Magi Apprentice Page 4

  “But, you’re not.”

  They were approaching the rear gate and the bridge that crossed over to Tartarus. Yuki walked over to the base of the Ebon Tower and leant against it.

  She took a deep breath. “No, I guess not. Everything they do, every little smile and wink and wave, I just want to claw her eyes out. I hate her with everything I am, but, that makes no sense. I don’t really even know Josie. I’ve never hung out with her or anything, she’s just someone in our class, and yet, right now, I can’t think of anyone I hate more.”

  “And Felix?”

  “I wanna slap him.”

  Katy laughed. “Well, even I feel like that sometimes.”

  Yuki smirked. “Men, right?”

  “You know it.”

  “Hmm. Can’t live with em…”

  “Well, actually, I think we’d be fine, but yeah, I kinda like some of them. Plus, they can be handy sometimes.”

  “For opening jars and things, yeah?”

  “Something like that.”

  Yuki giggled, enjoying the joke.

  “I’m glad to see you smiling again.”

  “Yeah, thanks. I just… I think I needed to step away, you know?”

  “I know. But look, if you like him, then maybe you need to tell him that. Maybe he feels the same.”

  “I don’t know about that. I wouldn’t want to ruin his happiness. I think I just need to forget about him for a bit. Maybe look elsewhere.”

  “Elsewhere?”

  Yuki shrugged. “Why not?”

  Katy looked at her friend in a slightly new light. She’d not taken her for a little firecracker, but maybe there was a side to her that Katy hadn’t seen before. “Well, I mean, if that’s what you want to do, sure. There’s no reason why you can’t indulge in a little extracurricular activity.”

  Yuki smiled. “Exactly. Why should he have all the fun?”

  Katy nodded.

  “Oh my god, yeah, it is.”

  The voice came from behind them. Katy turned to see a couple of students near the gate that led to Tartarus. They were pointing at it and talking excitedly. Katy frowned, unsure what the issue was. She looked back at Yuki and pulled a questioning face.

  Yuki shrugged. “Let’s check it out.”

  Katy nodded and walked over with Yuki towards the gate. As they got closer and got a better look at the large double gate set into the wall, Katy noticed that the lock was missing and it was standing ajar. There was nothing to stop anyone from going through it and walking over to Tartarus.

  “Wasn’t that locked, before?” Yuki asked.

  “Yeah, it was. I mean, I’ve not seen it since before the half-term break, but I’m sure it was locked then.”

  “So, someone’s been to Tartarus?” Yuki asked.

  Katy looked over at the looming black edifice on the other side of the bridge. It felt almost like the building was taunting her, mocking her as it sat there like a crouched spider. “Crap.”

  A Date in the Gardens

  Katy strolled through the garden at the back of the Guardian Tower. While it never really truly became night-time, this area of the Aetheric did have lighter and darker stretches of the day, which were further augmented by the Magic that had been cast on this place, to give the students a more regular day-night cycle.

  As the artificial evening drew in, the gardens were dusky and a thin mist had already begun to rise from the carpet of grass, giving the area a mystical feel that she enjoyed.

  As she walked, she looked to her right, knowing that Tartarus was just beyond the wall. Following their discovery of the open gate, neither of them were sure what they should do. Yuki had been all for telling the staff, but Katy had reservations. Maybe they were jumping to conclusions, she’d argued. Maybe it had been open because the staff were looking into things like the Red Witch, or maybe it was one of the staff who was now under the influence of the Red Witch. Katy couldn’t help but think about Dana and her experience with Mr Spiros. Was he up to something? In the end, they’d agreed to keep it between themselves and recheck the gate later, just in case it was an innocent mistake.

  Putting Tartarus out of her mind, she made her way towards the far end of the garden, where a bench sat nestled amongst the bushes.

  Trenton smiled as she approached. “I wondered if you’d make it.”

  Katy returned the smile. “But of course, why wouldn’t I?”

  “Well, after last time…”

  “Oh, I see,” Katy replied, suddenly understanding as she thought back to his attempted kiss. “No, I wouldn’t let something like that put me off.” She made sure to smile at him as she spoke.

  “Good,” he answered.

  Katy joined him on the bench. “Good first day back?”

  “I guess. This place messes with my head.”

  “How so?”

  “I hated school, right? Hated it. It was shit. I couldn’t wait to get out of there. I was always getting into trouble and not doing what they wanted. The whole thing just didn’t agree with me. But check it out, I love Magic. I love this shit. But I have to come to a school to learn it? That’s messed up.”

  “So, you hate the format, but love the subject.”

  Trenton shrugged. “Yeah, what you said.”

  “I can see how that might mess with you.”

  “You’re damn right. Whenever one of the students got taken away by a Magus for private learning, I always hoped it would be me who got to go, so I could leave this place in the dust.”

  “And yet, if you had gone, you would never have met me.”

  Trenton smiled. “No, I wouldn’t have. And that would’ve been a shame.”

  “Yes, it would have.”

  “Did you like school?”

  “Sometimes,” she answered. “I had a good friend who I could trust. That helped. I liked college more. That actually felt like I was working towards something rather than just learning maths and stuff.”

  “What were you studying?”

  “You really want to know?”

  “Sure. I’m interested.”

  “Alright,” Katy shrugged. “I was studying fashion. I’d nearly finished too. I wanted to work for one of the big designers or something, you know?”

  “What, like designing clothes and shit?”

  “Yeah, maybe.” She knew his cursing was just something he did, but part of her wondered if he was mocking her a little bit. She was probably being sensitive.

  “Sounds awesome to me!” he exclaimed. “I could see you walking out on that catwalk after your show with everyone clapping for you. That would be some wicked shit.”

  She smiled, enjoying the little vignette he was painting. “Yeah, well, I never finished the course, and now I’m learning Magic. I had the chance to finish it, but, other stuff got in the way.”

  “Do you regret not finishing it?”

  “Maybe a bit, but I wouldn’t do anything with it now, would I? Not now that I know Magic.”

  “I don’t know. Maybe you would. Maybe not,” he shrugged. “So I guess the Academy Enrollment Team pulled you out of college?”

  Katy nodded. “I went through my Epiphany there, after I got into an argument with a student. I ended up putting her in hospital.” Flashes of Carmel being slammed into the wall and breaking her arm and leg appeared in her mind's eye. It wasn’t comfortable viewing.

  “Badass,” Trenton replied, nodding with approval.

  Katy smiled. “You think so?”

  “I know so.”

  “What about you?”

  “No. I never had any ambitions like that,” he replied. “I just wanted to get out of that house and away from my parents. I didn’t want a regular-type job. Not really. It wasn’t on my radar.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Katy said. She’d actually been interested in his Epiphany story, but he’d dodged her again.

  “S’alright. So, what’s goin’ on with Felix and Yuki? She doesn’t look very happy with him and that Josie girl.”

  “Ah, so you noticed?”

  “Hard not to. She’s always giving one of them mad-dog stares.”

  “Mad-dog stares?” Katy laughed. “Yeah, I guess she is.”

  “So, what’s going on with them?”

  Katy sighed. “I think she likes him, but she didn’t act on it, and now someone else has gotten her claws into him. So she’s jealous.”

  “That’s what I figured. It’s pretty obvious.”

  “You’re not kidding. I think she should talk to him, get it out in the open, but, she’s not keen. She doesn’t want to ruin his happiness, which I get. So now, she’s talking about seeing other people, I think. She wasn’t very clear on that. But that’s what I think she’s going to do.”

  “Yuki? She’s going to start playing the field? Well, shit. I never would’ve seen that coming.”

  Katy smiled. “It’s always the quiet ones, you know?”

  “Is that what they say?”

  “It is.”

  “You’re quiet.”

  Katy blinked and went to speak but forgot how to do it. Her jaw flapped uselessly for a moment before she realised she actually did know how to form words.

  “I’ve…been known to be a little quiet, from time to time.”

  “You’ve gone quiet now,” he said and shifted a little closer to her.

  She licked her lips. They were so dry, she felt like she needed a drink. “Not that quiet. I’m talking to you.”

  “You are. I’m glad you came out with me again. I wasn’t sure you’d want to after I… you know.”

  Katy shifted a touch closer to him, running her hand up his arm. “Maybe I was just a little surprised.” She debated for half a second whether to say more and then thought, why not? “And maybe I regret what I did
.”

  “You regret pulling away?”

  “Maybe. You’d just have to try again to know for sure, though.”

  Trenton regarded her for a moment longer, his face now mere inches away from hers. She raised an eyebrow, asking a silent question, and waiting for his response.

  A moment later, he leant towards her, getting closer still. Katy responded, and closed the gap, kissing him on the lips, and enjoying the sensation. They moved slowly, and Katy could feel a yearning need inside of her. A small fire, that was starting to grow and drawing her towards him.

  Reaching out, she pulled him closer, feeling his hands on her, his touch feeding the fire.

  The world around her started to fade away until there was only the pair of them left, and the growing feeling of passion between them.

  “Well, well, well. What have we here?”

  Katy startled, pulling away and looking around at the sudden interruption. Mikayla stood maybe five metres away, her arms crossed and a wide grin on her face as she stared at them. “Oh Katy, you really are scraping the bottom of the barrel here, aren’t you?”

  “Screw you,” Trenton spat, but Katy grabbed his arm as he started to stand. Trenton looked back at Katy and sat back down.

  “That’s right, remember your place,” Mikayla said. “Titus is going to love hearing all about this tomorrow. Oh my, I can just picture his face now, it’s going to be glorious. He’s going to need someone to talk to about it, and I think I can spare a few moments. Well, that’s a night,” she said as she turned away and started to walk off. “What. A. Night.”

  Katy let her go, watching her skip off back towards the tower.

  “I’m sorry,” Trenton said.

  Katy whipped her head around. “No. Don’t be. I’m not ashamed of what just happened. Are you?”

  “No. Hell no. It was great.”

  “Good. Same here. I have no regrets, and for the record, you’re a good kisser.” She grinned at him.

  Trenton smiled back. “Awesome. You too.”

  “Thanks, and don’t worry about her. She’s not worth it. But I think we need to get back to our rooms. It’s nearly curfew.”

  “Oh, yeah. Are you sure you’re going to be alright?” he asked. “With Titus, I mean?”

  “It’ll be fine,” she answered with conviction. “One way or the other.”

  Fallout

  “Are you ready?” Yuki asked.

  Katy nodded as they approached the dining hall, trying to project as much confidence as possible, despite the butterflies in her stomach. “She’s bound to say something to me, isn’t she?”

  “Where Mikayla’s concerned, that wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest,” Yuki replied.

  “I’ll bet Titus knows by now.”

  “That also wouldn’t be surprising either.”

  “Awesome,” Katy replied, deadpan as they approached the door. There really was no getting around this, and honestly, she’d rather get it over with at breakfast than in the first class of the day.

  “You really do have the worst luck sometimes,” Yuki said. “Either that, or Mikayla spends her days stalking you on the off chance that you’ll do something that she can use against you.”

  “Sounds about right.”

  “It’s like she’s your mortal enemy or something, sworn to destroy you.”

  Katy raised an eyebrow. “Why does that sound entirely possible?”

  “Mikayla is the Frieza to your Goku.”

  Katy gave her a look, screwing her face up in confusion as they stepped inside. “Sorry? My what to my what?”

  “You just need to go Super Saiyan on her ass.”

  “I’m lost,” Katy replied. “But I’m glad you’re having fun.”

  “Your power, it’s over nine thousand!”

  Katy rolled her eyes and scanned the room while Yuki continued with whatever madness had gripped her, and spotted Titus not too far away. Katy sucked in a deep breath to steel herself, and marched over, leaving Yuki in the breakfast queue. He seemed to sense her approach and turned to face her as she got close.

  “Hi. You alright?” Katy asked.

  “Fine,” he replied, his voice level.

  “Oh, good. So um… are you getting breakfast?”

  Titus waited a beat. “Yeah…” His tone was notably patronising.

  “Oh, good, good. Me too.”

  “Hmmm.”

  “So, you’ll be in class today?”

  He frowned at her.

  “Yeah, um, of course, you will,” Katy answered. “Silly me. Why wouldn’t you be?”

  “Oh, it’s you again.” It was Mikayla. She stepped up beside Titus and threaded her arm through his. She looked up at Titus. “I think we’ll head over this way, there’s a gross smell around here.” Mikayla sniffed the air and pulled a face before walking off with Titus. Katy watched them go with a grimace. He’d barely said anything and seemed really cold towards her, which could only mean one thing. Mikayla had told him about her and Trenton’s kiss last night.

  Crap.

  With a sigh, she turned back to the queue. Yuki was already partway along the buffet table and talking with the guy beside her. Katy didn’t feel it was right to cut in so she joined the back of the queue to grab her breakfast.

  She rushed through the line as quick as she could, grabbing her food. She turned to hunt for Yuki, only to spot her at a table with a guy from their class called Jasper.

  They were laughing and enjoying each other’s company. Katy paused for a moment, wondering if she should go over and join them, but there were no free chairs.

  She grimaced but was pleased to see that Yuki seemed happy at least. A nice change from her sullen mood yesterday.

  “Hey, Katy.” It was Dana, and she was scuttling over carrying her own tray. “You alright?”

  “Uh, yeah, I guess. I was just wondering where to sit but…” As she looked around, she also spotted Felix with Josie. They seemed almost joined at the hip as they laughed and joked with each other.

  “Over here,” Dana said, and inclined her head towards a distant table with hardly anyone else at it.

  Katy shrugged. “Sure, why not.”

  Dana sat beside her, looking conspiratorial in the way she was behaving, looking around them to see who was close by. She placed her tray on the table and leant in towards Katy.

  “So, I wanted to talk to you, actually.”

  Only half listening, Katy sighed at the Yuki and Felix situation, feeling a little cut off from them as they sat elsewhere, with other people. The whole Titus situation only compounded things in her mind, but there was little she could do about that.

  Besides, Dana seemed keen to talk about something, so she pushed her troubled thoughts to the back of her mind and focused all her attention on her friend. “Sure, what did you want to talk about?”

  “You seem distracted,” Dana remarked.

  Katy sighed. “Yeah, I know, sorry. I’ve just got a lot on my mind right now. But not to worry.”

  “Are you sure? I’m happy to listen if you want to talk about it.”

  “Not right now,” Katy replied. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

  Dana went to speak and then smiled and smirked. “It’s going to sound silly.”

  “Honestly, with everything that goes on around here, I’m not sure anything can seem a little silly these days.”

  Nodding, Dana smiled in agreement. “Fair point.”

  “So, go on then, what's up?”

  Dana looked around again to make sure no one was listening and leaned closer. “I had a dream last night—a really strange and creepy one. I was out in the courtyard, and when I looked up, I could see the Red Witch, hanging ghost-like above the Academy. She was huge and cackling as she held her hands out and wiggled her fingers.”

  “Wiggled her fingers?”

  Dana nodded. “These glowing red lines were coming from them and stretching down to some of the people below. She was controlling them, like puppets.”

  Katy nodded. The connotations, as far as she was concerned, were fairly clear. “Okay. So, you think she’s controlling more people?”

  “That’s exactly what I think.”

  “Anyone you know?”

  “I… I don’t remember. Sorry. I wish I did.”

  “You think the Red Witch is doing this now?”

  “I wouldn’t put anything past her. What do you think?”