Rueln Layheart

The class fell completely silent, frozen as they waited for me to react, but with my soulforce still very active, it was Vhal’s icy anger that filled me. “Lower your wand,” I warned him.

“I don’t think I will.”

“I will not warn you again. Lower your wand,” I said, already reaching through Vhal’s memory for magic she was familiar with. I was growing very skilled at recall at a rapid rate, and it was almost easy to find something that I could use against him. I was sure I could copy her. My only concern was, would I have enough mana to pull it off?

“Scared you don’t have a teacher here to protect you this time?” He taunted.

“No,” I said, my anger I’ve built toward him all day beginning to leak into my voice. “But you should be.”

He laughed at me. “You’re pretty ribbon is nothing compared to my lightning!”

“Let me show you how you’re wrong,” I said, and raised my wand. The mana I had been building in my hand while he wasted his breath burst out, fire forming into a whip rather than a ribbon like it had before. I twisted the wand over my head, building enough force, and threw it toward Marqus. The other boy’s mouth was open, startled by the strength of my spell compared to his own. I had dozens of years more experience as long as I used Vhal as a medium, and he needed to learn to watch where he stepped. Otherwise, he might step in his own shit.

I threw the whip in front of him. It cracked in the air, roaring with heat. I avoided hitting him directly, knowing I would be in more trouble than the kid who had cast the heat aura earlier. He was just stupid. I wanted to make a point.

With another flick, the end of my whip swung back, curving around Marques, but before it could touch him and burn, I whispered my final spell. “Scatter.” Dozens of miniature bursts of fire exploded around him from every direction, scaring him more than harming him. He screamed and fell backwards onto his rear, his clothes now singed and pristine hair mussed and singed around the edges. There was the distinctive smell of burned hair in the air that made me curl my nose up in disgust as I walked toward him. I was amused to see he no longer had eyebrows.

“Wha-What was that?!” He demanded, his confident tone higher pitched and more frightened than usual. He wasn’t nearly as intimidating as he thought he was.

“Sorry,” I said, repeating his first words to me. “You should really be more carful and watch who you point your wand at.” I walked past him, not bothering to watch where I stepped, walking right over his fingers. “I don’t know what your problem is with me, nor do I care. From now on, just stay out of my way.” I returned to my seat and waited for the teacher to return.

Marqus took the hint. Beyond a glare thrown in my direction, he didn’t retaliate. At least not yet. I wasn’t sure this lesson would stick long term. He seemed like the stubborn type, but I hoped he was at least smarter than Pip. I guess I should at least confirm if the ‘she’ he mentioned was Bria. Ew. That idea still was gross. What did he like her or something? Like boy and girl like her? I made a face and lay my head down on the desk.

What was everyone’s obsession with her? Out of everyone, I should probably have the most reason to be, but I honestly didn’t care all that much. I rather live my own life, anyway. I didn’t want to be known as Vhal in this life. It was more trouble than it was worth.

“That was really cool, Rueln,” someone whispered beside me. I looked up to see one of Bria’s friends, Tara, had come over to talk to me. I had forgotten she was in this class. “You are really good with magic. I guess that is why you transferred to the advanced class.”

“Yeah,” I mumbled, looking away. “Thanks.”

“You know, we have room at our table. If you like, why don’t you sit with me and my friends at the noon meal?” I watched her smile at me through the side of my eyes and considered it. I needed to get closer to Bria and going through one of her friends seemed more natural than me kissing up to her directly after all the awkward classes sitting with her, where I struggled to tolerate her.

“Okay,” I said, hesitating. I’ll probably regret this. “Thanks.”

Her smile bloomed, and she tucked a lock of dark brown hair behind her ear. Why were all of Bria’s friends so pretty? They had no right to be. “Wonderful. I’ll see you then.”

“Alright.” I agreed, keeping my voice low as she turned and walked back to her seat, a bit more pep in her step at my acceptance.

Girls are weird.

I didn’t see Kead, Ghus, or Tagen after class on my way to the dining hall. Guessing they would probably wait for me at our usual table, I didn’t want to hurt their feelings that I wasn’t sitting with them today. I wanted to give them a heads up so it didn’t look like I was just ditching them out of the blue. I just had to catch them first.

As I passed the statue near the main entrance, I spotted Tris and jogged up to walk beside her. Maybe she would be nice enough to do me a favor. “Hey, Tris,” I greeted her, nodding to the girl who was walking with her. “Can I talk to you a second?”

“Fine. What do you want?” She asked, not pausing for even a moment so there was any illusion of privacy between us. I think she even sped up.

“Would you be willing to tell Ghus and the guys that I won’t be eating with them today, but I’ll explain later?” I asked.

“And why should I do anything for you?” She stopped, looking at me for the first time, her nose curling up when she saw me full on. “What’s in your hair?”

I almost forgot about it. Self consciously, I brought my hand up to cover the worst of my hair. “It’s nothing. Please, would you?”

“No.” She said, and turned, walking with her friend again who giggled at our exchange.

“Tris, please? It’s important.”

“What’s in it for me?”

“What do you want? All I’m asking is for you to deliver a message,” I complained, frustrated with her.

“I want you to tell me the truth,” she hissed at me, venom practically spitting at me.

“Truth about what?” I asked, taken aback.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Why you are following Ghus, Tegan, and Kead?” she said, not afraid of getting into my face. I was so thrown, I took a step back. I didn’t think I had done anything to her to make her this angry with me. What was her problem?

“What are you talking about? They are my friends.”

“What would someone like you want to be friends with them for? None of us have a sponsor. None of us are famous enough to make some noble drool over possessing us like a collection of dolls! Why would you want to be friends with them? Just leave them alone before they get hurt!” She pressed her lips together, her eyes glistening with angry tears. Where was this hostility coming from? She wasn’t like this just yesterday. What happened since then?

“I don’t know what you mean,” I told her, my confusion obvious on my face and in my voice.

“I’m talking about how your sponsor is a Milon! One of the most important noble families in the empire!”

“Tris?” her friend said, nervously, pulling at her arm.

Tris pulled free. “I’ll be there in a second. Go on.”

“Okay?” she said, hesitating, but in the end she left me and Tris alone.

“How-How did you find out about that?” I asked, my heart dropping into my stomach. I had a feeling I already knew.

Crossing her arms, she glared at me. “What does it matter? It’s all over the academy. Just stay away from my cousin. We don’t need to glorify ourselves in your shadow. One wrong word from us and your noble can have us snatched away from our families!”

“Ghus is my friend,” I insisted, hurt at what she was telling me. “I don’t want that.” Was that why she was so angry with me? She thought hanging around me would get taken from their families just because Lord Balec was a Milon? Lord Balec doesn’t care about that. He doesn’t even care about taking me. He’s made that clear.

Tris frowned, quickly wiping at her face as if afraid I had seen she was crying. I pretended not to notice. “Then why did you tell everyone you’re Lanarie Aairith and that you're sponsored by some powerful noble?”

“I didn’t,” I said, glancing around cautiously. My stomach twisted in knots at the idea, though I knew that getting the word out was part of the plan. It was just unexpected that it had gotten so far out of control. "I only told my friends. I didn’t want it to get out.” A bit of a lie. I wanted Bria to find out, but not like this.

“They wouldn’t spread it around,” she mumbled, having known them longer than I have. “It sounded like you’ve been bragging about it.”

“That’s stupid,” I said bluntly. “I don’t care about that.”

“Then who did?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted freely. “But I think I know how. Marqus caused me to fall earlier, before the first bell. I think I lost a letter from the Director to my sponsor when I dropped my stuff. Someone must have picked it up and read it.”

“Why would someone do that?”

“I don’t know. I don’t even know why Marqus has been on my back all morning, either. Something’s going on, but I don’t want to drag my friends into it.”

Tris studied me, and I could almost see the thoughts churning behind her eyes before she decided. “Fine,” she said. “I’ll trust you. I’ll tell the boys you’re not sitting with them today.” She paused, then asked, “Where are you going then? Are you going to skip lunch and avoid everyone?”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “I got invited by Tara Pagus to sit with her today.”

Tris’s mouth fell open, then all at once her glare was back and she marched off. “I take it back.”

“Wait!” I protested, jogging after her. “What’s wrong now?”

“You! You’re a hypocrite! You tell me you don’t care about all that and then you decide you’re going to sit with them?!”

I think I saw the point she was getting at.

“I don’t want to sit with them,” I complained. “Why would I want to go over and sit with a bunch of girls?”

“And what’s wrong with girls?!” Tris snapped, whirling on me again.

I recognize I might have made a mistake.

“Uh-I…” I panicked, “I didn’t mean you.”

“Well, I’m a girl, aren’t I?!” she said.

We argued all the way to the dining hall, and I unconsciously followed Tris over to our usual table, only for Tara to appear at my side and grab my hand. I admit I jumped in surprise at the sudden contact.

“There you are, Rueln!” She said, smiling at me, then looking pointedly at Tris. “Oh, hi, Tris,” she said, though not in a way she was happy to see her.

Tris snorted and rolled her eyes, not acknowledging her at all. When she glanced over at me, I asked her with my eyes if she would relay my message as she had promised. She gave me a curt nod, then turned her back to me as someone practically kidnapped me. Some friend she was, but I guess I had agreed to this.

“Can you let go of my hand?” I asked, but she only smiled at me as if I were teasing her. I wasn’t.

“Come on, you can sit with me. I saved you a seat,” she announced, guiding me through the crowd of kids that always flocked to this table during lunch. I passed several familiar faces before I practically fell into the seat beside her and looked around. “Guys,” Tara said, proudly. “This is Rueln Layheart. I told you what he did in class. His magic is amazing.”

Bria looked up at my name, sitting just across the table from us, and smiled, her eyes sparkling with surprise. “Rueln! Hi, Tara said she invited you. I’m so happy you could join us.”

“Yeah,” I mumbled uncomfortably, but I didn’t think anyone heard me.

“I knew your magic would be wonderful,” Bria said, reminding me she had asked to see it before and I didn’t want to show her. I still thought that was a bad idea, but she’s probably heard from Tara that I my nature is fire. “Can you show us?”

“Uh-,” I said, scrambling for an excuse. “I... I don’t have a wand.” That one works.

“Oh, right. It’s harder from some without one,” Bria said, as if pitying my lack of ability.

“I can ask for a wand from my sponsor,” Tara said unhelpfully. “I know she’ll give one to me.”

“Oh, no... That’s not…,” I paled, shaking my head. Grinding my teeth, I played with the idea. If I let this go on, they were going to expect me to come over here and sit with them every day. Sorry, but no. They kept talking over me, which helped nothing, other kids at the table getting in on the plotting of having their own personal magic show.

“What about at your party, Bria,” Tara suggested, and I glanced over at her, confused. “He can show us there. I can bring the wand then. You can even keep it if you like.”

I bet you are just saying that, so I’ll show off for you again. I don’t even need it. “What party?” I asked, fighting a frown. I was supposed to be friendly, make friends, not scowl at everyone.

“Oh, right, I was going to invite you, Rueln, but you seemed troubled in class,” Bria said, jumping in her seat, delighted to be reminded of it. “Here, I have the invitation.” Reaching down, she pulled out a blue invitation decorated with silver roses. It looked uncomfortably like my comb. “I’m having a tea party with some friends, and I thought you might like to go. We can get to know each other and maybe you can get over your shyness.” This girl smiled at me as if I was being coy this entire time.

I don’t want to go to your party.

I can’t say that.

My hand reached out, and I took the invitation, forcing my lips to curve up. “Thanks, Bria. You’re the best.” Lie. That is a lie, but she doesn’t need to know that.

“You’re so sweet, Rue. Can I call you Rue?”

No.

“The party’s next week. Everyone is inviting their sponsors. My parents insist on it.”

“Parents?” I asked, surprised. She’s a noble? A real one?

“My sponsors adopted me,” she giggled. “Didn’t you know?”

I thought back to her father talking to Papa back when we were waiting in line in the hall of memory. What happened to him?

“I’ll… ask.”

“Please, I would love to meet Lord Balec. I’ve heard so much about him.”

At my sponsor’s name leaving her lips, I froze, staring at her in shock and watching a knowing smile spread over her face that was far too aware. She was the same age as me, but the political mind wasn’t one of a child. Whoever she really was, held experience in court.

“Wha-”

Bria giggled, playing innocent like she hadn’t just revealed something important to me. “It’s so wonderful to see my mother again in this life, and you are still just as beautiful as I remember.”