Florian wandered.
The ending of the private lesson with Professor Lawrence shook him badly and he needed some air and some space to process. Conceptually, knowing pain and strife and struggle and suffering simply existed in the world could be enough to press weight onto one’s shoulders, a weight Florian could bear. But, aimlessly walking the stone paths of the castle, the feeling of knowing, deep in his soul, the horrors that simply waking up in the morning wrought for him in particular threatened to tear him asunder.
So negatively affected was Florian, walking past student and Professor alike without a focused glance, he didn’t even notice Madeline coming down the winding set of stairs that led to and from the post office.
He just kept walking.
“I was sending a letter to Aunt-,” Madeline explained when she noticed Florian occupying the same stone hallway. “Wait, you didn’t ask.”
Florian didn’t stop, didn’t offer her even a weak smile, he simply adjusted his path around her and kept on walking. He’d find a destination. Or he wouldn’t. Who would care? Nothing mattered except the feeling of destruction he would bring when he drained the flowers of their life force, or set a curse upon another by accident or a hundred other things. What could he offer anyone besides blood and decay and death and brutality?
“Florian?” Madeline called after him, puzzled at his lack of reaction. “What are you-,” she stopped herself when he didn’t. “Florian!”
He kept walking. Soon, he heard the clip clapping of Madeline’s boots on stone as she worked to catch up to his longer strides.
“Florian!” Madeline exclaimed as she grabbed his shirt at the wrist and planted herself in front of him then placed a hand on his chest, halting his forward progress. “You don’t look so good. Do you need a nurse?”
He shook his head. “I’m fine. Private lesson with Lawrence.” He explained no further.
“With Lawrence?” Madeline’s tone flipped from concern to abject rage in two words. “Did she do something? I’ll destroy her, I’ll tear her limb from limb, I swear-,” she stopped herself and breathed in, waiting for his answer.
“No, she didn’t do anything. I-I-,” he paused. “You were right to stay away from me, Madeline. You should follow that instinct. There is nothing I have to offer you except pain, I know that now. I thought maybe…but I was wrong. Not now, not in the future, not ever. It’s who I am. It’s who I’m destined to become.”
He tried to move his way past her but her hand on his chest left him rooted to the spot. “What are you talking about? What did she do to you?”
“Please, Madeline, leave me alone. Okay? Please.”
She removed her hand from his chest, eyes full of consideration and unless Florian’s understanding of humanity had completely flipped upside down, he also saw concern.
What he didn’t see was Madeline standing motionless in the hallway for minutes after he walked on by, staring at the place he stood, replaying the conversation in her mind a dozen times over.
Florian meandered through more stone hallways until he came upon stairs going up and another set of stairs going down. Down felt like the right place to go given his mood, so that made his choice. The castle getting close to Ye Evergreen held signs of coming decorations, preparations made by Ruthann and her administrative staff, thick nails pounded into the walls of the staircase where holly and garland would hang, an extra space between statues where the Evergreen trees would go in another spot.
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He exited the castle past the statue of what looked to be a famous long dead Storm Sorcerer - he didn’t stop to read the carved inscription in the stone at its base - and found his way to the lawns. His feet were taking him in the direction of the purple flowers he’d hand picked for Madeline after hours but he didn’t want to go there, so he veered off toward the lake. The closer he got to the lake the colder he got and soon he shivered every few steps. Plunking his ass down on the grass a dozen feet from the still water, Florian said a silent ‘thanks’ to be both in the absence of wind and the absence of people.
His thoughts drifted to the construction of the lake. Did a Life Witch or Wizard have their hand in its construction? He knew about its man-made origins - only an idiot would believe a natural lake could form perfectly on Academy grounds - but to what extent did its creation come from magic? After the lesson with Lawrence, he knew the Death Dealers would only be involved in the tear down of whatever existed before the lake. That bothered him. He wanted to build, not just destroy. The act of tearing something down was valuable, he supposed, but not like building something up.
In his leadership lessons growing up, he’d been taught that true leaders enhanced the abilities of those around them. But then again, he once thought his father a great leader and that turned out about as well as a kick to the talisman.
Lost in thought, he didn’t hear Thad come up next to him with two steaming cups in his hands.
“Madeline said you needed a friend,” was all he said before handing Florian a cup of dark liquid, marshmallows floating to the surface. “Thought you might like some hot chocolate. It’s cold.”
Florian used the cup to gratefully warm his hands. “Thanks, man.”
“No problem.” Thad sat down next to Florian and put his cup down on a flat piece of grass, taking an extra second to make sure it didn’t fall over before looking for a flat stone. He picked one, two, three up and put them down before finding the right one on the fourth try. “Have you ever done this? Back home, we had a pond and I always tried but the pond was too small.” He rubbed the flat back of the stone with his thumb and then threw it toward the lake. It skipped a couple times before vanishing into the lake. Thad grinned, a slight part in his two front teeth showing proudly.
“Once or twice,” Florian answered, forcing a smile.
“The lesson with Professor Lawrence didn’t go well, then?” Thad asked as lightly as he could manage.
Florian shook his head.
“Want to talk about it?”
“Not really,” Florian answered, taking a drink of hot chocolate and chewing on a marshmallow.
Thad picked up his cup also but didn’t drink. “You may not believe this, given how cool I am, but I was bullied a lot growing up. Well. Until about a month and a half ago, to be honest.”
Florian frowned but said nothing.
“I mean, look at me, Flo. I’m not even twenty-three and I’m already balding. The exercise sessions with the Second was the first time I’ve ever exercised on purpose, period and it shows. I throw myself into my studies and into books because they’re the only things that have never punched me or insulted me or found a way to use my insecurities against me.”
The blades of grass between Florian’s legs looked like they wanted an eyeful, so Florian humoured them.
“You and Lane are the first honest to goodness friends I’ve ever had. That’s just the truth. You guys don’t make fun of me for my looks, you don’t laugh at me when I’m stressing out about permanent records, you accept me sight unseen for who I am. Do you know what that means to me? You two literally fought for me while I cowered ten feet away praying I wouldn’t get punched. Even Manny and Jay are nice to me now instead of bullying the shit out of me every day. Manny even apologized and I’m telling you - I don’t care if you believe it - he did that because of you two. He’s a super good dude, incidentally, but the line between good and bad isn’t as thick as you might think.”
Florian found a thin rock with a nice flat end and threw it at the lake. It skipped and sank.
“Nice one,” Thad said. “Listen, my point is that if you’re worried about doing something good or contributing positively, you’re just going to have to continue doing that without magic. Too bad. Yeah, I said too bad. Our magic can be tough on the psyche but take it from someone who knows firsthand, that’s not a magic exclusive problem. So if you ever need proof that you’re doing good in this world, take one look at me. Look at how I smile now, knowing how much different my life is, how much better it is. You did that.”
“And Lane,” Florian added.
“And Lane,” Thad agreed. He awkwardly struggled to his feet, criss-crossing his legs the wrong way trying to stand up, then extended his hand to Florian. “Come on, let’s go back to the dorms. I’m cold.”
Florian grasped his hand and rose, feeling much, much better.
Neither of them noticed the Academy Prime staring intently at them from the window of Prime Tower, frowning as if he’d just seen something he’d have been much happier not seeing.
The Last Female
Expected to kneel. Armed with wit.
She grew up in the woods, the last survivor of a family hiding from the apocalypse and the supernatural creatures. Then, after an obviously well thought-out attempt to trade for more rations while disguised as an old granny, a werewolf, an incubi, and a fae found her. Now, she is theirs.
BOOK ONE COMPLETE ON PATREON!
- Romantasy ? slow burn
- Reverse Harem
- Supernatural
- Apocalypse ? War
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“A fantasy romance where war looms, power stirs, and one sassy woman and her cat refuse to fall in line.”
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