The Rage Eater

Chapter 25: Wizard Dvesha

Wizard Dvesha's office was large and cramped, illuminated by dozens of blood-red candles on every surface, their hot wax crackling and spilling over onto wood and stone. In the middle of the room was an old oak desk, on which sat paper, pen, and a large glass tank, where his flies gorged themselves on the carcasses of rotten fruit. The putrid-sweet smell was so strong Sadie's eyes began to water.

"Please, sit," said the Wizard, gesturing towards a chair in front of the desk. She did, wincing as her knee bent. He sat opposite her, behind his desk, his long, slender torso throwing a shadow against the wall.

Sadie looked up at Wizard Dvesha. He seemed impossibly young, as if his face was untouched by time.

But that can't be, Sadie thought. He's got to be hundreds of years of old.

Behind his desk was a bookshelf which stretched from floor to ceiling, lined with hundreds of old books. In the right corner hung an oil painting of a towering black castle amidst rolling green hills.

"So," Wizard Dvesha said, his long, elegant fingers pressed together, "you defeated a monster many seasoned warriors have died fighting. I must confess: I'm impressed."

"Thank you," she said, trying to hide the nervousness in her voice. "But it wasn't just me; it was Dylan, too."

The Wizard nodded as if he'd expected her to say that. "Tell me, does the builder credit the hammer for his building?"

"No," Sadie said.

"And does the painter credit the paintbrush for her painting?"

"No."

"So why should you credit Dylan for your victory? A weapon is only as great as the Warrior who wields it."

Sadie nodded, even though she was unsure what he said was true.

The Wizard reached into a basket on the floor and pulled out a bruised, oozing peach. "Sadie, do you know why children like Nicolas, Geoffrey, and Sofi hate you?"

"No."

The Wizard dropped the rotten peach into the tank. "They hate you because they fear you."

The flies buzzed around the peach, feasting on its rotten flesh.

"Because you remind them that the only thing special about them is the Clan crest hanging above their beds. Because you remind them that, without their family name, they are nothing. And yet, they don't know the half of it. They don't know what you're really capable of. I do."

Sadie felt ice melt in her gut, a chill snaking its way through her veins. "I don't know what you mean," she said.

"Oh, I believe you know exactly what I mean." Wizard Dvesha leaned in close. "Say it. Tell me what you're capable of."

Sadie's heart thundered in her chest. This was everything she feared, everything her mother had warned about. But Wizard Dvesha already knew.

He'd always known.

"Fire," Sadie whispered.

"Not just fire. Magic. Red magic. You think you're at the Academy in spite of it. But you're wrong. You're here because of it."

"I don't understand," Sadie said.

"It began as a rumour. Some thief claiming a mamzer girl nearly burned him alive. Naturally, the authorities were skeptical—he was a thief and a liar, after all. But upon looking into it, they found that the accused had applied to Barrett's Academy. Her mother was a tavern owner. Her father was unknown, a mystery.

"And so, after much back-and-forth, the Kingdom decided to send Priestess Wu to investigate under the guise of an interview. With her green magic, the Priestess would be able to detect the girl's powers, and as a representative of the Academy, she could do so without raising any suspicion.

"What she found terrified her: a girl with burning ambition and great power. She reported her findings to the Council of Kings, who then came to me. They were afraid. And under the Red Edict, they had the authority to imprison her. Forever. Many thought this the best course of action. I disagreed.

"I told the Council that if they wanted my help, they could have it. But not if it meant imprisoning the girl. Instead, I would come to Barrett's Academy as the Wizard in Residence, where I would help train the girl, in secret."

Sadie closed her eyes, overwhelmed by it all, and unsure what to do or say. The thief had talked, the Council of Kings knew, and yet, here she was, not in spite of her powers, but because of them. It was almost too much to comprehend. And she still had so many questions.

"Do the Masters know?" Sadie said quietly.

"No, I made sure of it. Many still fear the rise of another Bloom."

Sadie remembered George's story of Bloom, how he went mad with rage, burning villages, until he was caught by the Wizards and drowned by the Galerans.

"You're scared of becoming like him, aren't you?" Wizard Dvesha asked tenderly.

He can read my mind, Sadie thought.

"I won't let that happen," said Wizard Dvesha, gently grabbing Sadie's hands.

At first, she wanted to recoil, but his hands were warm and soft, his touch strangely soothing, almost fatherly.

"I will teach you to control your magic, to use it like a weapon. But you mustn't see it as a curse. It's a blessing. It's what makes you special."

"But what if someone finds out?"

"I will protect you. But you must keep your powers a secret."

"Even from Dylan?" Sadie said.

"Yes, as well as Master Padwe and Aubrey. There is too much fear and ignorance of red magic. And I'd also ask for you to keep quiet about our little meetings."

"Meetings?"

"Tonight was merely the first of many." Wizard Dvesha clutched Sadie's hands tighter. "There are so many things I need to teach you."

"And you're not going to punish me for losing Dylan? Or going into the Swamplands?"

"No," Wizard Dvesha said, smiling. "I ask only this of you. When I call, you come. Alone."

#

Sadie walked across the cold, moonlit campus in a daze, her mind humming and body aching with exhaustion. She paused, touching her bruised knee, and looked up into the night sky. Amidst the sprawling blackness, stars beamed, beautiful and unyielding. The sight calmed her, helping clear her mind.

The more she thought about it, the better she felt. She was no longer in danger. Wizard Dvesha wasn't an enemy; he was an ally. And with his help, she could learn to control her powers.

Standing there alone under the night sky, Sadie felt her old confidence return, and her mind filled with possibilities. She imagined herself on a battlefield, perched on one of Dylan's sky-high branches, hurling fireballs at orcs down below. She imagined the look of shock on Nicolas and Geoffrey's face when she emerged from the carnage, smiling and triumphant.

But that's a long way away, Sadie thought.

For now, she'd need to keep her powers a secret. Still, there had to be a way to get back at her bullies.

She thought of tricking them, of entrapping them the way they did her. But they'd see it coming, and she couldn't risk another visit to the Grand Council of the Masters, even under Wizard Dvesha's protection. Then it came to her.

The Game of Thieves.

Surely, Nicolas and Geoffrey would be playing, possibly even on the same team.

It's perfect, Sadie thought.

Tomorrow, she would sign her name to the Rogues List. Then, with the whole Academy watching, she wouldn't just defeat them.

She would humiliate them.