Abaddon's Gift

Chapter Seventeen

Bo was sitting at his desk, doing his homework when Naena dragged her desk chair across the room. She set the chair by his desk and sat right beside him. He glared at his paper for a second, then turned to her.

"It's actually called the homework period," Bo said. "That's what I'm doing, homework. It's Thursday, haven't they given you something by now?"

"I know that Luk is leaving today and that I'm probably going to fail because I can't do what they want," Naena said. "No one has taught us magic yet."

"You start to learn magic in second year," he said. "I remember spending nights... ah, right, studying as much advance symbology in the library as I could."

"What did you do today?" Naena asked suddenly.

"Why?" Bo countered.

"One of the librarians told me that once I learn something I should either teach someone else or talk to something like I was teaching the topic to them because it'll help me retain information," Naena said. "Since I can't study in the library, I thought I could try to help you study."

"Oh," Bo said. "Yeah, sure."

"Why do you say yeah, but Theon tells me not to?" Naena asked.

"It's considered uneducated," Bo said. He hesitated, considering his words. "You want to keep this air of propriety around the public. I consider this private. Hence the change in language."

"All right, what are you learning?"

"I'm trying to understand wards," Bo said. "See, this, this one here," he turned his paper to Naena so she could see the whole thing. "I don't get it."

"But that's your circle and your circle," she said, tracing the lines on the page. "Dot and dot."

"Right, so I should be able to make it work, but it's this and this and this and that and that over there. In order to lay spells, you have to understand the symbols. I know this is an old symbol which means field, and this one means death, but what the Hell do a field and death have to do with warding?"

"You're warding a field against death?" Naena asked.

"Right, oh, oh God, I think you're right, that symbol is, it's here somewhere," Bo said as he began rifling through the pages sitting on his desk. "Here. Seed. This is a ward against seed death. You're a genius."

"Great," Naena said with a smile. The smile faltered, and she leaned forward. "Why do you need a ward against seed death in a field?"

"Mages who don't choose a discipline serve the people," Bo said. "It might seem unimportant, but a ward against seed death could one day be used to protect a baby, with the right magic."

She stared for too long.

"Oh, all right," she said.

"Are you all right?"

"Fine," she said faintly.

"Naena," Bo said.

Her attention had slipped suddenly. She appeared distant, fog in her eyes as she sat back just a little more.

"I'm fine, Bo, I'm just going to go take a walk to clear my head, I think. Stay and do your homework. But maybe tomorrow I could help again?"

"Sure," he said.

Bo watched in confusion as Naena got up and left. He frowned after her, wondering why she would rush off suddenly after asking about his homework. She had seemed genuinely interested one moment, only to rush off the next.