13

As expected, me resonating with three elements was the topic of every Acolyte’s gossip and conversations. Every glimpse they stole of me, every hushed remark had me cowering behind Elsa as we walked to our first class.

As Kaz said, my schedule magically updated after my aptitude test. However, I never bothered to look at it to see which classes I’ll be taking, still too shocked at what happened. Eisley did, fortunately, and mentioned that I’d be taking most of my classes with Elsa whose aptitude is almost as high as mine.

Right, I’m the student with the highest aptitude now. What a great start to my first day at Alcove – note the sarcasm.

Elsa tries lightening the mood as we approach the class by filling me in on the subject and the professor who teaches it. And I try to listen as attentively as possible but catch only half of what she says with my racing thoughts.

“…only Acolytes with the highest aptitudes qualify for this class…Professor D handpicks his students…his essence is the strongest the Academy has ever seen apart from yours now, I suppose…he also holds the record for most Anomalies persecuted in a year…”

“Wait, what?” I cut her off when that last part stuck with me. “Most Anomalies persecuted in a year? As in…Magians wielding wild magic?” I don’t mean to whisper at the end, but it feels fitting considering I am such an Anomaly.

Elsa nods. “Yup. Last year, he caught and persecuted twenty-one of them, which is almost two a month. And considering how good they are at staying hidden, that’s a huge achievement.” She snorts and adds, “I won’t be surprised if Professor D can recognize one by scent alone. Apparently, wild magic wielders have a particular smell.”

“Ha, ha…yeah.” I swallow thickly, hoping my skin isn’t as pale as I feel.

Oh, Sylvina, what did you get yourself into? Enrolling into an academy that outlawed wild magic and off to join a class whose professor is famous for capturing Anomalies like yourself? It’s like you have a death wish.

Finally, we enter a large, circular room. The floor here descends downward with a slope with desks situated on each level, giving all Acolytes a clear view of the centre of the class, which is a large space with markings on the ground. It feels as though we’ve entered a coliseum and will soon witness a warrior take on a pride of lions by themselves.

I’m almost tempted to believe I’m that warrior – or more likely a prisoner who needs to fight to survive.

“I usually sit here,” Elsa mentions and nudges me in the right direction.

Imagine my panic when I realize we’re claiming a desk in the third row of the class, thus placing me excruciatingly closer to the feared professor. Immediately, I wish I’d sprayed more perfume this morning, or had normal coloured hair that wouldn’t make me stand out as much.

I take a seat next to Elsa just as a door which I presume leads to the professor’s office, opens. My heart spikes wildly and I steal a glimpse of my hands. They’re shaking profusely.

“Hope everyone got their rest last night,” the professor opens the class and I hear his footsteps echoing off the floor as he moves about, “because today you’re going to need it.”

Hoping to conceal my trembling hands, I tuck them underneath my legs and look up to pay attention…and freeze.

It’s Kaz.

I can’t help but to stare at him in complete and utter shock, my lips parted and probably looking like a Venus flytrap.

Professor D is *Kaz*? As soon as it clicks, I want to slap myself for being so stupid. D obviously stands for Devorak. *Idiot*.

However, the moment I’m done internally scolding myself, fear seizes my heart and threatens to squeeze. My whole body goes cold with dread when realization sinks in – I made a deal to help him capture Anomalies, which I am. Originally, I planned on sending him on a few wild goose chases until the month ends, but now?

Now I had just learned that he’s the best there is at capturing Magians like me. He’ll see right through me. And not to mention what he’ll do once he finds out I’m the outlawed Anomaly he’s famous for persecuting.

I’m as good as dead.

“…does everyone understand what to do?”

I snap from my reeling thoughts when Kaz’s voice rings in my ear. Understand what? I haven’t been listening or paying attention to anything he said. Yet, there’s a collective hum of ‘yes, sir’ and ‘sure’ around the class. Clearly, the rest knows what he’s talking about.

“Good,” Kaz says and drags his gaze over the students, “then I assume you’d have no problem demonstrating to the whole class your understanding of the spell. How about a volunteer?”

A few hands rise. From the corner of my eye, I notice Gilbert sitting a few desks back with that girl from the office – Dinah, was it? – next to him. Dinah has her hand raised, her expression hard and confident.

But Kaz doesn’t even look at those who volunteered. Instead, his gaze befalls on me, and I immediately feel like melting into the floor to escape what I know comes next.

“How about our new Acolyte?” He even has the audacity to smirk. “Miss Myrwell, would you please step forward.”

Elsa nudges me in the side when I don’t respond at first. Accepting my fate, I stand on wobbly legs and slowly approach him, all too aware of my heart racing thrumming in my ears and my stomach churning.

Kaz’s gaze burns through his shades as he assesses me in front of every student in the room. “I must say, Miss Myrwell, resonating with two elements is impressive. But three? That’s rare…and dangerously promising.”

My throat feels like a desert. I can barely breathe as he passes my back like a predator stalking its prey from behind.

“Which tells me you’ll have no problem demonstrating what I had just explained to the class.”

An explanation I wasn’t paying attention to because I was too busy dreading for my life with him as my professor. And while on that topic, why the hell didn’t he mention that before? Either he didn’t think my aptitude would be good enough to qualify for his class, or he did and kept that secret for his own twisted pleasure.

But I can be mad at him for all I like, it doesn’t change the fact that I didn’t listen to what he said and have absolutely no idea what to do.

“Could you, uh…” I clear my throat and whisper to him, “Could you perhaps explain it again?”

“You want me to explain a simple fire spell to you again?” Kaz echoes what I said for the whole class to hear, causing my cheeks to tint bright red. “I just figured you already knew what do to considering you weren’t paying attention. But since you asked so nicely, Myrwell, let me refresh your memory.”

Kaz goes to stand in the dead centre of the space. Only then do I realize that the markings on the floor resemble the elements and those in between when you combine them.

“For a simple fire spell, you’ll want to combine what? Light and wood,” he explains to me as though I’m a child. “First, you must channel those ingredients. *Lignum lucis*.” I watch as he summons an orb of light in one palm and timber-like matter in the other. “And then you combine them – carefully. Or you might singe off your brows.”

Joining his hands, the light morphs with the timber and creates a ball of fire. I try memorizing what he did and the incantations for the spells to heart, but I just can’t wrap my head around the whole recipe they follow just to cast a single spell.

“And once you’ve mastered that, combining the two spells with a single incantation becomes remarkably easier. *Ignis*.” Kaz opens his hand for a fireball to ignite, doing it so flawlessly, it could’ve been second nature. He fixes his gaze on me and then says coolly, “Start paying attention, Miss Myrwell. This is basic fire magic; a five-year old can do it. Now back to your seat.”

The iciness in his tone nearly had me cowering. Rushing to reclaim my desk, I wrap my arms around myself and fix my gaze on Kaz, this time paying attention.

I said it before, and I’ll say it again.

I’m as good as dead.