Nicholas is bouncing in his seat, the carriages not having left the Europe platform yet for the floating island. The two Ayads did get dropped off at the major African station in Egypt but then they snuck off and took a Transverse over to enjoy the carriage ride with Stavros and Rafael.

Nicholas is just so excited. “Kinda sucks we’re not in the same year but that’s fine, I can recycle your homework next year! And we can probably sneak into each other’s classes – no, you can play me and I can play you! Ahh, it’s going to be so fun!”

Luca winces a bit. “You’ll probably have to help me with homework actually, it’s been a while since I was in school.” He dropped out in year twelve and did a whole international trip running away from -and then after- Haochen.

“We’ve got you covered,” Stavros announces and pointedly puts a hand on Rafael’s shoulder.

“No,” Rafael says. “I’m not helping Luca cheat, we need to be good influences on him.”

“It’s not cheating. It’s helping out your little nephew,” Stavros argues.

“He’s a whole year ahead of us, I don’t even know if I can help,” Rafael denies.

Nicholas laughs and leans sideways into Luca. “It’s fine. Any problems, at all, we’ve got your back. We’ll spend a week straight in the library if we have to.”

Luca smiles back because Nicholas’ laugh is infectious. “Um, and…I never told you this but because of something I did in the other timeline it’s a bit…I technically have two things? I mean if I don’t get into InCore…”

“It’s okay if you’re a NatCom,” Rafael says soothingly.

“NatCom!?” Nicholas cries. “No son of mine is a NatCom hippy, air-tasting freak. You take that back, Rafael!”

Stavros is cracking up, and hunches forward so far it looks like he’s going to fall out of his seat into Nicholas’ lap.

“Well I meant Pull but okay,” Luca laughs.

“Pull is fine, I’ll disown you if you get NatCom,” Nicholas retorts.

“Can I just clarify that NatCom don’t taste the air, they’re trying to call spirits,” Rafael argues but he’s smiling too. “In fact, if we were tested again, you and Ross might lean more towards NatCom with how much we’ve dug into the wildshape field of magic.”

“How dare you?!” Nicholas snaps, hand to his heart in shock. “You disgust me!”

Stavros wheezes. “Okay but we would be the most terrifying NatCom.”

Nicholas breaks character to smirk but gets his expression under control again. “I would throw myself off the island if I got NatCom.”

The compartment door slams open, Mariana standing there with her thick brown hair whipping around her from the sudden motion and a newspaper in hand. “Ayad.”

“I was joking,” Nicholas says quickly, hands up. “It was a joke, everyone loves dissing the NatCom.”

Mariana holds out the newspaper in her hand, Nicholas in the picture with glowing, curled horns and an even brighter smile. There's another picture off to the side with Haochen and all his sharp edges, breathtakingly handsome and even in a picture you can't meet his eyes for long.

“I look good in that photo, huh?” Nicholas laughs.

“You went to that party with the high mage,” Mariana says between gritted teeth.

Rafael shares a look with Stavros but Nicholas speaks up first. “Hey, can you guys take Luca to tour the carriages?” he asks casually because he’s not letting Luca listen to his parents yell at each other and Mariana is definitely building up to something.

Mariana steps aside to let the three file out slowly and then enters the carriage, slamming the door closed. Nicholas isn’t sure what he’s expecting to happen but Mariana stands tall in front of him for a moment, sharp eyes scanning him.

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Then her expression falls into worry. Oh, Nicholas realises, because he’s seen this before. She’s not upset with him, she’s full of righteous fury because she thought something happened to him.

“Is this where you were too, when you disappeared?” Mariana asks. “You never said. There’s been no information at all about what happened. I mean I’ve found other stories of people trying to kidnap you for ransom when you were younger but… I tried to look into it more over the holidays but it’s just an information blackout and then High Mage Xia splashed all over with your name. There’s something so suspicious about this.”

It was never explicitly said because they can’t point fingers at a time travelling Stavros but the whole school knows he’d been kidnapped. There’s a bit of confusion around it though, because suddenly news came out that Nicholas was ‘saved by High Mage Xia’ but there are no details and no one is talking about the culprit.

“Haochen saved me,” Nicholas says but that implies he was in danger so he frowns in confusion. “Sort of. Well, yes, he saved me.”

Mariana pauses. “Sort of?” She ducks closer and takes a seat next to him, expression solemn. “Was it the high mage that kidnapped you? I know you’re…” she gestures vaguely. “With your family being high up. I find it hard to believe he steps in with no incentive and now suddenly you’re showing up to events like this with him?”

Nicholas hesitates. “He didn’t take me from the school-“ just from Christos’ place “-but yeah, it’s a bit of politics. It happens. I mean way back when, heirs used to get sent to other heritage families to get broader training so it's not bad or anything.”

Mariana pulls back and fiddles with the newspaper, thinking as she stares at him. “So this is okay? You’re safe with him?”

Nicholas can’t help but smile. “Yeah, I’m safe. Luca comes with me now too – he’s my cousin and always ready to back me up.”

“Good,” Mariana huffs. “I’ve read into high mages before, they’re…terrifying creatures. I saw one once, High Mage Kamath. Just being in the same room as her made me sick.”

“Oh,” Nicholas says because that’s a rather mundane thing to say. “They have a lot of power, and it’s polite to keep it contained better but I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”

“No, it psychically makes people sick,” Mariana corrects, riling herself up at the memory. “A man passed out and the high mage just walked past like it was nothing. People went into shock and had to be taken to hospital.”

“It’s not a hex or something, it’s just their magic filling the space around them,” Nicholas explains. “Our magic is weaker but it does the same. I mean, the people who got sick were mundanes, right? They don’t have a high tolerance for magic anyway, that’s why they can’t use Transverse or take concentrated potions.”

“Are you defending someone who sent people to hospital?” Mariana asks, incredulous. “The high mage should have kept her magic in check.”

“It’s polite but not a law-“

“And high mages are known for being morally bankrupt anyway,” Mariana pushes. “Almost every high mage has proven to be corrupt in either personal dealings or the people they work with. Everyone knows this. It’s an open secret and no one does anything about it!”

“The majority of people with enough money and power are corrupt,” Nicholas scoffs. “It’s mundanes too – which everyone seems to forget when they bring up this argument. That’s like the rule. If people can’t stop you, why hold back?”

“I’m sure you would know considering how you act,” Mariana snaps.

Nicholas opens his mouth and snaps it shut again, teeth clicking. It’s fine. He’s had five years of Mariana’s brand of activism, he knows how to deal with it. “Okay, we should change the subject.”

“Because you know I’m right?” Mariana challenges.

“Because this is turning into an argument,” Nicholas corrects firmly and sounds like Rafael. “And when it’s an argument, it’s not constructive and we’re just getting upset at each other.”

Mariana pulls back with a frown. “I’m not arguing with you, I’m trying to explain my point of view.”

“Considering how you act,” Nicholas echoes. “Is pretty fucking targeted.”

Mariana purses her lips. She smoothes out the newspaper that crumpled in her fist. “I stand by what I said but I explained it badly, that’s on me. I'm sorry.” She shakes her head. “Ugh, that discussion is for an entire other day.”

Nicholas is going to conveniently be away that day. “Well, great talk. I should get back to the others.”

“Is the person who kidnapped you still a problem?” Mariana asks, back on track with the original conversation. “It was about you being an heir, right?”

Nicholas is far from the warm and fuzzies of before when he thought Mariana was concerned about him. Nicholas has no doubt that she is worried, but he also knows she loves a good cause to fight for and a perfect victim to help. It’s not a bad thing, but she’s just very intense.

“It’s been dealt with,” is all Nicholas says.

“Who was it? What did they want from you?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Mariana finally pauses at that. “Oh. Of course. I mean, you are talking to someone though, and working through it with a support group? Rafael or Stavros?”

“They know,” Nicholas agrees.

“Okay,” Mariana says in relief and stands up. “Alright, good. If you need anything then just ask me, okay? I’ve done a lot of research on the situation.” She shakes the newspaper. “And there’s always another option, remember that.”

The carriage door shuts after her and Nicholas is left blinking. “Uh, bye?”

The door opens again and Mariana leans in, a sheepish smile on her face because she must have heard him. “Bye. I’ll see you at school.”

Nicholas laughs. “Bye!”

----------------------------------------

The first night in school -after the three new year-elevens commandeer a dorm room for themselves with much bullying- the four boys spend the night partying to the radio on an open tower top, charming the roof tiles to clap, and enchanting the figures in stained glass windows to shake it with them.

Because yes, despite the test crystal wavering between colours, Luca got into InCore.