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The following day, I went to the Stone Circle and found Alex there instead of Mavis. Witch meant they were back. The butterflies in my stomach went into a frenzy, threatening to explode from within me. “What are you doing here?”
“Oh, good morning to you too, Sophie,” Alex said, with such a wide grin I could see his pearly whites. “Mavis had to leave and asked me to assist you. Not that projection or sight is my domain.”
“She left? Why?”
“It sounded urgent. I didn’t ask. So I’m afraid you are stuck with me.”
I chuckled. “It’s not like that. Mrs. Beatty was supposed to give me my results today.”
“Results?”
“She let me do a domain aptitude test yesterday.”
He frowned, but then his lips curved into a smile. “Interesting.”
“So, how are you going to help me?”
“Not with the elements. Drake might be a better teacher than I am with your elements.”
At his name my heart skipped a beat again, just imagining Drake teaching me about the elements of Spirit was enough to send me into a frenzy. I wondered if I would learn something?
“Follow me.” Alex walked out of the Stone Circle and walked in the opposite direction toward the training court.
“So how was your mission?”
“I’d rather not talk about it, if you don’t mind.”
“That bad huh?”
He glared at me.
I put my hands up, “fine I won’t ask.”
All I can tell you is that that the Lost one was a chimera or a manticore, but we were too late and the Guild already dealt with them. When King Avery dethroned the Phoenix Monarchy, a lot of manticores and chimeras had left.”
“So you were around when the phoenix still ruled?”
“Yes, the times were much harder than now for our faes. Plenty of faes had dwellings inside caves and deep into the forests, teaching their kids to hide their gift. My father was the one that guided mine forward and taught me to control my gift. During that time we had a shield amongst our dwellings that kept the magic contained, for extra protection”
“Is your father still alive?”
“He is. He is celebrating his one-hundred-and-seventy-fifth birthday soon.”
“Wow.”
We reached the platforms where the shifters trained, and Alex walked straight to them. He jumped on the podium. “Let’s see what you got, Sophie?”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” He smiled. “Where did you learn to fight, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Sex trafficking is a big thing in the parts where I come from. So my mother enrolled me in a defense class for a year. I hated it, but I had to admit, it felt great when I thought my life was in danger.”
Alex chuckled. “It’s good to know that you have the basics. A fae needs to know how to protect herself as well as knowing how to use her abilities.”
I took a deep sigh as tears threatened to prick.
“What?”
“You sound like my mother.”
Silence lingered.
“Sorry, Sophie.”
I shook my head.
“They are holding up,” Alex said. “They’ll be fine with time, I promise.”
I wasn’t so sure about that fine comment. I knew my parents, and hoped this didn’t pull them apart like it did with most families. “You checked up on them?”
“We look in on all the Lost Ones’ families. There is a list, to be honest.”
“You look in on Brooke’s family, too?”
“Not as much as we used to, but yes.” He motioned to me with his hand to show him what it was I could do.
It was throwing and grips, and my favorite, the move where you attack the four sensitive areas of the body, which was the Solar Plexus, Instep, Nose, and Groin, also known as SING. Alex was on the floor grunting, begging for a break.
“That gives me time to get away,” I said as he was on his knees, body curled up. “Sorry.” I hated this but felt proud of myself.
“I feel for Drake.”
“Yeah, he didn’t budge with the instep or the nose, though. And he grabbed me so hard that I couldn’t go for the solar plexus or the groin.”
Alex chuckled and got up. “He fought back. He wasn’t your guinea pig to do with as you please.”
True.
“But as lethal as you are with grips, you need to learn how to attack.” Alex went straight into fighting mode. “First, you need to learn how to stand correctly.”
He taught me the beginning of a fighting stance, how to keep my fists shielding my face. Alex moved my thumbs in order not to hurt myself when I punched someone.
It wasn’t easy to make a fist to punch, but I got what he was showing me with my thumbs in the way, and how easily I could break a thumb if I didn’t place it in the right spot. By having the thumb in the right position it would reinforce the first for a harder blow.
Next, Alex taught me how to kick with a knee. It was easy, and it was my best limb for now until my arms became stronger for the punches and my core muscles built up a bit more.
My butt screamed as I had to practice knee kicks on a dummy while he checked if I did it right.
The poor guy was still hurting but it didn’t stop him from finishing this task.
We practiced a few punches too. The sweat dripped from my body, and I breathed like a bull. My lungs burned, my muscles begged for relief and my bones started to ache.
“I think you got the basics. Let’s call it a day.”
“Does everyone at Earwyn take fighting this seriously?”
“Pretty much everyone.” Alex walked with a limp, and I had to suppress my laughter.
“Sorry,” I said, he just shook his head.
“Drake warned me this morning, but I had to see it for myself.”
We said goodbye at the hedges, and I rushed back as Alex limped toward the graduates’ quarters.
Brooke was going to pee herself when I told her.
All three of my roommates scurried to get ready for class as I entered the room.
“Is it true Mavis is not here?” Nikki asked.
“Yes, she had some business elsewhere.” I walked into the bathroom to take a shower.
The girls still twittered until the water drowned them out. When I got out, it was only Brooke left in the room.
She had a massive smile on her face, packing her books for today’s classes in her bag.
“You know he is back?”
“Yes, he came just after you left and woke me up. Man, I miss him way too much when he leaves.”
“They were not gone that long.”
“I know, but in my defense, I am bound to the guy.”
We both laughed.
She grabbed her bag and put the one strap over her shoulder. “See you later?”
I nodded and got ready for the day. I couldn’t wait to see Drake.
26
I had both dimensional manipulation and healing today.
The healing class was similar to Biology. Shelfs holding glass cases covered three walls and shelves containing bottles of ingredients and little cauldrons covered the Sovereign’s desk above the green board.
The tables were stacked in lab formation, five tables grouped together by six chairs..
I sat down next to Nikki. There were plenty of other faes who took this class. Craig sat opposite Nikki and me with another male fae with dark brown hair.
“Philip.” He reached out to me with an open hand. His handshake was firm.
“Sophie.”
“Oh, everyone knows who you are.”
Nikki laughed. “Philip is an Earth fae, too. Most of the students in this class are Earth faes. You get the occasional Frost eagle like Nina over there,” Nikki said, pointing to a girl with red hair. She had a beak covering her lips. “And duredina, like Bridgette, who is in that group.” Antlers protruded from her dark brown hair.
Hank stormed into the class and lifted his hand. Blinds rolled down one after the other, shutting out the light. “Open your pages to a hundred-and-thirty-seven; the Congestion Tonic.” He spoke in that deep voice of his as he looked around the class, his gaze rested on me before moving on.
“You will need to learn how to make this one before we can move on to the Faeus Nonaglacies, aka Fairy tonic.”
Everyone gasped.
“Fairy brews are very complicated. It must be precise because it could kill a fae if the measurements are wrong,” Nikki whispered as Hank continued to speak about the one we were about to make today. It was a standard tonic that could heal the flu quickly and acted as an immune booster.
We did theory for the first half an hour, then suddenly cauldrons flew from the shelves and landed perfectly in front of each student. Tins filled with ingredients came next, with each table ending up with four containers and a bottle of opaque liquid. The bottle was labeled ‘Diluted Blood Tree Sap.’
“You have half an hour to brew the tonic, so I suggest you get started.”
I followed the procedure to the t, pushing through as one of my headaches started to bloom.
The tonic’s color looked all wrong when I finished, and it smelled way too sweet.
Hank walked through the class, inspecting what we had brewed.
I didn’t dare to take a sip of mine.
Nikki’s tonic smelled and looked very similar to the image in our textbook.
She was really great in this class.
When the bell rang, it was time for P.E.
“Sophie, could you please stay for a few minutes,” Hank said while I was busy packing up.
I walked up to his desk. He pushed himself out of his chair and stood in front of me. His hands immediately cupped my temples.
“How did you know?”
“I told you before, it has a certain beacon. I don’t have to touch you to feel it.”
“Today’s buzz and heat are more potent. Did you follow the recipe to the t?” Hank asked.
“I did. Maybe I don’t have healing in me.”
“Nonsense. You are learning advanced classes. You don’t know the basics of treating the cauldron, the flame, and the ingredients like the others do, but you will get there. I will give you a list of reading material that would help. It will teach you the basic techniques. You can find the books in the library.”
“Thank you.”
Hank’s touches felt good, I practically melted in his palms as a soft moan escaped my lips. When he let go of my head, he looked at the stone around my neck before clasping it in his fist, closing his eyes. He opened his eyes and said, “The stone isn’t doing what it’s set out to do. Do you mind leaving it with me so that I can figure out what is wrong with it?”
I nodded and took off the necklace. There was no sign of a headache, just like that night in the bar when Maverick took it away.
Hank scribbled on a piece of paper and handed it to me. “To give to your next class’s Sovereign.”
He grabbed a form that already had a list of books on it and wrote a few more. “Below are the books that I suggest you read.” He handed it to me.
“Thank you.”
“It’s my pleasure.” He smiled. The beak still freaked me out. I couldn’t stop wondering why Xander’s beak had disappeared.
I rushed up to my room to get ready for P. E and put on my uniform. I was terribly late, but thanks to Hank’s note, I had a great excuse.
My strides were considerable as I rushed to the training grounds and saw the faces of the shifters in combat. Some were fighting on the podiums, and others were sitting on the bleachers next to the platforms.
With Mavis gone, the graduates were helping out for the day.
My eyes quickly found Drake standing with his back toward me as I ran up the bleachers. His arms folded in front of his chest, pacing the length of the first block where two shifters were fighting against each other.
Chase was fighting on the block opposite, and I had to admit he had some skills.
I sat next to Nikki and Brooke.
“Where the hell were you?” Brooke whispered.
“With Hank. He healed my headache.” I clasped my hands in my lap.
Brooke smiled and hugged me. “She is back.”
“You haven’t met my magic hands yet, Soph,” Sam said from behind me, and I looked over my shoulder and squinted.
“You can heal too?” My tone was severe. “I didn’t see you in Hank’s class.”
“I don’t need that stupid class. If the flame is the same color, you will find out just how powerful of a griffin I am.”
“That is a big if, Sam,” I said and flicked his cat-ear, but my finger just went straight through.
His lips fanned out into a huge grin. “What are you doing?”
“Nothing,” I chirped, feeling like an idiot.
“No, what was that flick?” Sam asked.
I couldn’t believe that my finger had gone straight through. It meant that his cat-ears weren’t really there.
“Give it a rest before you give me another headache.”
He leaned in to say something else when an empty scrunched-up tin hit him straight in the head. The act alone was funny enough to elicit a roaring laughter from the students, but the look on his face was the bonus.
“Pay attention, all of you. It’s not a social hour!” Drake barked.
I looked at him, but he was back to his broody, silent self.
“Ow,” Sam complained, rubbing his head.
“What is wrong with the Fire-Bird?” I asked Brooke.
“Oh, I can think of a few reasons.” Her lips curved.
“Seriously, if it’s not the one Evans, it’s the other one,” Sam complained, still rubbing his head where the can had hit him. Brooke and I had to suppress our laughter.
“Well, he is griffin too, Sam,” Brooke said.
“Thank you, captain obvious. But, he is not the right griffin, so he should just step out of this lane.”
“What lane?” I asked Sam.
“The Sophie Emerson’s lane,” Sam chirped, and all the cat-ears close to us sniggered.
“You are going to get another tin in your face soon.” I looked at Sam, and one connected with my arm and landed on my lap.
I looked at it. “Ow.” I picked up the can and threw it back in Drake’s direction. My aim was way off.
“Pay attention,” Drake ordered again, without a hint of a smile.
I pulled my face at him as he turned back, all serious, ready to fight.
Xander and Emile struggled to keep their laughter across the podium.
Drake had to be careful. Everyone would see that something was going on if he kept being so overprotective.
“You are playing on death’s front step, Sophie,” Nikki whispered.
“Pfft, he is a griffin, too.”
The ones close to us, snorted.
A buzzer went off, and it was time for a change-up.
Drake motioned with his finger for our entire group to come.
“I’m a lover, not a fighter,” I said.
“That won’t work on me,” Drake bit back. “Get down here.”
“C’mon, Sophie,” Chase yelled. “I promise to take it easy on you.”
“Oh, hell no.”
“Sophie,” Alex said, and I looked at him.
“I don’t know how to attack. He is going to kill me.”
Alex gave me a raised eyebrow, and all the graduates laughed. “Just sing.”
I laughed, and got up. “Fine.”
“Sophie can sing?” Chase asked and looked at Alex as I walked toward the platform.
“Oh, like a nightingale, Chase,” Alex said.
Parvati’s laughter came from the other side of the podium, where she stood next to Maverick.
Chase looked at her. “Why am I not in on this joke?”
“Not everything is about you,” I said while I walked up to the mat and took my shoes off.
“Awe you scared,” I mimicked Tweety Bird.
Chase shared a look with his brother. “The broken nose was Sophie?”
More laughter erupted as Drake glared at his brother with arms folded.
I got my chance as Chase waited for an answer from Drake and grabbed his arm, stepped closer to him and threw him over my shoulder, grunting as I struggled with his weight.
Parvati and Maverick applauded.
“Whoohoo.” Brooke yelled out.
“That is cheating. I wasn’t ready.” He rolled up onto his heels, but wasn’t quick enough to hide his smile. “I was going to take it easy on you.”
He came for me, but I managed somehow to block his punch and kneed him in the side. It took only a moment for him to lose focus before I swept his leg from under him, landing him on his back again. Boy I was on fire!
“Who the hell is this chick?” He got up and fought harder. It was a bit more difficult to block all his punches, and when his knee connected with my side, he turned me around and got me in the exact grip his brother had, but not that strong.
It was time to SING. My arms connected hard with Chase’s Solar Plexus, then my heel stomped on his foot, then the back of my head connected with his nose, as the side of my palm connected with his groin.
Chase was grunting on the ground. I threw up both of my arms in defeat of my opponent. “You can at least make this harder…”
A leg came at me from the back, falling the air expelled from my lungs. Pain seared through my arm as laughter broke out.
I complained as Chase rolled back into his fetus position, groaning.
Alex looked down at me. “Always be on alert, Sophie.”
The buzzer went off, and I got up walking back to the bleachers.
Chase asked Alex for time out with his hands. Drake’s shoulders shook with silent laughter.
“Mav,” Alex called as Chase struggled off the podium, and Maverick followed him.
“Where the hell did you learn how to do that?” Brooke sounded shocked.
“My mom was paranoid, and she enrolled me in defense classes. That is only defense, Brooke.”
“Did you sing with Drake, too?” Cali asked.
