The Academy [BOOK ONE COMPLETE]

“Falar did what?” I asked. I had heard, but I couldn’t wrap my brain around what it really meant. I hadn’t really considered that people fought in the war. We had only died.

“Fought the Kertharians,” Minnelil said. “If it wouldn’t be him we’re talking about, it would be impressive that he is sorry about their schools being gone.”

“Huh,” I said.

“There’s a council challenge to make him tell a story about the war,” Fek said. “So far no one has managed it.”

“How come there are so many stupid challenges about stupid Falar?” I muttered. I waited for the air to start smelling like smoke, the sound of crackling fire.

It didn’t come. The air was clear and damp from the snow melting near the walls. The only sound was the wind blowing and the clatter as a gust pushed one skeleton to bump into another. I raised my brows as the memories stayed memories. “And how come you suddenly know all about the challenges?”

“There are a bunch about all the important teachers,” Fek said. “And I’ve been hanging out with Frederik. He’s nice.”

I harrumphed. Did Frederik consider Fek a nobody? Maybe he would still be nice to him. The question was if Frederik was nice in the ways that were important or irrelevant.

“You’ll become a council boy soon,” Grit said. “Remember us, your poor, old dorm-mates when you’re hanging out with the Rodns and Pers.”

“Huh, is there someone here from the Per family?” I asked. “Even I know those guys.”

“Nah, they’re a Tenorsbridge wizard family,” Fek said. “You don’t get them here.”

We had reached the middle of the courtyard, yanked by the wind that blew through the empty wide space away from the walls. The hail on my face felt like reality. We had never gotten hail like this back home, flying straight sideways, feeling like being pricked by needles.

“You’re smiling,” Minnelil said.

“Hmm,” I said. “It’s… ok being here.”

“High praise.”

“About as high as I can manage, and what I can manage has gone up a lot,” I said. “I think I would like to stay.”

She wrapped an arm around my shoulder and squeezed. Grit made a small happy noise to my left.

“Come on,” Fek said. “The wind is cutting me to the bone. Let’s go wait for the word on what we get to do. I bet it’s going to be something really cushy or really awesome.”

---

“I can’t believe Fek was right,” Grit said, holding the paper a skeleton had brought to the dorm. She had a grin on her face that flickered between joy and panic.

“I’m not sure how to feel about this,” Minnelil said, pacing around the desk. She had her hands clasped behind her back, knuckles white.

“Ugh!” Fek said. “This is dumb. Why did everyone else get something cushy or awesome? It should have been me!”

“Not everyone else. I’m coming with you,” I said.

Grit whooped and pumped her fist. “Research assistant for Lecturer Falar! They didn’t change it, but made it start sooner! Starts already this night. Our first night together!”

“Don’t say it like that,” I groaned. “Remember the last time? He almost killed you with work.”

“That was different. There were a bunch of other people there.”

“But she was talking about killing you with work?” Fek said, sitting down on his bed. “Stop pacing, Min. The floor will wear out, and you’ll fall into space.”

Minnelil stopped and sighed. “There’s not space beneath the room. It’s an ordinary room, but just somewhere else than the Academy.”

“Well, who’s to say it’s not in space?” Fek said. “Anyway, figured out already what to feel?”

“No!” Minnelil said, and flopped down to sit on my bed next to me.

Oh, okay. I guess we’re doing that now. Electric shocks seemed to run through my body as she leaned her palms on her knees, hips almost touching mine.

“Interning for Chancellor Jextor is a privilege and an honor and an opportunity, but…”

“We will remember you fondly when he accidentally kills you,” Grit said, bowing at Minnelil.

“What, no! It’s just… a lot to take in.”

I hmm’d. Maybe this was my fault. Our discussion at the lunch with Jextor had probably planted the seed. Fek’s idea had nudged him over the edge. “I’m sorry,” I said.

Minnelil smiled at me. “It’s fine. Maybe it’s for the better. Now I don’t need to debate the issue.”

Her smile looked genuine, at least. “Maybe it’s just boring admin stuff?” I said.

“Have you met Chancellor Jextor?” Grit asked. She was pulling clothes from the trunk at the foot of her bed and peering at clothes with squinted eyes. “Do you think purple silk would be good?”

“You don’t need to choose a nightgown,” I said with a groan.

“Well, I need to wear something under the robe,” she said. “Except maybe—“

“No!” I said. “Just be normal, Grit.”

She chuckled at me. “I’m just pulling your leg. I know, I know.” The grin faded from her face and she sighed. “I know.”

“You don’t have to look that despondent, either,” Minnelil said, smiling softly. “It’s a great opportunity for your studies. The council is going to have a tantrum when they hear of this.”

“They won’t have one about me and Lina!” Fek said. He lifted both hands above his head and tipped back to fall onto the bed. “I can’t believe we’re stuck actually cleaning places. Cleaning is below me.”

“Evidently,” Minnelil said, rolling her eyes and waving a hand at all the books and crumpled clothes around Fek’s bed.

I shifted closer to her. “You wanted to work with Hector, and now we do,” I said. “I bet there are a lot worse things that people have to do. Polishing zombies into skeletons or something.”

“Gnarly,” Fek said.

Minnelil chuckled and leaned ever so slightly toward me, touching my shoulder with hers.

“Wait, I wasn’t ready yet,” Grit said.

We all looked at her. She stood clutching the dark purply nightgown in her white hands. She looked like she was biting the inside of her cheek, brows knitted.

“I know the whole thing is stupid,” she said. “And… that’s it.”

“We’re not judging. Go get him,” Fek said.

“There’s no judgement, but please don’t encourage her,” Minnelil said, sighing. “I find it hard to imagine a resolution that wouldn’t be awkward and difficult for everyone involved.”

“You’re the one to talk!” Grit said. “Two months ago she was a feral goblin, and you’re still a hundred years older than her.”

“I’m not a goblin,” I said, not trusting myself to say anything else. What was I really doing? Now that she said it out loud, it made no sense. No sense at all.

“What am I supposed to do?” Minnelil said, shrugging at Grit. “Wait for her to catch up?”

Grit groaned, rotating a full circle. “You know what I mean. If you get to make it work, why can’t I? I already said it’s dumb, but isn’t it always?”

“Not that dumb,” I muttered, but so quietly that I don’t think she heard. Besides, I was probably wrong about it. If I were honest about it, I wasn’t sure who I would have called the dumbest. “Fine, but don’t come crying to me when he turns you into a skeleton.”

“I wonder if you would still have hard hands after that,” Fek said.

“All skeletons have hard hands,“ Minnelil said. “And you know you can actually come to cry to us, always.”

“That’s not helping!” Grit said.

---

Minnelil closed the door behind her.

I stood with my hands in my pockets, watching the skeletons stand in their formation below. The lines were so straight. “You’re ok with this? Really ok?”

“Jextor wants to start going through my tasks already before the lunch,” Minnelil said. “Maybe I will only organize papers. I think I won’t, but it’s a possibility.”

“What do you hope it will be?”

“I don’t know,” she said, stepping to stand next to me. “I’ve been here for five years and this feels like the start of a change. I’m not sure if I’m ready for it. Half a decade might feel like a long time, but it’s not for an elf. We let things take their time, usually.”

“Are you talking about me?” I said.

“Or about us, if you want.”

“Hmm,” I said. “They seem to think so.”

Minnelil chuckled. “Love and death go hand in hand,” she said. “There’s a lot of death in this place, so it’s not a surprise that the students find each other as well.”

“That’s one way to phrase it,” I said. I had heard more stories of the student parties. They had sounded steamy.

“I’m a delicate person.” Minnelil sighed, leaning her temple against mine. “Are you?”

“You know the answer to that one,” I said. “I lived on the streets, stealing to keep from starving. I kicked a frozen tiger in half because it was so annoying.”

“I think you are.”

“Hmm,” I said. The wind threw Minnelil’s hair on my face and I brushed it aside. Our hands touched as she reached to do the same. “No guarantees. I don’t know much about being delicate.”

“We’ll see how it goes, Lina,” Minnelil said. Her hand brushed my back, fingers holding back from grabbing me. “If you want.”