Insidious Winds (7 page)

“Hey, Devon,” one of them said. He was about my age,
build, and height with dark brown hair and hazel eyes. “You lost?”

“Nope.” I headed up the steps easily, since I was
used to them.

“You’re in the advanced class? I don’t remember
seeing you in any of the prerequisites, and I know you’re only in your fourth circle,”
he said, following me up the steps.

“I’m the professor’s assistant, so I get a fast-pass
to the advanced class.”

“How could you be the professor’s assistant? He’s
new.”

“He’s my uncle.” Vincent and two students were
already in the library when we arrived. Three long study desks were set up in
the clearing to the right with five foot-by-foot boxes. “Hunt wouldn’t even
give you a classroom?” I asked.

Vincent smiled. “I requested the library. Everyone
sit and we will begin.” We all sat down and Vincent made a motion with his
hand. The room dimmed.

“There’s only the five of us?” I asked. Aside from
myself, there were three men about my age and a woman, in her mid-twenties.

“Most of the C-Five classes are smaller for more
personalized instruction,” the same man from earlier said. “I’m Ben, by the
way.”

“Take the supplies out of your boxes.” Inside our
boxes were two thick candles, a small wooden case that contained a crystal
ball, three different packs of tarot cards, a hunk of crystal, and a mirror. “You
have all the most standard supplies, along with the books in the library to
use. You will not all do the same thing every day, as each of you has a
different reason for being here.

“As you all know from your previous studies,
divination is the practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by
supernatural means. I will not insult or bore you with rudimentary information.
Many who took the precursory divinations classes did so because they were
merely interested or wanted to use foresight to achieve riches. Those with such
shallow intentions should have either been frightened off by terrible visions
or lack the skill to begin with. Thus, I will assume you are all prepared. In
my class, you will see things you will wish you never saw. Get over it. Life is
not easy, and magic comes at a price.”

“We’ve heard that every semester here,” Ben said.

“We learned about balancing our magic. Contrasting
elements, passive and active, and all that,” the woman said.

“Yes; an eye for an eye, a love for a love, and a
life for a life. Balancing the elements is rather easy. Most of the pure
elemental magic is so basic that balance is second nature. Deeper magics that
require the use of elements must have a greater force of balance, but you can
usually use the contrary element to prevent any accidents. Then you get into
dangerous magic, where you can curse your enemies or get personal riches.”

“Professor Ashwood said that even if you do something
good for someone else, the balance will be bad. Why? What about karma?”

“No good deed goes unpunished. Have you ever done a
spell for someone that is at your detriment? Not for their thanks, to make them
appreciate you, or to impress them, but to actually help them when it is not
something you want?”

Everyone was silent. I recalled healing Astrid when
we were kids and that everything went wrong right afterwards. It wasn’t an act
of selflessness; I wanted my friend to be okay. I healed Darwin for the same
reason, but there hadn’t been any supernatural retaliation as far as I knew.

As if he heard my thoughts, he continued. “Sometimes,
you will never know what the price was. If you can figure out what the price
is, you can decide whether it is worth it or not beforehand. Now, to begin, I
want to see your best. You will choose from the cards, the mirror, or the
crystals. Show me your best magic.”

The other students were enthusiastic. Ben and the
woman each got out the tarot cards while the other two men set up the crystal
balls. Since the crystal ball was the only object in the box I had ever
previously used, I pulled mine out, took it from the case, and set in in the
metal frame that was also in the box.

I slipped my ring out of the pouch around my neck.
This was probably the single most successful trick Vincent had taught me; I could
use this very unusual ring to invoke visions. However, my uncle wouldn’t be
impressed with me using my ring and telling him about my vision, since that was
a regular part of my training.

Instead, I focused on the watch I was wearing, which
my mother gave me for Christmas when I was sixteen. She had finally recovered
from Astrid’s attack enough to move around the house on her own. It was just
me, my mother, and her nurse. I tried to remember what I could as I slipped my
ring on. The scene appeared in my mind so clearly that I felt like I was there
again. I felt the warmth of the fireplace, smelled the mixture of tree and
sugar cookies, and heard the Christmas music she loved.

For the first time, I projected my vision as if I
were relaying a message or image. I had been able to communicate with animals
for as long as I could remember, but the learning curve since joining
Quintessence was almost fairytale after growing up trying to be human.

“Whoa,” one of the students said.

I opened my eyes and saw exactly what I expected to
see; my vision playing out in the crystal ball like a three-dimensional movie.
Vincent nodded approvingly when I looked at him.

After class, I headed to my room for a nap, since I
had to be up early for my elemental training. Instead, I found Ghost waiting
for me when I opened the door. “What’s wrong?”

He vanished and left behind a small potion bottle.
Trusting the cat who saved the day several times, I reached for it. I wasn’t
going to drink it without having Dr. Martin analyze it, but I trusted it
wouldn’t explode as soon as I touched it. Just before my fingers closed around
it, it vanished. “Crazy cat.”

I took off my boots and was about to get in bed when
I saw Vincent’s huge book on my desk. The damned book was always appearing and
disappearing, just like the cat and Vincent. I sat down at my desk with a sigh,
flipped the book open to a random page, and started reading. I knew enough to
realize that the pages changed with time, as if Vincent was still writing it.
At least, that was the least supernatural explanation.

“We have done many exercises
to strengthen your mind when under attack. We’re going to strengthen your mind
to physical attacks now.”

Vincent and I were in the library. We were surrounded
by a ring of blue fire, but it wasn’t hot in the least, so I was trying to
chase away the January chill with my second cup of coffee. The sun was just
peaking up over the forest through the east window. Too bad that warmth was
seen and not felt.

“Pay attention,” my uncle scolded.

“Sorry.” I forced my gaze away from the window.
“Shouldn’t that have come first?”

“No. Except from my brother, protecting your mind is
easier.”

“Have you ever seen a gun? I’ve never had trouble
protecting myself physically. It’s when someone can curse me with stolen blood
or control my mind that I have trouble.”

“Has anyone other than my brother been able to
control your mind?” he asked worriedly.

“No, but I know some of the teachers here can hear my
thoughts. Professor Nightshade did once. Of course, it was just a little thing.
But I told you how Heather kept contacting me in my sleep. That’s the same
thing, isn’t it?”

“Sort of. She was using your visions as a weak spot
to contact you while your defenses were down. The lessons I have taught you and
your reliance on your ring has strengthened your mind.”

“So that’s why she can’t talk to me? Then tell me how
to break it. Making a deal with Heather is the only way Langril will let me get
Astrid back.”

“No.”

“No, what?”

“No to all of it. No, if you are receptive to her,
then it’s not my training that is preventing you from contacting her. If it
were, you would still be able to talk to Astrid. No, I will not help you make a
deal with her; your soul is worth too much. And no, Heather is not the only way
to get to Keigan. She is his daughter and I know he loves her in his own
twisted way, but only as much as I loved Star. To him, we are all just humans,
Heather included. There is something much closer to his heart.”

“Power?”

“Yes. When you gain the final key, Keigan will do two
things; try to make a new deal with you and try to kill you to get it from you.
Which one he does first depends on how much he fears you. Ironically, Krechea
will be exactly the same.”

“Who do I have to worry about more?”

“I know very little about Krechea. Unfortunately, I
do know Keigan. Keigan will never be on anyone’s side but his own, and he will
never hesitate to stab you in the back if you stop being more useful to him
alive than dead.”

“What did he give up for his key?”

“Logan once told me it was his heart, but I doubt he
knows for sure.”

“What do you mean his heart? As in his ability to
love?”

“I mean his heart. There are many ancient rituals to
achieve immortality, and I believe Keigan has done more horrible things than
any beating heart could handle. Logan once stabbed him in the chest with a
sword, right through the heart. He didn’t even need stitches. Everyone from
Dothra can heal at an incredible rate, but what creature can survive a blade to
the heart?”

I took a sip of my coffee, grimacing because it had
gone cold. Vincent reached across the table to touch my cup, and it started
steaming. “Thank you, but isn’t that a bit frivolous?”

He made a face that reminded me of him when he met my
mother (which was really weird considering I hadn’t been born yet). “What good
is being a wizard if you cannot have a hot cup of coffee in the morning?”

I enjoyed the following comfortable silence as much
as my coffee. Vincent never wasted time in our training, almost as if he wanted
to avoid being asked any personal questions. I believed that he didn’t know he
was my father. There was definitely some reason he thought otherwise, but until
I figured it out, I would just be happy knowing I wasn’t John’s son.

“If we waste any more time, you’ll be late for
class,” Vincent said regretfully, pushing his tea aside. We both stood and he
waved his hand in a loose motion that made the furniture move away from us.
“Clear your mind of everything.”

As he had taught me, I started by closing my eyes and
counting my breaths. Five in, five out. For an unknowable amount of time, I was
able to think of nothing. Then my instincts fired up and I ducked. I heard a
thump, opened my eyes, and turned to look behind me. A dagger was stuck in the
bookshelf. I turned back to my uncle just as he motioned with his hand and the
dagger flew back to him.

“What was it you said about a physical attack being
easier?” he asked snidely.

“I dodged it.”

“And broke your concentration. You must separate your
mind and body. Trust your instincts to protect your body while your mind does
its magic. Do better next Wednesday.”

Frustrated, I grabbed my coffee and went to class.

In
Tools of Magic
, we were told to pair up and
make dream catchers. I thought this was a bit arts-and-crafty, until I found
out they actually had some magic behind them. Theo immediately claimed me as
his partner. I wasn’t a fan, but I was probably the only one in the class who
would make sure he pulled his weight in the project. First we had to make a
potion to soak our threads in and another potion to mix into our clay beads
that we were making from scratch. Theo and I worked equally in preparing the
ingredients. Then I did the magic while he prepared the strings and started on
the second potion. We didn’t have time to finish the project, but we had both
potions done and the strings soaking for our return.

I was heading to
Mythology
when I heard a
scuffle in the adjacent hallway. My instincts drove me towards the sound.
Brian, in his shifted form, was keeping two wizards from getting to Becky. No
one was throwing any magic, at least, but the wizards were about to realize how
quickly a hyena could tear them apart.

“What’s going on?” I asked. Brian stopped growling,
but he didn’t shift back or move away from Becky.

“Becky is a traitor to the council,” one of the
wizards said. Both of them were in their second semester and I didn’t know
their names.

Brian shifted into his person form. “She’s the
daughter of a council member. She hasn’t betrayed anyone, and if she doesn’t
like the new council rules, it’s none of your business! Just leave her alone!”

“Anyone who opposes the council is going to ruin
everything for the rest of us!”

I noticed the mark on his wrist, but it was different
from the ones I saw on Li Na and Theo. “So you’re going to go around and… what?
Kill everyone who opposes the council?”

Both wizards hesitated and glanced at each other.
“Well, no. We just wanted to make her… I don’t know.”

“Brian, move out of the way if you don’t want their
blood splattering all over you,” Becky said.

Since I clearly wasn’t needed, I turned and started
on my way back to class. Becky caught up to me a few minutes later, as we had
class together.

“So what was that about?”

“Everyone thinks that if you don’t take their side,
you’re against them.”

I saw her wrist as she ran her fingers through her
hair. She saw me notice and regarded the unmarked skin. “I refused when my
father wanted me to get the council’s new mark.”

“How come there are different marks?”

“They’re different sides. Some students embrace the
council. They would rather have more rules and less control over themselves in
exchange for supposed superiority over other paranormals. Most of them just do
it because their parents are somehow involved with the council. Now there’s a
group opposing the council and they’re tattooing their wrists with a different
mark to show their rebellion.”

“How does your father feel about this?”

She scoffed. “He forbade me to come here. I know the
council is planning something to make Hunt give up the student records.”

“How do you know that? What are they planning?”

“I don’t know what they’re planning, only that my
father is demented. They’re probably setting up some kind of legal scandal
they’re going to blame on Headmaster Hunt, which is ironic because if anyone
knows about scandals, it’s my father.”

I noticed an exceptionally bitter note. “Has he tried
to set Hunt up before?”

“No. He’s blackmailing me. He says that if I tell my
mother he’s cheating on her, he’s going to have me labeled as a throwback and
try to get me kicked out of school like he tried to do to Darwin.”

“Are you going to tell her?”

“I already have. She knew, but she refuses to leave
him.”

In class, the professor talked about Roman gods.

Summoning Your Familiar
was going to be a
difficult class for me because all of the other students were so excited to get
their familiars. Becky was also in this class with me and she was the only one
besides myself who wasn’t thrilled. Although she wasn’t the most powerful
student in class, she also wasn’t the weakest. The more I got to know her, the
more I felt like her personality made up for any flaws in strength.

First, we had to learn how to call our familiar,
which required opening ourselves up to nature. I admit I slacked off while the
other students were meditating. I refused to let my familiar suffer from my
condition. When everyone else left, I held back to speak to Professor Houx. He
sat at his desk and smiled politely for me to ask my question.

“If someone doesn’t call his familiar, will the
familiar be okay?”

“The familiar will probably never know what his
purpose was in life, but most never even know the difference. When you call
your familiar correctly, he must either answer your call or suffer the loss of
his powers.”

“What if I didn’t call my familiar and then I died?”

“The creature was meant to be your familiar from the
moment you were both born. Every wizard has one. However, the bond isn’t fully
formed until he accepts your call. If you die before then, he will feel it, but
not suffer the same fate.”

“Thanks. That’s what I needed to know.”

“Unless he calls you,” the professor said as I
started to leave.

I stopped and turned back. “What?”

“When you bond with your familiar, you strengthen
each other. You make up for each other’s weaknesses. If your familiar is
powerful enough, he can find you himself. He may even figure out what it means,
especially if he needs you. You help your familiar as much as he helps you. If
he’s desperate and powerful enough, he can begin the process himself. If you
don’t answer, he will lose his power.”

“Where is your familiar?”

“She stays in a safe place.”

*          *          *

The rest of the week went by in a rush. My classes
were pretty interesting. I made a dream catcher and then put it away in a box
under my desk so that I didn’t have to worry about it working. I helped Darwin
pay attention in the shifter psychology class. Unfortunately, it was immensely
below him. It was difficult to slack off in Professor Houx’s class. Vincent’s
class was similar to our normal lessons, just less individual.

On Wednesday morning of my second week, I was woken
by the harsh kneading on my neck of the twenty pound cat sitting on my chest. I
pushed Ghost away, but he just dug his claws in. I smacked him and he bit my
hand. “I’m awake, you old bastard.”

The cat vanished.

I got up, showered, dressed, and grabbed two cups of
coffee without getting any food. I drank one cup down as I headed to the
library. When I entered, Vincent was already waiting for me. “We will do the
same exercise as last time. Clear your mind and defend yourself without
thinking.”

I did, trying desperately not to fall back to sleep
while standing there. After a while, I felt a sting in my arm and looked down
to see a deep scratch.

“No instincts today?” Vincent asked.

I shrugged. “It wasn’t a kill shot.”

“Your heart is not in this.”

“It is. I will do what I have to in order to save
Astrid.”

“You are not ready. Start coming here on Friday
mornings to train with Logan in addition to meeting me on Wednesdays. Are you
having trouble sleeping?”

“No, my sleep has been great. I’m not having dark
visions and visits from dead girls all night like I was before.” I was just
worried. I had been having dreams with Astrid before and they suddenly stopped
when she was lost in Dothra.
Does it mean she’s dead? Or is she just too far
away to dream with
?

I practiced for a couple of hours with Vincent. I
would clear my mind and he would attack. Although I was able to avoid being
injured again, my focus was broken each time. Finally, Vincent called it a day
and I went to class. Wednesday and Thursday were pretty much just about my
classes.

On Friday morning, I met Hunt in the library. He was
sitting at the table, reading a book just like Vincent had been. He gently shut
the book and gestured to the seat across from him.

“Why do you want to get the key?”

The fact of the matter was that I actually didn’t
want the key and was hoping it never came to that. However, I would go after it
if I had no other choice. “To save Astrid.”

“That key does not open the way to Dothra. You need
Keigan, not the key.”

“Professor Langril doesn’t have Astrid. He can help
me get to her, but I don’t believe he will. Langril may be extremely powerful,
but I think Krechea has the upper hand.”

Hunt’s eyes widened. “You plan to make a deal with
him?”

“I don’t have a plan yet; I don’t know what situation
Astrid is in. All I know is that I need as many opportunities as I can get. I
have no doubt that Langril would kill me just as fast as Krechea if I got in
his way.”

“And how is your heart?”

It took me a second to catch on to the change of
subject. “I’m taking care of it. I take my potions and I never remove the
scorpion.”