Alpha Academy: Misfit's Rise

Chapter Fifteen: Lucian

I hadn't realized how big Alpha Academy was, not until I was forced to walk to the complete other side of it with Lucian. I couldn't decide if he was deep in thought or just thinking. Either way, the silence was getting uncomfortable.

"So, you remember the other day when you wouldn't let me fight my own battle against Sedna?"

He glanced at me, eyebrows raised. "All things considered, I probably saved you."

I glared at him, but unfortunately I didn't have a good comeback. "Whatever. How did you do that? Just block her magic like that?"

He stared at me for another second, making me wonder if he was even going to answer, then he said, "Sorcery works very differently from other branches of magic."

"How so?"

"You all get energy for your magic from this world." He winked. "We get ours from the next one."

I blinked. "You mean like, the other side, and all that jazz?"

"The one and onl.," He smiled. "Thing is, that energy is all around us, even inside us. All a Sorcerer needs to do is tap into that spiritual energy found in each person, and he's got a lot of room to play around."

"You mean, you can like, control people?"

"In a sense." He glanced over to see how I was taking all this. Hopefully, my face didn't show how much it freaked me out. "It's one of our more difficult, and unpopular, branches of magic." He gave me another twisted smile. I just stared at him. I was starting to understand why everyone was nervous around Sorcerers. Even Lucian, who was the king of lawful good, was starting to creep me out.

"How did you ... " I trailed off. We were close to the dining hall now, but there were a lot of strange noises coming from there. And chanting. And smoke.

With a glance at each other, we raced forward.

The students had all formed a circle around something, but I couldn't see what. As we got closer, I could see another circle of students who had made a ring of fire around the center. That explained where the smoke was coming from. Some of the students held torches, while others seemed to be holding it in their hand. None of these fire-wielding students were Witches or Warlocks. The Witches and Warlocks all stood a safe distance away from the fire-bearers, looking very concerned about what was going on inside the circle, and very afraid.

There was no way we were getting into that circle without going through the fire-people, and I doubt they'd be keen to let the Misfit have a peak. But there was another way to see what was going on.

Quickly as I could without being noticed, I slipped over to the nearest table and climbed up. From here I had a perfect view, and it made my skin crawl.

There were only four people inside that circle, one of whom was writhing of the floor. She convulsed toward us, dark ivy stretched through her skin. Sedna. Standing over her were Saranya, Nyame, and Apollo; Alpha's own little love triangle. Interesting combination.

Nyame and Apollo held their own torches, and every time Sedna tried to get up they thrust the fire toward her, causing her to collapse again.

"How did you do it? Answer me!" Saranya shouted as she circled around Sedna. She looked nothing like the traumatized girl I'd seen my first day here. Her skin was vibrant now, her soft lips curling and her exotic eyes crackling with fury as she bore down on Sedna. I was under the impression the culprit was yet to be determined, but I guess Saranya, like Gwen, was certain it was Sedna.

"I told you," Sedna gasped, her skin was pale and sickly, and she seemed to be struggling to breathe. "It wasn't me."

Saranya flicked her wrists, and Sedna convulsed, little blisters popping up all over her skin. She let out a tiny scream before catching herself and cutting it off.