Page 125 of Class Studies

No one laughed, and a tremor of fear ran down my back. The professor leaned down, capturing my lips in a bruising kiss.

“Oh, fucking hell.” Ashe pulled me out of the professor's arms and slipped his hand around my waist, pulling me off my feet. He kissed me hard and fast before setting me down in front of Beryl.

Beryl gave me a cheesy grin. “I can’t compare. You’ll have to kiss me when it’s over.”

I swatted at him, my stomach churning unhappily. My heart raced as we crept up to our chosen entry.

On three, Beryl threw open the doors, tearing one off its hinges to use as a shield. With a cry of pure terror I prayed sounded fierce, I charged an into the Arena.

* * *

I skidded to a halt, trying to take in the arena. The professor’s little sketch didn’t paint the epic picture spread before me.

The room itself reminded me of the library without shelves or furniture. Scraps of ancient gold wallpaper desperately clung to the dark stone walls. The occasional worn red carpet failed to give the massive, empty square room warmth.

In the center, Tederwinkle hovered above the ground in his brown suit. A dragon scale floated between his palms, crackling with blue lightning. Streaks of crystal arched and jutted between him and the mages arrayed before him. Although most of them were in the Institute's uniform, two MA uniforms stood out along with Roisin, dressed in her standard issued PJs.

Seeing her jolted me out of my shock.

Unlike me, my guys were already in motion. White light careened towards the pod of MA agents standing at the door with Ashe’s rune at its center. The Gentle Giant raced behind his magic, Beryl’s door shield in front of him.

One of the students around Tederwinkle screamed, battling something only he could see in the air.

Beryl prodded me, and I rushed for Roisin. The sound of gunfire and the wiz of magic responded to Ashe’s surprise blast. Memories of my old apartment tried to overwhelm me, but I focused on my friend. This wasn’t the past. I made my own future, looking out for the people I loved with no strings attached.

Something flew at my feet, and I dove out of the way, only to have Beryl catch me before I hit the ground. Vac barked and lunged forward. Regaining my feet, I raced past him toward Roisin. My friend put up balled fists as I got close.

She yelled, her slack face painfully neutral as she charged me.

“Roisin!” I screamed her name and flung at least three Beads of Sill in front of me.

Two hit her, and she skidded to a halt. I blinked in confusion. I’d infused the beads with a precise command: run to the other side of the room and sit against a wall with your hands over your head.

Crystal lightning streaked out from Tederwinkle and connected with the back of her skull. Her rims glowed with an edge of dark crystal, and she sprang forward, charging me again. I panicked, flinging every Bead of Will I’d made at her. Several of them hit, and once again, she stilled but didn’t follow my commands.

A body rushed me from the side. Beryl’s muscles bulged as he stepped in front of me, punching the kid and sending him flying. Cal, Saffron’s spikey-haired martial arts friend flipped directions midair, tangling his feet in Beryl’s. The two went down.

I couldn’t help Beryl, but Roisin still hadn’t moved. I sprinted the rest of the way to her. Tears streamed down her face.

“Please,” Roisin cried. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

Another streak of crystal lightning hit her, and she drew her fist back and punched me in the face. I reeled back, more in shock than actual pain. Her punch didn’t hurt near as much as running into Derek’s elbow. I sucked in a breath. Roisin might be under someone else’s control, but she was still my non-athletic, bookworm friend who didn’t like hurting people.

I winced and pulled back my arm. “Sorry.”

Mercedes' voice, reminding me to keep my wrist in line with my knuckles and my elbow tight, made me reposition before I let my fist fly. I closed my eyes right before I hit. Something crunched under my knuckles, and pain ran up my arm. I cried out, releasing my fist and shaking it.

My short friend dropped to her knees and wailed. Blood dripped down her broken nose, and she pressed her hand to it, dropping her gaze to the floor. I looked down at her and froze. A familiar crystal-like object stuck out of the back of her neck.

My will beads!

Abe’s haggard face flashed in my eyes. Tederwinkle played her like a fiddle—and the proud woman hadn’t been able to admit it.

Another powerful blast shook the room, and Vac jumped over me, his teeth sinking into an outstretched arm, moments away from completing a rune.

I knelt as another crystal lightning strike hit the bead and a brown sludge dribbled down the back of my friend's neck. Roisin’s head snapped up, and she lunged for me, nailing me in the gut. I bit down on my tongue and shrieked in pain.

Stealing a move I’d seen Ashe do to Saff, I cupped my left hand in my right above my head. With straight arms, I brought both fists down on Roisin’s back. My friend collapsed, and I reached for my tainted Bead of Will.

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