The Curse (H. Academy Series #1)

“Impossible.” Thar spoke like he’d just found his ability to voice his opinion, like he grabbed onto something real and fundamental. “Scholars have been trying to do that for centuries to no avail.”

“Well, avail arrived, apparently.” Leon shrugged.

Thar was out of the seat in a second, “You’re telling me that the Headmasters wielded artificial black magic without our knowledge and they’ve been forming protective fields around the school with it?”

“I’m telling you that’s what I think.” Leon corrected. “They were pretty vague about it, but scientists love bragging about their discoveries.”

“What does that mean?” Amma interrupted, her voice high-pitched. “What does it mean?!”

She looked terrified. Her azure eyes stared straight at Thar, demanding answers from an authority figure, but the authority figure looked equally flabbergasted.

“Black magic is strong, but it’s not meant to be used for everything.” Thar spoke, voice mechanic. “The protection spells around the school have been up for centuries, fed and fed with magic that transcended its residents, its brick and stone, fucking time and space.”

I’ve rarely heard Thar curse.

“If they replaced those shields with black magic...” His voice died out, but I figured out the rest of the sentence.

“The shields are weaker.” I nodded. “Not just weaker, but completely destroyed if the magic user dies.”

“I’m telling you.” Leon said. “The Headmasters are dead and Vice Mage Montgomery is keeping us within a school that doesn’t have proper protection around it.”

Amma began to cry.

“Amma, not now.” Morta hissed, but her face was just as pale.

I wasn’t sad. No, I was angry. Magic sparked at the tips of my fingers, and I wanted to slam it into someone or something. Destroy. Burn down.

“We need to go to the Arch Mage.” I said through my teeth, blood rushing through my limbs. “To the Chosen. To- to someone.”

“No.” Thar shook his head. “No. You’re not going to do anything.”

“Thar-”

“No.” He met my gaze; there was no emotion in the darkness of his eyes. “All you’re going to do is listen to me and stay put.”

“But-”

“Jade.” The strength of his voice made me shut my mouth. “We have no idea who’s in on this or what they want. You’re not going to tell anyone. You’re not going to do anything. Do you understand?”

“No, no, no.” I let out a laugh, my blood screaming to move, to shout, to share. “We’re easy pickings, Thar! If something attacks us, we- we-”

“Jade.” He repeated my name. “Please, leave it to me. Let me talk to Professor Lorenia and figure out what happened to the Headmasters-”

“Professor Adara.” Morta cut in, her hand around Amma’s shoulder. “With all due respect, I think Jade is right. There must be something we can do. Something that’ll help you, at least.”

Thar took in a sharp breath, his eyes leaving me. I briefly glanced at Morta, thanking her.

“Here’s what you can do.” Thar spoke. “I want you to meet me here after class every day. Bring whomever you want. I’ll teach you how to create protective fields around your rooms.”

Not enough, I wanted to scream.

“It’ll take us months before we learn that!” I shouted. “We have days, weeks, at best!”

Thar’s cold gaze cut through me, “You will learn Practical Application of Protection Spells. You will take what you learn and use it to help yourselves. Do. You. Understand?”

My blood boiled.

“Goddess, that’s what I get for being honest.” Leon grunted. “Extracurricular activities.”

“Would you rather study or die?” Thar asked.

“That should be our school slogan.” Morta muttered.

“What will you do exactly?” I asked Thar, wanting to at least know the plan if I wasn’t going to participate in it.

“Lorenia has the Earth affinity. I trust her.” Thar said. “She will help me rebuild the protective shield quietly. I might even go to Lange, she’s a Spirit user, and she can help locate the Headmasters. If they’re dead, she’ll know. The first and most important thing to do is insure the safety of the students. Then we’ll see who’s guilty of endangering them.”

“What about the black ooze?” I asked. “What if it comes back? White magic isn’t working against it!”

“One thing at a time, Jade.” Thar pushed.

“But-”

“What do you think is going to happen to me if your father finds our what we’re doing?” Thar asked, shutting me up. “You will most likely be fine. But what is he going to do to me and all of your friends if he finds out what we know?”

Shame flooded me, and I had no answer. He was right, as always. I was about seventy percent sure my father wouldn’t let me die, but I couldn’t claim the same for him or my friends. Especially him.

“Fine.” I ceded. “But we’re continuing the training, right?”

Our eyes met, and for the first time since I’ve entered the training room, the barrier between us crumbled. He remembered last night, as did I. The way he averted his gaze made me realise he was about to say something I wouldn’t like.

“I have to train.” I said lamely.

“Bella will be joining you.”

Lights flashed before my eyes.

“Excuse me?”

Thar wouldn’t look at me.

Leon chuckled, “Bella will be thrilled.”

“She needs it.” Thar said. “And, in case you forgot, you two have to work on an assignment. You know, because you broke her leg and she tried to kill you.”

Fuck. My. Life.

Leon laughed, because of course he would laugh.

“Shut up, Leon.” I grunted. “Once in your life, shut the fuck up.”

“Never.”

I glanced at Amma and Morta, “Can I get a moment alone with Professor Adara?”

“Yeah, sure.” Morta still had her arm around Amma who looked like her entire world collapsed.

“Take this asshole with you.” I nodded towards Leon.

“I’m going.” He stood up, and as he walked past me, whispered, “I’ll be waiting in your room.”

“You’re becoming more unbearable by the minute.”

He chuckled and walked out after Amma and Morta. Once the door closed behind them, I tried to catch Thar’s gaze again, but he busied himself with the papers he didn’t need.

“Bella?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“Why Bella?”

“Because you hate her.” He wouldn’t look at me as he shuffled papers from one hand to another. “And you need to get your temper under control by learning to work with someone you hate.”

“Maybe I’ll break her other leg.”

“Jade.” Thar finally looked at me, and the depth of his gaze almost made me step back. “I’ve considered stopping the training altogether.”

Alarms went off in my head, “You can’t do that.”

“I don’t want to.” He said. “Because you need it. You need to learn how to control your magic and how to defend yourself.”

Relief washed over me, “I’m- I’m sorry-”

“No, I’m sorry.”

I couldn’t read his expression. No emotions showed on his face.

He continued his staring contest with the table, “I considered resigning.”

My heart skipped a beat. A million thoughts went through my head. The loudest of all – he wanted me too. The fairest of all – there was no way in hell he could resign.

“You can’t do that.” I said. “Not right now. Not ever, but especially not right now. The school is under attack, and you’re the only teacher I trust, and I-”

“I’m not going to resign.” He cut me off. “I can’t leave this place right now.”

“That’s right.” I nodded quickly. “And it’s all good, you know? Like, nothing happened. Not really. And I’m not going to tell-”

“Jade.” He looked up, cutting me off again. “This is the last time you and I are in a room together alone.”

Oh. Oh.

“That’s why I’m training with Bella from now on.” I realised.

“Yes.”

“That’s fair.” I nodded, hating every second of this conversation.

“You can go now.”

Pain spread through my chest, and as I forced another nod, I realised this school wasn’t the only thing that needed a protection spell. I liked him too much, and even though I knew nothing could ever happen from the start, I still felt like shit. I turned on my heel, knowing there was nothing else I could say.

He didn’t stop me, and it was for the best, despite my disappointment.

When I arrived to my building and climbed to my floor, I was fully prepared to dive into my bed and cry my heart out into my pillow. Instead, murmurs from Amma’s room reached my ears. I opened the door, only to find everyone inside.

Morta scribbled on the blackboard – why white magic no work. Amma immediately erased that and corrected the grammar. Eugene and Dean were on the floor, taking notes from Demonology and other books. Bella sat in the armchair and painted her toenails. Leon was smoking on the window-sill. They were all talking in the same time.

“We don’t even know anything about demons.” Eugene complained, going through the book. “Like, what do they look like?”

“They all look like Leon.” Morta said, stealing Amma’s chalk and adding Leon’s name under the title on the blackboard.

“Ha, ha.” Leon puffed the smoke through the window. “You think you’re offending me, but I think that’s a compliment.”

“Why are we even doing this?” Bella rolled her eyes dramatically. “It’s not like we can actually do anything.”

“What’s going on here?” I stepped into the room.

Morta grinned at me, “You didn’t really think we’d stay out of it, did you?”

I laughed, warmth filling my stomach, “I guess we’ll meddle then.”