Bloody Intrusion (Part 2)
I was seated in Conrad's study when Alexus strolled in.
"There you are."
I looked up from the thick book and met her cool hazel eyes.
Not to be rude, but I was in no mood to talk to her right now, or anyone for that matter. My headache from all of last night's drinking had only kicked in a few hours ago and it was pretty.
I smiled dryly and slanted my eyes; maybe if she thought I was annoyed she'd take the hint to leave me alone. I had a feeling she really wanted to know what happened last night. I'd told her about Thanatos inviting me to dinner again- mainly because she practically forced it out of me.
I knew how much Alexus hated Thanatos, and since she was the only 'friend' I had in this huge palace, I didn't want to tell her what happened last night. She'd only think badly of me, and right now I needed all the friends I could get.
"Hey, were you looking for me?"
"I came by your room this morning but Opis said you were out?"
My shoulders tensed. Alexus didn't seem to notice as she pulled up a chair and came to sit next to me, examining my notes on the side of the table.
"Oh, yes, I got up early to go for a walk around the gardens before all the other girls woke up. I needed some fresh air."
"Something happen?"
"No, my room just felt a bit stuffy, that's all." I lied effortlessly. Was it bad that I was getting so good at it?
"So how was your second dinner with Thanatos? Let me guess, he tried to get you to sit on his lap and feed him dessert?"
Gosh, he really does sound like an awful man, doesn't he? But then why whenever someone said his name did my heart speed up and my insides twist with anticipation?
I laughed lazily; "Something like that, but I quickly shot him down. I don't think he'll be a bother anymore."
Quickly shot him down?
Aurora, you practically sneaked into his bed and let him feel you up! And then you almost let him- Okay, you know what... Let's not think about that right now.
"I admire you, Aurora, not many girls could do what you do. Especially since you're feeling lonely and vulnerable. You're an easy target for men like him."
"Well, let's just hope he got the message..." I smiled tightly and quickly looked around the desk to change the topic; "Can you maybe help me with this one spell? I've been trying to do it all afternoon, but there's something about it that I just can't seem to get right?"
I handed her a piece of paper with my notes. Alexus examined the page and pursed her lips; "It must be your pronunciation. Most mages struggle with the 'Mens Murum' spell."
I nodded my head and looked over her shoulder at the words for the incantation.
"It could also be because you're magic is still weak. You did only access it yesterday and this spell takes serious focus and concentration."
"I thought so; I just figured I'd challenge myself."
Alexus smiled broadly and gave me a knowing look; "You don't have to lie, you know. I know exactly what the spell does."
I rolled my eyes and grabbed the piece of paper from her hand; "Yes, I know. Just don't tell anyone, okay?"
"Relax, why would anyone care if you blocked your mind with a spell?"
"Because if a certain someone found out, he'd try and stop me."
Alexus nodded her head; "Ah, I forgot he reads minds! Clever. He'd never be able to pry inside your head again."
"Exactly. It's bad enough he has his shadow following me around like a lost puppy."
"What?" Alexus asked, her brows furrowed and her face full of confusion. I sighed and pointed to the hallway. She turned her head slowly to peer down the dark hall.
There, in the darkest corner of the corridor, was a pair of twinkling red eyes; a shade of red almost similar to the hue of Thanatos' eyes. I shook my head as Alexus turned her head back to me with a surprised expression on her face.
"Wow. You must be pretty important for him to leave his shadow behind. That thing doesn't leave his side."
I grimaced. "That thing is pretty creepy, but kind of cute at the same time..."
So like Thanatos?
Alexus chuckled; "I have to say- it doesn't look like he's going to give up on you just yet."
Yeah, there's no way in hell Thanatos would leave me be- especially after this morning.
Not that I minded. I actually looked forward to seeing him again, which only made me more nervous.
What am I doing? He's a monster...
"I can handle him."
Alexus smirked at me.
If anyone could handle him, it was me.
I tried to ignore her eyes as I skimmed through the notes on the mind blocking spell again. It didn't look too hard, but after failing miserably at activating it at least twenty times, I was starting to become really discouraged.
"You're not going to get it right with your head full of nonsense." Alexus piped up from my side, her elbows resting on the desk. I shot her a look, but she ignored me and tapped her chin.
"How about we focus on something easier today and I promise to help you with it tomorrow? You need a good night's rest and you need to be able to focus."
A good night's rest.
I definitely got that last night. Something I've noticed whenever I sleep next to Thanatos was that my nightmares never seemed to surface, as if he blocked them away. Last night was the same; I slept like a baby in his arms.
Was it because he was a god? Did his godly aura prevent them from reaching me? It didn't make any sense to me why they stayed away whenever he was near.
Of course, then there was the night in Caneyville- the first night he slept with me- that I first saw the strange woman. But afterwards, the second time he slept in the same bed as me, she had told me that she couldn't access my dreams?
It was all very strange, but I can't deny the fact that when he was next to me, I didn't have any nightmares.
And I felt safe.
Yes, I felt safe with the god of death and destruction.
Don't judge me.
"Right, focus."
"Did you manage to float the feather? Conrad loves having the beginners do that trick first. He says it always makes them excited to learn more."
I laughed and leaned back in my chair; "That was pretty amazing! I'd never felt anything like it before! It's like the one moment the feather is in your palm and the next it's floating and you can actually feel the bond between your thoughts and it; like a thin invisible wire. It was... It was unbelievable!"
Alexus smiled with genuine delight. "I'm glad you're excited about all of this. We're going to teach you so much!"
"I honestly can't wait!"
I really couldn't!
I hadn't been this excited in a long while. There was just so much to be learnt and all of this knowledge readily available. I could feel the power surge within me; especially when I floated the feather from my palm. I'd ever felt anything like it! It was like I could mould the air with my mind and move the dust with one look.
I could feel the power, and I wanted more.
Was this how Thanatos felt every day? All of this power? And for him it was probably much more- and so much harder to control.
Just thinking about him made my fingertips zing with a strange current.
I wonder if his magic also reacted whenever he thought about me...
Did he even think about me?
"Aurora?"
I snapped out of my thoughts and swung my eyes to Alexus.
"Oh, sorry. Got lost in thought there..."
"As I was saying; I'm here to help you master the Astronomical craft. I'll be your mentor for that division of magic."
I nearly forgot Conrad had told me about the five faculties in Donata academy. Astronomical, Earth, Blood, Illusionary and Ancestry; and I had to master them all before I could ascend to goddess-ship.
This was going to take some time... And effort.
"Oh, good! I was worried I'd get a cranky old professor."
"Just wait until you do Ancestry."
I chuckled along with Alexus as she winked at me. I knew Conrad was my Earth mentor, so that should be just as fun as being taught by Alexus.
"When do we start?"
"Tomorrow, officially. Today I'm just going to go through the basics with you. The do's and don'ts of casting. And then maybe tomorrow, when we're done with the lesson, we can start practicing that 'Mens Murum' spell."
"Sounds good to me; I wouldn't mind learning that as soon as possible. I want him out of my head."
"I don't know how you do it. I know he's persistent, but this is unlike I've ever seen him."
I felt a sense of pride at her words, but tried to hide it. "He just wants what he can't have." I winked at her. Alexus smiled; a strange expression on her face. She almost looked stunned.
"In any case, getting back to the matter at hand- I'm sure you already know that Earth and Astronomical magic are the easiest forms of magic. Wait till you get to Ancestry and Illusionary. Those are really tough and can be dangerous if not done right. The 'Mens Murum' spell is part of Illusionary magic actually, but I'll teach it to you so that you'll have something to impress Lady Claudia with."
"She's my Illusionary mentor then? Is she nice?"
"She's better than Professor Lorne. As if Ancestry wasn't boring enough..."
"You're really making me look forward to it, you know?" I laughed and pursed my lips. Alexus just smirked and folded her arms; "Astronomical is the best. That's all I'm saying."
"And Blood magic?"
Alexus paused, the smile froze one her face. "That's for much later."
"Who's going to be my mentor for that?" I asked as she stood up, her playful mood evaporating into the afternoon sunlight.
"That doesn't matter right now. Let's start before Conrad comes back."
I nodded, suddenly afraid of what this Blood magic meant. Alexus didn't seem to like it very much; her shoulders tensed and scrunched up. The normal, cool expression was fixed back onto her face.
I had a bad feeling about this...
Thanatos is definitely NOT going to be happy with Aurora's little plan..
Also- if you could do any of those 5 crafts, which one would you pick? Illusionary sounds pretty damn awesome, I must say... (^.^)