Chapter 25
Teddy
Tears were falling down Nerion’s cheeks, mixing with the rain. He gently lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it softly. Then, with a smile that nearly broke me, he said the last thing I ever wanted to hear.
“Goodbye, Teddy.”
That’s when the world broke around me.
“Mr. Thalassos, you are expelled from Widdershins Academy,” the woman in white robes said. “You will be escorted by Dean Thornfield to your room to collect your belongings, stripped of your student identification, and forbidden from entering these grounds forever.”
“Does this mean our son is enchanted by this beast?” my father roared, his voice echoing over the thunder.
“My poor baby,” my mother wailed, her arms around me as she pulled me away from Nerion. “What has he done to you?”
“This is why you can’t have monsters like this at this school!” my father raged on. “This is what happens! You can't trust these creatures!”
“I… I don’t understand,” I said, still staring at Nerion. “You said you didn’t sing to me…”
“I… I lied,” he replied, his gaze never meeting mine. Then he turned away, Dean Thornfield trailing behind. “Just go, Teddy.”
I wanted to run to him, to grab him by the shoulders and shake him until he explained what was going on. But I couldn’t. My mother had a death grip on my left arm and the Elder had already taken my right.
“We need to get him treated immediately,” she said, pulling me toward the teleportation circle. “We don’t know how long he’s been under this enchantment. If it’s been weeks or even months, it may have lasting effects.”
“We’ll pay whatever it takes to fix this,” my father said, already turning my situation into a business deal. “And I expect the Elder Council to do a full investigation into this school, the Dean, and the board of education. Clearly this entire place has gone to the dogs.”
“I don’t know if that’s completely necessary—” the Elder began, but my father wasn’t listening.
His hand gripped my shoulder so tightly I could feel his fingernails through my shirt as he steered me toward the teleportation circle.
The rain was coming down harder now, soaking through my clothes, but I barely felt it.
All I could focus on was Nerion’s retreating back, his shoulders hunched as he walked away from me.
“Teddy, darling, we’re going to fix this,” my mother said, her voice sickeningly sweet as she dabbed at my face with a handkerchief. I couldn’t tell if she was wiping away rain or tears. Maybe both. “Everything’s going to be alright now.”
“Nothing’s wrong with me,” I said, my voice hollow. “I’m not enchanted.”
The Elder Council member gave me a pitying look. “That’s exactly what someone under enchantment would say. Siren magic is particularly insidious. It makes the victim believe their feelings are genuine.”
“But they are!” I tried to pull away, but my father’s grip only tightened. “You don’t understand—”
“Theodore,” my father said sharply. “Enough. We’re taking you to the Elder Council now. They will perform the necessary cleansing rituals, and then we can put this whole unfortunate episode behind us. You’re not coming back to this school either. You’ll continue your studies at home.”
Home? The word felt like a stone in my stomach. They wanted to drag me away from Widdershins, away from my classes, my swimming, my life. Away from any chance of figuring out what had just happened with Nerion, any chance at a semi-normal life.
“I’m not leaving,” I said, planting my feet firmly on the wet ground. “I have exams next week. The regional swim meet is in three days.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” my mother scoffed. “Your health is far more important than any exams or swim meet. You’re coming home.”
“No! I’m not going!” I shouted, trying to pull myself away from her.
But my father was faster than me. With a few muttered words and a wave of his hand, an enchantment washed over me. In an instant I felt myself lose control of my own body.
My limbs turned heavy, like they were suddenly made of lead. I tried to fight against the spell, but it was useless. My father was too powerful, his magic honed over decades of practice. I could only watch helplessly as my body betrayed me, becoming pliant and obedient.
“That’s better,” my father said, his voice cold with satisfaction. “Now, let’s go.”
I glanced back one last time, desperate for a final glimpse of Nerion, but he was already gone, both him and the Dean swallowed by the darkness and rain. A sob caught in my throat, trapped there by my father’s magic.
The Elder Council member stepped forward, her white robes somehow remaining pristine despite the downpour. “I’ll handle the transportation,” she said, drawing a complex sigil in the air. “The Council chambers are ready to receive him.”
My mother fussed with my hair, smoothing it back from my face with trembling hands. “My poor boy,” she murmured, her eyes filled with tears that might have been genuine concern. “We’ll make you better, I promise.”
I wanted to scream, to tell her there was nothing to fix, but my lips wouldn’t move. The paralysis spell kept me silent, trapped in my own mind as they discussed me like I was a broken toy that needed repair.
The Elder completed her spell, and a shimmering portal opened before us. Through it, I could see a stark white chamber with stone columns and a circle of high-backed chairs. The Elder Council’s judgment chamber.
“After you,” the dragonkin said, gesturing to my parents.
My father’s hand on my shoulder pushed me forward, guiding my unresisting body toward the portal.
As we crossed the threshold, I felt a rush of ancient magic wash over me, cold and impersonal.
The rain-soaked grounds of Widdershins Academy disappeared behind us, replaced by the austere grandeur of the Elder Council chambers.
Seven figures in white robes identical to our escort’s sat in a semicircle before us.
Their faces were partially obscured by deep hoods, but I could see enough to recognize they weren’t all human.
One had the scaled skin of a dragonkin like our escort, another the luminescent pallor of a vampire.
There was even one with antlers sprouting from beneath their hood.
They must’ve been a forest spirit of some kind.
“Elder Brina,” one of them spoke, addressing our escort. “You’ve brought the afflicted student.”
“Yes, Elder Calaxos,” she replied with a slight bow. “Theodore Voss. We believe he’s been under a siren’s enchantment for some time.”
“I am not enchanted,” I managed to say, suddenly finding my voice despite my father’s spell. The magic of this place was older, stronger than his. “Please, you have to listen to me.”
The Council members exchanged glances.
“We want this corrected immediately,” my father demanded. “And I formally demand a full investigation of Widdershins Academy and those that run it. Clearly this new board of education doesn’t care about putting its students in danger by letting in dangerous monsters!”
Elder Calaxos, the one with the antlers, stepped forward, pulling her hood back. There was a stern expression on her face, but even through her carefully contained visage, I could see the fury in her eyes at my father’s insinuation.
“Mr. and Mrs. Voss will leave these chambers to let us do our work,” she said, leaving no room for argument. “Your son will be returned to you once we have freed him of this enchantment.”
My father’s face contorted with rage. “Now see here—”
“You will leave,” Elder Calaxos repeated, her voice taking on a resonant quality that seemed to vibrate through the chamber. The antlers on her head briefly glowed with a soft green light. “This is not a request.”
My parents exchanged glances, clearly unused to being dismissed. My father looked ready to argue further, but my mother placed a restraining hand on his arm.
“Very well,” she said tightly. “But we expect to be informed immediately when you’ve finished the cleansing.”
“Of course,” Elder Calaxos nodded. “Elder Brina will escort you to the portal that will take you home.”
As Elder Brina led my parents away, I felt my father’s paralysis spell begin to weaken. My fingers tingled as sensation returned to them, though my legs still felt leaden.
When the heavy doors closed behind my parents, the atmosphere in the room shifted. The Council members seemed to relax slightly, their rigid postures easing.
“Now then,” Elder Calaxos said, turning her attention to me. “Theodore Voss. Let us speak plainly.”
“Please,” I said, my voice cracking. “I’m not enchanted. Nerion never sang to me.”
One of the other Elders, a witch with red hair and fair skin, leaned forward. “How can you be certain?”
“Because I—” I stopped, unsure how to explain. “I just know. My feelings are real.”
“Love is a complex emotion,” Elder Calaxos said gently. “It can be difficult to distinguish from enchantment, particularly when siren magic is involved. That is the nature of their power.”
“Then test me,” I pleaded. “There must be some way to prove it.”
The Council members exchanged glances again, some kind of silent communication passing between them.
“There is,” Elder Calaxos finally said. “But it is not pleasant.”
Another Elder, this one a male witch with dark hair and glowing amber eyes, rose from his seat. “We can perform the Ritual of Clarity. It will strip away any external magical influence affecting your mind or emotions.”
“Do it,” I said immediately. “Please.”
“You should understand,” the Elder continued, “that if you are under enchantment, breaking it will be... painful. Not physically, but emotionally. The false feelings will shatter, and the emptiness left behind can be devastating.” He paused, looking me over.
“It is not uncommon for those stripped of false love to attempt to take their own life. So you will be placed under constant surveillance, for months if necessary.”
“And if I’m not enchanted?” I asked, hope rising in my chest.
“Then the ritual will have no effect,” Elder Calaxos answered. “Your feelings will remain unchanged.”
“I consent,” I said firmly. “Do whatever you need to do.”
The Elders formed a circle around me, their white robes brushing against the stone floor. Elder Calaxos approached with a small silver bowl containing what looked like clear water.
“Drink,” she instructed. “Once you do, you will enter a dreamlike state similar to astral projection. There you’ll be met by a guide who will take you on a spiritual journey through your life and the magic effecting you.
” She held the bowl in front of me, her brows knitted together.
“You may learn many truths you never wanted to know along the way. Are you willing to take that chance?”
“Is there any other choice?” I asked, staring at the bowl and the clear fluid inside.
“We can modify your memory and remove all knowledge of Nerion from your mind. That could also break—”
I took the bowl before she even finished, draining it in a matter of seconds. The liquid burned all the way down my throat, settling in my stomach like a tiny inferno just waiting to consume me.
“No,” I said, tossing the bowl aside. “I trust Nerion. He would never enchant me. And when I come out of this with that proof, I expect your support in getting him back.”
Elder Calaxos nodded. “So be it. Should you find this love to be true, I will help you in any way that I can.”
The burning in my stomach intensified, spreading through my limbs like wildfire. I gasped as my knees buckled, and I would have collapsed if not for Elder Calaxos catching me by the shoulders.
“Easy now,” she murmured, guiding me to the center of their circle. “Let yourself fall into the vision. Don’t fight it.”
The white chamber began to blur around me, the faces of the Elders stretching and distorting like reflections in rippling water.
I tried to speak, to ask what was happening, but my tongue felt too heavy in my mouth.
The burning sensation reached my head, and suddenly it was as if my skull had been split open, exposing my brain to pure light.
I screamed, or thought I did, though no sound emerged from my throat. The world dissolved completely, leaving me floating in a void of swirling colors and fragments of memories.
Then, standing before me was a figure cloaked in shifting blues and greens, their face obscured by what looked like flowing water.
“Theodore Voss,” the figure spoke, their voice neither male nor female but somehow both at once. “Welcome to the Dream.”