Chapter 18 #2
Information that is new to me is they’re supposedly known for their varying abilities, including mental manipulation. Which makes them good at espionage, subterfuge, and Sciathán ball. And if Komarov is anything to go by, they’re also very grumpy.
Finally, there are succubi and incubi—who obtain energy through pleasure and vitality exchanges. They’re charming and sexy, and I’d like to meet one to see what all the fuss is about.
“Unlike magicae from the other kingdoms, we’re required to take from or exchange with other magicae to sustain our abilities,” Professor Luna lectures.
“While other magicae are required to recharge their energy, in the ways determined by their kingdom, at regular intervals based on their own strength, the length of time between feeding for us is dependent on the power of those we feed on. That means if a vampire, for example, doesn’t feed on blood, their power will diminish.
The stronger the power in the blood, the longer they can go between feedings.
So if they were to feed on magicae, they may only need to feed once a week.
While if they fed on humans, they would need to feed every day. I’ll demonstrate. I need a volunteer.”
No one raises their hand, and the awkward silence drags on. After what we just learned, there’s no way in hell I’ll be volunteering for any of whatever this is.
“What’s that, Lena?” Camilla shouts from the front row. Everyone turns to look at me. “You want to volunteer?”
“Oh no, I’m good,” I say a bit too loud, shooting Camilla a withering glare.
“There’s no need to be shy! Come down, Miss Solis.” Professor Luna excitedly claps her hands. “Stars, I’m actually quite famished. I’ll only take a little.”
Against my better judgment, I descend the lecture hall stairs toward the front of the classroom, and then place my nervous, exhausted body next to the banshee.
“Okay, right here.” She adjusts me so I’m facing the class and she’s standing behind me.
“I’m just going to give you a little daymare.
” She places her hands on my head. “I want you to breathe.” Her fingers are cold, the sensation of her magic like ice skittering across my skin.
“You have a very strong mental shield. Let me in.”
I scrunch up my face.
“I can’t break through. It’ll be quick, and I won’t do anything extreme.”
It goes against all of my instincts, but I let that familiar comforting mental wall that has stood sentry all my life fall away. I open myself to her chilly magic. The room starts to spin and fade. I hear laughter echoing from a distance.
I’m standing at the top of the mining ravine.
It’s dark, it always is. The wind whips through my hair, and cold rain pelts my face.
I’m frozen with fear; I know what happens next.
Even though I can’t see, I know that if I take two steps forward, I’ll fall off the edge and down hundreds of feet to my death.
“Dmitri!” I scream into the abyss. “Dmitri! Where are you!” I know what I have to do.
I know I have to climb down, and I know what I’ll find down there.
Bile rises in my throat, and I take a timid step and then another toward the precipice.
The wind swirls around me, carrying the metallic scent of blood.
“Dmitri! You promised!” I shriek into the canyon.
And I know it’s coming. I try to make my peace with it, but I can’t stifle the scream that rips from my throat when a forceful shove at my back sends me over the edge.
I cry the whole way down. And then pain.
Limb-shattering, heart-stopping, organs-exploding pain.
I wake in the classroom on my hands and knees, gasping for breath.
“Oh my Moons!” Professor Luna crouches next to me. “Are you alright? I only fed a little. You shouldn’t be that scared.”
My body convulses, and bile rises in my throat. I vomit on the marble floor. “Shit, that hurt,” I mumble, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.
“It shouldn’t have hurt.” Professor Luna’s brow furrows. “I gave you a dream about a giant bunny with fangs.”
“Yeah, that definitely wasn’t a bunny.” I glare at her.
“I couldn’t see.” Eyes wide and face paling, she directs her attention to the class. “Maybe no more dreamwalking with Miss Solis?”
Many of my classmates have their phones out, recording me. Fucking great.
“Alright, alright, I think we’ve had enough fun for today.” She claps her hands together. “Class dismissed. Miss Solis, a word.”
Of fucking course. Can I not get through one class without incident? I grit my teeth and stomp up to my seat to collect my things while the classroom empties out, like my stomach on that marble floor.
Luna turns to me as I approach. “I know your family lineage is quite…How do I put this?”
“Disreputable?” I offer.
“No. Well, yes.” She scratches at her neck uncomfortably. “I was going to say powerful.”
This is the first time I’m hearing of it.
She continues, “I understand that you have limited experience with magicae. But what just happened, that shouldn’t have occurred. I couldn’t see the dream I gave you. Do you understand what I’m telling you?”
I shake my head.
She blows out a puff of air that lifts her dark bangs off her forehead. “It was like once your shield let me in, you pushed me right back out. But stole the fear I had sent in right out of my hands. I couldn’t control the dream.”
“You couldn’t feed from me?” I posit.
“No, I could.” She rolls her lips between her teeth. “Your fear was palpable. Succulent, even. And the taste of your power was exceptionally robust.” She licks her lips. “You should keep these…um, unprecedented issues to yourself. We don’t want you becoming every nightmare feeder’s favorite snack.”
Ew, no we do not. The only person’s favorite snack I want to be is Teariki’s. And maybe Michi’s. Okay, and Komarov’s, as long as he doesn’t speak.