get there. I cut the corner, hoping I can make it past the chilling winds faster than possible with these dress shoes. The sound of whimpering ruptures the howls of nature. There's a distinct scent. It smells like someone busted a vein.
I follow the metallic tang, watching droplets of blood guide me in the darkened opening. This is how people die in movies. I'm following the guidelines to the letter.
Be alone in the outdoors
Enter a situation powerless or weaponless
Don't get help. Investigate it yourself!
Follow the mysterious trial of blood
I stifle a laugh at myself. The blood pools into larger sections until I see a mini skirt partially covered in the snow. My blood surges and the heat climbs up my throat when I see them. A large male student with antlers stacked on top of his tousled blonde hair. He's hovering himself on top of an unconscious girl. She's pinned underneath his weight helpless. Her eyes roll to the back of her head and she's limp. The jackass's long furry-tipped ears dip in my direction. He cocks a grin at me.
"Get the fuck off of her!" My voice cracks against the chills but I raise it despite the winds. Someone needs to hear us. We're in a school full of people with heightened senses after all. I'm almost relieved to see that his pants are not undone. But it doesn't hide the fact that she's bleeding out.
He stands, stretching his limbs that must've ached from the chase. A fresh wound is on the back of her head, and I see the blood effortlessly pouring from its wound. If she doesn't receive medical attention soon, there'll be nothing left to save her. Magic can only go so far. I yell again, waving my arms in the air. As I do so, I'm backing away from the man covered in specks of blood. He doesn't want help because he lost control. His urges to conquer something much smaller than him won over his reasoning. If this isn't a deranged Mythical, he's definitely lost in a part of him that's inhumane. His sharp edged teeth are coated in bold crimson that drips down to his chin.
This is where I need Sasha or even the twins. Someone who can step in and stop this fucker in his place. I don't have an ounce of knowledge to cast and can't command the fire whenever I want to. One hit from this guy and I'll end up like the girl. He's too strong for me to take on. All I can do is distract him. Make the bastard dance around until someone- if anyone cared to- stepped in. I can't tell if he was going to defile the girl or feast on her flesh. Black coal for eyes follows my movements and the jackass charges at me. His sharp antlers aimed for my chest. I dodged, flailing my arms in the air astonished by how abandoned the crosswalk is. There's not a single student in sight. I'm sure everyone is nestled inside the cafeteria with warm plates while me and the girl freeze thanks to this asshat.
He stops before colliding into the wall. If I let him close in on me, I'm as good as dead. The dude would snap my neck instantly.
I'm racing to the girl to check and see if she's still with us. Her chest rises slowly with a subtle fall. Thank god I found her in time. Loud snorts puncture the air behind me, and I watch the beast expose his claws. I don't know what kind of fuckery this is. I just want no part of it.
"Don't take another step closer to her, man. Walk away." I ordered, bile lurches up my throat along with rage. I remember Myers said to always try to deescalate the situation first before using force. He used to be the town's sheriff before dad passed. After that, he never seemed to put the bottle down and lost everything. "You're not in your right mind."
But Amherst didn't experience a mythical until I discovered myself. I need to do it again. Somehow, at least try to tap into the dragon part of me. I need to know more about mom, but the only one who spoke openly about her was Professor Lucian.
A bemused cackle falls from his chest. He doesn't think I can pull my weight because I'm human. I block the girl from his sight. She needs help now. Time is waning with her blood as the hands. The warm sensation boils in my wrists until it wraps at the tips of my fingers. My head thins at the burning pressure and I can feel the slit of my eyes shift. It feels like my head is splitting as I try to conjure the thoughts to ignite a flame. If I can manage, I'll torch this asshole.
He goes back and forth, looking for a fleshy opening on either of us. "Don't do this, man." I pleaded. The fire is beginning to drip from my nails. My body is burning. The heat is almost unbearable and I want to fall to my knees gripping my throbbing scalp. I don't in the end. I'm afraid I'll overheat but the thick wave of snow is heavenly. The wind doesn't bother me anymore. In fact, it's the best feeling in the world.
The beast ignores my cries and charges at us. I hold my gaze open and aim for him. Fiery combustion fills my view as my hands grow in the red hue followed by scorching walls projecting at his feet. My eyes widen and I fight back the urge to laugh.
Holy shit. I did it!
The heat is insatiable to me, but the smell is even better. It reminds me of home when dad and I would go camping. His laughter drowns my senses. I'd kill for one more moment with dad by the popping fire making smores until the stars dulled. I'm making him dance in the fierce burnt orange flames. He yelps as I form a wall of fire to block him from the girl. The searing flames lick at the snow until it dissipates from the moisture.
The attacker leaps from the splotches of fire. I'm surprised by my voice when a growl that wasn't quite human slipped from me. He stills, watching with wide eyes and shaking knees. Then it happens. Yellow liquid dispenses from his black slacks onto the snow. The bastard pissed himself.
Sasha's figure emerges from behind him. Her eyes go wide too. I try to fight the urge of bearing my teeth at the guy, but another snarl escapes. I'll be damned if he breathes in her direction. I accomplished my impossible mission. Make the man dance until help arrived, but right now, I wish it wasn't Sasha. She doesn't need to be around him or see what he did to the girl. Grimm is behind my cousin. He places a lengthy claw on the attacker's shoulders and orders the asshat to his office. With a subtle nod, Grimm sends healers to whisk the injured girl from her pool of blood. The headmaster bows to us with a look of pride before departing. It's just me and Sasha standing in the grand walkway.
Sasha walks through the fire and stares at me. Her eyes lighten. Joy is oozing from her face at the sight of me. She turns her back to me and draws a light circle. A bright bulb of light fizzles in the air before she pulls out a photograph that seemed to come out of nowhere. I wasn't paying attention to the blank photo card she tossed in the air beforehand. Sasha gives it a slight shake before presenting me with its thin content.
"Holy shit," I wheezed, taking the image into my claws.
I'm beside Sasha with flaring nostrils and a rough red tint on my skin briefly showing. My eyes have turned into thin slits of yellow and black. Almost like a viper. And besides my fingertips merging into full-blown claws, I have two identical horns among my rigged hair. The horns are prominent, sticking out proudly.
I should be freaking out, but instead, I'm grinning at a photo of myself like a fucking fool. I really am a dragonling. I touch the tip of the thick horns, almost laughing at myself. I finally have something of mom that no one can take away or deny.
She dips her black nail to our photo and beams, "I think this is my favorite photo now." She grins wickedly, tugging at a horn. "Now let's go find the juiciest steak! You deserve it, baby cousin."
"Yes ma'am."
I can't deny that.
…
VERITY
To be ended easily.
Scoffing at Heeler's words, I squeeze the iron clasps until my knuckles turn white. His words echo in my mind, displeasingly. The imbecile tried to use the human as an aspiring teaching mechanism. Yet, in the fool's meaningless speech- he confessed two things.
Cal didn't put up much of a fight, and Heeler witnessed what the human did in his hometown... That's a rather strange thing to say about a student you never met, Mr. Heeler. I glance at the sickles in my hand and sighed at the irritating thought. Heeler wasn't employed at Mythicae or affiliated in the slightest at the time of Callum's death. And the prat comes off as unqualified to teach a divine subject to begin with. But if he was working for the Coven, and he managed to destroy the Covenheads greatest threat, then maybe the Coven arranged his sudden position. The dog's words sounded like a confession to me.
My brother is of pureblood. The highest rank of the fae kind. Callum surpassed my abilities, stronger than I could ever imagine becoming. My magic is nowhere near his accuracy. I'm only half of him.
Callum's body was the sheer evidence that my brother didn't succumb easily. I counted every bruise, cut, and welt that didn't belong on him before he was buried. Callum's fingernails were caked in flesh and brown hair that the Coven deemed untraceable. He fought every second until the knife hit his second chamber. Cal's killer didn't bother removing the golden embellished blade from my brother's cracked chest. But seeing that Callum knew too much, the Coven didn't bother hiding the substantial evidence. The Coven is Mythicals' judicial system, placed as political tyrants for centuries.
The heels to my boots scuff against the tower's surface, and I settle on the establishment. My back cools from the snowy surface as I stretch, watching the clouds drift to reveal subtle rays of sunlight peeking. The snowfall doesn't bother me. I've grown accustomed to the snow. Maverd should arrive at our lookout shortly. Until then, I'm stuck in Montana's blistering winds, reminding myself of Cal's note.
My brother capitalized every M. No matter how grammatically incorrect the act was, I tug at my sleeves in deep thought. It's possible that Callum hexed his murder with a permanent cast. I wouldn't put it past my brother.The words roll off my tongue slowly, gravitating a darker sense of meaning. "But I fear I'm out of time."
I ran a hand through my hair, and closed my eyes when the sun shone dimly against my face. Callum's message said:
But I fEAR I'm out of time.
Clever, clever brother.
Callum knew he was as good as dead, but he was prominent to leave the crumb trails only my eyes could decipher. He hexed his killer at the tip of the ear with a permanent mark. A dead man's last wish for justice to be served. I lay my sickles on my chest, soaking in the sly rays of warmth from a reticent sun.
A shadow looms over me, peering down with the scent of hibiscus paired with the delicacy of mint. The thick scent of thyme follows giving off a pungent warm aroma of herbs. I don't bother opening my eyes. The snow falling onto my body falters and the crackling sound of large wings fill my ears. To any other, no one would've heard the divine sound of his movements. But I know Maverd Clennings as my own.
"You're blocking the sun."
"Apologies," Maverd said cheekily, retracting his ebony wings.
Maverd and I met a year after my brother's demise. He shares a similar hatred for the Coven. Considering the crimes they committed against his family when a swift rumor swallowed his hometown, Cassoula, that the Clennings were born from a bloodline of Seepers. The Covenheads sought out Maverd's family to pursue the most defiling custom of laws amongst Mythicals. Any affiliation with Seepers meant you were either confined to Objection or crucified in the Trials.
Each Covenhead is assigned an element of their born essence. The Coven exists through selected beings among Mythicals, political hotheads that have possessed their stature for a century or two longer than I'd care for. Forged by the forgotten element, Void, and survived by; Air, Fire, Earth, Sun, and Shadow. The Covenheads are draped in the finest garments, possessing the strongest cores of their affianced element. Each one is more corrupt and delusional with bloodlust and power.
The Shadow Covenhead, Hybrim Alister, strung Maverd's father before the town ordering his recruits to torture the old man into submission. Admit his blood was of the most impure. And the Earth Covenhead, Gaia Terran, took great pleasure in slashing the leathery wings into ribbons from Maverd's sister. Until there was nothing by her skeletal wingspan of once gorgeous sepia wings. Then, as the young girl bled out from her injuries, Gaia tore off the bones of such delicate instruments. The blood the Covenheads collected was enough to prove the Clennings of innocence while the remaining three enjoyed a gruesome display of corruption. If it weren't for Clennings' beloved daughter, Kaito, succumbing to her limbs being torn apart in front of the Cassoula town- they would've shredded Maverd next. He was just a boy. Watching his father receive rounds of thorn gashes, and witnessing his older sister transform into a torn embodiment of a stunning Mythical. One that consisted of subtle feet with two jagged ears with the tragus trait followed by a sunken tail. An Eumop without her cherished wings. A prized quality among the fae species with their heightened senses and truly being the only Mythicals to fly freely. Far from the deeply hated Seepers, and another family slaughtered by the hands of evil. It was only then that the corruption left Cassoula. Leaving behind a father shattered beyond repair, and a young boy to dwell in the past.
Maverd settles beside me on the snowy canopy without a word. He isn't aware of my plan to overthrow the Coven. But I know he'd be the first in line if I gave him a chance. I know why he's here because of our duties as Farouts.
"Report."
"There's been no sign of the varmints." I can hear his fingers scrunch pellets of snow into his calloused hands. "It would appear you finished them off this morning. Alone, again."
I can sense his disapproval, the worry he must've carried by my actions. That's Maverd. He's oblivious to his own good-looks, but the ladies swoon over his handsome physique. Maverd is, as Piper once said before, easy on the eyes. He is tall and masculine, his umber skin resembled the sleek leather of his protruding obsidian wings. Rough to touch, but air light in flight. From a glance, anyone would believe he was a cruel devouring Mythical. It's far from the truth. Because while Maverd can be lethal when he desires, the man is a mushy sap. Too sweet for a world pinned against him entirely.
I turn to my comrade, taken into account of his luminous evergreen eyes. Something is gnawing at him like he can't find the words to say. "And the human?"
"That," Maverd muttered with snow flowing from his obscure fingers. "That is an interesting question. With an answer, you will despise."
Swears bubble in my mind as I dust drifted snow from Maverd's corkscrew coils. "Speak of it, Mav."
Maverd smiles, watching my movements. He never asks why I keep tabs on the human, but I know he's a curious creature. And somewhere in the midst of our companionship, he searches for an answer in the dark.
His lips pull into a tight grimace when he forces the words to come out. Slow, ragged and filled to the brim with anger. "There's been word that a Mythical attacked him. The human managed to complete a cast on his own and-" He sinks his teeth into his bottom lip releasing a displeasing sound. "The human nearly transfigured. Partial, but evident enough of his dragon heritage."
"I see."
A smile grows on me. There's a chance I've discovered Callum's killer. I just have to see it to solidify my suspicions. And the human, pesky as ever, is evolving which will be pleasing to the Coven. While every fiber in my being screams to exterminate the half-breed, my mind is desiring a juicer opportunity. The human can wait. The big bad wolf just met someone much worse. I'm going to skin that filthy mutt alive.
"Verity," Maverd said, pulling himself to sit upright by my side. "There's something else."
I pull myself into a sitting position, tucking my bare legs underneath me. The sun slips behind thick rolls of ominous clouds. Another storm is brewing.
"The Mythical that attacked the human…" He whispered, barely to be heard in the harsh winds. "It was Ayron."