Chapter 73 The witch training 2
Before Elara could take another step, a man with a stern, angular face intercepted her. He wore thin glasses perched on the bridge of his nose, and his cap failed to hide a significantly receding hairline. He looked at Elara as if she were a difficult math problem.
"Lady Elara," he said, his voice like dry parchment.
"I am," Elara replied, taken aback by the immediate coldness radiating from him.
"I am the Magister Primus of the Silver Coven," he stated, peering at her over his spectacles. "You may call me Master Aris. And let us be clear from the start. Just because the King has seen fit to move our entire coven to this fur-infested territory does not mean you will receive special treatment."
Elara and Lyra spoke in unison in her mind. "Fur-infested?"
Faye and Liora stepped forward, their expressions defensive, but they held their tongues.
Aris snorted, looking at Elara’s stunned expression. "Do not pretend you are unaware of the cost, girl. The King used a king’s ransom in moon-rock and raw crystal to relocate us here because your unique constitution is a danger to yourself and others. We will not go easy on you. The threats around you are growing, and a weak link is a broken chain."
He spun on his heel and began walking toward a central spire. Elara hurried after him, her boots clicking on the cobblestones. "I know I need to be stronger. Does this have to do with the Red Moon? I’ve had visions... dreams about it."
Aris didn't slow down. "Focus on the task at hand. Visions are for those who have mastered the present. You can barely master your own pulse."
Elara rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath. "What is it with everyone telling me to focus?"
Aris stopped so abruptly that Elara nearly ran into his back. He turned, his eyes flashing with a sharp, green light. "The first offense against a Magister of the Silver Coven is mumbling. If you have something to say, say it with the breath of a witch, or do not say it at all."
Faye and Liora glared at the man, their hands resting on the daggers at their belts.
"Put your guard dogs in check, Lady Elara," Aris snapped before turning away again. "They have no power here."
As he walked away, Elara turned to her maids. "Why does he hate shifters so much? What did we do to him?"
"It isn't exactly hate, My Lady," Faye whispered, looking around at the curious witches who were now staring at them. "But moving a coven is a massive undertaking. The King forced their hand. He wanted the best for you, and he didn't give them a choice."
"The Queen said she would get a few witches," Elara said, her voice dropping. "Not an entire coven."
"The King would move the moon itself if he thought it would keep you safe," Liora added.
The training began an hour later in a courtyard filled with skeptical-looking students. Elara stood in a circle of five other witches, all of whom kept a wide berth between themselves and her. The whispers were impossible to ignore.
"I heard she’s tainted," one girl whispered, her eyes darting to Elara’s silver hair. "A vampire princess hiding in a wolf’s skin."
"Hush," another replied. "The Magister will hear you. But look at her aura... it’s messy. How can she even channel with all that noise in her blood?"
Master Aris walked into the center of the circle. "Today we practice basic compulsion and intent. You will pair up. The goal is to nudge your partner’s will—not break it, merely nudge it."
Elara was paired with a girl named Selene, who looked as though she wanted to be anywhere else. "Don't touch me," Selene warned as they stood face to face. "Just use the mental thread."
Elara nodded, closing her eyes. She tried to follow the instructions Aris had given, focusing on a single command: Step back. But as she reached out with her mind, the resonance of the Red Moon and the agitation of her vampire blood surged. Instead of a nudge, it felt like a dam breaking. Her awakening had sensitized her to emotions, and suddenly, her magic responded to her own inner turmoil.
"Step back," Elara whispered.
She didn't just suggest the movement. Her voice carried a supernatural weight, a heavy, velvet command that echoed with the power of the Aethelgard Court. The air around her shimmered with a dark, predatory purple.
Selene’s eyes went wide. Her pupils vanished, leaving only white orbs as she let out a strangled scream. She didn't just step back; she collapsed to the ground, her body shaking as if she had seen a vision of her own death.
"Stop! Stop it!" Selene shrieked, clawing at the dirt. "Get out of my head!"
The courtyard fell into a deathly silence. Every witch stopped what they were doing. The skeptical looks turned into genuine terror.
Master Aris was at Selene’s side in an instant, snapping his fingers to break the glamour. He looked up at Elara, his stern expression replaced by a flash of genuine alarm. "What did you do?"
"I... I just told her to step back," Elara stammered, her hands trembling. "I didn't mean to..."
"You didn't nudge her," Aris said, his voice tight. "You compelled her using blood-resonance. That isn't witchcraft, Elara. That is the voice of a Sovereign."
The other students backed away even further, some of them making signs of protection with their hands. The "Academy" vibe had vanished, replaced by the realization that they were standing in a room with a predator they didn't understand.
"I am not a Sovereign," Elara said, her heart hammering against her ribs. "I’m just a girl."
"A girl who just nearly shattered another girl's mind with two words," Aris countered. He stood up, looking at the crowd. "Class dismissed. Lady Elara, stay behind."
As the witches hurried away, their whispers followed them like a trail of smoke. Elara felt a familiar coldness settling in her chest. She looked at Faye and Liora, who were standing at the edge of the courtyard, looking worried.
"Am I a monster, Master Aris?" Elara asked, her voice barely a whisper.
Aris looked at her for a long time, the coldness in his eyes softening just a fraction. "You are a weapon that hasn't been calibrated, Elara. And in three days, the Red Moon is going to pull the trigger. We have a lot of work to do."