54. Dominance
A eden wanted to fight with everything he had inside, but no matter how hard he tried, no matter how much he wanted to push back against Master Storme, he couldn’t.
It was such a strange sensation, like his mind wasn’t communicating with the rest of his body.
He felt like a passenger. He looked down at his arms, his hands resting gently against his sides.
“How are you doing that?” Aeden asked, still able to speak.
Orion chuckled to himself as he took a step closer. A coldness entered Aeden’s core, like ice in his veins. The overwhelming feeling of hopelessness was almost too much to face.
“Well, you can’t expect me to say it out loud, can you? But I think you understand. Nod if you understand,” he said with a smirk.
Aeden nodded against his will .
“You can’t get away with what you’re doing here.” Aeden’s tone did not match his calm, obedient body.
“I think you can let go of him. I don’t think he’s going to cause us any more trouble,” Orion said.
Master Storme did as he was told and released him. Aeden’s feet touched the floor, and he stood of his own accord.
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking I need to open my mouth to communicate with you. I can make you do things, things you would have no control over. You’re not strong enough to face me. No one at this academy is.”
Orion’s words pierced Aeden’s mind much like Nyra did through the Weave. But this, this was painful. Like needles in the back of his skull. Sharp and uncomfortable.
“My dear boy, as long as I have eyes on you, I can make you do anything I want.”
Aeden held on to that information. He already had a theory, but Orion had just confirmed it. He was sure that when Orion’s line of sight broke, so did his control.
“ Aeden, what’s happening? You’re scaring me ,” Nyra said.
“ Don’t communicate with your Aer-Kin ,” Orion said, as if he’d heard Nyra.
Aeden’s mind raced. Could he really hear Nyra?
Or was that a precaution? Aeden tried, he tried with everything he had to reach her, to let her know what was happening, but the harder he tried, the more he seemed to forget how to communicate through the Weave.
Since they’d bonded, their connection had become like breathing, free and easy, something that just happened.
Now, it was like Aeden didn’t even know how.
As if his mouth had been stitched shut. He knew how to form the words, but he simply couldn’t say them, and that terrified him .
He looked around the room, panicking. Should he run? Should he just get to Nyra and make their escape?
“Don’t even think about it,” Orion said. “You’re not going to run. You’re going to stand there and listen to everything I have to say.”
Orion spoke without moving his lips. No one could see what he was doing as Aeden lost the ability to speak aloud as well as through the Weave.
Aeden gave a desperate, pleading look to Harrison, whose eyes were wide.
Rowan was on her knees beside Kael, which felt strange to see, especially given that he had just fought her cousin.
Vivienne and Serene were beside Harrison, bedded into the ever-growing crowd.
Rosheen was leaning nonchalantly against the wall.
She didn’t seem interested, but she followed her brother everywhere.
“I don’t think we have to worry about this cohort,” Rosheen said. “Especially the Supports. They’re all pathetically weak.”
“That they are, sister,” Orion said. “ I am, however, interested in your Aer-Kin, and why it still draws breath. As far as I understand it, crippled and deformed Aer-Kin should be destroyed before they even have the opportunity to hatch, let alone parade around the academy.” There was anger in Orion’s voice.
He was appalled, no, disgusted as he sneered at Aeden.
“The fact that the academy chose to hide this from us tells me there’s more to this story,” Orion said, taking another step towards Aeden.
“The question is, why would they do that?”
“ Aeden? Aeden, why aren’t you answering me?
I don’t like this. Something feels different.
Strange. There’s a darkness . . . like, I know you’re there, but you’re shrouded by shadows ,” Nyra said.
She was panicking, and that only made Aeden feel worse.
He wanted to reach out to her, reassure her, but he couldn’t.
“Tell me, Master Storme, is there more to this Aer-Kin?” Orion demanded.
Master Storme puffed his chest and stood proudly. “That isn’t for me to say,” he said.
Not the response Aeden had expected. He’d thought Master Storme would have leaped at the opportunity to speak against Nyra, but instead, he stood stony-faced. He was no more pleased to see Orion than Aeden was.
Orion’s gaze dropped from Aeden to Master Storme. The weight lifted instantly. Aeden could breathe again. The fog in his mind cleared. He looked down at his hand, he could move his fingers. The connection was broken.
“ Nyra, it’s Orion. He has some kind of Dominance ability. He can make people do what he wants. He’s here now, and I’m scared they’re going to come for you .”
Aeden took a step forward. Orion looked back, and the cold, empty feeling shrouded Aeden once again.
“ Now, now, don’t do anything stupid ,” Orion said, reaching out to him through his own form of the Weave.
Aeden wondered if the communication worked both ways, just like it did with Nyra, who he still couldn’t reach.
“ How are you doing this? ” Aeden asked.
Orion’s brow furrowed. He looked confused.
“ You won’t win. Whatever game you’re playing, I won’t let you win ,” Aeden said defiantly.
“ How are you doing that? ” Orion said. “ You shouldn’t be able to communicate back to me.
My power is called Dominance, if you must know.
And I am growing a little tired of you, and this entire academy.
I think it’s about time I made an example of students like you and that thing you call your Aer-Kin. ”
“ Leave her out of this! She hasn’t done anything wrong! ” Aeden demanded.
“ She is an abomination. She will be terminated ,” Orion said.
He kept his eyes fixed on Aeden and called out, “Rosheen, why don’t you head to the hatchery and put that blasted thing out of its misery?”
Rosheen smiled and pushed off the wall, reaching for her sword. “Finally, some action,” she said.
“No! You can’t, I won’t let you!” Aeden said.
Orion laughed. “And what exactly do you think you can do? You’re absolutely feeble. Although looking at what you did to him” – he gestured to Kael – “I can see you’re a good fighter. Either that, or he’s a pathetic Offence class, bested by a Support.”
Kael was now standing, Mistress Plato helping him. One of his friends stood at his side, Rowan on the other.
Aeden wanted to fight back. He didn’t care how powerful Orion was. He had no idea how strong he was physically, but this power was overwhelming. He had no idea how to beat him.
“As I’ve said multiple times, this academy’s standards have slipped far below what we would expect. That needs to change, and to do that, I need to set an example. So I’m going to start with you. Not just for attacking another student, but also for bonding with that wretched Aer-Kin.”
He was putting on a show, waving his hands as he monologued, ensuring everyone knew what he was doing .
Aeden tried desperately to fight back, but it was pointless. He couldn’t move.
“I’m torn between killing you on the spot or dragging you down to the hatchery to watch us execute it.”
“ Don’t you talk about her like that! ” Aeden snapped. “ Don’t you dare lay a finger on her, or I will kill you! ”
“As impressed as I am that you’re able to reach back to me despite me Dominating you . . . what exactly do you think you can do? You’re just a first-year student and I” – he paused, almost hesitating. “Well, I’m so much more.”
A thunderous roar echoed down the hallway. Aeden snapped his head up. There was a loud smash, followed by screaming students, and another roar. Students began to scatter.
Orion, however, kept his gaze firmly on Aeden.
Harrison shot out from the fragmented crowd and shoulder-barged Orion in the back, breaking the connection. Aeden darted left, aiming to get into the crowd and make it to Nyra before Rosheen did.
Chaos erupted as heavy footsteps barrelled towards them.
“ Aeden! Aeden, where are you? ” It was Nyra.
“ Nyra, I’m here! We need to get you away from the hatchery! ”
When he looked up, it was to see Nyra bounding down the hallway towards him.
Then it dawned on Aeden. The roar had been Nyra. She had broken into the academy. She had come to save him. But that was exactly what he didn’t want .
Aeden rushed towards her. He needed to get to her before Orion or Rosheen did. But he couldn’t see either of them. His stomach churned with dread.
“I’m here!” Aeden reached out to her, trying to calm her, but she was panicked, tricked, desperate to find him and save him.
Everyone cleared the way, except two people standing defiantly in her path.
It was Orion and Rosheen, swords drawn, ready to strike.
“ Don’t let him make eye contact with you! ” Aeden warned.
Nyra bucked up into the air, raising her front legs, ready to stamp them down like hammers. She roared as her feet slammed onto the floor in front of them. A warning shot.
Aeden had never seen her look so fierce.
Rosheen swiped at her with her blade, narrowly missing her wing. Orion moved to strike next, but Nyra reared again, his blade slicing only air.
“ Careful, Nyra! Their attacks are getting too close. If you get a chance to leave, go! I’ll follow you! ” Aeden shouted.
“ They attacked me out of nowhere. I only came to help you! ”
“ These are the bad guys, Nyra. Orion is the one who was Dominating me. I tried to reach you, but I couldn’t .”
Nyra remained upright longer than she should’ve. When she finally fell forward, both Orion and Rosheen were ready.
As her legs landed, the floor trembled. Orion’s blade sliced into her leg. Nyra screamed in pain as blood seeped from the wound.
“ Nyra! No! ” Aeden cried .
Orion raised his blade again. Aeden wasn’t fast enough to reach her. His heart sank. She was in pain, and he was powerless.
“Leave her alone!” he screamed.
Rosheen turned to him, sword raised. Aeden had no weapon. If he had to run through her to get to Nyra, he would. He would bring the hells with him.
Out of nowhere, a boulder-like fist smashed into Rosheen, sending her flying into the wall. It was Master Storme.
He grabbed Orion’s collar and threw him across the floor, sliding towards Aeden.
Seeing his opportunity, Aeden jumped over Orion and sprinted to Nyra.
“ It hurts so bad ,” she said as he approached, blood pooling around her foot.
“ I’ve got you ,” Aeden said.
Suddenly his legs were taken out from beneath him. He hit the floor face-first. The taste of iron filled his mouth. His head rattled as his jaw slammed into stone.
Orion had grabbed his ankle.
Master Storme was quick to grab Aeden and help him up.
Orion and Rosheen gathered themselves, ready to fight again. Aeden stood side by side with Master Storme, something he never thought would happen.
“Try not to make eye contact with him,” Aeden said. “His power is called Dominance.”
“I know all about it,” Master Storme said as he readied himself .
“As far as I can tell, he can only focus on one person at a time. So as long as we distract him, we should be okay,” Aeden said.
“They’ve got swords though, that puts them at an advantage,” Master Storme said.
“We’ve got Nyra,” Aeden replied defiantly.
Orion and Rosheen growled. Rosheen had a cut above her left eye. Orion’s lip was split.
“You will pay for this insolence,” Orion said.
“With blood,” Rosheen finished.
“ Nyra, can you walk? ” Aeden asked. “ I promise, as soon as we’re done, I’ll heal your leg .”
“ I’m not Leaving you! ” she protested.
“ I’m not asking, I’m telling you. Get away. We’ll hold them off as long as we can. Now go .”
As Aeden and Master Storme readied themselves, Director Vale appeared with Mistress Plato, Master Sorrel, and several other masters.
To Aeden’s surprise, they lined up one by one at his side.
“I think it’s clear that you two have outstayed your welcome at Aviara Academy,” Director Vale said. “Your manipulation ends here. You can tell your master that we will not change our ways, and you will not intimidate us.” She raised her hands, magic crackling between her fingertips.
One by one, each of the other masters drew on their powers, channelling through the Weave and their Aer-Kin. The air charged like a storm in a teacup.
Orion laughed, clearly not intimidated. He stepped forward.
Master Storme lived up to his name, cracking a bolt of lightning at Orion’s feet, shattering the tile as a warning .
Rosheen grabbed her brother’s arm. “This will not end well for either of us. The odds aren’t in our favour.”
Orion shrugged her off, face contorted with rage.
“You will pay for this insolence!” he roared. “You have no idea who you’re messing with, but you will regret this day!”
He turned and marched away. Rosheen followed.
“This is not good,” Director Vale said.
“I had little choice but to get involved,” Master Storme replied.
“I still worry about the consequences for the academy.” Director Vale was a ghostly white, all colour drained as worry etched into her face.
“Let them come,” Storme said.
Aeden didn’t know why the academy had stepped in to rescue them, but he sure as hell was grateful they had.