Page 63 of Self Studies

Capture the Flag, I learned, was a punishment worse than death. Coach Robin had placed me on what was now Mercedes’ team. After two minutes of trying to keep up with my peers, I’d collapsed. I didn’t understand why we needed to run the long way around the ‘enemy’ team in the first place.

Ram stopped and squatted next to my wheezing form, his crotch directly in my face. He tried to put a hand on my shoulder, but I pulled back.

“It’s strategy,” Ram said. “Lover, you have to trust me. You don’t need to understand anything.”

Mercedes walked up to us. “Ram, leave the dead frick’n weight.”

Ram scowled and tried to reach for me again.

“Ram, up, now, or I’ll kick your ass in front of your harem,” Mercedes growled.

Ram shot up. “I’d grind you into the dirt, little girl.”

“Either way,” Mercedes continued as if a seven-foot-tall monster wasn’t snarling in her face. “I want my extra rations, and that means I need your linebacker physique in this game. Get your fridg’n ass caught up.”

They’d left me to sort myself.

I didn’t want to, but I admired Mercedes’ strength. Last night, she’d sparred with the boys. She’d moved so gracefully. Even if she was a bitch, she spoke her mind. I was having trouble even asking questions.

Capture the flag had moved to the other side of the dirt area in front of the castle. Even without me, my team excelled. Extra rations seemed to be a great motivator.

Movement caught the corner of my eye, but I didn't see anything when I looked. Wishing I had my hoodie to pull over my knees, I tried to let my thoughts wander. Something tingled unhappily at the back of my neck, and an almost liquid dark figure appeared in my peripheral vision.

Instead of turning towards it this time, I observed it from the side.

My pulse quickened. The misty figure that invaded my mage-trance hovered over the packed dirt, slowly moving toward me. I remembered to breathe, but I couldn’t seem to get enough air. I jerked toward the mist to center it in my vision, but the shape vanished.

I hugged myself, and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. The mist didn’t give me space to even breathe before it reappeared in the corner of my eye, even closer.

My short breaths filled my ears as I stood. Pain seared into my calf. I screamed and bolted forward. The mist kept up with me, gaining even. I lost track of everything as fear took over and panic pushed my tired body faster than I knew I could go.

“Dot, stop!” I barely heard Beryl’s voice before a body hit me from the side.

Both of us went down hard.

“No!” I screamed.

An arm pinned me against a firm chest. It was the man, Alexa’s friend; he was back. They were back. I could taste the knife in my mouth. I squeezed my eyes shut, only to see the outline of the same misty figure right in front of me. Pure terror destroyed any thoughts I had left, and screams ripped out of my throat. My body went limp.

“It’s in her mind,” Saffron yelled between my screams. “She has no barriers, none.”

“Why the fuck is she in with the general student body with no defenses?” Beryl growled.

I tried to focus on their voices, but the misty figure swelled, and fear destroyed my rational mind. Jeweled red eyes opened and locked onto me. Terror seized my body before everything went black.

The mist, my fear, the people after me, I could almost not remember any of it. I floated in a sea of black nothing. With the stillness, my raw throat closed, and I could hear the thump thump of my heartbeat slow. It felt out of place in my sudden void of emotions.

Awareness of my surroundings slowly returned, and I opened my eyes. Professor Garnet’s smooth hands lightly pressed into either side of my temple. Behind him, Beryl’s eyes turned cold as his face darkened. He turned from me to glare at the students now surrounding us.

“Stay still,” Saffron demanded, also looking down at me.

I pressed the back of my head into his lap. Something tickled the inside of my forehead. Lines of stress filled Professor Garnet’s face, eyes closed, he focused on something I couldn’t see.

“I’ve…there.” The professor grunted.

A flash of white covered my vision until once again, I knew nothing more.

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