Blowing Embers

Chapter 19

            Kallai was finished her lunch when she finally admitted that Shuu wasn’t coming. She’d gotten used to him joining her, stealing her food, and asking her more questions. Lunch seemed so much longer without him there. She sighed and picked up one of her books. She might as well review for her next classes with the time she had.

            The scuffing sound of a footstep had Kallai looking up, a smile lighting her face. The expression fled almost immediately, to be replaced with pale skin, wide eyes, and her teeth sinking into her bottom lip. She recognized the three figures approaching her, between her and the staircase that led down from the roof.

           “Hello, Spellless,” Azaz purred, the smile lighting his blue eyes making her shiver as she scrambled to her feet. “Quite a nice spot you have up here. Very out of the way.”

            She backed up until she hit one of the stone crenellations, her shoulders hunching up as she kept her eyes on the three still approaching her. Kallai felt another tremor run through her as she realized that she’d neglected the basic checks she usually did when going to and coming from her hiding spots.

            The three boys continued stalking forward, Azaz in the centre, with Eran and Makol on either side of him, preventing Kallai from escaping. Azaz looked her over, his smile widening. “You see, we thought, since you can’t actually do magic, that you’d be happy to help us with some of ours,” he said, glancing sidelong at the other two, who smirked. “I was in the library and found some interesting spells and well, I’ve just been dying to try them out. You’ll help us, won’t you?”

            He didn’t give her time to reply, immediately beginning to chant and move his hands in the complex movements of an advanced spell. Kallai shrunk further back, knowing trying to escape would only make it worse for her. But as she listened, she realized just what spell Azaz was about to unleash.

            As he spoke the word of engagement, Kallai dropped to her knees, the worst of the shock spell splashing uselessly against the stone above her. Enough of it connected with her head that she couldn’t help a cry from escaping her lips as the electric pain surged through her veins. With her hair puffier than ever, she looked up at the three still looming over her.

            Azaz shook his head, faking a look of regret and concern. “Now, now, Spellless, you can’t avoid the spell. How am I supposed to know I’m doing it right if you escape? I’ll try it again and this time you stay still. Actually,” he said, jerking his chin at Eran and Makol. “These two will help you. Grab her arms and hold her in place.”

             Kallai tried to evade them, but the boys closed in from either side too quickly. Despite her attempts to keep her arms against her body, they were swiftly wrenched outwards, held at full length by Eran and Makol as she half dangled between them. She trembled and closed her eyes as Azaz started his chant again.

            She struggled briefly, but couldn’t escape the grasp of the boys. With no help for it, Kallai clenched her teeth and did her best to brace herself for what she knew was coming. When the shock spell hit her, she screamed, the sound echoing through the cold air. She heard yelps right before she fell to the ground again, Eran and Makol having dropped her arms.

            It was several seconds before she could fight her way up. She could see the two boys rubbing their arms and wincing while Azaz watched them all with a gleeful expression that split his face. “Well,” he said. “That was much better. Now, don’t you move, I’ve got one last one that’s especially for you, Spellless.”

            Kallai blanched, scrambling to her feet. She’d barely gotten upright when Eran and Makol closed in on her from the sides, blocking her escape, though both kept their distance. She jerked her head one way, then the other, looking for some way to escape. Every time she took a step forward, one of the boys would move to block her, keeping her penned between them and the stone wall of the roof.

            Azaz’s spoke the word of engagement, while Kallai was still looking for a way to bolt. She didn’t have time to brace herself as the ground in front of her exploded, hurling broken chunks of stone into her. She cried out, the impact sending her reeling back into the wall, even as she could feel the wet warmth of cuts appear on her arms and face from the sharp edges of the rocks.

            She collapsed into a heap, shaking as she fought the pain down. She heard Azaz’s harsh laughter, and knew he was standing over her, gloating. It was only the ringing of the belltower that saved her, sending the three boys hurrying to class. But not before Azaz called “Well see you later, Spellless.”

            Kallai waited until she was sure they were gone before she struggled to her feet, biting her lip against the tears of pain as her body protested. She hobbled over to her books, shoving them into her bag, and then limped towards the stairs. She only hoped Magi Althan was in the Physiker’s Office this time. She didn’t think she could make it any farther than that.