Chapter 17 Izzy
IZZY
When the class ended, the professor — who’s full name was Di Gurand Svokol — told me to stay behind.
I sighed heavily, relieved the constant pestering from Saldrea would end. I had dozens of tiny welts from where she’d hit me with those stones.
Elves were assholes.
I had just saved my notes and was shutting down my computer when a massive hand grabbed it from me. I looked up in shock as the dragon stood over me, holding my laptop.
The look in his eyes was flat, emotionless, as he snapped my computer in half, like it was a twig, then set it back down.
I cried out in shock and horror. All the notes I’d painstakingly transcribed on magic were gone!
The dragon’s expression didn’t shift once. He took no pleasure in this.
But Saldrea blew me a kiss on her way by as she beckoned the dragon back to her side, before leaving.
I swore I’d pay her back some day. Position of privilege or not, I’d find a way to make her feel what she inflicted on others.
But once she was gone, the bravado faded as I looked at my broken laptop.
“Fucking Bi—” I stopped myself. Better to not say it, or it might get back to the princess.
I waited for everyone else to leave before stuffing what was left of my computer into my backpack and shuffling up to the front of the room.
“Why were you late?” Svokol hissed at me, clearly upset.
Yeah, because me being late was the worst thing that had happened in this classroom today.
“I thought I was early!” I shouted back at him, heedless of his position. I held up my phone. “I had an hour to spare, I checked!”
He blinked at me, then rolled his eyes and sighed, as if I were an ignorant, petulant child.
“Don’t be late again,” he said, stone-faced. Then he turned to Rook. “Work with her outside of class, to catch her up. And explain to her how time works.” Then he stalked away.
“How time works?”
Rook blew out a breath, leaning against the glass-like “blackboard,” which seemed to double as a writing surface and projection device. “Time here is different than in your world.”
“Of course it is,” I said with a huff, sitting on the edge of the raise platform at the front of the room. I nearly threw my phone at the wall. It clearly wasn’t going to help me here.
Rook came to sit next to me, holding out his phone-like device. The time on it roughly an hour ahead of mine.
“You’ll need one of these, or a simple wrist-clock,” he advised.
Given what I’d spent yesterday, I doubted I’d be able to afford one of this world’s phones till next week. Maybe the “wrist-clocks” would be cheaper?
“We have a thirty-hour day here, but our time also passes a bit faster than yours, so our thirty hours are roughly equivalent to a twenty-six-hour day for you. It’s confusing, I know.”
I shook my head. “This is all your fault,” I mumbled.
“I know,” he said, then sighed. “Sorry. I’ll help you redo your notes for this class.”
And being reminded that my computer had been destroyed — and probably couldn’t be repaired in this world, another expense — was the last straw.
I burst into tears.
Rook shifted over and wrapped his arms around me.
He didn’t deserve to comfort me. I wanted to push him away but had no strength. And it felt good being held while I let my emotions drain out through my eyes.
“You have another class you need to get to?” Rook asked.
I shook my head. This was my only class today. Tomorrow, I had Elven Law in the morning and Water Magic in the afternoon.
“Take the time you need. I know all of this is… a bit much.”
That was an understatement.
“Oh, you think? A bit much? In one day I’ve been abducted, unwillingly bonded to a bat-shifter-vampire, forced to room with the traitor behind all of this shit, then humiliated in public by a horrible woman with a superiority complex. Oh, and my computer was trashed by dragon.”
I gave a mirthless breath of a laugh at that last bit. Of all the things I’d never thought I’d say: my computer was trashed by dragon, was high up there.
“Unwillingly bonded to who?” Rook asked.
Fuck! I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone about that!
“Nothing, forget it, I hate you,” I said, though it was getting harder and harder to loath this man the longer he held me. Especially with his smoky s’mores scent, which spoke to some deep place of peace and longing in my soul.
“I’d like to say it will get better, that things will get easier… but…”
“But this world is shit, full of shitty people doing shitty things!” I finished.
“In short, yeah.”
“You’re such a comfort,” I snarked, folding into him more as my soul swam in darkness.
My determination wavered. I’d pledged to make the best of this world and try to help the people here, but after one day I was already questioning all of that. Could I really stick it out for a whole semester here?
Longer?
Could I really make a difference? I wasn’t an elf, and they seemed to have all the power. Even professor Svokol, who’d seemed all-powerful yesterday, hadn’t stepped in when Saldrea had stomped on my face.
Also…
“What’s your connection to Svokol?” I asked, gruff. It had been clear during class that Rook was more than just a T.A. and connected to the other man somehow.
“He’s my master.”
Ah, right. He had a master.
Time to get some clarity. “What does that even mean? What is he to you? Are you his slave or something?” I pushed away from Rook and stood suddenly. Filled with agitated energy, I paced across the front of the room while he spoke.
Rook sighed heavily. “The simple explanation for why I follow him is that he saved me from a life of military service and probably an early death in a place you’d likely call hell.”
Wow, okay, I hadn’t expected that.
“Hell? You have a hell here? And… you lived there?”
“It’s called Urval, and yes. I was born there.”
Okay, now the whole demon motif — horns and wings — made sense.
“It’s not really a place of torment, like your hell is, but it is a realm of fire and darkness and a war which has raged for millenniums. Both the concubi and salmaeri are native to Urval and for ages we have fought against the pyrkai, a race of giants with power over earth and fire.”
I sat heavily in a front-row chair and laid my head down on the desk.
That was a lot. There was far more going on here than petty elves ruling over an oppressed populace. If I wanted to keep my commitment to help these people, I’d also have to stop a war in hell?
No fucking way.
Then a random thought hit me, and I looked up at Rook.
“Is there a heaven too?”
He gave a laugh. “Yup, it’s called Elysial, a realm of air and light, but it’s not paradise. There’s an eternal war there as well, with the sylphim and seraphim against the nephilim.”
War in heaven too?
Great.
“Any risk of those wars coming here?” I asked. No one here seemed concerned about angels and demons and wars.
“No, only dragons can travel between realms with ease. Otherwise, you require a sigil point and travel gem or a spell, but that takes a lot of anima.”
Anima. I knew that term now. One thing I remembered from today’s lesson. Anima was the magical power a being possessed, their magical potential.
“So, there’s Urval and Elysial, and… Where are we now?”
“Seial, the realm of earth and water.”
“And no wars going on here?” I confirmed.
“Well…” Rook hedged.
“Fucking hell, really?” I threw up my arms.
“Not a war, no, but the enemies of the elves — and all civilized races — are the titans and they’re always restless, looking for ways to take back a realm they think is theirs.”
I shook my head. “I’m going to need a long history lesson, but I don’t want it now. I’m done.” I got up and grabbed my backpack.
Rook stood.
“No, you stay, I need some time alone,” I said. I was still upset with him, even after everything he’d done today. The comfort he’d given me hadn’t quite made up for his betrayal and landing me here in the first place.
“I’ll reach out… about a study session, so you can catch up,” he offered.
I sighed and nodded. “Just knock on my door. You know where I’m staying.”
He gave a single breath of a laugh and nodded. “Yeah, will do.”
Then I left and stormed back to my room.
It was only midday, and already I was done with today.
Actually… was it midday?
Fuck, I needed a wrist-clock.
I’d get one later.
Right now, I needed some quality time, pouting face down in a pillow.