Algernon Black

(Chapter 157) What Lies in the Light

Lucy felt her heart tearing with how little emotion Algernon showed but forced her attention back to Brickwood. "What happened to Jared?"

Brickwood laughed at the bark to her tone. "That's what you want to ask? Really?"

Lucy stayed quiet, staring him down. He chuckled again.

"Would you like to see him?" Brickwood asked, snapping back to the excessively friendly guise of a professor he usually modeled around her. He gestured a hand towards an alcove above and behind Lucy. She turned to see Jared gagged and beaten in the same chains holding him down with two guards positioned to either side.

"Jared!" Lucy made to run to him, instinctively releasing destruction magic to free herself. Her chains, in turn, discharge a bone-cracking bolt of electricity. Lucy cried out as she fell back to the ground, nearly breaking her knees as they crashed against the stone floor.

"Tsk. Tsk." Brickwood clicked his tongue as Lucy's shoulders twitched with the last bits of electricity leaving her body. "No need to make this any more painful than need be." He bent down and cupped her chin in his long slim fingers, forcing her pretty face to look up into his green eyes. In sudden rash rage, Lucy tried to use magic to free herself again, but again a bolt recoiled and dragged out a cry that tore Lucy's throat raw. "Unless of course, that is your preference."

Brickwood faced away from Lucy and up to his old friend. Even mouth gagged, he could hear the fury of betrayal screamed by Jared's eyes.  He grinned and though he didn't say it out loud, Jared could hear clearly what was said behind that smile. I promise I'll keep her safe, Solace had sworn six months ago. Until she was back in your care. Brickwood's smile split across his face as he reveled in the look of Jared's betrayal that was proof of his success. Jared would surely hate him for it, but when he came to find out the full extent of how he himself helped damn his precious little sister to her fate, he would hate himself even more.

Lucy's eyes trained on Brickwood in absolute malice once enough of the electricity passed through and she could move again.

In retaliation, the professor shot magic into her chains. Lucy barely swallowed her cries this time as a single tear leaked from each eye.

Brickwood glanced at Algernon. Like a trained soldier he remained quiet, staring indifferently at Lucy, as everyone else stared intently at him for a reaction. And while his veil of coolness may have been fooling the audience Brickwood knew the agonizing battle taking place within him.

With pain breaking her voice, Lucy managed to say, "Let him go."

"Sure." Solace smiled, seizing the chance to make things more theatrical. "If you answer my question correctly. Why are you here?"

"I.." Lucy trailed off before gazing up to the nobles and her classmates. She knew she had never been fully accepted by them. That most had never wanted her at the school, but she'd thought she changed their minds, or at least some of them. She looked at Luke, Freya, Jasper, Pecilia, to the people she thought had finally accepted her. In them, she saw all her favorite memories, the most treasured time of her life, and the friends she had always longed for, and now they looked down at her the same as everyone else.

But why? What had she done wrong, or what could she have done right? What was it that still wasn't enough? What could explain the hate they held for her?

Every logical conclusion was contested by the drastically different emotions Lucy felt, as chaos overcame her mind.

Had it all really been fake? This entire time? Lucy looked at Algernon standing before her, emotionless and silent. And why? She wondered. Why would anyone be so cruel?