Page 69 of Self Studies

I wrinkled my nose.

Mercedes had to suspect something. Although the Greek God kept her in the dark, she wasn’t stupid. And as much as I wanted everything to be her fault, the world didn’t work like that.

A pang of sympathy stabbed my heart as another lock of yellow fell straight to the floor. Whatever compassion I’d managed to generate for the red-headed terror died.

“Sandy’s moved on already,” Roisin said, changing the topic.

I ran with it, focusing on the sound of her voice and the familiarity of Sandy’s over-dramatic love life.

“It’s really not so bad,” Roisin said when she finished up. “You have such a thin face; I bet a pixie cut will look good on you. We can be twins. Jump in the shower before you look at it. You got some extra rations on your gem from GS, right? When the Aptitudes are over, we can go to the cosmetology wing together and see a stylist.”

I blinked at the sink. Bits of hair goo clung to the porcelain surface. “There’s a cosmetology wing?”

Roisin patted my shoulder brightly. “Of course! There’s magic for everything.”

The yellow was slightly less visible by the time I got done scrubbing my skin. My hair resembled an asymmetrical bob. We didn’t have the right tools to get rid of the discolored bits that went all the way to my scalp on the left side. I clapped my hands over my ears, unsure if they’d always been that big.

Roisin squeezed my shoulder. “It was the best I could do.”

I gripped my roommate’s hand and squeezed it. “Thank you.”

“Let’s go and get your mind off all this.” Roisin made a circular gesture around my head. “The Aptitudes have already started; Sandy can only save us seats for so long.”

I dressed quickly, adding my hoodie on top of my uniform. My legs and bruises ached from yesterday, or maybe the day before now. Everything blurred together.

My breath caught in my throat to see Beryl at his usual table. He glanced at me before turning as if he hadn’t seen me. Tears formed in my eyes, but I pushed them away.

Saffron walked me to my dorm last night, not Beryl. The sapphire-eyed mage’s bear hug had felt like a goodbye. I hated it.

“Put yourself first, my Goddess.” Beryl had said. “Focus on getting out of this place without me pulling you down.”

I wanted to pull on my braid, but it no longer hung at my shoulder. At Roisin’s prodding, I let go of the memory and walked into the cafeteria. A handful of snacks and a breakfast burrito left my gem mostly gray. Beryl still ignored me, deep in conversation with an older female student. I let it be, for now.

Sandy had indeed saved both of us seats on a couch in the middle of one of the many lounges. Young women our age and a few younger filled the well-lit, undecorated space. A few of them gave me curious looks.

I pulled my hood tighter and focused on anything but my hair.

A big TV screen dominated the far wall, though it only showed a picture with no sound. Almost every available seat had a body in it. Most students studied or played on their phones. Like the TV, the room was too quiet for the number of people in it.

An almost oppressive air hung over everything.

I stepped gingerly as Roisin and I made our way to the last two seats next to Sandy. One of the girls on my left had her eyes glued to the picture on the TV, and I looked at it closer.

The hair on my arms stood on end.

I was looking down at the floor of the Sphérique from the center of its dome. Every rune glowed with muddy yellow power. Three black-cloaked figures stood completely still in a circle around a single male student who knelt, looking at the floor, on the rune for spirit.

“Mental this time around,” Sandy whispered to us as we sat. “This guy just went in. First-year. The current pool’s three minutes, max.”

I blinked at Sandy and looked at the still image again. “What?”

Sandy ducked her head. “Well, um, ya. So, it sounds cold, but there are bets on how long it’ll be before someone loses control….”

Before Sandy could finish, white light flashed in the Sphérique. I jumped, realizing it wasn’t a still image. No sound accompanied the motions, but branches of lightning streaked across the screen. The student in the middle threw his head back and screamed.

I recognized Derek, and my heart stopped. Despite the silent video, the pain in his wordless scream made me want to cover my ears. He opened his eyes, and white electricity spilled out of them, hitting one of the black-cloaked figures with no effect. His lightning fizzled before he slumped and fell forward.

The world stopped. I needed to do something. I needed to help him.

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