26. Luc
26
LUC
We sit in a disturbing kind of silence. I want to spill the Vex beans to Draven, but something tells me he already knows. Which pisses me off more than anything else possibly could right now. So he will share her with a stranger but not me. It’s no wonder I despise him. I forcefully shove the word ‘envy’ that is bouncing around my skull because my mind can fuck off with its irritating attempts to drag me into the box of closed-off things, compartmentalised nicely and never to be opened.
“Fuck you,” I growl at him and stand up.
He gives me the finger, but I ignore him. I’m fucking fuming, and he can totally get fucked.
Striding across the dining hall, I head out into the cold and shiver, pulling my black cashmere coat closer around me. It’s one thing I dislike about Earth. In Hell, you know what you’re getting. Heat. That’s it. There is no other temperature except scorching. Here, even in this paranormal plane of existence, the temperature fluctuates like crazy. Even more so on this tiny island, they call Britain. Forgetting about Draven and Vex as much as I can, although Matilda is never far from my thoughts, I cross the courtyard and hit the building which houses the Fire Magick Master class. I have nothing to learn here, I don’t even know why I’ve been sent to this Academy. Yet. I will find out what reason my mother has for this farce, but in the meantime, I have to show my face, or Blackthorn will tell on me, and I’ll get my ass handed to me. No thanks. I’ve been there and done that one too many times, and I won’t let this Academy be the cause of another showdown with the Devil. A showdown I will lose but will fight anyway. It’s just who I am. Never back down. Never. If you back down in Hell, you are dead. It’s really quite as simple as that. Not that Mom would kill me, but it’s a life lesson that can be applied broadly and should never be forgotten.
As I enter the Fire Magick classroom, the temperature rises noticeably, and I relax, more in my element here than anywhere else at this Academy. The other students are already gathered, their faces flushed from the heat. Professor Ignis stands at the front, her flame-red hair flickering like a living fire.
“Ah, Luc,” she says, her eyes narrowing slightly. “So good of you to join us.”
I give her a lazy smirk as I saunter to an empty seat and slouch into it. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world, Professor.”
She purses her lips, clearly not buying my act, but her eyes flash with something akin to danger, and it piques my interest. “Today, we’ll be working on controlling Hellfire.”
A ripple of excitement goes through the class. Hellfire is notoriously difficult to master, even for those with an affinity for fire magick. For me, it’s as natural as breathing.
“Now, we’re talking,” I murmur, sitting a bit straighter.
Professor Ignis begins demonstrating the proper technique for summoning and directing Hellfire. I tune her out, my thoughts drifting back to Matilda. The memory of her nightmare still haunts me. The fear in her eyes, the shame of her abuse. I will avenge her. But there is a time and a place. While Matilda is safe here, I have time to plot and plan.
“Luc!” Professor Ignis’ sharp voice snaps me back to attention. “Perhaps you’d like to demonstrate for the class?”
I stand. “Sure.”
With barely a thought, I summon a ball of Hellfire to my palm. The other students gasp as the black-caged orb of flames dances across my palm.
“What the hell?” one student, I don’t know his name, blurts out. “That looks totally different to the prof’s.”
“Feels different, too,” I say, enjoying this sudden teaching moment. “The thing about Hellfire is that it has levels. What you see here…” I bounce the orb on my palm, “… is a hierarchy, my friends. There is only one level above what I can do, and that belongs to my mother and her alone.”
“Who is your mother?” a girl asks, scrunching her nose. She is clearly the only person in the room who doesn’t know who I am.
I let my eyes flash black for a moment, scaring the shit out of her. “The Devil, of course.”
“Gods,” she mutters, eyes wide with panic.
“Wrong side,” I say, extinguishing the orb by closing my palm.
Professor Ignis clears her throat. “Thank you for that enlightening demonstration, Luc. Perhaps next time, you could stick to the lesson plan. But as the rest of you can see, Hellfire manifests differently depending on the power and lineage of the wielder.”
I shrug and return to my seat, ignoring the whispers and stares from my classmates.
I half-listen as Professor Ignis lectures on the finer points of Hellfire control, but my mind keeps drifting back to Matilda.
As class ends and students file out, Professor Ignis calls out to me. “Luc, a word, please.”
I saunter up to her desk, hands in my pockets. “What’s up?”
She fixes me with a stern look. “I know you’re only here because you have to be, but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t undermine my lessons.”
“I wasn’t trying to undermine anything. You asked me to demonstrate. I can’t dumb down my power. That’s not how it works.”
“That’s not the point,” she says, pinching the bridge of her nose. “These students need to learn control, not just raw power. Your abilities are beyond what most of them will ever achieve.”
“That’s not my problem. I get what you’re trying to say, but what do you want from me? If you ask me to participate in the lecture, I am what I am.”
Professor Ignis sighs, her fiery hair flickering with frustration. “I understand that, Luc. But perhaps you could try to be more instructive when you demonstrate. Help the other students understand the process, not just the end result.”
I consider her words. “Fine. I’ll try to be more educational next time. But I’m not here to teach. I’m here because I have to be.”
Professor Ignis lets out a heavy sigh. “I know. But don’t forget where you are. This Academy has ways of humbling even the most powerful beings.”
A chill runs down my spine despite the heat of the room. “Oh?”
She smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “You are dismissed.”
I leave the classroom, her words echoing in my mind. There is definitely more to this place than meets the eye, and the Professor has just ensured I find out what exactly that is.