Abaddon's Gift

Chapter Four

Bo Belus was entering his second year of schooling. He had spent his first year dormed alone because none of the other mages wanted to sleep near him. They worried he might give them lace pox because he carried the marks of scaling in the wyvern pattern across the entirety of his body.

The chance of becoming scaled from lace pox was slim, though it travelled through families. His cousin was scaled, so his parents weren't surprised when he took with the pox and developed scaling.

They had, however, been surprised when Bo presented.

Like many from mage families, Bo's father had known from the time he was banded that Bo was bound for Amos. For that reason, his father made him care for himself, taught him how to reach all the places on his skin to treat the scaling properly to keep it from cracking or growing.

The growth was what others feared, why he slept alone the first year.

He had just gotten settled in his dorm after arriving for second year when there was a knock on his door. He opened it to find Luk Pan and a young woman about Bo's age in rumpled trousers and pants.

Bo looked her up and down, scandalized at the idea of even being in the same room as such a filthy woman.

"I've never met her before," Bo protested.

He would not be dragged into a disciplinary hearing again because one of the other boys wanted his dorm.

"Yes, I know," Luk said. "This is Naena, she is your roommate for the year."

Bo jabbed a finger at Naena, frowning as he looked past her, to Luk.

"I am aware," Luk said.

"Because magic could be involved, you're aware this is a woman, correct?" Bo asked.

"Yes, that is the fact of which I am aware," Luk said.

"Well, all right then, I trust you know the difference," Bo said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Luk asked.

Having Lord Pan angry with him would do Bo no good, he knew. Bo's mind skittered back over what he had said, wondering how he had upset Luk.

He realized he may have inadvertently hurt Luk's feelings concerning a rumour which had circulated in the previous year.

The one that said in no uncertain terms that Luk had been carrying on an affair with Theon, his shield and close friend of over twenty years. Luk had made no public statement on the rumour.

Theon had exploded the person stupid enough to bring it up in public. University staff were still scraping bone shards out of Theon's old study up on the third floor.

When Theon ended someone, everyone knew.

When Luk ended someone he didn't just end them, he ended their family, friends, allies, and left them alive as a warning to everyone else.

"I trust you know the difference between a mage and a person," Bo said, hoping his voice didn't show his fear.

Luk made a sound and pushed the woman forward.

"Bo, Naena. Naena, Bo. If there are any problems, talk with Theon down on the first floor, east wing, the part that borders Hydra Pond."

"That area belongs to the Seven," Bo protested.

"Yes, where else would we put him?" Luk asked.

"I'm not allowed near the Seven," Bo said. "I'm entering my second year. I haven't taken any classes on the Seven yet."