MAGE CHRONICLES: THE BEGINNING

27. An Unwilling Royal.

"Who is Jaya?" I ask, turning to the guy who almost made me a patty only to realize he's being restrained by Dain, "And why is he looking at me like I'm supposed to be dead, you know, more ghost less real?"

"That's because to him you are," Cain supplies.

"Watch it Cain!" says Jain in a tone very foreign to his general demeanour.

Cain raises his hand in surrender, then turns and pulls Dain's arms from around the guy.

"You good now bro?" asks Jain.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. That was incredibly stupid. It's just..."

"I know," Cain says patting the guy.

I go to ask again when a sudden silence engulfs the cafeteria, this time instead of underlying curiosity, there's the pungent taste of fear and underlying rage, which I realise is coming from my escorts even as they stiffen, faces stoic and bodies straight.

The door behind us bursts open and a new, powerful wave of magic assaults me.

"Uh-oh, that is not good," whispers Nyx landing on my neck, still invisible to others, I hope.

"Why who is that?"

Cain's snarled "Be quiet" alerts me to the fact that I asked out loud, good thing they already thought I was loony or that would have sold Nyx out.

Despite the distance from the door to where we were being relatively short, the guy and his entourage made it seem like miles. It was as if he's walking in slow motion to make sure we all caught a good look; make sure that we all acknowledge he owned the show.

I take the opportunity to study him; tall, like seriously tall, like holy mama Khalil is a dwarf kind of tall; with blond almost, golden hair and built like a tank, I was beginning to understand the level of intimidation he commanded.

"Any day now," mutters the new guy, earning a scoff from Ryder and three sets of identical glares.

"Boys!"

I would like to think I was prepared for the sound that would come out, given his build but boy was I wrong. The impact reverberates through the entire room and I rock back on my heels the steady hand on my back the only reason I don't fall on my ass, even Nyx clings onto my hair. As for the rest of the students, some are on the floor and the ones still seated are showing signs of distress from bulging veins to clenched jaws.

"Sire," Jain says with a bow.

I stand transfixed as the rest bow, some of the students even kneel. In my defence, I was still running my mind through everything that had happened.

"Bow you, idiot," comes from Nyx.

I go to answer when the stupid voice from earlier, Chad the dullard comes through grating as ever.

"See your majesty, I told you she was insolent, a few days in purgatory and she'll fall in line."

Purgatory? What the fuck!

Suddenly Garian crumples to the ground clutching his neck veins bulging.

"Now Garian, that is no way to speak to your future queen, is it? Apologize," the immense man drawls studying me with a strange look in his eyes.

A rush of joy fills me to see Chad like that, which is why I take an embarrassingly long minute to gather what he had said.

"Queen? Who? Me?" I ask, turning around, everyone is watching me with a mixture of reverence and jealousy and a few pitiful looks here and there.

"And you will be the king I suppose?"

He nods his head slowly.

"Fuck no, you're gorgeous and all but no mister, no way, are you freaking serious?"

I turn to look at my escorts who all avoid my eyes. Were they for real? Was this some sort prank? Scare the newbie or some shit.

That's what I get for not trying to escape, let's learn a little more about these guys she said, well see what you did now stupid inner voice.