Ares-Valentine Academy (Ares-Valentine Duology #1)
Chapter One - Little plants
CHAPTER ONE
Little plants
DEATH.
A QUICK , shrouded death to all the spider mites that dared to attack my marble pothos trying to grow in its new pot.
My shadow magic was kept small—so small, it would have been impossible for the magic to get out of hand with how comfortable I was with it. No one ever found out—at least not so far.
The black shadows formed below my fingertips like whispers being summoned, quietly dancing through the air with a lethal promise before draping over the top of the plant, doing exactly as I intended and sapping the life from the parasite on the leaves. Then, it vanished before me, like it was never there. Just a little .
I cast a bit of earth magic, urging the plant to heal before stopping to let it grow at its own speed. Balance.
Even though I used illegal shadow magic, this created balance. The shadows could have easily gotten out of control, but it never did for me. To me, it was a comfort. I felt like shadow magic had its place in moderation. It wasn’t like it always killed things, it just did your bidding based on intent, and my intent was saving my plant.
I smacked my hands together, placing the pothos back in its place on the dark-blue painted windowsill with the rest of my collection in my attic bedroom. It was better than using pesticides, despite what everyone thought. I had control over it, it didn’t have control over me. Pesticides were wrecking the Unenchanted, the non-magical realm, where my uncle and I lived.
The one still-wilted leaf it bore would have to stay. Earth magic was one of the harder elements to cast, and that little amount was nearly the extent of what I knew how to use while still being able to keep complete control. Having never had official magic training or even been allowed to practice in public, what I did know was learned from my uncle during my shifts while in his nursery greenhouse.
Nervousness took hold of me again, and my procrastination came to an end. An audible sigh left me as my attention pulled back down to the unfolded letter resting on my unmade bed. The Ares-Valentine Academy acceptance letter. The magic university that I could already feel in my bones was going to change everything .
I bit back a groan and went for one of the uniforms provided with the letter, exactly my size. There were a few options, including a variety of other outfits with joggers and pajamas. All of it was decorated with the academy logo and colors of black, white, and bronze plaid.
After tugging on the thick, thigh-high socks, my reflection caught my eye in the chipped, Victorian full-length mirror resting against my wall. Standing in my black lace bra, I adjusted the bronze plaid skirt over my hips. The hyperpigmentation and scars from what felt like not that long ago were usually hard to hide. The scarring wasn’t terrible, but up close, someone could see how it covered my left thigh and crawled up from the waistline, over my hip, to just below my ribcage.
My shoulders dropped. The black socks came up high enough. Combined with a white button-up and black blazer, the uniform covered up everything. I wasn’t overly self-conscious, I’d just prefer to not answer questions or have people stare. I went for the sturdy-looking black boots for my first day on the academy campus. In my head, I could pretend they were a form of armor.
My straight black hair fell down past my shoulders, resting over the A.V.A. logo on the blazer. I’d leave it down for today. Light blue eyes, covered in a dark smoky eye, stared back at me. I swallowed hard. This was it.
A knock sounded at my door.
“Harper,” my uncle’s concerned voice sounded on the other side.
“Come in,” I said .
Uncle Nolan rested on the door frame, his head nearly touching the top with a tired look in his brown eyes. The slight sunburn over his tanned skin spoke of the hours he spent permanently closing up the garden nursery this weekend.
“I like my life here,” I mumbled, still staring at the hidden look of horror reflecting in my eyes.
“You need to harness this. I enjoy all the memories we built here, but your parents wanted this for you. I have a good job ready for me there now. They wanted you to go to this school. It’s time. Plus, once you start attending, you’ll be allowed to access the trust they left you and you can leave. Though I hope you’ll continue to give it a chance.” Uncle Nolan said the same things he already told me before, emphasizing the importance. It was a comfort to know he’d be moving to the Realm to stay close.
I knew he harbored guilt for taking me away to the States, but I was glad he took me with him. We were the last family we had, and there were too many bad memories back there. He would have had to live with a black mark on his name for too long.
“You know why I shouldn’t,” I responded in a low breath. Panicked memories flashed in my mind.
“It’s the only way you’ll learn to get past your fears and fit in. The academy understands the circumstances of why you haven’t had magical training, and your high school grades were enough to convince them. It helps that your parents already knew Lastrada, but you have a right to be there as much as anyone else. I know you’ll do great. It’s exactly what you need, whether you believe it or not. ”
Why did he have to sound so rational? I liked being in the Unenchanted. We could hide from our problems, we had a life here. Sure, getting away from my ex-boyfriend, who happened to be my neighbor, sounded great, but that was it. Inheriting a trust and learning to use magic didn’t feel like enough to leave our lives behind when my uncle would be shamed in the Realm, even if he acted like it’s been long enough. He never asked me for much, so I knew this was important.
“What about you? What will you do?” I asked, not mentioning how little magic he had, he already knew what I was asking.
He sighed. “The greenhouse I applied for accepted my application this morning. Tending to plants, my knowledge, and being able to brew potion is more than enough.” He sat at the edge of my bed, running a hand through his graying black hair. “You trust me, right?”
“I’m dressed, aren’t I?” I waved my hands at the obvious uniform I was wearing. He gave me a wary smile, a hint of unmistakable pride shining back at me, mixed with the same nervousness I was feeling.
Exhaling a slow breath, I put it off for as long as I could.
Finally, I glanced down at the Ares-Valentine acceptance letter. That was today’s date staring me back in the face.
My eyes scanned over the letter, bypassing the long formal welcome, down to where it stated my tuition was paid in full. I knew my parents wanted this, but I didn’t think they knew what my life was going to be like now. My eyes trailed down to how my life was going to change for the rest of the year .
School supplies:
Clothes, hygiene items, and all school supplies are included in the tuition. Supplies will be provided in student services.
Semester 1
Basic Magic Year 1 - 9:00-10:15 a.m.
Herbology and Potions A - 10:30-12:00 p.m.
12:00-2:00 p.m. Lunch is served
Aura Reading A 1:30-2:45 p.m.
Realm History Year 1 3:00-415 p.m.
5:00-8:00 p.m. Dinner is served
Semester 2
Basic Magic Year 1 - 9:00-10:15 a.m.
Herbology and Potions B - 10:30-12:00 p.m.
12:00-2:00 p.m. Lunch is served
Aura Reading A 1:30-2:45 p.m.
Magical Combat A 3:00-415 p.m.
5:00-8:00 p.m. Dinner is served
*School facilities are open from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., including student services, the library, and the practice field.
*Students must be in their assigned dormitories by 10:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m. on weeknights.
Signed,
Chancellor Evelyn Lastrada
“Let’s see if I can still do this,” Uncle Nolan said.
My throat constricted at the idea that this was happening so fast. “Wait. Here, in my room?” I gestured to the cramped space .
He shrugged. “Good as place as any.” His hand waved over my mirror. It expanded in waves until it no longer looked solid, instead becoming a dark purple swirling void of mist before us.
I took one last look back at my room, filled with everything that was me. It was the end of my life here. My uncle couldn’t afford a two-bedroom in the Realm. Here we had everything we needed though—it was safe. There were no bad memories, no pressure to do magic I couldn’t do. This was all going to be lost now.
Curiosity finally had me turning back to my mirror, which was now a portal, and ready to learn a little of the world my parents wanted me to see before they died.
“I’ll still pack your stuff for you,” he assured me.