Royal Academy Diaries I

Fire & Ice ⚜ Ch. 7

Olek. Olek of Poland would be his salvation.

For weeks, he had written out letters detailing everything that had happened to him, and left them in books by Lover's Gate - the gate to the Royal gardens that connected all four Academies. A third year sorcerer named Olek responded, left him books, and in his most recent correspondence, might have a potion that could help. Unfortunately a cure requires magic beyond his capability, above most's capability, evidently. But more awareness would be invaluable.

Ivan left the dungeon after another long episode, wiping some blood from his lip as he discovered it was late afternoon. His professors were bound to ask questions tomorrow. But that was just a reality of his curse.

He prayed hard as he walked through the empty garden towards the gate. If Olek had the potion, everyone would be safer, starting tonight.

To his utter elation, there was a small violet potion in the leaves next to the gate.

But before he could go to it, a familiar voice called out to him.

"Ivan!"

No. Anyone but her, anyone...

Liliya stormed up to him, clearly having a piece on her mind. "Where have you been?"

"Locked in the dungeon," he replied, for once, being completely honest.

The girl looked on either the verge of tears or screaming. "If you were dying you would have gone home. So what is it? Are you sick? Are you secretly Superman? Are you taming the bloody Loch Ness monster?"

"Liliya," he pleaded, his heart pounding.

"No." She suddenly seemed petrified. "I think I know what you are."

"Do you?" he challenged, staring her in the eye.

"You're are a vampire, aren't you," she breathed.

Ivan sighed deeply and said nothing.

"Aren't you?!" she shouted. "Have you been pushing me away because you want to-" she couldn't finish the thought.

Ivan's heart pounded wildly. "Liliya, please, I need you to go. Now."

"Go away? You're telling me to go away?! I don't think I can stand any more of that! We were betrothed... Ivan..." Her weak and trebling voice turned to a shout. "Do you have any idea what you're doing to me?"

Ivan was trembling uncontrollably, and could no longer stand as a wave of heat over came him. Even as he collapsed, he reached out for the potion. "Please... It will make me aware. I need it, now!" he gasped.

Confused and frightened, she rushed forward, uncorking the potion and holding it to Ivan's lips.

The prince immediately began to writhe on the ground, the potion swirling through his veins just in time.

After a minute, his cries turned to whining, then whimpering, then panting.

Lililya cursed in Bulgarian as she stared at him.

A dark brown wolf with light hazel eyes.

"You've been a werewolf all summer?! That's why... Oh heavens..." She backed against the gate, a hand over her heart.

Ivan got to his feet, swaying a little as the potion warred with the wolf's mind. At last, the human in him won. While his form remained that of a wolf, his mind was - finally - his own.

He turned around to see Liliya, and began to wag his tail. Slowly, he walked up to her and laid at her feet.

"Nice werewolf..." she said nervously.

He opened his mouth and let his tongue loll out the side of his mouth to show her he was no longer dangerous. Tentatively, she reached down to pat his head, and he yelped in surprise as it burned.

"What? What is it?" She looked at her hands and noticed her rings. "Silver..." Furiously, she removed the jewelry, throwing it all into the leaves, then knelt down and returned to petting him.