“Neil, why don’t you help Renee bring in the refreshments?” Calida interrupted, her smile bright. “I’m sure she’d appreciate the help.” She turned her smile on the Headmaster. “Was it Terius you needed or Dexter? I’m afraid Terius has already left for tonight on some important business, but Dexter is in the study. I’d be happy to fetch him for you.”
The Headmaster paused, seeming to weigh something in his mind, before he smiled grandly in answer to Calida. “That would be lovely, if it isn’t too much trouble. I need to approve his lesson plans, seeing as there is no time to call a full board meeting before tomorrow, given the change of instructors.”
“We appreciate your flexibility in this matter,” Calida said, smoothly. “Dexter is a wonderful teacher, you won’t regret the switch.”
“I sincerely hope not.” The Headmaster settled back in his chair.
Awkward silence descended upon the room as Neil stood frozen in place and Calida remained exactly where she was, unwilling to leave him alone in the room. The Headmaster didn’t seem to take notice of it, simply staring into the virtual fireplace as if it were the most mesmerizing thing in the room.
Calida gestured at him out of sight, to move.
He couldn’t though, having discovered that his feet were firmly fixed to the ground. It was difficult not to panic, even as he recalled that he hadn’t felt or seen any spells headed his way. His magic fizzled miserably as he tried to free himself and failed.
“If it is too much trouble to interrupt him now, I could wait a while,” the Headmaster suggested. He crossed his legs and rested on heavily ringed finger upon his knee. The signet rings gleamed in the amber light.
“I-it isn’t any trouble at all,” Calida said. She laughed, twisting her hands together in front of her. “I-I’ll just be going to get him. It’d be awful of us to make you wait—very long.”
But she did not move.
Neil worked in vain to free his stuck feet, trying to guess when the spell had been cast, and whether it was the Headmaster who had activated it. He doubted any of the Baronsworths’ would have, but it was difficult to tell. His magic sensitivity was practically null. There was no way he could be sure about an inter-realm, mage-class magic user such as the Headmaster.
The silence stretched for another minute, before Headmaster Grond sighed. “As amusing as this is, you had best hurry and help the other Mrs. Baronsworth, Mr. Hewitt, before our host decides to try another distraction tactic to ensure your continued good temper.”
Neil’s face flamed as movement returned to his legs. He understood the phrase when he caught sight of the flicker of golden magic at Calida’s right hand, hidden behind her back. She’d been trying to help him.
He backed out of the room and all but ran down the hall to the kitchen. He skidded around the corner and straight into Renee’s strong arms. She caught him, steadying with one hand and comforting with the other that gently brushed his hair away from his forehead.
She put a finger to her lips at his questioning glance and released him from the unexpected embrace. “I could use a hand with the refreshments,” she said, clearly. Her head tipped towards the hallway where he’d just come. “But if you wouldn’t mind taking these to Bevi and the others first, it’d be wonderful.”
He didn’t want to take anything to Bevi—the woman seemed to have classified him as something to be grudgingly tolerated—but he wanted to face the Headmaster even less. He flinched when Renee tousled his hair again. Her magic was comforting and thick, unlike Calida’s.
“It’s not that bad,” she whispered, for his ears alone. “She doesn’t bite—much.”
~*~*~*~*~*~
Neil found himself standing outside of a silver door twice the size of every other door he’d passed so far. It was locked with standard biometric measures and a magical signature log. He squared his shoulders and knocked firmly on the center, twice, as per Renee’s instructions.
The tray of three blood-red cocktails was carefully balanced on his other hand. He waited a full minute, counting the seconds in his head until he could knock again. Renee had been very specific as to how he was to interrupt them.
She’d said something about a training room, serious practice and interruptions that could cause life-or-death situations. He’d been strictly warned not to try and open the door, but to knock and wait.
He was about to knock for the second time when the massive door slid open to the side. A scowling Bevi glowered down at him. He held out the tray of drinks and took a step back.
She wrinkled her nose and cast a look up and down the hallway, before taking one of the glasses. “Oi! Come up here,” she took another glass from the tray and handed them off to her fellow Gheyos.
Audrey downed half of her glass in a single gulp. “Ah, that’s good.” She said, licking her lips. “Renee is amazing.”
Bevi didn’t answer. She drained her glass and set it back on the tray. “Put it back in the kitchen,” she growled. Brushing past Neil, she headed towards the sitting room, a faint glimmer in her eyes.
“Kitchen,” Lucci said, adding his glass to the tray. “Hurry up, Audrey.”
“I’m hurrying, I’m hurrying,” Audrey rolled her eyes, handing over the emptied glass. “Stay in the kitchen, alright? It’ll be safer.” She ducked around Neil and started down the hallway after Bevi.
Neil backtracked to the kitchen, noting that Lucci hadn’t gone with them. The moment he stepped into the kitchen, a strong ripple of magic stabbed through him. He whirled around, only to find an invisible barrier locking him there.
Hammering on the barrier didn’t produce any helpful results. Neil took the dishes to the sink and left them there. He tried to push against the barrier, but that did nothing. The barrier was soft and tingly to the touch, but it didn’t give under pressure.
Biting his lip, Neil pressed one ear to the doorway.
“…Headmaster Grond, what a pleasant surprise,” Bevi drawled. “I wouldn’t have expected to meet you so soon again.”
~*~*~*~*~*~
“Lady Beryl,” Headmaster Grond rose halfway from his chair at the sight of Bevi entering the sitting room. “Or is Lady Baronsworth now? I was not aware that you had chosen such unique individuals for your personal-”
“Haven’t you heard the rumors? Or did you have to see for yourself?” Bevi seated herself opposite of him, mirroring the subtle pose. “Headmaster Grond, what a pleasant surprise. I wouldn’t have expected to meet you so soon again.”
“I wish I could say the same for you. Did you travel well?”
“The trip was fine,” Bevi gave a slight jerk of her head to the corner of the room. Audrey had shadowed her there and she now broke away, heading for the private study where Ty and Dexter were busy scheming. “Thank you for asking.”
“It would be rude of me, otherwise,” the Headmaster said, smoothly. “You’ll be staying long?”
“Only as long as absolutely necessary. Believe me, I wouldn’t encroach upon your territory any longer than needed.”
“How kind and understanding of you.”
Bevi smiled, tightly. “But of course. My mother made sure I had manners befitting my station.”
“You know him?” Calida ventured, a slightly injured look sent to her Ace.
“We know of each other,” the Headmaster interjected. “There is a difference.”
“We are well-acquainted,” Bevi said, picking at something along the top of her shin-guards. “Purely out of good manners, I assure you.”
“Er, right,” Calida looked between them, before inching back to sit on the sofa, out of their line of sight. The tension in the room had risen by several notches and she didn’t see it easing up any time soon.
A shadow flickered at her left and she knew that Lucci was within the room and keeping close to her, most likely at Bevi’s command. She shifted restlessly on the sofa, then started forward to pour the refreshments that Renee had brought.
&n
bsp; Renee stopped her with a single hand and a smile. “No need to trouble yourself, I’ll do it.” She poured drinks for everyone and handed them out, her smile neutral.
Headmaster Grond accepted the glass, his dark eyes narrowing when his gaze rested on Calida.
“Headmaster Grond!” Dexter’s cheerful voice drew everyone’s attention. He entered the room like a breath of fresh air, a fat portfolio filled to bursting, tucked under one arm. “I’m so sorry to keep you waiting.” He slipped into the seat where Bevi was, ousting her without a single word of apology.
Renee grabbed her drink before it could spill and quickly inserted herself between the Ace and Beta as Bevi stumbled awkwardly to her feet.
“Ah, Mr. Baronsworth-”
“Please, call me Dexter,” he said. He flashed a smile, showing more fang than necessary. “I drew these up last night and overlaid them with a curriculum I used three years ago for a personal training camp for…”
~*~*~*~*~*~
“Stop it, already,” Renee scolded, tugging Bevi into the protected kitchen, ignoring the shorter woman’s struggles. “You’ll hurt yourself and I won’t like it.”
“Then stop trying to strangle me and—ugh!” Bevi twisted free, her face red and her body quivering with suppressed rage. “That sneaky little-!”
“How do you know the Headmaster? I thought we were coming in blind here.”
“I didn’t know if it’d be him or someone else,” Bevi grumbled. “I just knew that when we were sent here, her ladyship expected me to use my history.”
“Use your—oh, but that wasn’t what you were expecting, was it?” Renee said. She hugged Bevi before giving her a push towards the kitchen table. “And Neil stop trying to look invisible, we can both see you.”
“W-what was all of that about?” Neil sputtered.
“That,” Bevi said, tempering her glare. “Is a warning you should keep in mind. Don’t put yourself in a situation to be alone with that man. He’s not what he seems.”
“Is he—is he dragel?”
“Him?” Bevi snorted.
“That?” Renee echoed.
They shook their heads in unison.
“Most certainly not,” Bevi said. “Your instincts really are all screwed up, aren’t they? It should be enough for you to know that he’s not someone to get tangled up with. Trust your elders for once.”
Neil scowled. He didn’t see the point in telling her that his ‘elders’ had never been worthy of any sort of trust in his entire life up to then.
~*~*~*~*~*~
“So you’re going to scout then?” Calida asked. She’d been tucked up on the sofa with a blanket and plied with her favorite tea and snacks, as her Gheyos prepared to leave. “All three of you?”
“As if I’m leaving any of these idiots behind,” Bevi grumbled. She thumped both Lucci and Audrey on the head as she passed them. The trio was dressed in lightweight, flexible armor, casting a formfitting silhouette.
Lucci had an x-shaped bracer crisscrossed over his torso, holding several small throwing knives, just barely visible. Audrey had a pair of tonfa wedged into their respective holders on her back. Bevi didn’t seem to have any sort of weapon.
Neil watched with interest as they took turns applying protective spells to each other. He guessed the spells worked better if cast by someone other than the wearer. There had been a mention of that in magical theory.
“We’ll be back by nightfall,” Bevi said, straightening up. “Eyes and ears open, you two.”
“Nightfall?” Lucci repeated. “Bevi!” He gave her an injured look. “We’re faster than that. It shouldn’t take longer than a few hours.”
“Stand here and keep talking and those few hours will multiply,” Audrey said, sweetly. “Come on, you.”
Grumbling, Lucci shuffled out after her. Bevi paused to kiss the top of Calida’s head as she passed. “Try not to need anything before then, alright?”
“How about ‘try not to get yourselves into trouble’?” Calida countered. “At least make an effort to be discreet?”
“Aren’t we always?” Bevi winked.
Calida shook her head, but waved as she disappeared from view. Bevi could be charming, when she wanted to and if Calida asked her to stay invisible, then they’d do exactly that. She’d refrained from making specific requests, trusting their judgment instead.
“What are they going to do?” Neil eased himself onto the sofa. He drew his knees up to his chest and folded his arms over them. Even though the day wasn’t even halfway over, he was feeling tired already.
“Exactly what Bevi said. She needs to know the lay of the academy, inside and out.”
“So they’re mapping it?” Neil frowned. “Why don’t they just request the schematics of the Academy? It’s in the public domain—any design student can access it.”
“I don’t really know. I try not to think about what they do. Er—something like that.” Calida offered a smile. “Why don’t we get back to you? We were working on your wings.” She wriggled inside of her blanket cocoon and sighed. “On second thought, I should probably call Renee.”
“Are you alright?” Neil had to ask. He hadn’t been around many pregnant women and Calida was not what he’d expected.
“It’s nothing. I usually take a nap around now, so they all stop worrying about me for a bit. It’s a magic thing,” Calida relaxed into her corner of the sofa. “My energy levels kind of come and go. I’ll be alright in a bit. Renee?”
The Pareya appeared in the doorway, wiping her hands on a towel tucked into her apron. She had a few smudges of flour on her face and soot on her sleeves. “You’re supposed to be resting. Give him one of the encyclopedia’s to read or invite him back tomorrow.”
“His wings are bothering him,” Calida said, sleepily. “And so are mine. You can help with that, right? It’s not that hard.”
Renee perked a brow, before she shrugged. “Fine.” She gestured at the furniture and the low table. They began to rearrange themselves at her bidding, until the low table was clear and there was plenty of space to walk between the chairs and the sofa.
Neil eyed the cleared table with a flicker of distrust. “What do I have to do?”
“Take your shirt off, for one,” Renee said. She reached under the table and drew out a familiar bottle of oil—the same kind that Dexter had used earlier. “And indoor wings, if you can manage it.”
“I don’t think he knows what indoor wings are,” Calida pushed the blanket away from her upper half and sat up, twisting to the side. “It’s not hard,” she said to Neil. “But it does take practice and concentration. I’ll show you and if you can’t manage it, then I’ll temper everything so your wings can pass through them.”
“Is that even possible?” Neil wanted to know. He scooted off the sofa and leaned against one of the armchairs by the virtual fireplace. He watched as Calida moved to sit on the low table, leaning forward to brace on Renee.
Her shoulders twitched and shuddered, before shimmering, smooth-plated wings emerged from her back. They were petite and dainty, perfectly in proportion to the rest of her body, with peach scales and silver wing spines. Her blouse remained intact and there was only the barest hint of magic that something had changed.
“They’re the same color as mine!” Neil blurted out, before he could help himself.
“Of course they are,” Renee said. Kneeling in front of Calida, she steadied her with a hand. “You’re both submissives. A submissive’s wings are always this color or some variant of it.” She nodded at him. “Shirt off—if you’re not used to extending them, you’ll ruin it and I’m hopeless at clothing spells. Cally and Terius do those.”
“Spells don’t really work on our Academy uniforms,” Neil muttered. He shimmied out of the overshirt, then the undershirt, before standing at the head of the low table. “Dexter put a binding spell on my wings…” he trailed off.
“Put your things over there and have a seat
on this end of the table,” Renee gestured to him. “Cally, pull yours back in.”
Calida yawned, rolling her head back. Her wings shrank and receded into her shoulders without the slightest hitch. She let herself be led back to the sofa, but perched on the edge of the cushions, instead of curling up. “What you have to do is consciously think about it,” she began. “It can’t just be random panic over the fact that you have wings and you haven’t the slightest clue what to do with them.”
Neil eased down to sit on the low table. It was comfortable because of his short height, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to look Calida in the eye. “I don’t know what to do with them,” he quipped. “And when I’ve tried to think them back in, that didn’t work.”
“You weren’t focused enough—lack of practice.” Calida ticked them off on her hand, holding up two fingers. “It takes practice and you have to concentrate. There are more phases to your wings than just these. What I showed you is known as ‘indoor wings’ and it means that they’re in proportion with your human body. There’s a Halfling form, where you’re probably about double or triple your current form and the wings adjust accordingly. After that, there’s your final dragon form and they’ll be in proportion to whatever type of body you have, according to what species of dragon you are.”
“Three types?” Neil frowned.
“There can be more than three types, but three are the basic ones. A small, middle and a large, if you will.”
Neil rubbed the back of neck. “So I just will them out?”
“No, think of them as a part of you and then think of how well you would fit inside of this room, for instance. You know it’s not big enough for your true wings—you know it subconsciously, even if you haven’t given it any actual thought.”
Neil nodded, slowly. He could understand that. The subconscious was a powerful thing.
“Now all you have to do is think about touching one of them, for instance, try to bring your right wing in front of you, so you can reach it. Don’t worry about how they’ll fit, just expect them to fit and be ready to hold whichever wing comes forward.”
Huffing softly, Neil took a deep breath and tried to picture one wing in front of him, just within reach of his hand. He started, faintly, when he felt Calida’s hand on his knee, then Renee’s hands on his shoulders.