The Ragnix Circle

“This is your room?” Ash could not hide the awe and envy in her voice. Her mouth was slightly open as she stared round from one end to the other of the enormous room. I smiled at her forcing my concentration to her next words. “I could fit my cubicle in just half of your closet.”

We had sneaked into the house a few minutes back. For the first time I was really happy that my parents insisted on keeping only old Benjamin as the only staff. It made it easy to pass through hallways and rooms without alerting anyone of my unexpected guest. We had arrived in my room without my parents even knowing that I was in the house at all. Ash had made her shocked and envious remark as soon as I put the deadbolt in place.

“You should have seen my old room back in Fricon.”

“So you’re a Fricon boy.” Ash threw her bag on the floor sitting down at the end of my humungous bed.

“Yeah, that’s where I grew up.”

“I envy you,” she said. “From what I recall, everyone in Bricore wished they could get to Fricon. It is so far away from the system…”

“…that plebs are usually left alone,” I finished her statement.

“Something like that.”

“Well,” I decided correct her, “Fricon villages might be out of the reach of the Ragnix but their dogs are as merciless as anywhere else in the system. Its not as rosy as most people paint it out to be.”

“You’re joking Tyler.”

“Nope.”

“Sorry,” she looked apologetic. “I never knew and you’re the first pleb from that far I’ve met. So, I’m really sorry I said those things.”

“It’s cool.”

I busied myself cleaning up my room as she sat there watching me. Gosh I was one disorganized chap. Clothes were littered on the floor and books strewn all over the reading desk at the window. My pairs of shoes were all over the place and I knew she was laughing inside.

“So where am I gonna prop up for the night?” Her question startled me a little.

“The bed,” I blurted out. “You’ll definitely be in the bed.”

“What about you Tyler?” she asked. “It is your room and I don’t wanna displace you oh high a mighty one.”

“That aint a joke anymore Ash.”

“Cut it out Tyler,” she said. “We can still have a little fun. I know that you are not like any of those other pure bloods but I can still have a laugh.”

“Good.”

“By the way,” Ash spoke tentatively. “I hope there’s some supper maybe even breakfast in this whole arrangement.”

Before I could answer her question, there was a knock on my door. I exchanged alarmed looks with Ash, hoping it was not one of my parents checking up on me.

“Who is it?” I asked.

“Just us,” my dad’s voice wafted from behind the solid oak barrier.

“Shit,” I whispered. “Get under the bed now,” I said to Ash. She wasted no time in flinging her backpack and body under my bed. “A moment,” I said aloud, as I pulled my duvet over the space. I looked round satisfied there were no signs for them to see of Ashlan’s presence.

“Can we come in?” my mum asked.

I opened the door, plastering a huge smile on my face. Both my parents stood there with worried expressions on their faces.

“What’s up?”

“You delayed coming home Ty,” my mum said.

“Sorry,” I said. “You guys gave me the evening off so I thought a little travelling would not hurt me.”

“I thought you would be happy by now about all the travelling that you’ve done so far,” my dad said, brushing past me and entering my room. My mum followed him through.

“Ok,” I breathed as I locked the door.

“Kasiman and Turner tell us you’ve problems at school,” my dad said as soon as I was right in front of them.

“There’s nothing wrong.”

“The Le Fay boy,” my mum said sharply. “Does he know?”

“I wish Alex was as wise as his bloodline suggests,” I laughed.

“It is no laughing matter Tyler,” my dad groaned. “You must realize that.”

“I know dad.”

“Let me see your arm?” my mum asked quickly.

I showed her both my arms, not sure about what she was looking for. I watched her critically, looking for any sign of alarm and there it was. Her eyes flicked for a moment in surprise. She exchanged some sort of weird look with my dad.

“Who did this to you?” she asked turning back to me.

I looked down and with disgust realized I had forgotten to wash Nina’s dried blood off my forearm. Just looking at it reminded me of what she had done; the weird form of siphoning my energy into herself, exploring my very core and getting all the details she wished. I cringed at the thought of Alex learning to do that. At that point I remembered the fact that I was the experiment and Nina had said that she almost had me. Did that mean they would the same thing to other plebs? The very plebs that actually avoided the one person who actually saved me by appearing at the wrong moment?

“Tyler,” my dad said firmly. “Answer your mother.”

“Some girl called Nina,” I murmured. “She’s pure blood.”

“Which family?” my dad’s tone had taken a sudden turn for the fierce.

“Ming,” I answered. “That is her second name.”

“Fu…”

“Don’t curse in front of our son,” my mum reprimanded my dad before the word was fully out.

“Sorry sweetheart,” my dad said tightly. “I never thought they would actually do it.”

“Do what dad?”

“Tell us Tyler what the girl did to you before I answer it,” my dad went and sat on the bed.

I looked at my mum and then my dad trying to tell them with my mind it was something I would rather not recall.

“Please,” my mum insisted.

I took a breath to strengthen myself before launching into a detailed narrative of what Nina had done. I left out no detail; even the part about Ash saving me by breaking the contact of Nina’s bleeding hand. As I told them the story, my dad’s face kept darkening as if it was so horrible while my mum’s face contracted into a horrified and startled stare. When I finished the tale, I took another breath just to push out the memories. I waited for their reactions and had almost given up when glass crashed to the floor suddenly.

“Shit. Sorry,” my mum said quickly.

“I thought you said no swearing Em,” my dad’s voice was low and full of menace.

“Those pricks taught their kids the blood magic,” my mum ignored my dad. “They dared to steal magic only my family knew and use it on my own child.”

“Actually,” I said. “Nina spied on her parents doing it with Alex’s parents and some other people. Don’t remember that part that well.”

“They figured out the text then?” my mum said to my dad.

“But doing it so carelessly,” my dad snarled. “Those fools would destroy the world.”

“To rid the world of plebs,” my mum exclaimed.

“For power Em.”

“But how did they get the text Sam?” my mum asked my dad. “It is passed between the children of the family until they get children. I was dead, so one of them had it.”

“That’s why both of them were there,” my dad exclaimed. “They wanted to be sure.”

“What are you two going on about?” I asked.

“Blood magic Tyler,” my dad snapped. “Dangerous magic which in the wrong hands could make this world a worse place.”

“What could possibly make this place worse than it already is?” I asked.

“Blood magic can,” my mum said. “Sam where could they get that text. Only my family kept it and they’re all dead apart from me.”

“That was what was in the missing hand on your brother’s and sister’s charred bodies from the fire,” my dad snarled.

“They burnt my family!” my mum screamed.

“The fire was a set up,” my dad said. “I never saw that ’til now. The guardian’s report had gibberish explaining the missing hands.”

“The guardians are corrupted Sam,” my mum snapped.

“They must have been in on the plot.”

“They burnt my family alive,” my mum said loudly. “Le Fay has a lot to answer for.” She hugged herself tightly and closed her eyes. She was swaying on the spot as if something horrible had overcome her.

“Not yet Emily,” my dad got up from the bed and walked over to her. He gathered my mum up in his arms and held her tightly, whispering in her ears.

“Dad what is this crap staff about fires and missing books?”

“It seems they wanted to find out about blood magic,” my dad said. “It is dark magic and only your mother’s family knew of its existence.” I wondered what it possibly meant and what blood magic was, but I knew my parents would not bother to tell me a thing as a weird silence filled my room.

“Tyler, this girl that saved you, who is she?” My mum asked suddenly.

“A classmate.”

“Then I suggest she get out from under the bed,” my mum said. She lifted her head from my father’s shoulder as the last words rolled out from her mouth. I saw the dark embers of anger flashing in her eyes. A strong wind filled the room as I observed all this.

“Mum,” I hesitated.

“Em,” my dad drew her deeper into his embrace. “Calm down. The girl is not one of the pure bloods.”

His words had the best effect on her as the power withdrew and the wind reduced. I watched her to be sure. I had never seen her angry like this in all the years I had been with her. Sure there had been those teenage boy filled arguments, but nothing of this magnitude.

“Young lady,” my dad said calmly, “we won’t eat you. So come out.”

I held my breath as Ashlan rolled out from under the bed and pulling her bag out with her. She was between me and my parents. I moved round her to stand between them. At least she won’t do something stupid. I was shocked to see no fear in her eyes as she straightened up in front of my parents. Her eyes were full of defiance and hatred as she looked at them. I hoped my parents would ignore this clear show of rebellion.

“You know, you’ve broken school rules young lady,” my dad said.

“I know that Mr. Michaels,” she said. “But it was not my fault. It was Tyler’s fault.”

“Isn’t tomorrow the annual weekend visit?” my dad asked.

“He promised I’d be there,” she looked accusingly at me.

“Did he now?” my dad smiled.

“Yes dad,” I said quickly. “I’m a pleb in the system so I guess I too have to be there.”

“You do,” my mum had control of herself.

“That means you heard everything we discussed here,” my dad observed to himself. I dint like the sound of his voice.

“I won’t tell anyone about this or Tyler’s secret,” Ash cried.

“We know you won’t,” my mum said. The way she looked at Ash had me shifting from foot to foot. She was evaluating her, my mum always did that to most of my friends.

“In that case,” my dad said. “A friend of my son is my friend.”

I gave a sigh of relief. “That means she can stay?” I asked.

“Definitely,” my mum looked at me as if I had just asked the most hopeless question. “Unlike most of our pure blooded brothers we are not sadists. Seeing how she has definitely broken a few rules, this is the only place she can stay.”

“Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Michaels,” Ash said. She begun to relax in their presence.

“But not in this sty,” my mum added. “We’ll have Ben set up the next door room for you.”

“If he is not off on one of his get rich schemes,” my dad laughed.

“I hope you don’t mind my asking Ashlan,” my mum said. “Which zone are you from?”

“Bricore,” Ash answered sadly.

“Good,” my mum said. “Then you won’t mind coming for a late dinner.”

“That’s more than Tyler was offering,” Ash said a smile lighting up her face.

“I taught you better than that young man,” my mum said. She broke away from my dad and gathered Ash up, leading her out of the room. “We like doing most things ourselves, so you’ll help finish up the dinner.”

Ash gave me that look saying, your parents are so cool and different. I remained with my dad in the room as the two ladies walked towards the kitchen.

“Dad,” I said. “What’s so bad about blood magic?”

“Everything.”

“How are we gonna stop them from using it?”

“Don’t mind that Tyler,” he said. “I’ll handle it kiddo, clean up and come for dinner.”

With those words he walked out of my room, leaving me with more questions than I had before. That was why Kasiman had literally run off after getting rid of the pure kids for us. She had gone to Turner and he had told my parents. Kasiman’s reaction to the blood on my hand had almost mirrored that of my parents; except my dad had gone all dark on me and my mum had wanted to use magic to harm Ash.

What is so wrong with blood magic? I thought as I headed towards the shower.