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“It’s Professor Longweed!” she hissed, her accent growing thicker, her lips pursing into a thin line. “You’re the most dishonest student!”
“Pardon?” I blinked at her innocently. “How so?”
“You pretended to be a servant boy and fooled everyone, especially the esteemed princes!” she accused. “It was distasteful and unforgivable!”
“But I didn’t fool all the princes. Prince Killian singled me out and humiliated me in a scandalous manner!” I cried out. “Also, it wasn’t my fault. Prince Louis named me ‘Little Bob’ and made me his squire in the first place. The whole affair was unfortunate and distasteful.” I nodded at the professor. “But all the esteemed princes have forgiven me. If you don’t believe me, you’re more than welcome to check with them, and I’m sure they’ll vouch for me. Prince Cade even gave me two jars of honey made in China as a get-well present. He’s too kind. I don’t know if you heard about my kidnapping or not?”
I waved my new hand at Professor Longweed. “It grew back, but the tragedy left more scars inside than outside. Anyway, let’s go back to the matter of the jar of honey. Prince Killian pointed out, accurately, that the size was too small.” I spotted fire in the professor’s eyes. “Longweed, no, My Lady Longweed, if you’re worried about my going back to being a boy, you can rest your mind.” I shook my head in dismay. “That’s not going to happen. Prince Killian has strict house rules.”
“Silence!” Professor Longweed ordered me.
“Okay, I’ll comply.” I lifted my hands. “I’ll go silent now. Happy?”
Professor Longweed’s eyes only spat more fire.
“Barbie never takes responsibility for anything!” America said, her lips also thinning, but her glare had somehow lost its usual sharpness. Her friends’ glares were more acidic.
“That’s not true,” I said, then I consulted Professor Longweed humbly. “May I have your permission or blessing to speak and explain to My Lady America, Professor Longweed? Or would you like to place a silence spell on me?”
It wouldn’t work, but I was trying to be respectful and responsible.
“That’s unnecessary!” Longweed barked. “Remember to behave. I won’t allow any shenanigans in my class!”
She shooed me away like I was a bothersome pigeon perching on the lunch table. I gave her a smile and dashed to my friends before she could change her mind and stop me again.
My friends punched me on the arm, big smiles on their faces, to welcome me. This was my first class since the kidnapping. Not that I cared about any organized study and strict schedules, but hanging out with my friends made up for all the bullshit.
“Class!” Professor Longweed clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. “Today, you’ll practice conjuring your elemental magic.” Her piercing gaze found me in the far corner, and her lips thinned again. “For those who are of a lower status, you’ll need to improve your skills fast if you want to progress into next year’s program or have a better chance at employment after your graduation, even if you fail at the Brides Selection. Go join your group practices.”
I didn’t have their type of magic. There was no such thing as a learning curve when it came to my power, as it was innate.
This class wasn’t for me, but Killian insisted this was a lowkey class, and that if I kept cutting back my class schedule, I might just drop out of Shades Academy and go sleep on the streets. In the end, his tone was harsh and sarcastic, and I knew when to stop pushing his buttons. He wasn’t a patient man.
No way could I explain to him or anyone that I wasn’t a builder. I was an eater.
I couldn’t create spells, but I could eat them or siphon them and turn them around to send them back to the original casters. The others mistook me for an Echo, who could nullify magic. That had been Professor Longweed’s first diagnosis of my power, and others took it for granted, except for the druid.
The princes also suspected that I was more than an Echo.
My dormant core power had nothing to do with my siphon ability. I didn’t know what it could do exactly, but it must be dangerous even to my father, since he’d gone to great pains to spellbind it. I needed to figure out a way to break my father’s spells so I could access it before Ruin came calling.
The students spread over the practice field. The same houses stuck together, but there were a couple of mixed groups as well. America and Medea’s minions joined forces, throwing fireballs and brandishing wind, water, and ice as if they were the shit.
Our small group was the other mixed one. Bea, Wyatt, Jinx, and their geek friends from other houses formed a horizonal line and let out their magic.
Every student possessed one form of elemental magic, a requirement to be accepted into Shades Academy.
Only the heirs were powerful enough to hold two elemental magics. Killian’s magic, however, was of another caliber. He’d confessed to me that he was Hades’s grandson, so he owned death magic, but he was careful not to show it to anyone else.
Vampires could summon wind. Shifters were affiliated with water magic. Fae took for them the earth magic. Mages mostly used spells to push out their elemental magic due to their weaker elemental power.
I slid beside Bea, engaging her in a hushed conversation while I watched others wielding their magic. I was trying my best to blend in and lie low until the class was over.
Fire, water, and wind flew around. Vines shot out of the ground.
“The princes still haven’t found the bad actors behind your kidnapping?” Bea asked in a low voice.
I bit my lip. “All the clues died in—” I motioned Bea closer. She leaned toward me while moving her wand in a circle, pretending to be hard at work on her magic. Her wind stirred our hair. I cupped my mouth near her ear and whispered, “CrimsonTide.” Bea’s eyes widened at the name. “Prince Killian isn’t giving up, and nor will the other princes. They’ve set a plan to lure?—”
