Valentina trembled against my hip as I hurried from the south hall to the east hall. “Dexter, I feel—”

“Dexter, perfect timing.” Professor Kaylastal came round the corner in the north hall as I entered the rotunda. I froze at the sound of his voice as the hairs on the back of my neck rose.

As I turned to him, he said, “It’s good to see you up and about; I was concerned you might still be spending all your free time in bed.” He grinned as he crossed the rotunda, meeting me near a teleport to the entertainment square.

I nodded, unsure how else to answer.

“You must be hungry,” he said, raising his right hand toward the rune. “Let’s go, I’ll treat.”

Again, I nodded, seeing no reason to deny a free meal.

He gestured toward the rune, indicating I should go first.

When I’d come with Alex I hadn't paid attention to anything, but this time I took a moment to familiarize myself and take in the sights and sounds of the entertainment square.

Lights danced through the starry night sky mirroring the merry prancing and revelry of half drunk bar hoppers stomping around the central fountain. Music trembled through the air, blasted from hidden speakers, while a dozen vendors tried to coax anyone nearby into stopping to buy their overpriced street food.

The air smelled of honeyed meat and spices with the sour scent of yellow trog steak wafting from a big red van. ‘Cassie’s Luxury Monster Meat’ was painted across the van’s side and on the hood.

I was surprised to see the horned purple raven of Ravenor on a sign just across from the food van. I had expected such an establishment to be somewhere more upscale than an entertainment square, but then what could be upscale than prime real estate inside the Founder’s tower?

The purple and gray interior of Ravenor was a sharp contrast to the plain stone buildings in the rest of the square. Even the exterior stood out with stone carved phantoms guarding the entrance and an array of unusual artifacts displayed in each glass window.

“Is it a clothing store, or…” I caught myself wondering aloud.

Kaylastal nodded with a knowing smile, and as we passed by. He said, “Ravenor isn’t just a clothing store, it’s also the place you go when you don't know what you need, but you know you need something.” his words quiet, but somehow audible over the revelry in the square.

I shook my head, clearing the fog.

“That…” He pointed to a small building at the end of the road. “…is where we’re going.”

It wasn't any place I was familiar with. The place didn’t seem to be anything special. There was no sign, or other decoration to announce the building. In fact, the place looked a little run down.

The red door and shutters looked to be in decent shape, but the stonework around it was crumbling.

Professor Kaylastal paused at the door, glancing over his shoulder and winking at me, then he opened it and stepped inside. With staff in white clothes so thin they may as well have been naked, it didn’t seem like any place fit for children, but a hostess invited the professor in warmly, greeting him with a smile and saying, “Welcome back Donovan, we’ve missed you.” Then she blew him a kiss.

He laughed softly as he led us past her into the shop. There were only three tables inside, each occupied by a mix of staff and patrons, some just chatting, but others clearly doing more under the table. Most of the guests were men, although there was a woman who looked ancient enough to have survived the flame purge. She kept her eye on us from the moment we came in. I met her gaze once but turned away quickly, finding her painful to look at directly.

A young man, in cut off shorts and a white t-shirt that left every lump of muscle on full display, approached her table. Bowing he said, “I’m sorry ma’am, we don’t have the cherry wine you’re looking for. Can I offer you something else? Mead, or maybe you’d like the Founder’s Holy Fountain—”

“No,” she said firmly. “Just get me some tea.”

“Yes ma’am, any particular flavor?”

Their conversation cut off when the back door closed behind us.

Behind the little parlor was an even more risqué establishment. Men and women shouted over tables where balls spun around in a checkered basin with numbers on each color. In another area, patrons sat silently with playing cards as a dealer laid out more between rounds of bidding.

On a stage at the center of the room, four girls danced, wearing only chains wrapped around their necks and hips. The music wasn't quite loud enough to drown out the chain’s jingling as their hips rocked with the beat. It also didn’t cover the bitter moaning of a man who seemed to be on a losing streak at a table near the door.

I stared at the girls for several long moments until the professor cleared his throat. Turning away, I felt my face grow hot, then my stomach twisted with guilt seeing how Valentina looked at me. She wasn’t upset, but something in her gaze seemed let down somehow.

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Motioning with his hand, professor Kaylastal directed us up a set of stairs on the right and into a hallway lined with golden doors. The doors weren’t designed to open, instead they had inactive runes painted on them. We stopped at a door a third of the way down the hall. When the professor placed his hand on the door, a blue light drew a square around his hand and pulsed for several seconds before blinking green. Once the rune activated, he said, “Go on.”

Valentina went first, then I followed. Inside there was only a desk and a pair of comfortable looking chairs. Professor Kaylastal came in after us and the rune on the door deactivated. Before saying anything, he walked over to the desk where he pulled a small vial from a drawer. He drank it, then removed his spell tome from his pocket, placing it on the desk. Kayla personified as the professor sat and put his feet up.

“So, what are you planning to do now? Will you keep striving to become a magister?”

I hadn’t really thought about it. I still didn’t know how I performed in the duel against Seth or what paths were even open to me. I didn’t have connections, a powerful spell tome, or the points to bribe anyone, so I figured my best option was probably to keep following my parents footsteps, but I wasn’t even sure that was an option anymore.

He continued before I had a chance to respond.

Leaning forward with his hands clasped and a somber expression on his face he said, “Listen, kid. Your spell tome is…special, and it would be a shame to see her waste away like she has been, but—well…” his eyes darkened with malice and his voice dropped an octave. “…if you don’t get it together, I’ll be forced to kill you.”

My stomach flipped and Valentina gasped then moved defensively between us.

A moment later he burst into laughter, throwing his hands up as if he was having some sort of fit. Kayla joined in his laughter, while I looked back and forth, waiting for the punchline.

When he finished, the professor crossed his arms over his chest and looked seriously at me. He sat silently studying my expression for several long moments, until I asked, “Are—are you serious?”

“Good teachers don’t kill students.” He answered, rolling his eyes.

“No, they just let them kill themselves.” My tone came off harsh and more accusatory than I intended. I had to pause a moment and collect myself. The last thing I wanted was to start trouble.

Professor Kaylastal was quiet. I wasn't sure if I had crossed a line, or if I had said the wrong thing. His expression didn't give much away as he considered me. Then he looked at Valentina.

His lips turned up in the smallest of smiles before he asked, “Has anything changed with your spell tome? I noticed you haven't been dueling like the other students.”

I wasn’t sure I should tell him about her new spells, especially after his threat, but Valentina didn’t hesitate. “I’ve learned five new spells, and determined that Dexter’s chest makes a more comfortable pillow than his back.”

She answered honestly. Her words seemed innocent and kind, like a child speaking their mind.

Professor Kaylastal’s eyes went wide, Kayla smiled with an ear to ear grin, and my face heated.

I opened my mouth, trying to stutter out a response. My lips felt numb as my brain turned to mush. My face grew hotter and I closed my mouth, looking down at the floor.

“My little Donny never lets me lay on him,” Kayla whined.

Kaylastal grunted, saying “I told you not to call me that.”

His spell tome only giggled in reply.

Rolling his eyes, the professor stood and returned his attention to me. “I think you have potential Dexter, but I need to know why you refuse to duel and perhaps we can solve the problem together.”

“I’m not refusing,” I said. “Actually I just dueled Amhir earlier. I want to get stronger, strong enough to avenge my parents. The only trouble is I don’t know exactly what killed them, or just how strong I need to get.”

Kaylastal nodded. “I’m not sure how they died, but certainly you have a long way to go.” He glanced at Valentina again rubbing his chin as he asked, “You said you learned five spells?”

She nodded. “And how did you learn so many things so quickly?”

“I don’t know,” she shrugged. “I just did.”

Rolling my eyes, I offered up my theory, which so far proved true. “She’s able to learn spells after experiencing them once. She learned three of the spells Seth used and both of the spells Amhir cast. I’m not sure about the limitations, yet.”

“Whatever the limits, that’s an impressive ability!” Kaylastal exclaimed. “Although, there is one problem. How will you keep this a secret, we can’t have anyone else finding out.”

I shrugged, “I hadn’t really thought of that; actually I was planning to just duel as much as possible to help Val learn more magic. After getting punched by Amhir, I also realized that I need to learn how to fight.”

He shook his head as a laugh rumbled from his throat. “No! No, absolutely not,” he said as he returned to his seat. “You’d be exposed in no time, then half the school would be trying to kill you and the other half would be afraid to fight you since they wouldn’t want you copying their spells. No, we need another plan.”

“We?” I asked, confused and concerned about his intentions.

He nodded.

“You just threatened to kill me.”

The professor burst into laughter. “I was testing your resolve, is all. I want to help you, Dexter.” He locked eyes with me, all amusement fading from his expression. “If you’ll let me, that is.”

I didn’t know what to think, or how to feel. Given how he handled Jyanna and her uncle, it seemed likely that Donovan Kaylastal was no ordinary teacher. He would have influence and connections that might prove useful if he was willing to use them on my behalf. At the same time, I couldn’t see any benefit to him in helping me and that worried me.

If he wanted Valentina, or had some other sinister agenda, I doubted there was much I could do to stop him, but even still… I found myself wanting to believe him.

Professor Kaylastal sat quietly with his hands clasped together as I processed through my thoughts. I could feel his gaze, but I didn't meet his eyes. After several long silent moments, he said, “At least let me recommend another place you can go to learn spells without drawing unwanted attention.”

I glanced over at Valentina, hoping to find some answer or assurance in her, but she just smiled sweetly.

With a heavy sigh, I nodded, turning and meeting Donovan’s gaze. “I’ll accept your help, but don't expect anything in return. Thanks to The Society Of Magical Things, I won’t have a single sparkz until my hair is gray and I won't let myself be used to achieve someone else's ambitions or desires. If you aren’t okay with that, then just forget it.”

The professor smiled and winked before nodding his approval. Then he said, “Let’s order some dinner, then I’ll tell you how to find a secret dueling ring.”