The Black Pawn • The first book of the Black Academy Series

13. Birthday

THE GROUP HAD MADE their way towards Mr. Porter's room soon enough. Anna was still dead and in Ben's arms. Azalea was still limping because of the daggers that Anna had directed at her legs. Elizabeth's arm was still wrapped around Azalea's waist. Not too tight because Azalea was winded every few minutes. They entered the room, Azalea had seen Mr. Porter's room once before when she'd needed a healing potion and Anna had been in a mood.

Why is she here? Azalea wondered. There, in Mr. Porter's room stood Mademoiselle Faith. The blonde knot at the top of her head, that never moved, a face with the perfect aristocrat features and a toned body that could kill anybody with a few practiced twists.

The pair continued standing there, the instructors in the room hadn't noticed them. Faith was snarling at Mr. Porter, "Pour l'amour de Dieu, Why haven't you made them yet, Andrew?"

Who in the sweet hell is Andrew? Azalea wondered but soon mentally face-palmed, Andrew is Mr. Porter's first name.

It seemed that they finally noticed the students in the room... Faith looked at them and turned back to Mr. Porter. Murmuring something too softly to hear before making a hasty exit. There was a beat of silence after the door clicked open and shut before Azalea coughed and said, "So — Andrew huh? Kind of a weird name right?"

Mr. Porter's —Andrew— eyes widened, Anna was in his view sitting snug in Ben's arms, "What the hell happened?"

Elizabeth huffed, "Your colleague, Avaria."

Mr. Porter was rushing off already, "I'll get the healing remedies, don't sit anywhere until I get back."

"Why?" Ben asked, his confusion clear, watching as Mr. Porter started to shuffle through his racks of ingredients. The glasses clinked and Mr. Porter's annoyed face came into view.

"Because I don't want blood on the chairs."

"Oh— that was clear, wasn't it?" Azalea asked sarcastically. Andrew rolled his eyes as he made his way back to the ingredients. Elizabeth helped Azalea onto a wooden chair while Ben laid Anna onto a leather chair. Mr. Porter wasn't going to be happy.

There was a sound of glasses chinking before Andrew entered the room again. In his hands was clutched a glass that held a liquid that didn't look that appetizing. The peach color looked more and more like vomit when Azalea looked at it. Andrew looked at the leather chair that Anna lay on. He sighed and said, "Perfect, a blood-stained chair— I wanted one for my birthday."

"I'm getting kind of curious now," Azalea said, shifting herself on the sofa. She raised an eyebrow at Mr. Porter, "When is your birthday?"

He handed her the dark-colored glass in his hand, "You don't have to know. Just drink this."

Azalea took the glass from the man and drank it. The bitter taste took over her taste buds. She scrunched up her face as she emptied the glass.

"What was that?" Azalea said as she swirled her tongue in her mouth. Shuddering at the taste, "Ugh— I think I just drank cobwebs."

"Healing Remedy Ms. Se— Azalea," Andrew answered as he pulled out some gauze and bandages. Moving over to Anna's body to patch her dried and still open wounds.

"Yeah, you might not want to put that on Anna," Ben said as he leaned against the sofa in the room. Elizabeth nodded.

"Yep." Elizabeth agreed.

Andrew looked at the three and then at the dead girl in his favorite leather chair. He narrowed his eyes at them, thinking it over before he said, "Yeah, I'm going to shield myself from whatever this is."

Azalea and Elizabeth shrugged as Ben just sent a sympathetic smile to the grown man. Knowing well what was going to happen.

•

As it turns out the thing that the three of them were talking about was Anna's resuscitation. Anna's curse of immortality had her burst into the fire any time she was reviving. The flames licked the leather surface as the ash flew everywhere. Anna Vanor coughed, getting the ash out of her mouth.

"That didn't taste good." Anna muttered, coughing and spitting out the dark specks of ash that she had inhaled, "Jesus Christ."

Andrew rushed towards the girl, rather the leather armchair. Elizabeth and Ben shared an amused glance as Elizabeth made her way towards Anna, wanting to help the girl since the only adult in the room was more occupied with worrying over his armchair.

Azalea tried to get her arms under her but failed miserably. She groaned as she pinched the bridge of her nose tiredly, "One of you needs to get me up. I don't think I can function."

Ben walked over to her, rolling his eyes as he heaved her up. She leaned against him as they walked over to Anna. The redheaded girl shook her head at Azalea, "If only you just listened to me."

"I know that I should've listened to you," Azalea muttered, rolling her eyes at the 'I told you so' look that Anna gave her, "I just couldn't. If you want me to kill you then we can wait until after I pass the Selection."

"Oh, you've finally started to accept that fact! How much did I miss?" Anna asked Elizabeth, making Azalea roll her eyes, "I'm not joking, I swear to god, I mean since when was Bane friends with us— No offense."

Ben smiled as he waved her apology off, "Don't worry Vanor, I think you're going to understand soon enough."

Azalea groaned in annoyance as she watched Anna look at her with an expectant eyebrow raised. One of Anna's biggest pet peeves was being left out. Azalea rubbed the back of her head, "Ben is a friend of mine, and this is why he's here."

Anna frowned in confusion, "Is the world ending, or did she just say that she made a friend that's not us?"

"Ok." Azalea scoffed, "I can make friends, I made friends with Dubois for crying out loud. It's a different thing that I get disgusted by people and refuse to socialize with them."

"Ah yes, the usual excuse."

"I'm reconsidering killing you Vanor." Azalea grumbled, she pointed at Anna, and narrowed her green eyes at the girl, "I'm not joking I will kill you."