Conrad Edison and the Anchored World (Overworld Arcanum Book 2) (23 page)

"The security barrier cannot be penetrated by anyone without a charm," Galfandor replied. "If a section is breached, the wards will alert our security staff."

The man didn't seem reassured. "Can just anyone get a charm at the gate?"

Galfandor shook his head. "The charms will penetrate any disguise and reveal any dangers."

"No wonder it made me tingle," a woman at the neighboring table said to her husband.

"That's awfully intrusive," someone across the room shouted.

The headmaster nodded and smiled. "It's intrusive, but it won't work without the full consent of the person being given the charm." His smiled vanished. "Would you rather the school be safe, or your personal liberties left intact?"

Murmurs filled the room and quickly faded.

The headmaster waited a moment. When no one else raised objections to the security measures, he continued. "Now that I have covered the unpleasant issues, I'll move on to more positive developments." He removed a parchment from his robe. "The Arcane Council, in cooperation with Science Academy, has announced new funding for repairs to Colossus Stadium."

A chorus of cheers and claps filled the room.

Galfandor smiled and nodded, waiting for the noise to die down before continuing. "By the end of the year, it's possible we'll once again host the first Grand Melee since the end of the Second Seraphim War."

More cheers erupted.

The headmaster held up a hand and the room grew quiet once more. "Kabash League games will start in two weeks. Science Academy is fielding three teams this year so competition will be tougher than ever."

The earlier cheers were replaced by boos.

"Science Academy shouldn't be in our league!" someone shouted.

A woman pumped her fist angrily. "Magic will always beat science!"

Galfandor smiled politely. "Yes, well, let's prove it on the field."

For the first time since being punched in the face, Max grinned. "I hope I can qualify to play."

"What's the Kabash League?" I asked.

"It's like fighting a war on broomsticks." He leaned in front of Ambria. "Your team has to destroy the enemy base with a flying disc."

It certainly sounded interesting, but I doubted I'd have time for fun and games.

"Last but not least, I'd like to introduce the new teachers who will be educating our fine students this year." Galfandor waved a hand to the table, indicating a lean man with a shaved head. "Professor Sideon hearkens from the land down under and will teach Enchantments in the place of Professor Cruikshank who is out due to illness in the family."

Sideon stood and bowed to the room then sat down.

Polite clapping filled the room.

"He will also be the ward of House Tiberius this year," Galfandor continued. "Next, is the lovely Esma Emoora, our new Magical Defense teacher."

A woman who looked barely old enough to be a teacher rose from her chair next to Sideon and waved to the crowd, cheeks dimpled with a brilliant smile and curly blond hair bouncing as if it had a life of its own.

"She looks young," Ambria said softly.

Galfandor continued down the table. "Eleanor Beetle will be the new history teacher."

Professor Beetle stood up, but she was so squat and plump, it hardly looked as if she were standing at all. Thick spectacles hung on the tip of her nose, and her brown hair rose from her head in the shape of a beehive. She said something, but her voice didn't reach the back of the room.

"Lastly, please welcome Asha Fellini." The headmaster smiled toward the end of the table. I couldn't see the new teacher until she stood thanks to the tall man at the table in front of me.

A lovely woman with rich black hair and fair skin rose. Though her nose was a bit longer, and her cheeks not as high, I at first mistook her for Delectra. A squeak emerged from my mouth, and the urge to run nearly had me bolting from my seat.

Ambria gave me an alarmed look, and Max met my eyes.

"Is it just me, or does she look like, um, you-know-who?" Max said.

"She looks much like her," Ambria confirmed.

I swallowed hard and forced myself to look at the woman as she waved regally at the room.
It's not her.
It couldn't be. Galfandor wouldn't be stupid enough to hire a criminal.

With the introduction done, the headmaster rolled up the parchments on the podium and tucked them into his robes. "Now for keep assignments."

The tension in the room thickened. Parents looked hopefully at their children while they, in turn, looked worriedly up at Galfandor.

I hardly paid attention. All I could think about was Asha Fellini, the woman who looked like my mother.

Chapter 19

"Keep assignments?" Ambria squeaked, tearing me from my dark thoughts. She glared at Max. "I thought you said they stopped dividing people into houses."

Max chuckled. "Keeps are just the dormitories students live in."

Ambria visibly relaxed, her shoulders dropping lower. "Oh, well I suppose that's okay." She frowned. "I wish we could go home every night."

Max shook his head. "Not until your third year." His eyes went distant. "I always fantasized about living away from home, especially at university. I hope it's as fun as I imagined it." He elbowed me. "If we're in the same keep, we can be roommates. Won't that be great?"

Until recently, I'd never even considered university and since I'd never lived continuously in one place longer than a year, moving again felt natural.

Ambria watched Galfandor as he shuffled through parchments. "Are you certain there's nothing special about which keep we're placed in?"

"Not that I've ever heard." Max put a finger to his lips. "He's about to start."

Galfandor's eyes brightened, as if he'd found the parchment he wanted. "This year it's more important than ever that the students live on campus. Even if you are eligible to live elsewhere, I beseech you to reconsider." He made eye contact with some of the older students. "With that said, keep assignments will now begin."

"First up is Graeven Keep." He circled a wand over his head. A spark flew across the crowd. Gasps, oohs, and ahs rose from people as it floated overhead.

The spark hovered over a girl who looked a bit younger than me.

"Abigail Bainbridge, please come forward," Galfandor said.

The wide-eyed girl stood, looked at her parents. The mother smiled proudly, while the father looked a bit grumpy. The mother motioned the girl to move, and Abigail walked to the front of the room where Galfandor pointed to an area next to the podium.

The spark continued around the room, summoning people seemingly at random and the headmaster would call them forward. One moment it settled over someone on the far right corner, then zipped over to the opposite side. Not even the students' names were in alphabetical order. At one point, the spark zipped toward us. Max stiffened and held his breath, but it passed us by and chose another boy.

The next name Galfandor called caused my stomach to clench. "Blue Blackburn, please come to the front."

Blue popped up from the other side of the room and walked to the front. She glanced in my direction but quickly turned away when she saw me looking. I felt terrible about hurting her feelings and resolved to apologize the moment I had a chance.

After several more minutes of flying around the room, the spark faded away. The selection was apparently complete.

Rhona Trask rose from the front table next to Galfandor. "I am the advisor for Graeven Keep. If you need advice or support, you will come to me. Is that understood, children?"

Those gathered at the front nodded.

"Excellent." She motioned them to the right of the podium.

"Next is Moore Keep," Galfandor said.

Once again, the spark flitted around the room, gathering children for the keep. It streaked for us and hovered over Max's head.

His face fell when the spark danced back across the room without choosing me or Ambria. "I hope we all get in the same keep," Max whispered. "I don't want to be alone."

Ambria patted his hand. "We'll think about visiting you sometime."

His shoulders slumped. "Great, thanks."

"Maxwell Tiberius, please come to the front," Galfandor said.

Our friend pushed himself up and trudged to the waiting crowd of students bound for Moore.

"Well, it looks like we'll be in the same keep at least," Ambria said to me. As if it had heard her, the spark zipped across the room and selected her. Eyes wide, she covered her mouth with her hands. "Oh no. Please choose Conrad next, spark!"

But it faded away, signaling the end of the selection.

So much for being Max's roommate.

My heart drooped. I'd hoped to have at least one of my close friends in the dorm with me. Ambria's lip quivered as she stood and waved goodbye. I caught a horrified look from Max where he stood with the others bound for Moore Keep.

Gideon Grace rose from the table and walked to the group. "As the warden of Moore Keep, you will follow my every command, children." He strode up and down before them like a general leading them to war. "I expect nothing but the best behavior from each of you, or you will find yourselves living in the basement." He stiffened and shouted, "Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir!" the children shouted back, voices filled with fear and uncertainty.

Max and Ambria looked horrified.

Galfandor smiled. "Very good, then. I think you'll find Professor Grace to be strict, but fair." His words didn't seem to lessen the fear in the eyes of Grace's wards.

The headmaster summoned another spark. It seemed a bit strange to do so since there was only one keep left. Shouldn't everyone else know which building they'd live in by default? I suddenly realized that all of the older students were still seated. Only children my age and younger were in the groups at the front. The spark only chose the new students since the older ones were already assigned keeps.

"And now for Tiberius Keep," Galfandor said. The spark settled over someone I couldn't see. "Harris Ashmore, please come to the front."

The name was like a slap to the face. A few selections later, Baxter was directed to join those bound for Tiberius Keep, and Lily was chosen not long after. Two teens with white-blond hair slinked between the tables and slid into the empty chairs where Max and Ambria had been sitting.

The boys looked identical. Only a freckle told me who was who.

"Hello, Rhys," I said to the boy with a freckle on his right cheek. I remained calm and nodded at the other. "Devon."

Their eyes widened and delighted grins spread across their faces. They glanced at each other across me, and in that moment I felt as though one of them had escaped from the reflected world and now haunted the other. Unfortunately, I knew Max's older brothers were up to no good.

"How did you tell us apart?" Rhys asked. He waved away the question before I could answer. "Never mind. I really don't care, but it's touching that you cared enough to make the effort."

"Always address someone by their name when greeting them." Devon tapped a finger to his chest. "It shows respect."

I couldn't decide if they were being serious or sarcastic, so I remained still and phrased my question carefully. "How may I help you?"

"It appears you'll be in our keep," Rhys said.

"Along with Harris Ashmore and his little play friends." Devon snickered. "Looks like the infamous Edison boy will need protection from his haters."

His brother snorted. "And we're here to help."

I didn't like the sound of that one little bit. "I think I can take care of myself." Judging from Max's horror stories about these two, I'd be in just as much danger from them as I would from Harris and the others.

Devon put a hand on one shoulder, and Rhys put a hand on the other. They leaned in and whispered at the same time, "You'd do well to let us help, little boy." It sounded like a nightmare in stereo.

Puny boy
, Vic said derisively.
Your weakness sickens me.

Rise up and destroy them
, Della said.
You have my blood in your veins and my magic in your blood.

Heat prickled down my scalp and flushed my face. I felt my fists clench tight enough to hurt. I was so angry, I wanted to punch Rhys and Devon until they bled. I also wanted to punch my parents' soul fragments until they burned away like black smoke. I was furious, but I wasn't stupid. There would be no rising up and destroying anyone from me. Physically and magically, I was no match for these two. I'd seen them throw an old man off a balcony and then wrap the railing around his leg with a spell.

A big man with a rainbow mohawk slams his bearded opponent onto the fighting ring tarp and the crowd roars with approval. Cora winces and looks away. Bill grabs her hair and forces her head up.

"Don't look away, you bleeding twit." He jerks her head sideways. "I paid good money to come here."

A tear trickles down Cora's face, but she says nothing. She puts an arm on my shoulder.

The mohawk man seems victorious. But another figure runs from outside the ring and kicks him in the face. The bearded man works his way free and flips to his feet. The mohawk man's partner rushes into the ring, but is no match for the other two fighters. They take turns punching him until he goes down in a pool of blood.

"Whoo!" Bill shouts. "That's what I like to see!" He finishes off his sixth or seventh beer and holds up a crumpled piece of paper. "You're looking at a winner, folks."

Cora smiles uneasily and rubs her fingers on the green pebble—a piece of the anchor stone—hanging from the chain around her neck. "That's wonderful. How much?"

Bill does some counting on his fingers. "Fifty quid at least."

Another greater roar rises from the crowd. I look back at the ring and watch the mohawk man beat the bearded man and his partner senseless with a metal chair. Staggering, but still upright, he holds up his fist in victory.