First Year (25 page)

Alex shrugged his shoulders good-naturedly. “I try to keep out of girlish drama.”

“Well, Ry’s got bad relations with the prince too,” Ella said before I could stop her. “Didn’t Darren go after the two of you during orientation week for Combat?”

“Oh, yeah,” Alex admitted ruefully.

“Right, Ryiah?” Ella pressed.

I stared at my plate, using my fork to stab small indents into a slice of roasted potato.

“Ryiah?”

I glanced up at her. “Right.”

I excused myself, promising to meet up with Ella and Clayton for our nightly practice outside the armory: “I need to stop by the barracks first. I think I left one of my books there.” It was a lie, but I needed to get some space, alone, before I faced my friends again.

The last thing I wanted to do was discuss the prince. Even the mention of his name brought back memories of that night, and the last thing I wanted was to remember it.

Yes, I’d enjoyed that kiss. But so would have any hot-blooded female. It wasn’t a crime, just a lack of judgment on my part.

“Ryiah?”

I almost jumped out of my skin. Standing in the shadows of the hall just beyond was Darren.

My heart began to beat wildly, and blood rushed my face. I tried to appear uncaring as I asked shortly, “What?”

“Can I have a word with you—outside?”

“No.” I was proud of my resolve. I did not bat an eye.

“Ryiah, please.” Darren walked over to where I stood, frozen, and reached down to take my hand.

The second our skin touched, I was hit with a rush of fire and ice, the same tingling sensation as before.

I looked up involuntarily. A flash of recognition—and guilt— flared up in those fathomless eyes. He dropped my wrist immediately.

“You should go back to your friends,” the prince said abruptly, turning.

I was furious. Darren couldn’t even apologize now that we were five feet apart.

“You coward,” I snapped, racing out in front of him so that the non-heir was forced to meet my angry gaze. “First you assault me, then you try and send me on my way like I’m some lovesick fool? And don’t think for a moment that I am not aware that you are the one behind the hazing. You really have some nerve—”

“You think I
assaulted
you?” Darren had stopped his retreat to stare at me in blatant disbelief. I was sure he was remembering my body’s traitorous reaction to that kiss.

His doubt only enraged me more. How
dare
he assume I had liked it! Even if I had.

“Believe it or not, not every girl welcomes the advance of a weakling prince that has no chance at a throne, even one so lowborn as me.” It was cold and untrue, but I knew it would hurt someone as prideful as Darren. And I wanted to hurt him in any way that I could. The nonheir’s earlier dismissal stung more than I cared to let on.

“Well, I am sorry I offended you,” Darren said shortly. “I assure you I will not make the same mistake twice.” His eyes darkened. They were now as unflinching and barren as stone.

“You had better!” My breath caught, and I was dismayed to find my vision was becoming blurry.
What was wrong with me?
I needed to get away before he saw me cry.

Something flickered in the prince’s eyes, and I realized it was too late.

There was an unbearable silence, and then I spotted the Academy door a couple paces away. I reached for its handle, intent on escape.

Darren paled. “Wait, Ryiah,
don’t
—”

A sea of red greeted me as soon as I stepped outside. Buckets of sticky, foul-smelling gore covered every inch of my frame. I was drenched, rivulets of scarlet raindrops dripping from my hair, my face… not a part of my skin untouched.

“Go back to where you came from, lowborn.”

It took me a moment to wipe enough blood away to see the person who had addressed me, though I had recognized his voice immediately.

A few steps forward Jake, the speaker, William, and Priscilla stood watching with malignant smiles plastered to their faces.

I was right: the hazings
were
personal.

“Save yourself anymore humiliation,” William suggested.

Priscilla snickered. “Go home, Ryiah. This school was never meant for commoners.”

My skin burned beneath the plaster of repugnant red. They were just trying to get under my skin, trying to break me.

Hadn’t Ella and I suspected something like this would happen? I was irate, and rightfully so. But that didn’t explain the shattering, the tearing at my chest.

I felt betrayed. I felt used. I was angry. Fire was filling my veins, and a dark loathing was met with unbidden tears.

Darren stepped out from behind me, eyes averted, to stand beside his friends. His clothes were immaculate.

And then I knew for certain.

“I have to say,” Priscilla remarked, “the pig’s blood was a nice touch.” She turned to me, savoring my reaction as she spoke the next words slowly: “When the prince first proposed the idea, I was reluctant. Seeing you now however, I am pleased we went forward with the plan.” The highborn beauty smirked. “I never would have guessed it would take this effect. Darren did a good job, did he not?”

I could not control the shaking of my hands. There was a loud pounding in my head that was threatening to explode. Magic was filling my senses, and I was seconds away from flinging the traitorous prince as far as my limits would go.

“Don’t be a fool, Ryiah,” Darren said.

Fighting back tears of rage, I met the eyes of my enemy. In that moment I didn’t care that he was a prince or the most powerful first-year in the school. All I knew was that he was a boy who had hurt me, tricked me, kissed me, betrayed me, and somehow won my trust against every instinct and piece of advice I had ever received.

“I might not beat you,” I snarled at the non-heir, “but it will sure feel good to try!”

“Give the wench a lesson!” Jake urged.

Flames enveloped my vision.

“No.”

The fire subsided just enough for me to catch Priscilla frowning at the prince. “Why not?”

“She’s not worth it.” The words cut like a knife.

The four of them began to take their leave.

“I am worth a thousand of you!” I shrieked, casting out as much magic as I could summon. I launched the force forward, sending it barreling towards the prince’s unguarded back.

Darren spun around. With the flick of his wrist, my casting was sent staggering into the forest behind. He dark eyes met mine, unreadable.

“It looks like you never needed that apology after all,” I spat, ignoring the baffled expressions of the three that stood beside him.

Let them think what they will.
 

“It turns out I was wrong,” I continued, “I never made a mistake. You are
exactly
who I expected.”

Twenty minutes later Ella found me in the barracks, furiously scrubbing the stain of pig’s blood from my skin.

“Oh Ryiah,” she began, as soon as she saw me.

I didn’t respond. I just kept washing.

“Are you going to say anything to Master Barclae?” She grabbed a cloth to help rinse the red from my tangled hair.

I stayed silent.

“I wouldn’t fault you if you did,” she said quietly. “Was it Priscilla?”

“Darren.”

“The prince?” she gasped. “How did he—what happened?”

I watched the crimson haze twist and curl around the tub’s drain. “I should have listened to you,” was all I meant to say, but instead I found myself spilling the secret I had been holding onto for the last month. I told her everything.

“I think it’s time I told you what really happened in Devon,” Ella said, once I had finished. “There’s something I think you should know…” She looked at me, eyes clouding. “I would have told you sooner, but I was ashamed.”

That night I stared up at the ceiling, long after Ella and the rest of our barracks had fallen asleep.

How had I been so naive?
 

For some unknown reason, I had really thought there was something genuine to Darren, something likable and kind, something that could justify the reckless attraction I had felt in the midst of all his sarcasm and condescending talk.

Now I knew with certainty there was not. Ella’s tale haunted me, and while she had clearly moved on, I couldn’t help but feel righteous anger on her account. Darren had hurt me, but what he had done to my friend was despicable.

Ella and her family had lived in the capitol for years, in one of the palace’s many rooms for visiting nobility. She’d grown up playing with the children of various courtiers, though the two princes had usually not been a part of that group.

Blayne and Darren were too important to mingle with any but the most important residents’ children…It was only as they got older that they started paying attention to the intrigues of court.
 

Darren was private and aloof, much like he is now. He spent most of his time with the knights. I hardly ever saw him.
 

Blayne was the older, more sociable, of the two. He was handsome, popular, self-aware. He was also charming, and he could do no wrong.
 

Ella had only been twelve when the crown prince had lured her away under the guise of amity and attempted to rape her. She had tried to fight him off, but Blayne had muffled her screams.

But Darren heard me anyway.
 

When he came to investigate the shouting, he found his older brother on top of me. He could see there’d been a scuffle. It was obvious from the rips in my dress and the long scratches on Blayne’s neck.
 

Darren looked me right in the eyes, Ryiah. He knew exactly what was happening. I felt hope. I knew if anyone could stop the prince it was his brother.
 

But Darren had just walked away.

At first, I thought maybe he had gone for help…but no one ever came.
 

The only reason Blayne had not succeeded in his mission that day was by accident. In the heat of their struggle, the boy had slammed Ella’s head against the wall.

Like your first time, the pain released my magic. Until that day I hadn’t even known I’d had it.
 

Her powers had knocked the crown prince unconscious, and she’d been able to escape. Her family had left court the very next day.

Ella had warned me repeatedly. She’d said it since day one. Don’t trust Darren. Don’t trust the non-heir. Don’t trust a prince.

The overwhelming hostility had never made sense.

Now it did.

Darren had willingly stood by as his sixteen year-old brother had attempted to rape my best friend.

Prince Darren, second son to King Lucius III, was the most base, amoral, cold-hearted person I had ever met.

He wanted to try and send me home by pig’s blood?

Well, he had just guaranteed my stay.

I was not going anywhere. Someone like that would not win.

“He did
what!”
Alex roared over breakfast the next morning.

I grabbed my brother’s wrist in an attempt to quiet him. “Please Alex,” I begged. “Don’t make a scene.”

Much to my dismay, Ella had told the rest of our group about my encounter with Darren and his friends the night before. Ruth, Clayton, and James had taken the news in stride. They had been disturbed, but each one of them understood that reporting the incident was not an option.

Alex, however, had refused to see reason. He was the level-headed twin, the pacifist… except when it came to me. Then brotherly instinct took over, and no one, not even me, could calm him down.

The last time I’d seen him this upset was when his best friend Jason had called an end to our courtship. It had been amicable. But that still had not stopped my brother from ending a ten-year friendship and swearing that he would gut the trader’s son, should he ever come calling again.

Alex had broken many hearts in his wake, but the gods should fear if anyone ever hurt his sister. I had tried to point out as much last time, but it hadn’t gone over well.

My brother broke free of my hold and took off toward the front of the room.

“Ryiah!” Ella cried.

The two of us raced after my brother, calling his name, but he had already shoved his way past Jake and William and grabbed the non-heir by the neck of his tunic.

The entire room went silent, all eyes following Alex as he sent a fist flying into the prince’s face.

Alex had only a split-second of advantage. Moments later my brother was airborne, plummeting into the table behind, as Darren stood brushing himself off angrily.

“You spineless predator!” Alex roared as Jake and William held him down. “All you do is prey on the weak!” He coughed blood as Jake’s fist collided with his nose.

“You think you are the next Black Mage,” Alex continued, as William kicked him hard. “All I see is someone too insecure to let anyone with potential try! You think you can bully everyone into leaving. Well, guess what, my sister Ryiah—”

Darren’s eyes shot to me, startled.

“—is staying and so will anyone else you victimize, if I have anything to do with it!” Alex stared defiantly ahead as Jake prepared to land another punch.

“Stop!”
 

Jake lowered his hand to glance at the prince.

“That’s enough,” Darren said, walking over to where Alex kneeled, spewing blood across the floor while he tried to balance himself. Darren offered him his hand. Alex spat at it.

Ella thrust herself in front of the prince to help my brother up, glaring at the non-heir and his friends. “Will you hit me too?” she demanded.

I joined my friend, lifting Alex’s other arm.

Darren stared at the three of us for a long moment, anger burning in the dark shadows of his eyes.

Then he turned and left the room, Priscilla, Jake, and William following in his wake.

After that morning, my brother became a bit of a hero.

The hazing had come to a halt. In the weeks that followed, there were no new incidents to report. And while no one had offered up an explanation, none of us had any doubt in our minds who was responsible for the change.

Darren’s group had become altogether complacent, though that didn’t extend to the looks of loathing Priscilla still shot me whenever she had the chance.
That
would have been expecting too much.