Chapter 52 CHAPTER 52
“This is strange,” someone whispered behind me and I turned to look at the Scribe who was hunched over, pulling sand back and forth from the stone boulder I was made to stand on.
I didn't question it, it was clearly magic and that thing doesn't follow any known rules.
“What is wrong?” Aderam asked, skipping over to him.
“Something is blocking the… access,” he grunted, hitting the stone so hard I fell off of it and someone caught me.
From the way my skin tingled, I could already guess so I quickly jumped out of the Principal's hold and went to stand away while they tried to figure out what was going on with their magical memory searcher.
“Has this happened before?”
“No, Your Highness, this is the first time. The same thing happened in the registration chamber. She is of a lineage that doesn't want to be found.”
“That makes no sense at all. I'll have my brother send over a doctor who can do some tests and figure it out manually. Draco, expect him on Monday and please give him whatever he needs.”
“That won't be a problem. I hope he's not going to hurt her?”
They exchanged a strange look for a long second.
“Tell Florian to stop spreading silly rumours about,” she rolled her eyes and walked away, leaving me confused.
How did the Instructor’s name make it to this conversation?
“I've seen him myself, Aderam!”
“And I'm telling you he's a lying piss of scum! Tell your little beast to also come out of hiding, he's needed at the war front.”
“Go and tell him yourself!”
She stopped at the door, turning to look at him with a fierce gaze.
“This academy is your responsibility, but don't forget who holds the keys to the gates!”
“You're threatening me with freedom?” He laughed, a manic sound that shook me.
“You must do whatever the King says!”
“I have done everything he said Aderam, but I'm not forcing a broken man into war. That's a loose canyon that I refuse to be held responsible for if it explodes. If he so desperately wants to force him into battle, he can come and do that himself! Or send you, since you're responsible for all his… unofficial errands.”
“Hmph!” She puffed and walked away.
“What was all that about?” I asked no one in particular.
“You won't understand,” a steward replied, “you can go.”
I didn't need to be told twice, afterall, the Principal was on his way out too and I didn't feel too safe around these Scribes.
I headed back to the hostel, trying to figure out a story to give them to avoid the idea of me being in love with the Principal growing further.
When I opened the door, everyone was sleeping.
“Makes sense,” I muttered as I gently shut the door behind me and crept towards my side of the big room.
I changed into the one dress I had, Erin had insisted I keep it because it fits me better, or something else she said, but it was perfect for the day.
I quickly got the books I'd planned to read for the day especially fighting ones and headed towards the door.
“You're back?” I heard Akua's voice, and she sounded very unlike her.
I turned to her as she rubbed her eyes clear of the sleep in them.
“Yeah, but I'm about to go to the library.”
“Alira!” Erin exclaimed and ran out of her bed, “Oh thank the Stars you're fine! I was so scared he'd…”
“I'm fine,” I smiled, hugging her back, “the Principal rescued me before he could kill me, he and his friends.”
“Shit, so that means he knows who they are.”
“They ran off before he could get a clear view of them but then, their scents.”
I sank on one foot and rested on the door, worried.
“Don't worry, we'll keep you safe,” Akua promised.
“Ooh, careful or I'll think you like me now,” I joked.
“In your dreams. I just don't want anyone else sleeping on that bed. You have a bland scent.”
“I'll take that as a compliment and leave before you come up with a stronger comeback.”
“Be careful now, make sure you stay in the four lanes, avoid the fifth one, okay?” Mira warned from her bed.
I nodded, knowing fully well I'd gone all the way to the tenth but I didn't need to tell her that.
The path to the library was filled with people today, not too much but since nothing was happening in the Academy, everyone was doing their own thing, and some of them were around the way I usually used.
“Hey new girl,” some girls waved at me.
“Hi?” I waved back, smiling, confused and I increased my pace.
The idea of being waved at like that made me feel like they were talking about me and that never ended well.
Thankfully the crowd thinned out as I got closer to the library and my excitement grew again.
I pushed the door and quickly shut it behind me and to my horror, there were a lot of people in different parts of the four aisles, reading and working on assignments.
‘Maybe I should go back,’ I thought to myself but then, I walked all the way here and I didn't have any idea what else to do with my day except this.
But the fear of people knowing that I walked past the fourth aisle and considering how long I planned to stay there filled me with dread.
So I walked around the fourth shelf, and once more, strangers were smiling in my direction, trying to make me talk to them.
“What type of books do earthlings read?” A boy with copper coloured hair and two uneven teeth right in front asked me and I couldn't help smiling..
He was too cute but then I remembered that some of these people could be a century older than me and I strained my face again.
“The same type I see here. History, philosophy, fiction.”
“What about magic?”
“That falls under Fiction as well,” I explained, thumbing a book absent-mindedly and trying to walk away but he followed. He'd already gotten what he wanted to read and was probably waiting for me to do the same.
“You guys don't have magic? How do you get anything done?”
“Science and technology does that for us. It takes longer but it works.”
“Cool, I–”
“Everybody gets out!”
I turned to see Zade, his eyes furious, his scales flaring and his fists standing spine straight.
Everyone covered their books and scampered, leaving me confused. What was happening?
“Come on, let's go,” the boy pulled at my hand.
“Let her go right now!”
The boy looked terrified for me but he joined the receding crowd, running towards the door with haste.
He turned around to look at me as he got to the door and I wished I could tell him I had never felt safer than I did with the beast behind me.
But he'll never understand. I don't either but I turned around and walked past the fourth aisle with him.