Trial By Fire (Schooled in Magic Book 7) (48 page)

And then he shook it off and slapped her again. She’d made him mad.

She tasted blood in her mouth as he caught her by the shirt and hauled her to her feet. If she’d been mad at the Nightmare Hex,
he
was mad at her reaching into his soul and confronting him with his darkest fears about himself. It was worse, far worse, than a Nightmare Hex...he shook her, violently, and tossed her right across the circle.

She landed on her arm, which snapped under the force of the impact; she hastily cast a numbing spell, even though she knew it was pointless. There was no way she could heal herself before he beat her to death.

And then it struck her.

She gathered herself, feeling blood trickling down her shirt, as he reached for her, bringing their skin into contact. The forbidden spell glittered in her mind; the moment they touched, she cast it.

Master Grey’s skin rapidly started to bruise, as if she’d beaten him to within an inch of his life. His eyes went wide with horror, but he couldn’t hope to counter the spell in time. There was a very good reason why it was not only considered forbidden, at least to non-Healers, but buried. It was tearing him apart, cell by cell.

Burn the body
, her thoughts yammered at her.
Destroy it before they find out what you did!

She cursed softly as he stumbled backwards, falling to his knees, and summoned the last traces of her magic. Master Grey’s body caught fire, the blaze roaring through decaying skin and wiping out the evidence; she pushed it forward, setting his very bones on fire. The smell of burning flesh made her retch...she wondered, dully, if his body was going to fall on her. It would be only just, after she’d killed him in such a horrifying manner...

And then the darkness rose up and she knew no more.

P
AIN
.

It was all she could feel, endless sheets of pain cascading through her body. She floated in and out of awareness, crying for her friends, screaming as she saw the faces of her enemies peering down at her. Shadye’s inhuman face, Mother Holly’s desperate snarl, the Mimic switching from shape to shape as it loomed over her...she thought, dimly, that she might be in hell. Someone was laughing in the distance...

And then she opened her eyes.

She was lying in the infirmary, staring up at the white ceiling. Her body felt numb, as if someone had cast a painkilling spell on her or forced potion down her throat. She tried to raise her hand, only to discover that it was tied down. Was she a prisoner? Her head sparked with pain when she tried to look up, but she forced herself to move. If she was trapped, she had to escape.

“Lie still,” a familiar voice said. “You are lucky to be alive.”

Emily blinked.
Void
?

The Lone Power came into view, standing by the edge of the bed and peering down at her with sparkling dark eyes. His long black hair was tied into a pony tail, drawn back to reveal the shape of his cheekbones; the long dark robes he wore marked him as a sorcerer of consequence. She hadn’t seen him since Mountaintop, over a year ago, but she couldn’t help feeling relieved to see him now. He’d cared enough to come for her.

“
Don’t
try to use magic,” Void said, firmly. “You drained yourself almost completely. It will take time - weeks, perhaps - for your powers to regenerate. You may have to retake the entire school year.”

“No,” Emily croaked.

“You will have difficulty completing your exams without magic,” Void pointed out. He reached for a bottle of water and held it to her lips. “And they will have to get a replacement for Master Grey.”

His lips quirked. “They may have some problems,” he added, as she sipped the water. “I don’t know how many tutors would be eager to take on an apprentice who killed a master.”

“Oh,” Emily said. It was hard to talk. “You...you could teach me.”

“I’m a lousy teacher, as I believe I told you,” Void said. He pulled the bottle back, then capped it and placed it by the side of the bed. “You wouldn’t learn the right lessons from me...and far too many of the wrong ones.”

Emily groaned, forcing the matter out of her head. It was too hard to think clearly, as her head was starting to pound. She tried to move her hands, only to rediscover that they were tied to the bed. Void gave her a long, considering look before he reached down and undid the straps, one by one. Her hands, when she brought them into view, showed the telltale signs of having her skin regrown. They were almost inhumanly pale. Beside them, the snake-bracelet - Lady Barb must have returned it - looked odd. It would take time for her skin to return to its natural color.

“You were trying to gouge out your own eyes,” Void said, dispassionately. “I have strict orders from the Healers to freeze you if you start trying to blind yourself again.”

Emily flushed. “I wasn’t...”

Void shrugged, then reached for a mirror and held it up in front of her. Emily started in shock; her pale face was covered with scratches and scars, some dug so deep into her skin that it was clear they might well become infected. The Healers had stopped the bleeding, but they hadn’t repaired the surface damage. Given how badly she’d been hurt, they might not have had the time. They wouldn’t have wanted her to carry the scars if she’d been so badly out of it she hadn’t known what she’d been doing.

“Shit,” she said, finally.

“You were pushed right to the limit,” Void said. “Your life has hung in the balance for days.”

“You said,” Emily muttered. She tried to sit up, but couldn’t. Her memories were all jumbled. How many of them were real and how many were nightmares? “The Grandmaster is dead, isn’t he?”

“Yes,” Void said. His voice was completely flat, betraying no trace of emotion. “And so is Master Grey. You were very nearly the third to die.”

Emily nodded, trying to sort out her thoughts. “And the demon’s victims? The people the demon touched?”

“Alive and well,” Void said. “They’ve been trying to see you - or they were, until the Healers chased them out.”

Emily felt an odd flicker of
déjà vu
. “How long was I out?”

“Two weeks,” Void said. “The Healers had to work hard to save your life, Emily. There were times when they almost lost you, before they healed up most of the damage. And then they felt it would be better to leave you to rest, rather than allow you to wake up. This was the earliest moment they thought they could wake you.”

Emily ran her hand through her hair. It felt greasy, as if she hadn’t washed it for weeks...which was true enough, she supposed. Healers washed the bodies of those in their care, Lady Barb had taught her, but it was always very basic. They rarely had time to do more than wipe a patient with wet cloths before moving on to the next patient. She hoped she’d be allowed a shower soon, even if she wasn’t permitted to leave the infirmary.

She sighed, suddenly. “Can I speak to them?”

“If you feel up to it,” Void said. He winked at her. “Your young man was quite persistent, even with
me
in the room.”

Emily blushed, furiously. “What did you say to him?”

“Told him to wait,” Void said. His face twisted into a dark smile. “Oh, and a set of graphic threats of what would happen if he mistreated you.”

“I hope you’re joking,” Emily said. “I...”

“Maybe a little,” Void said. He cleared his throat. “All jokes aside, be careful what you do over the next few weeks. You are
not
in a good state.”

“I know,” Emily said.

“Trust me on this,” Void added. He met her eyes, warningly. “Using magic now will hamper your recovery significantly. And any form of...
strenuous
physical exercise will do the same.”

It took Emily a moment to realize what he meant. When she did, she blushed again.

“He said he was planning to Court me,” she admitted. “Are you going to act as my Guardian?”

“If you wish,” Void said. He rose to his feet. “You have no obligation to make up your mind quickly, Emily, although it would be...
unkind
to lead him on if you are set against it. Take your time, meet his family and decide if you want them as
your
family. And if you can’t handle them, tell him so and leave.”

He paused. “I believe Lady Daniele wishes to speak to you first,” he said. “I’ll inform her that you are awake and aware. After that...well, your friends can visit if they wish.”

“Wait,” Emily croaked. “Are you not going to stay?”

“I need to discuss your future with Mistress Irene,” Void said. “For the moment, you and I have been assigned a suite of rooms on the upper levels. You will stay with me for some weeks, mainly to keep you safe. Master Grey...might have blackened his reputation a little, but he still had friends and allies who will not be pleased about his death. Luckily, the formal rules of a challenge prohibit anyone from trying to extract revenge.”

“Great,” Emily said, sourly. She had no doubt there would be people who wanted to extract illicit revenge. “And after that?”

“We will see,” Void said.

He nodded to her, and stepped out of the room.

Emily leaned back, forcing herself to relax despite the growing pain in her head. Lady Daniele was the last person she wanted to see, but she had a feeling she had no choice. She’d been Master Grey’s second, after all, no matter how little she’d wanted the role. And she’d once been his apprentice.

She braced herself and forced herself to sit up, despite the pain, as the door opened. Lady Daniele stepped into the room, wearing a long white dress that clung to her body, leaving very little to the imagination. If she hadn’t carried a sword and a wand at her belt, Emily would have mistaken her for a noblewoman, someone just waiting for the arranged marriage that would cement her family’s place in the local power structure. Instead, she was a powerful magician, a Mediator. And formidable...

“Lady Emily,” Lady Daniele said. She bowed formally, and peered down at Emily. “As Master Grey’s second, it is my duty to concede the duel to you. My congratulations on your victory.”

Emily would have laughed, if her head hadn’t been throbbing. Master Grey had died in front of her; no, she’d
killed
him. The duel had been won and lost the moment he’d died. She didn’t need Lady Daniele to tell her it was over. Hell, it wasn’t as if there were any rules for either of them to break, so the results could be dismissed on a technicality. She’d won and that was all that mattered.

“Thank you,” she said, finally. It wasn’t Lady Daniele’s fault that Master Grey had been an ass.

“As the victor, you have a claim on everything he owned,” Lady Daniele continued. “I have prepared a list of his possessions and will hand it over to you, once you have escaped this room. You will have a month, from that moment, to take possession of anything you want, after which the remainder will be distributed in line with his will. Certain items will need to be registered with the White Council, but we will go over that if you wish to take them.”

“Thank you,” Emily said, numbly. It hadn’t occurred to her that she would inherit anything from Master Grey, but it should have. She didn’t really want any of his possessions, yet...who knew? He might have some interesting or rare books. Or she could send Fulvia something she’d recognize, just to let her know that Emily knew...

She shook her head. “I’m not well,” she said. “Can we discuss the details later?”

“We will,” Lady Daniele said. Her voice softened. “On a personal note, Lady Emily, I wish to apologize for my role in the farce. Or what I
thought
was a farce. I would have declined, if I hadn’t owed him a favor.”

Emily shrugged. “It doesn’t matter,” she said. Fulvia had started everything, after all; she promised herself, quietly, that the ancient crone wouldn’t get away with it. “I forgive you.”

“I don’t think you can,” Lady Daniele said. She met Emily’s eyes. “In compensation, if you wish, I would be happy to undertake the task of tutoring both you and your friend. And I would swear whatever oaths you wished to ensure you felt safe with me.”

“I don’t know,” Emily said, after a moment. Aloha would probably be delighted;
she
wouldn’t have any problems using magic, once she recovered from demonic possession. But then, maybe she’d be mad at Emily. She’d practically had a crush on Master Grey. “Let me recover first, then we will see.”

“As you wish,” Lady Daniele said. There was a flicker of definite respect in her eyes. “The offer stands - or, if you wish, you may ask for something else in recompense.”

She bowed, then walked out the door.

Emily sighed, rubbing her aching forehead, and looked around for something to distract herself from the pain. But there was nothing; Void, or whoever else had been watching over her while she slept, hadn’t left any books within reach. She doubted she could get out of bed and walk more than a couple of steps without collapsing. She’d have to ask someone to bring her a handful of books from the library.

The door opened. Caleb walked into the room, looking nervous.

“Emily,” he said, hastily closing the door behind him and hurrying over to the bed. “I...I didn’t dare watch.”

“I don’t blame you,” Emily said.
She
wouldn’t have liked to watch Caleb fight a duel to the death either. “I’m glad you weren’t there.”

“I should have been,” Caleb said. She could hear bitter guilt in his voice. “I...”

He reached out and took her hand, gently. “I don’t know what to say!”

“Then don’t say anything,” Emily advised, dryly. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer to the next question, but she had to ask. “What did...what did my father say?”

“Just to make sure I behaved myself,” Caleb said. He shook his head, slowly. “I was expecting horrific threats, but I think he found the whole idea funny.”

“I suppose he did,” Emily said. She took a breath. “I may have screwed our joint project...”

Caleb shook his head. “The Grandmaster approved what we’d done before his death,” he said, shortly. “Even if you can’t use magic for a month or two, Emily, we can complete the project together. I think that would be counted in your favor if you had to retake Fourth Year.”