Moonlight's Deception (Eclipse of Hiestora, Book 1)

Chapter 14 | The Power Within

"I don't see Prince Henry around here. Were you with him this morning, Princess Eleanora?" Maxwell, being the usual conversation saver, cut off the awkward silence when Emir didn't respond.

"Prince Henry, my brother, is in the clock tower for his placement exam." A sugary smile stretched across her face, her voice laced with pride. "Though it's only for formality. I mean, where else would he be but only in the top class? And just like him, I don't even know why I needed to be here," she finished, giggling.

Clara sighed. The privilege of power.

Princess Eleanora grimaced when no one responded to her boastful remark. And when she finally spared Clara a single glance, her face turned sour in an instant.

"What are you doing, Prince Emir, wasting your time around her." Gone was Princess Eleanora's voice which was as sweet as sugar. Her teeth were gritting. She resembled a vicious tiger ready to prowl on her prey. "You've inhaled enough bad air."

"Are you done yet?" Emir asked, feigning a yawn.

Clara turned to look at him, a little surprised. It's the first word he said since Eleanora barged into their little peaceful space.

"Let's all be a little quiet, shall we?" As soon as he said those words, he stepped forward and bent down to crouch, face to face in front of her. "If Anneliese brings bad air, then you're no better." The coldness of his voice brought a chill to Clara's spine. And before she knew it, she was being dragged away from Eleanora towards where the staff and sages were.

"Thanks," she whispered, but clear enough to be heard. Though there was no response—keeping a straight face as always—the mere fact that he stood up for her was enough proof that he wasn't heartless after all.

"Students of Blaire Academy." A hoarse bass voice like an echo in an empty house resounded in the wide-open space. A clip-clop resounded, and the man with the lower limb of an animal moved forth, giving each examinee a straight eye. "By now you must all have noticed that we're welcoming a new staff member here with us. From now on, he will be a part of your higher learning to hone your magic-wielding ability. Professor Kendrick."

He motioned his hand to point at the salt-and-pepper-haired man with rectangular-rimmed glasses, the one whom the girls from earlier were squealing at. Professor Kendrick smiled, showing a flash of brilliant white teeth. "He'll be your Charms and Relics teacher. And all of you will be meeting him no matter which class you will belong to."

A series of blatant eyeing and giggles filled the air as if the initial heavy feeling of the placement exam were off everyone's shoulders. Clara even heard someone say "I don't care if I'd be in the last class anymore" and "I'm more than okay flunking this test now. We're all winners anyway with a handsome teacher like him."

Professor Rhyb cleared his throat and everyone was submitted to a hushed silence. "Without much dilly-dallying, you all know what to do. The exam is the same as last year's. All you have to do is hit the diamond crystal with all you've got. Professor Mabel," he called out, and an old woman in her fine and elegant dress stepped forward, her thin and frail fingers enclosing around a neatly-rolled scroll.

Professor Mabel's gray hair shone brightly in the sunshine. Indeed she was old and Clara thought she might be weaker. Her age was surplus and people at her age generally began to wither. Wrinkles invaded her face with a few teeth on her mouth. But no, the beauty of her youth was left in wonder. There was something with the way she walked, confident and strong, that made her appear younger than her age.

"What's the point of hitting the diamond crystal? And with that?" Clara asked Emir beside her, she could feel her heart race and her palms grow damp.

Emir sighed. "It feels like I'm really showing a new seedling around." He pointed at the object floating in the center of the lawn, exactly where Professor Rhyb stood. "That huge floating crystal in the middle, it's an energy meter. Each power varies in strength. It always is, depending on the user's core. And that crystal meter will glow in every power that hits. The amount of glow depends on the intensity of the power; hence, the amount of strength released."