Chapter 5 Breakfast in Arcane Hall

Brielle

I stepped in. It was a small room with two beds and a wardrobe attached to the side, two desks, and a single window. On the ceiling, flowers hung beautifully. “I love flowers, if you don’t, I can clear your spot for you.”

“Its fine.”

“Okay then.” She clapped and pointed, “That’s your bed, your wardrobe and your desk too.” I looked at my space on the wall just above the bed. My name bled against the wall brightly.

“Are you hungry? Thankfully, I saved some food from dinner.”

“I’m fine.”

She paused, her eyes studied me. “Looks like you’ve had a rough day?” I turned toward the wall, unable to meet her kind eyes. Anya’s voice softened. She flopped onto her bed. “It’s okay. We all have them, and there’s one thing I learnt about mine. It will only make you stronger.”

How could the death of my mothers make me strong? I laid down fully clothed on the unfamiliar bed that smelled nothing like freshly baked cookies.

Everything was taken away from me. My mother’s, our home, and it was all my fault. I should have listened. If only I hadn’t used a spark of magic on the portal. I wish I could turn back the hands of time, the funfair wouldn’t have mattered.

I would have hugged them tight instead of fighting. I wouldn’t have cared about seeing the world.

I pressed my face into the pillow, my body shook. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.

I hated that I was alive and they were gone. Somehow, I had to live with this guilt.

Everywhere was pitch black. I stood in the middle, then the environment shifted and those masked men appeared. “Ninety nine days for the thief…” His mouth didn’t move, but it somehow entered my ears, or was it my head? Thick black shadows shot out of them after me. I turned to run, then I was plunged into the dark water. I flapped, trying to save myself. A hand grabbed me suddenly and pulled me out.

“Found you.” The face of the masked shadow that had murdered my mothers was looking at me.

I opened my mouth to scream—

“Brielle! Wake up!” Anya shook my shoulders. My eyes snapped open, my breathing erratic. “Breakfast is in an hour, we can’t miss it.”

She pointed at the washroom for me. When I got out, she stood by the side wearing a deep charcoal-grey fitted long-sleeve tunic with a high stiff collar, pleated knee-length skirt, and sturdy black leather boots.

“If we miss breakfast, we would have to go hungry until lunch. I will pass out before then.” She held out a similar color for me. I took it and quickly went to change.

The uniform was far too tight, clearly tailored for someone way smaller than me. I could barely breathe.

“The size is wrong.”

Anya shot me a sympathetic look. “It belonged to my old roommate. We’ll visit the seamstress later. Manage.”

Even though I couldn’t breathe, I didn’t want to be the reason she would starve. So I nodded. She stepped forward with a hair brush. I stepped back instinctively. “Your hair is all over the place. I just want to help.” No one besides my mothers had ever touched my hair. Something hard lodged in my throat. I stepped forward and turned. Anya brushed my hair gently.

“That’s a lot of auburn hair.” She whispered with a smile I didn’t need to turn to know. “All set, let’s go.” She pulled my hand.

In the hallway, everyone stared at me strangely. The noses of the dragon flared while the mages looked like they really looked. Do they smell what I am?

I instinctively touched the collar of my uniform. The masking potion was still working. It had to be.

“Is it just me, or are they staring?”

“Ignore them. I already told you, yesterday you left quite an unforgettable impression. You are the trending topic in Kastros.” She chuckled.

I didn’t know how to feel about that.

We stepped into a vast room.

“Welcome to Arcane hall.” Anya said with a clap. I held my breath at the enormous, magnificent view. Above, the high ceiling looked like an open night sky, dotted with stars that shimmered and slowly moved, as if time itself passed differently inside the hall.

Long wooden tables stretched across the room, neatly arranged with plates, cups, and flickering candles that hovered gently in the air instead of sitting on the surface.

Students in different robes chatted and laughed. But paused when they saw me.

“Mages sit over here.” She pulled me towards the least lighted and extravagant side. We sat down.

“I thought Kastros doesn’t take mages in the middle of the year.” A boy with silver tousled hair with a big burn on the side of his face spoke from the table at the left, making no attempt to tone it down a little.

“Didn’t you see how strong her magic is? I bet her father must be a high mage.” Another replied.

My eyes locked with his. He smirked.

“I doubt that…maybe she screwed her way here.” They all laughed hard.

“Shut up, Bron.” Anya got up to her feet.

“Or what, prude?”

They chuckled again, the laughter jabbing straight into me. My hand clenched by my side to hard my nails dug into my palm.

“Did you screw your way in here? I didn’t even know that was possible.” I asked him. “Disgusting!”

“Ohhh!” The other students gasped. “She got teeth…”

Bron got up to his feet, his face contorted in anger and embarrassment. “You—”

The air suddenly shifted. Dropping down plenty of degrees lower. Anya slowly sat down. Bron followed, “This is the beginning, new girl.”

Anya brought her tongue out to him. My head shifted to where the coldness emanated from.

“You remember him, right?”

I nodded. How could I forget?

“Prince Rion Abyssor, the heir to the throne of Abyssal, the water dragons.” She whispered. “Top ranked student for two cycles running. Beside is his best friend, Howan Derek.”

My gaze shifted briefly to the blonde haired broad shouldered boy holding a raven haired girl and then back to him. Rion. His blue hair was let down unlike yesterday, dressed in well ironed charcoal greyed uniform, worn with a black leather belt, fitted charcoal trousers, and sturdy knee-high black leather boots.

His face was cold and expressionless. Each step he took was slow and precise.

“So handsome.” She balanced her jaw on her hand and stared dreamily. He sat in the place where the light was dim, leaned back and closed his eyes. While Horace and the girl beside him chatted.

Loud laughter rang out in the hall, I dragged my gaze away. Pyre had his hand around the neck of another boy ruffling his hair, smiling widely. “Pyre Emberon, heir to the Scion throne. Exactly as he is loud and catastrophic.” Anya squeezed her face.

His charcoal uniform was wide open, revealing faint red scales like skin, the belt missing. He moved like time bends slightly to him. He smiled at everyone, but his eyes held caution like everyone knew better than to act out of line. With him was an entourage. Like six. Seven, I couldn’t count. But the girl from yesterday—Zendaya—stood beside him, hands locked around him. The events from yesterday flashed back in my mind.

His head snapped towards my direction. He winked. I looked away. Anya gripped her arm tightly. “No way… Pyre just winked at you.”

“You must have seen it wrongly.” I denied quickly.

“Is that so?” She sucked in air and tilted her head. After a few long seconds of consideration, she spoke.

“You should avoid him. He is bad luck.” She whispered.

“What do you mean?”

She looked at me, her always smiling face faltered, something flashed in her eyes before I could read it, she chuckled. Attempting to speak before the air filled with mouthwatering smell. Food appeared on the plates from nowhere, steams curled out of them. Beans pudding and golden butter bread.”

The scent brought memories that haunted me and the guilt I will carry till the day I die.

Anya picked the bread and tore into it.

“What’s wrong?” She asked, noticing my distant look.

“Nothing.” I brushed it off quickly. My gaze shifted to the table where Pyre sat. I watched Zendaya whisper into his ear and brush something off his face before chuckling.

His crimson eyes caught me staring, then he got. Zendaya caught his arm and said something to him, but he didn’t seem to hear her. His eyes remained fixed on me.

I picked up the bread, trying to focus on my food like I wasn’t just caught staring. The moment I brought it up to my mouth.

WHOOSH. Flames erupted across my palm.

The burning bread hit the table, flames crawled across the wooden surface.

Anya’s seat scraped back as she jumped up to her feet. Gasps erupted in the hall. I could see the redness on my skin.

Pyre stood directly in front of me before I could blink. He had that same infuriating smirk from yesterday. He lifted his hand and blew lightly across his fingertips, as though setting my breakfast on fire had been the most exhausting thing he had done all morning.

“What was that for?” I shot him a glare.

“Testing something.” He murmured.

“Go look for a test subject. I’m not one.” I said dismissively. Sitting back down to continue my breakfast. This wasn’t the kind of attention I wanted right now.

Pyre laughed. It started as a deep rumble in his chest, then it soon erupted through the quiet Arcane hall. His eyes lit up with something I couldn’t quite describe.

Then he stopped, tilting his head to the side, even the floating candles seemed to stop flickering. My whole bowl went up in flames, wider than the last one.

“What is wrong with you?” I raised my voice.

“Do it again.” He ordered. My brows pulled together.

“Do what?”

“The magic from yesterday.” He said interestedly.

“Get lost!” Gasps erupted in the arcane hall. “Did she just speak to the prince like that?”

“Who does she think she is?”

Shit! I got up, trying to scramble away from all the stare and attention. I hated it. I shouldn’t even be making myself known.

He grabbed my hand, pulling me back to him. My eyes locked on his taut chest. I gritted my teeth. “Did you forget our deal already?”