Abaddon's Gift

Chapter Fifty-Four

Maeno was introduced with his name and his year only, but he knew everyone stared at him. They watched him as he made his way to the food tables, as he selected his food and found his seat in the back corner of the ballroom by the large glass panelled doors. In the spring those doors would be opened to allow students to spill out into the gardens and celebrate under the watchful eyes of the Seven.

The ballroom stood off the gardens. It was the same room that the annual Amos ball was held in. Technically it was called the Annual Amos Alumni ball, but really, besides in school to teach them about it, it was just referred to as 'the ball.'

Each year after the students returned home, the alumni of the school returned for a massive ball. Not everyone could make it every year, but anyone who was anyone showed up. Those who attended the balls bragged about their new status and wealth, trying to show up their fellows. The ball was also an excellent place to make connections and network for younger mages.

So, at the biannual formals held for students, a small handful of alumni were given special invitations to attend.

The alumni at that particular winter formal all had full sleeves of ink. One's tattoos writhed as he strode across the dance floor, scowling at someone standing by the food dishes.

A trained war mage spoke animatedly with Ren, hands moving excitedly about himself as their discussion became heated.

Theon didn't attend formals.

Usually.

When the war mage stepped through the little archway that acted as a magic detector for the Seven, the whole ballroom fell into silence.

Theon chose to enter between the first-years and second-years, which was practically an unuttered threat. The man wore a vest with no buttons, showing off a sprawling array of ink and scars across his chest and abdomen.

To balls, Maeno had heard, Theon wore a proper formal vest and shirt, only showing off his sleeves. That was the only real requirement because sleeves were so often used in magic. If one had to show off all of their tattoos during the ball, well, there would have been several naked mages to be sure.

When Naena entered, the room also fell silent.

She looked stunning in a black dress embroidered and embellished with small black beads that caught the light. The dress was very much something that Maeno expected Naena to choose. The cut of it swooped sharply from the top of her breasts and down her sides until it curved around to her back, stopping barely above her backside. Her arms showed off the muscle she was building through her work with Theon.

And a strange, ragged scar that circled her right shoulder. One that hadn't been there before.

In her school dress, Naena looked almost bloated or fattened up, but in reality, she had taken her thin form and built muscle. The school, in response, insisted she still fit her dress and that no alterations need be performed.

Resulting in an entirely unflattering outcome.

The dress moved with Naena the way only magic could conceive. The bodice was attached to her skin, though Maeno felt the small flares of magic from other mages trying to undo that magic and pull down her dress. Naena turned with each flash of magic and laid eyes on the one who cast it at her, causing quite a stuttering and whisper.

From his place at the back of the room, Maeno got a pretty clear view of everyone casting magic. He found himself fascinated by the little flashes of greys and browns, of blacks and that one of pink from one of the largest students at the university, who was studying some kind of warcraft to take home to his family.