Dead King's Sword (Old Draft)

8. Tantrums and Interviews

Erin

***

After periods of war, our country had been separated into upper and lower Canada, though upper and lower were switched depending on which side of the border you stood. For the nonmagi, we, magi, lived in the lower lands, and for us, they were the lesser man, uncivilized, violent, seeking to kill that which they didn't understand. That which they feared. The timing of Dawson Carr's transfer was terrible. The students were still frightened by the demon attack; this wasn't a time for our leaders to attempt to stitch the wounds created by ancient grudges between the two races.

I gripped my notebook as I strode down the hallway. I thought of Princess Anne; she was beautiful with flawless caramel skin and dark green eyes. Her voice was rich and soothing, a royal among peasants. And the way Zeren looked at her-I scoffed. Zeren turned into some drooling puppy whenever the princess was around. Pathetic.

Outside the cafeteria, on the wall opposite to the set of double doors that led inside, I watched Zeren put a flyer on the noticeboard for the stupid comedy club she had been going on about lately. A few feet away from Zeren, Mitzy, a noble from the house of Trent, snapped her fingers. Fire consumed Zeren's precious flyer and turned it into ashes.

Light played across Mitzy's dark brown skin as she strode over to the board. She wore the red robes of Lava house and was likely a sport's team member. Her maroon hair was held in a single braid tied at the end with a red ribbon.

Mitzy Seragon Trent, with her size six core, was one of our suspects for the demon summoning if we assumed it was done by someone at our school. She placed her poster where Zeren's had been and continued down the corridor, a callous expression on her face.

I sensed the wheels of Zeren's brain turning as she watched the girl round the corner and disappear. Zeren's lips were slightly apart as she inhaled with a tiny squeak, her anger rising. Before she did something stupid, I was in front of her, placing my hands on her shoulders. "Do not even think about it. And even if you did have your magic, she would hand your ass to you in a second."

"Asatatah." Her anger had corroded her ability to form proper words. She pointed at Mitzy's poster, silent desperation in her eyes. "Asha...."

"I know. I know. But you have more flyers. You'll survive."

"She got the last spot," Zeren spoke through gritted teeth. "She replaced my innovative comedy club with a drama club ad for Romeo and Juliet? Romeo and Juliet! That goddamn play has been done so often it has lost all meaning. You know what is better than Romeo and Juliet, Erin? Comedy. Stand-up comedy. My comedy. Romeo and Juliet...." She shook her head and leaned against the wall. "Fucking bullshit."

"There are other boards."

"Yes, there are other boards. But this was the board, Erin. The board everyone sees when they leave the dining hall. I know no one here, and I need to get this club off the ground. I really need it, okay?" Her eyes pled with me.

I sighed and massaged my temple, not believing the words that came from my lips, even as I said them: "Fine, I'll help you, but only if you promise not to smear hair regrowth potion all over my face while I'm asleep." I held out my pinky. "Deal?"

Zeren hesitated, glanced at the poster for Romeo and Juliet, and groaned. She held my hand and pressed it to her warm lips, and for the first time, I felt my heart fly, but I didn't want her to be the one who swayed it, so I shoved it back down. She straightened from her bow and smiled. "Deal."

"No fingers crossed behind your back?"

She showed me her empty hands.

"Good. Then we have a deal."