6. Six
Ihate to admit I wasn”t paying attention during Professor Riggs” introductory class. I caught bits and pieces of what his intentions were for our lessons, how he was excited to teach me about the history of Dalerin and the lore and legends of magic wielders and celestials alike, but all I could actually focus on was my upcoming training session with Atlas. It”s true that he”s been training me over the course of our journey through Bava, and logically, it would be best for him to continue instructing me, but I wish he would have told me about his employment. I shouldn”t have been caught off guard in Headmistress Radcliffe”s office.
I used to love secrets and surprises because it would always lead to Bastian returning from one of his journeys with gifts and forbidden encounters. But now I am beginning to hate them, feeling more blindsided and out of control than ever.
After Professor Riggs” releases us, Nyx and I snag some lunch from the great hall before making our way to the fourth and highest level of the school. Just when I think we can”t go up any further, Nyx opens a door at the end of the hallway, and I spot a spiral staircase that I”m expected to climb. With a huff and a full belly, I follow Nyx up, up, up to a black metal landing that opens up to a tunnel with light pouring in at the end.
”Where are we going?” I ask, halfway out of breath.
”Atlas” classroom.”
I stop and press my hand along the wall to catch my breath. Wishing in vain that there was a lift, like the one Professor Riggs uses, that could bring me upstairs faster, I straighten and press onward.
We finally reach the end of the tunnel and step into the bright light. The Magical Warfare training room is much larger than I anticipated. Circular, with a glass dome ceiling to let the sunlight pour inside, the classroom stands in stark contrast with the rest of the school. Where Magikos Grammata is fashioned in the old-world charm, Atlas” classroom has grey slate floors, wooden bleachers, and etched in the tile floors are red, green and blue rings. The red ring is the smallest circle and is in the center of the room, directly beneath the dome. The green ring is slightly bigger, and the blue ring is the largest. I catch sight of a dark, wooden desk at one end of the room where there are no bleachers and that”s where I spot Atlas. He”s scribbling away on a parchment, and strands of his dark hair fall across his forehead. I watch intently as his left hand carries his quill up, down and across the paper, but as if he senses me staring, he glances up and meets my gaze.
”Well,” he smiles, reclining in his seat, and placing his quill down. ”If it isn”t my favorite student,” he purrs and slips out of his leather chair, sauntering to the smallest circle in the center of the room. Despite the fact he”s dressed completely in black, the sunlight beaming through the dome casts a heavenly glow on him, and I dare say, makes him deliciously appealing.
”Is that how you begin all of your classes?” Nyx chomps down on a juicy red apple he snagged from the great hall.
Atlas” eyes narrow at his brother but he doesn”t dignify his snark with a response. Instead, he focuses on me. ”Normally, on the first day, I would ask my students to demonstrate their magic but since I”m already aware of some of your abilities, I”ll skip that task and ask about your eyes.”
”And how hypnotizing they are?” I bat my eyes at him, and Nyx barks out a laugh as he makes his way to lounge on the bleachers.
”Good one, Kitarni.”
The corner of Atlas” mouth twitches, as if he”s fighting off a smile. Shaking his head he says, ”I don”t know if I like how much time you and Nyx are spending together.”
I take a step toward him. ”I”m not hearing you say my eyes aren”t hypnotizing.”
Completely ignoring my teasing, Atlas asks, ”What triggers them to change to gold?”
I shrug. ”I don”t know.”
”Well, that”s why I”m here.” He clasps his arms behind him. ”I”ll help you figure that out. For me, my eyes shift the moment I use my shadows. Same goes for Finn when he reluctantly uses his affinity.”
I remember Finn”s eyes turning a bright orange the two times he used his magic in Bava. It was both mesmerizing and horrifying to see that shade of color staring back at me.
”I”ve seen you use your magic before, and your eyes remained grey.” Atlas” voice pulls me back to the present moment. ”Shields, barriers, even blasts of light didn”t affect your appearance. So, what are you thinking about when your eyes are gold? Does anything else happen?”
I think back to seeing my reflection in the hotel mirror in Bava and not only did my eyes change but my hands began to glow. Hell, it”s been happening more frequently now that we”re in Tronovia. Even Nyx got his first glimpse before we entered the school. I cast Nyx a look and see he”s not reclining like before. He”s straight-backed and hanging onto each and every word. Clearly my glowing hands and golden eyes are of great interest to him as well. I wonder if he”s going to offer up our encounter earlier in the day, but he surprisingly keeps his mouth shut.
”My hands glow,” I admit. ”When I touched Vesper”s arm, I burned her, but I didn”t feel any heat.”
Atlas rubs his chin, deep in thought. ”So, your eyes shift and your hands glow. It sounds like you are starting to unlock more powerful abilities. Much faster than anticipated.”
”Like an ultimate form?” I follow him as he makes his way back to his desk looking for something.
Atlas rips open one of his drawers, grabs a small green book, and flips through the pages until he lands on the chapter labeled as Transcendence. ”Almost every wielder has what we call a Transcendent state where they reach the peak of their power.”
When he extends the book to me, I accept it and run my fingers over the image of a fire wielder set ablaze.
”Each magic wielder will have levels of abilities,” Atlas continues. ”So, based off what I”ve seen you do, you can blast balls of light, shield yourself or others, and now your hands have the ability to glow and burn without doing any harm to yourself.”
I flick my eyes up to meet his. ”How many abilities do I have in total?”
”I don”t know. Each wielder is different.”
Thinking back to what Nyx told me on our way to the school about him not having an ultimate state, I ask, ”Why don”t all wielders have a Transcendent state?”
”All typical wielders do,” Atlas says without hesitation. ”It”s anomalies who don”t always possess Transcendence.”
That explains Nyx and possibly Finn, though I don”t have the courage to ask him or his brothers if Finn has tapped into a Transcendent state. ”Do you have one?”
”Yes.”
”What is it?” I ask when he offers no further explanation.
He crosses his arms over his chest and leans against his desk. ”I don”t use it often.”
”Why?” I press. ”Because it drains you?”
”Because it frightens me.”
Well, that”s not the response I thought I would get. How bad could his Transcendent state be that he would dodge my questions and refuse to tell me about it? Risking his wrath, I once again ask, ”What is it?”
Reluctantly, Atlas says, ”It”s called Nox.”
Now we”re getting somewhere. ”Will you show it to me?”
”No.”
”Will you at least tell me what it does?” I look up at him with pleading in my gaze. I need him to give me something, anything, so I can understand him better. Sure, he has a right to keep his Transcendent state to himself, but the desire to know everything about him has me pushing my limits.
Atlas is quiet for a few moments, clearly deep in thought, before admitting, ”Going into one”s Transcendent state is very dangerous. If you aren”t ready for it, it could cost you your life.”
Deciding it”s probably best to just let the question of his Transcendent state drop, I switch the topic to myself. ”What is mine?”
”I”m not sure. Professor Riggs will probably know. I”m not much of a scholar.”
Before I can ask any more intrusive questions, Atlas pushes up from his desk and brushes past me, returning to the center of the room. ”Now, back to your eyes. What were you thinking about in the coffin?”
Lazily, I shake my head. ”I don”t know.”
”Think, Princess. It”s important for us to understand what triggers you.”
”Don”t you think I know that?” I snap back. ”Of course, it”s important!”
His eyes are kind and his tone gentle as he takes a step toward me. ”Then at least try to remember. Don”t quit on me. What were you thinking about?”
I close my eyes, allowing myself to relive those moments. I see my glowing reflection in the bathroom mirror at Hotel Zulmara. I remember lying next to Atlas in a coffin, trying to escape Kongar and evade Vesper”s crew.
”Tell me, Princess,” Atlas coaxes, but I keep my eyes closed.
”I recall being angry,” I admit.
”Good,” he whispers. ”That”s something. What were you angry about?”
”I was angry that you kissed me in that alley, and I was furious with myself about the things I said to you during our argument. I was upset Vesper found us in Kongar, and I was angry that you wanted me to run away instead of fight on the docks.” I pause when memories of Atlas” shadows caressing my skin flash into my mind.
”What are you thinking about now?” I hear his voice, but still refuse to open my eyes to meet his gaze. He must sense my hesitation or embarrassment because he whispers, ”Don”t be afraid to tell me the truth.”
”Your shadows,” I say, and my mouth immediately goes dry.
”What about them?” I feel him getting closer to me, and it spurs me to open my eyes. The way he is staring at me is different. He looks equally mesmerized and proud. Even Nyx stares at me in wonder.
”What are you two gawking at?” I hiss.
”Look at your hands,” Atlas instructs and I obey.
They”re glowing.
”I guess we know now what triggers that response,” Nyx chimes in.
”What does?” I look at Nyx. ”My anger?”
”Me.”
My eyes dart to find Atlas. ”You?”
”Any strong emotional reaction involving me – anger, remorse, attraction – your eyes shift and your hands glow.”
”What does that mean?” I can”t help the shakiness in my voice.
”To be honest,” he rakes a hand through his hair, ”I am not entirely sure. I”ve not heard of that happening before.”
Nyx hops up and makes his way toward us. ”Are your powers amplified when you think about Shaye?”
Atlas stares at me and I scoff. ”Of course not! His eyes have always shifted–”
”Yes.”
”Yes, what?” I hold his gaze. Though I can sense my rising trepidation, all I sense from him is tranquility.
”My powers are amplified when I think of you.” His admission nearly steals my breath. ”I”m stronger, faster, more lethal.”
”Well,” Nyx takes the case out of his pocket and grabs a fresh toothpick, ”that explains Bava.”
”What about Bava?” I ask.
Not giving Atlas a second to respond, Nyx starts to explain, ”When we found you at the Necropolis, Atlas moved like death itself. Swift, accurate, unyielding. I”ve never seen him take on that many opponents at once and walk away totally unscathed.”
Slowly, I peer up at Atlas. ”Is that true?”
”It is.” He says simply.
Why do I feel like I now have even more questions?
Is this draw I have to Atlas just our magic calling to one another? Is there more to our attraction?
As much as it pains me to admit, I know that Bastian is involved in some way in this scheme to unleash Drogon and his demonic minions. He”s responsible for the slaughter of magic wielders all around Dalerin. He”s not the man I fell in love with— not the man I should spend the rest of my life with. But these feelings I have for Atlas— I”ve been fighting them and rightfully so. I don”t deserve him. He”s so much better than me, I see that now. I”ve been spoiled and turned my nose up at those beneath me for most of my life, but not him. Seeing him for the man he chooses to be instead of what I assumed of him is truly humbling and heartbreaking. He”s so much better than me. He”s so much better than I deserve.
”Happy or angry?”
Atlas” voice pulls me from my self-deprecating thoughts, and I realize my hands are once again glowing. This will be wildly inconvenient, if I don”t figure out how to control this reaction when I think about him. I blink and clear my throat but when our eyes meet, there”s something different between us. As if he can sense my thoughts, feel my inner turmoil. I open my mouth to say something snarky to lighten the mood, but words fail me. Instead, I shake my head and he nods in understanding.
”Well,” his shoulders loosen, ”I think that”s enough for today”s introduction. I believe you have been given access to Calmara tomorrow, so our lessons will resume the following day.” He eyes me up and down before saying, ”Make sure you wear clothes you can move in.”
”Why?” My curiosity gets the better of me.
”I teach Magical Warfare, Princess, which involves hand-to-hand combat.”
”Right.”
The thought of us tangled together, him pressing his weight on top of me, sets my lower belly on fire with the desire to feel his hands all over me. I immediately feel the burn of my cheeks and hope to the Stars I”m not flushed, but when I force myself to meet his piercing gaze, I find his eyes are already cloudy, as if he”s swimming in a raging sea of emotions. I hate that I can”t read his mind.
I watch as he blinks his green eyes to violet and hold my breath as goosebumps ripple across my flesh, itching, yearning for his shadows to slip over my skin and caress every inch of my body.
”Do you feel it?” he asks with a rasp in his tone.
I”m not entirely sure what he”s referring to but I”m without a doubt drawn to him, like there”s a taut string and we”re tied on either end.
My magic hums beneath my skin. Normally where it itches to be unleashed, this feels different. Like my magic, my very soul, is reaching out to Atlas. Even though I can”t see our connection and don”t know what”s running through Atlas” mind, I know he”s reaching for me too.
”Do you feel it?” he asks again, taking a small step toward me, a hint of vulnerability and a dash of hope lacing his words.
I slowly bob my head and step forward. ”I feel something,” I whisper. I just wish I knew what it was that I felt.
This is the closest we”ve been to one another since our encounter in my bedroom a few nights ago. His shadows licked up and down my arms, across my neck, through my hair, and I would be a liar if I claimed I didn”t want him to grab me and kiss me right now. I exhale a breath and shiver, sensing his shadowy tendrils advancing toward me. I close my eyes, waiting to feel his soft, seductive touch.
”Do you two need a minute alone?” Nyx”s question breaks my concentration and extinguishes all trace of what was transpiring between me and Atlas. It feels like he took a bucket of water and dumped it over my head. I want to scream.
”Nyx,” I croak. ”I forgot you were here.”
”Clearly.” He grins. He”s definitely adding this to the list of sexually charged moments to inform Eris of later tonight.
Atlas” eyes are back to their natural color, as is his indifferent demeanor. He clears his throat, ”I have another class to prepare for. I will see you both at the house tonight.” He takes one last long look at me before turning to return to his desk.
”Ready, Kitarni?” Nyx jerks his head toward the tunnel, and I quietly follow.
As we trek down the spiral staircase, I muster the courage to ask, ”What happened in there?”
”You mean, what did I see?”
”I guess that”s what I”m asking.” I bob my head, even though he”s in front of me and can”t see the gesture.
”I saw Atlas” shadows, but they weren”t moving like they normally do.”
”What do you mean?”
”It was as if he was restraining them from touching you.” Nyx stomps down the stairs until we find the landing.
”And what did you see when you looked at me?”
”Your eyes and hands lit up, and I could have sworn your hair was also glowing, but it might have been the sunlight.”
He holds the door open for me to reenter the fourth-floor hallway before we make our way to the main staircase to head down to the foyer.
”I felt my magic reaching for his,” I break the temporary silence. ”Is that normal?”
Nyx chews on his toothpick, contemplating the question before shaking his head. ”I can”t say it is. At least, I haven”t heard of it being a common thing.” He stops at the top of the staircase and steps in front of me, blocking my path. ”Did you feel him reaching back?”
”Yes.”
He rakes a hand through his hair and whistles lowly. ”Damn, Kitarni. All this from one kiss? I would hate to see what would happen if you two fuc -”
I point a finger at him, forcing him to swallow the rest of that statement. ”Don”t. Don”t you dare finish that sentence.”
Lifting his hands in surrender, he smirks and says, ”As my lady wishes.”
”Ass,” I hiss, drawing a rumbling laugh from him.
He drapes his arm across my shoulders and ushers me down the stairs. ”Eris is going to be so jealous she missed this.”
He”s not wrong, but I wish I understood what exactly was happening. I”m just as confused now, if not more so, than before. Here”s hoping that Calmara will have some answers for me tomorrow.