Chapter Five - Records
CHAPTER FIVE
Records
IT SHOULD HAVE been routine, working at the school that my family had owned for generations, and it already wildly deviated from how I predicted it would go. I’d need information to decide how to handle this and information to continue with the leads that brought me here.
I marched up the steps to the second floor of student services. The Chancellor’s office door swung open while she sat at her desk. Lastrada looked particularly small sitting behind the large, dark wood desk. It didn’t help with the nine-foot-tall windows behind her, casting a shadow and making her look silhouetted from my position.
“Mr. Ares, what brings you to my door so suddenly on your first day? Is there anything I can assist you with? Any issues with the new students so far?” she asked, standing from behind the desk to rush over to me once she saw who stood in her doorway.
Lastrada was more than shocked about my interest here. It was a bit of a curiosity for most. I tested high out of this school with the ability to pursue nearly any path or not work at all and live off the businesses I already owned by the time I graduated. I had to use the excuse that I always had an affinity for teaching, which wasn’t a complete lie. It was odd how quickly she accepted my request to work here, but I supposed my position gave me sway. And I did spend the past three years in private training to teach basic magic just for a way in, knowing they wanted someone to fill the position. From a position as staff, it gave me much more freedom around the academy, which I knew was full of informants.
I gave her my most charming smile. “May I access the students’ records? Also, a roster of my students’ names, as I was unprepared.”
“Any particular reason you want to see the student files?” she asked.
“Am I not allowed to?”
She straightened. The vein showing through her nearly transparent skin bulged across her temple. She merely blinked. “Of course you are. Perhaps there’s something specific I may help you find?”
I sighed. I couldn’t appear too eager and had to stick with my reputation to not seem out of character. “I realized I may need to know more about the new students’ backgrounds in order to teach efficiently.” Laying on my most elite tone that usually went far with these people, I added, “I’m curious about what training my morning class has had prior, I assumed all students were let in on merit.”
“Each student is carefully selected for many reasons,” she said. “Is there a specific student you are wondering about?”
“Nope.” I followed her through her office.
She used her magical signature to unlock a side door with a glass window. The window swirled with a light magic, rippling instead of letting just anyone peer into it.
The door opened to reveal a filing room with high ceilings stacked with shelves and metal drawers.Light orbs hovered above, where only her and I stood, leaving the back of the room pitch black. It was difficult to gauge just how far this room of information went. It piqued my interest only slightly, but it was doubtful further information I needed would be within this sterile filing room.
The first step to gaining more information by taking this job was already working out perfectly.
She raised her hand and announced, “Basic Magic students. Nickolas Ares.”
A light orb fell from the ceiling. It was always strange to me how similar light was to shadow magic. While light magic required more energy to use, it did your bidding nearly the same if you were capable enough, which admittedly took a lot. It was fear that outlawed shadow magic, as it was hard to prevent it from getting out of control, and not everyone had that specific element. Still, she cast the light effortlessly, hinting at the ability that no doubt got her the position as Chancellor .
The orb fell to a cabinet. Air opened the drawer and floated the folders to my hands.
“Mr. Ares, I’m delighted to see you here this year. I do believe this is a wonderful path for you with how well you did with your studies. I know the students will learn a lot from you.”
“I intend to give it my best.”
She cleared her throat and lingered. I held the files closed. “The other professors are all taking on additional tutoring for select students. I may have to send some your way once you settle in.”
“No problem,” I said.
“Please let me know if you need any further assistance.” Her hand lingered in the doorway on her way out.
“That will be all. Thank you, Chancellor Lastrada.”
When the door closed behind me, I opened the large stack of files, though curiosity had me looking into my first period class instead of what I was supposed to be doing. The need to at least know her name pulled at me like an annoying itch.
A picture of dark black hair, blue eyes, and a slight frown at the corner of her full lips was easy to spot. Not to mention the tug of my mate bond when seeing the photo submitted for her records.
Harper Solace. Age 19. Parents Deceased.
“Solace,” I murmured to myself. The name stood out to me as I had memorized all the names of the victims who perished with my parents. Her parents died in the fire, too. Now, why would you be my mate and have family tied to the fire?
But as I looked, it became clear that she was just another family member to one of the eighteen members who died that night.
It wasn’t too surprising to be mated to someone from a powerful family. What was surprising was her lack of magical ability and why she was at the academy at all.
Nothing in here would help, many families that died had led to nothing. No, the leads of what happened led me to Trevor Emerson’s father and Caleb Thorne’s parents. Regardless, I scanned down the file.
Harper’s custody was transferred to Nolan Solace thirteen years ago. He had his magic siphoned.
Reason: confidential. Left the Realm.
Below, listed her non-magical training. Non-magical high school, incredible grades in every year. Full tuition was set aside when she was born.
Was that why she was let in here? Just because her parents died in a so-called tragic accident and were revered for their status and power?
I brushed my hand through my hair, going for Caleb and Trevor’s files next. These students would have started being primed to take over their parents’ spots on the council. I noted they were both in Aura Reading together. Professor Douglas was someone I already had my eye on, just in case. His name had been reported in council meetings often, despite not being on it.
“Mhm,” I murmured, staring at Caleb’s file. High C average grades, excelling in earth and light magic with his tutoring. His parents made a large donation last spring. Big surprise.
I set the files back. It stirred something in me to see my mate was also affected by losing someone to the fire, and it confirmed why I couldn’t accept our bond now. A mate would distract me too much, be a liability, a tie I couldn’t have. It was better for her to hate me.
Anger bubbled back up in me, the anger that had driven me constantly since that night. They should have escaped the building, they had magic, the building had doors to leave. It was written off as a bad accident, but I knew my parents could have gotten out of it if that were truly the case.
I was twelve years old when it happened. At first, I struggled with accepting what they told me, wondering how their magic could have betrayed them so badly. I’d grown up watching them use it casually, constantly throughout our home. A simple fire wouldn’t have done it.
The council avoided me, stopping by my estate to check on me and express their condolences. They never stayed long enough for me to ask questions, never responded to my calls, or allowed me an audience when I had my butler bring me to the new council building. I grew smarter than to ask the wrong people questions and stopped showing that I had any interest in them.
I acted almost as if I had forgotten with time. It wasn’t hard to miss the members stopping into my classes at Ares-Valentine. I played my disinterest well, and they stopped showing up. It was a fine line, being a top student but only showing interest in building my wealth.
As I got older, I had more unanswered questions about that night. Questions I knew would be suspicious to the wrong people. Whoever murdered an elite group wouldn’t have been so keen about someone trying to expose them. Growing up in a powerful family, I was raised early to be suspicious and on guard. It became clear that I had to figure this out on my own.
I always knew deep in my bones my parents, along with eighteen other powerful families, were targeted and murdered. Not anyone could have pulled that off so well and gotten away with it. I was going to find out who and why and take my revenge.