Chapter 11 #2
Clearing his throat, Cosmo speaks quietly. “I think the Harts and my father have been trying to find a way to harness dark energy all of my life. Wes, Dono and I were homeschooled together for a lot of our young childhood.”
His face is bleak.
“Father, Janine and Jonquil were rarely there,” Cosmo tells me.
“My mother would stay home, but that meant just getting high on pills and ignoring us. Those days were the best of our childhood, when it was just us and the tutors. But then…” A wintery expression takes over his features.
“But then I got old enough for Father to introduce me to business lessons. He killed my friend, Ramon. Ramon was one of the groundskeepers' sons. I can’t…can’t tell you… ”
I put out a hand. “You don’t need to. I know it was awful. Go on.”
“You…” He shakes his head, like he’s trying to clear the images inside it.
“OK, well, later, the twins and I would be driven to the Harts lab. We’d be made to watch their ‘experiments’.
Brain destroying spells, pain producing casts.
They’d perform then on humans dragged off the streets.
Homeless people nobody would miss. It was torture, hideous.
Donovan would retreat into his imagination, it was like he wasn’t even in the room.
I would spend my time thinking up all the ways I’d get revenge on my father and the Harts one day.
And Wes? Wes would beg his parents to stop.
He’d beg to take the place of the homeless and prostitutes strapped to the tables. ”
My gentle Wes.
“Did..did that happen?”
“The rest is not my story to tell, but you need to know—Wes has been broken once before. It took a long time to get him back. I beg of you, Theodora, save him now. I deserve any pain and agony that comes my way, but Wes? All he deserves is peace and love for the rest of his life.”
Cosmo spins on his heel and marches away from me.
As the door swings shut, I blink and find my face is wet with tears.
I quickly scrub at my cheeks then follow the man who used to be my nemesis (and now I don’t know what he is) into Professor Gimble’s classroom.
???
My school day passes with agonizing slowness.
The energy of the academy feels like the heaviness in an atmosphere just before a massive storm breaks.
When I enter the last class of the day, my eyes zoom straight to Willow.
—Hey, friend— she thinks in my direction —Doing OK? You look fried—
—I am fried—
—Not long until we’re back home and we can drop all the acting—
—Can’t wait—
Professor Octobus strides into the class.
She looks crumpled and underslept too. “Students. Find your places.”
Everyone slumps down onto the yoga mats, waiting for her to dim the lights and start up the usual soundscape.
She doesn’t.
Instead she leans her butt on the edge of a desk and wipes a weary hand across her face. “Quiet please, everybody. I know it’s been a rough few days, but there’s something I want to talk about.”
Suddenly, her inner thoughts flash out loudly to my mind.
—Shit, am I actually going to do this? Fuck, I could get my ass nailed by the Conclave, but still—
Professor Octobus looks at the ceiling for a moment, then returns her gaze to us. She squares her shoulders and gives a small nod.
“Students. Things are changing in Havengard. I’m sure you’ve all heard that the WMO is now fully Conclave run.”
Several students shuffle uncomfortably. My gaze is fixed on the professor.
“And you are aware that innate magic has been rediscovered and is going to be given to the Elite, plus whomever the Conclave deem worthy.”
A couple of kids nod excitedly.
The rest of us don’t.
“But there hasn’t been much talk about those who are not deemed worthy.
And guys, if you are in this remedial class, you have to realize you are probably going to be in the underclass.
” She gives a tired sigh. “I don’t think that’s going to be much fun.
I know you all have been working on improving your sparks, but right now I’m imploring you.
Get your fucking flames roaring, you really…
really don’t want to be classified as lesser. As weak.”
A girl at the back of the room lets out a sob.
Professor Octobus pauses, and looks around the room, meeting eyes one by one with each student.
“I will help you any way I can, but in all honesty, it’s down to you.
If this isn’t working for you, perhaps you need to consider withdrawing from the academy.
” Under her breath she mutters something about emigrating to Mexico, then walks over to the light switch.
“So, I’m going to stick with the dean’s program for this class, but this week?
Try. Really fucking try. The clock is ticking on this shit. ”
I look at Duncan and Willow, then my eyes drift over the rest of the Defectivum kids.
Yeah. They could all be in real trouble.
But.
What if I have enough Lumina to help?
Could I fire up their flames?
It’s something to talk to Alexis about.
Right now I’m saving all my sparkles for Ludo.