Read Academy of Curses lesson 4 in full. Elena Zvezdnaya - Academy of Curses. Lesson Four: How to cheat evil spirits for money
Something is wrong with the SI, I'm throwing the beginning of the book here.
Academy of Curses
Book Four
Annotation: What is the difference between passion and love? The one who unknowingly sent the Curse of Eternal Passion has yet to find the answer to this question. And at the same time find out that presentation to the court of the Dark Empire is worse than even death. Daya will have to endure communication with high society, the parting words of a monster-in-law and the wrath of the groom... And somewhere she must find time to write her thesis, work at the office and search for the one who is trying to kill Lord Ryan Thiers over and over again...
The Great Rian Thier, a member of the Order of the Immortals, the First Sword of the Empire, Master of Dark Magic and the Art of Death, the only one at the sight of whom even Thesme turned pale, looked wearily at me with dull black eyes. A haggard, darkened face, chapped, chapped lips, and a silent question in his gaze.
I lowered my head, I didn’t want to say anything in the presence of strangers, and besides the two of us, Master Tesme, Captain Veris, Lady Oris and our chief librarian, Mr. Bibor, were present in the office. Considering that I was caught breaking into a library vault, and a vault intended only for master-level teachers, using a curse on Mr. Bibor himself, I was really in danger of being expelled.
“I’m very sorry, Lord Director,” I said quietly, lowering my head.
I was really sorry, but Dara refused to help rudely and flatly. Master Tesme answered all my questions very sharply: “Don’t get involved in this, adept Riate.” Rian... Rian was absent for four days, two of which I spent under house arrest. The rules at the academy are strict, I broke them. Even the intervention of Okeno, who was now hovering outside the door, did not help.
“You’re sorry,” Ryan sighed heavily. “Is that all you want to tell us, Adept Riate?”
I wanted to say more, but not in front of everyone.
“Okay,” said the Lord Director wearily, “go, adept Riate.”
I raised my head and looked at him in disbelief, but the master did not even spare me a glance. But no, as if sensing my gaze, they paid attention to me to remind:
- You are free.
I had no choice but to silently turn around and leave, although I had to make an effort not to slam the door.
And in the secretary’s room Okeno was waiting for me, who, ahead of Lady Mitas, quietly asked:
- Expelled.
Holding back my tears, I quietly answered:
- Don't know.
The senior investigator shook his head reproachfully and asked once again:
- Why did you go there?
“Riate-Riate, there are things that it’s better not for someone as defenseless as you to get involved.” What did this stunt of yours with stealing the plate lead to, Riate. Two drow died, you were attacked, and nine guards were injured in the battle with the karrags. And all this because of one of your stupidest actions!
What can I say to this? We wanted to reveal the secret, both Yurao and I are now paying the price. Officer Knights has been suspended, and it looks like I will be expelled. We were simply put in our place very rudely. No one doubted that we disagreed with this very place, but our opinion was completely ignored.
“I’ll talk to Lord Tier,” Okeno said softly, “but even if he expels you, you will become a trainee in the Day Guard, in a year you will enter the guard academy, seven years and you’re with us, Day.” You are an excellent investigator, so I will provide you with a job.
“Thank you, but... Yurao and I are planning to engage in private investigation, Master Okeno.”
- Private investigation requires experience and knowledge, Daya, you will only get this in the Night or Day Watch. Although you are closer to Night, Daytime activities with a magical component are not involved.
His speech was interrupted by Veris, who opened the door slightly and invited the senior investigator into the director’s office. I sadly trudged to the women's dormitory.
Wrapped in a cloak, I walked indifferently through the yard, not immediately paying attention to the group walking across me. And, probably, she wouldn’t even have looked if she hadn’t heard this snide:
“Wow, who’s coming, the venerable blacksmith Gort herself!” — it was impossible not to recognize this voice.
Raising my head, I saw Rigra, her two brothers and servants with suitcases - lectures began tomorrow, so the fact that adepts who had had their holidays arrived at the academy did not surprise me. I wasn’t surprised by her “greeting” either, since I already knew about the meeting with Auntie Rui. But I had no desire to deal with her, and therefore, overtaking them, I hurried to the hostel.
— Dirty waitress ignores high society? Although what is there to be surprised about - the director’s favorite, not to say mistress, now a respectable woman, almost a blacksmith, is her older brother.
- Hey, Deika the waitress, did she lose her voice from happiness? - and this is the youngest.
I stopped, and, despite the fact that my eyes were wet, my heart was completely torn to pieces, I slowly turned to the bastard Dakene family. And she almost screamed, because behind the vile trinity stood Lord Ellohar, whom our local aristocrats had not seen. But the master winked at me cheerfully and, putting his finger to his lips, called for silence. In general, the director of the School of the Art of Death looked strange - a thin black sweater that fit his neck, black trousers and that’s it. Considering that it’s not summer at all, and Rigra and his brothers, wrapped in fur coats, still shudder from gusts of icy wind, Ellohar’s attire was indeed strange. But the smile is cheerful, a little sly, and I smiled back.
“Her look is strange, she also smiles.” Are you, by any chance, stray? — Rigra’s older brother stepped towards me. - Hey, brat, answer when they talk to you.
From a sly one, the master’s smile became somehow predatory.
“Apparently she wants us to teach her some manners again, right, Deika?” — the younger one stepped towards me threateningly.
Ellohar instantly stopped smiling and asked gloomily:
- Riate, what are we talking about?
The Dakene family jumped in surprise, the servants dropped their suitcases, and Rigra, seeing the master, gasped and sat down in the snow in fright. Ellohar slowly came closer, thus standing between the brothers, and hugging both of them by the shoulders in a friendly manner, with emphasized gaiety, asked:
- What, my killer whales, are we having fun with fist fights? — the young aristocrats turned white. — Are we silent, my brave ones? And you’re right, it’s always more fun when there’s torture! – Now both Dakene brothers were trembling in horror.
A blue flame flashed.
When two adepts of death stepped out of it, the younger Dakene fell to his knees and howled, the master was not at all embarrassed by this:
- Well, well, my dear, you will have to pay for everything in this life, for beating a weak woman too, especially since it will be so fun and exciting, right, adept Gorkhe?
The first one to appear grinned nastily and asked only one question:
— Is it for my test or coursework?
“For an essay on the History of Torture,” Ellohar smiled so happily. - Orves, you take the second one and give it to the first-year adepts, they are practicing very interesting blows there today. At sunset, return both to the family nest. Please inform parents that they can send complaints to me personally. All.
The howling Dakene were dragged into the blue flames, they turned to the howling Rigra and politely said:
“Director Thiers will deal with you, adept, and I will notify him personally about the incident.” Now get out of my sight.
Rigra has probably never run so fast before. The servants, picking up their suitcases, rushed after her, and in the middle of the courtyard Ellohar and I were left alone, although I didn’t know what to expect from the master. It turned out nothing good:
- Riate, are we making snot again? - he asked lazily.
I involuntarily sniffled and reminded him of the obvious:
- Winter, actually.
- AND? — the master raised an eyebrow. - Is this a reason for increased secretion? Riate, at this rate you will end up in cohabitation, and this is not only a pitiful sight, but also disgusting. Will you have lunch with me?
Shaking my head negatively, I tried to explain everything, and started with:
- I'm under arrest and...
“Consider this an escape,” Ellohar interrupted me.
A blue flame flashed.
When the flame disappeared, we found ourselves in the master’s office, in that very school of the Art of Death. Moreover, here the window was open, and through the whistle of the wind, I heard in the distance:
“Attack, lord,” the woman ordered, in the same tone Veris used when she ordered us to start the race.
- Attack!
A muffled scream, and then the woman spoke again:
— The “Dead Loop” grip allows you to inflict maximum harm on the attacker, with minimal effort and time...
Ellohar went to the window, closed it, locked it, and all this with an insidious grin, after which, turning to me, he asked:
— Tea, juice, handkerchief?
“I don’t like this place at all,” I admitted honestly.
“It’s noticeable,” Ellohar, bowing his head slightly, watched me with interest. - Riate, do you sleep well at night?
Shaking my head negatively, I walked to the already familiar sofa, sat down, and realized that I definitely needed a scarf. And not alone.
“He didn’t show up for four days,” I moaned, “four days... They won’t let me out of the academy... Dara knows nothing, Tesme knows, but doesn’t speak... And I’m slowly going crazy from anxiety and the unknown. Where is he? What about him? Why doesn't it appear? How did the Immortals' exploration of Ardam end? Questions, questions, questions... and no answers... And also anxiety, constant, driving me crazy, terrible anxiety for him... - I sobbed. - I can’t do this anymore...
Ellohar came up, sat down next to him, put his arm around his shoulders, held out a handkerchief and said thoughtfully:
“Tantrums weren’t supposed to be on the lunch menu, but I’m willing to make sacrifices.” What's next?
“Nothing,” I answered sharply, after the caustic remark I remembered who I was talking to and tried to get up.
I blushed.
- Ashamed? – the master asked mockingly, “come on, with your experience in robbing respected Tesme, there can be no question of any shame.” But the fact that I got caught, yes, it’s a shame.
Another silent but determined attempt to get up, but I was again held down.
“Quietly,” and Ellohar, without mocking notes, said: “Tier was afraid for you, Daya.” He was very scared for you.
I stopped struggling, the master continued:
“I warned you not to get involved in this, as I felt, Riate.” You and the drow climbed into the arena, where the strongest fight, and the weak are not treated on ceremony. The smart ones, realizing what they got themselves into, immediately retreat, but you and Knights continued. And the height of stupidity is the story with this plate. Okay, you would have dragged her away, but it’s worse, Riate, you gave away the fact of possessing her.
I sighed heavily and quietly asked:
— How are the same artifact who had the first Thiers medallion connected, and the murdered dwarf, who, in addition to the second medallion, also hid a tablet, and...
They imperiously closed my mouth, waited until I stopped making even an attempt to free myself, and rudely asked:
— Riate, how is your hearing?
“My hearing is great,” I thought, but I didn’t tell Ellohar about it.
Removing his hand from my face, the master thought, and suddenly asked:
— What answers were you going to find in the closed library?
The director of the School of the Art of Death was the first and only one who asked me this question, which is probably why I answered:
- This is all somehow connected - the theft of artifacts from the Thiers clan, very much reminded me of a story told by one vampire about the theft of artifacts from a clan of metamorphs.
- Those who come in the Dream? – as it turned out, Ellohar knew about what had happened.
“Yes,” I thoughtfully crumpled the handkerchief, “and suddenly artifacts surface in the imperial treasury.” It would seem incredible, but only a stronger clan can defeat a clan, so everything is logical and the only thing that is unclear is why the emperor needed these artifacts. - Ellohar was silent, I continued: - And then a group of people steal artifacts and scatter throughout the empire. And it would seem, what do an artifactor, a gnome and a magician have in common? Nothing, except for obvious participation in that same theft. And it is unclear why they did this if this did not bring them any benefit? They didn’t try to sell the artifacts, they didn’t try to give them to the same Spellcasters, and I have a feeling that they just wanted to hide them... - I remembered the corpse of the gnome-leatherworker and added in a fallen voice, - to hide them, at the cost of their own lives. For what?!
With his head politely bowed, Ellohar listened to me thoughtfully, and his gaze, the attentive and penetrating gaze of a very experienced and wise lord...
- And you won’t shut my mouth? — I asked with a bitter smile.
He only narrowed his eyes provocatively in response, then smiled sadly.
“Let’s go,” the master stood up and extended his hand. “I’m hungry, it doesn’t hurt you to eat either.”
We had lunch in the school cafeteria. If the name “school canteen” suited this place, I would rather call this place a restaurant. A cozy hall in an imperial style, round tables covered with snow-white tablecloths, exquisite cutlery, impeccable service and dishes for every taste.
We walked to one of the tables by the window, and as soon as we sat down, a server dressed in a school uniform greeted us, then handed us a list of dishes to choose from.
“It’s the same as always for me,” Lord Ellohar responded lazily, “but the lady should have offered a more conservative menu, don’t you think?”
The waiter, a half-breed vampire, suddenly turned pale, and saying: “I humbly ask you to forgive me,” he carefully took away from me a thin book with gold embossing, I didn’t even have time to open it.
“Believe me, if I were you, I wouldn’t get upset,” the master consoled.
“I like to look at menus in different establishments, it’s always interesting,” I responded.
“Okay,” Ellohar smiled mysteriously, “I’ll ask you to bring it back... after lunch.”
The waiter appeared and brought, obviously in a hurry, a dusty menu, on which were the monograms of the capital's Semaron restaurant.
- And, will you prepare everything that I order from this? — I asked suspiciously.
“Undoubtedly,” said Master Ellohar, smiling evilly.
The half-vampire swallowed barely noticeably. I suddenly felt sorry for him and the cooks, and I asked for the simplest thing:
— Can I have an omelet with greens?
Someone clearly immediately felt better, and they asked me with gratitude:
— What kind of drinks would you like?
- Just tea. “Anyone,” I answered hastily.
- Maybe wine? - Lord Ellohar suggested.
My eyes instantly filled with tears, my heart sank with a spasm, and I quietly answered:
- No thanks.
Throwing a mocking glance at me, Ellohar ordered:
- White, from my stock. And yes - I'm hungry.
It was the first time I had seen a server move at a run, and even run so fast. And it has never happened that the order was delivered almost instantly. Before I had time to smooth the napkin on my lap, the half-vampire returned with a tray and began deftly setting the table. The master, as it turned out, shared the same culinary tastes with Rian and meat was brought for him. True, the slice turned out to be barely cooked, but apparently this was intended, at least Ellohar was very pleased with what was brought. Me too - the fluffy omelette looked delicious, and the tea was just the way I like it - with a sprig of currisa. And then the vampire deftly poured the wine into the glasses. I looked at him indignantly, wanting to stop pouring the drink into my glass, since I had no intention of drinking wine, but then... “Don’t drink,” the server whispered with just his lips.
I choked on my indignation, squeezed out a pitiful smile and asked in a shrunken voice:
— Can I have some dessert for tea?
“Of course, lady,” the half-vampire bowed ceremoniously and left us.
My heart was beating frightenedly, my palms were cold, I didn’t want to eat. These aristocrats and their wine.
“I propose a toast,” Ellohar raised his glass, “to the beautiful chosen one of Lord Rian Thiers,” I look at the master with suspicion, he smiled at me and said: “It would be impolite not to support such a wonderful toast, Deya.” Come on, just one sip.
With a trembling hand, I took the glass, tried to smile, and brought it to my lips. In general, it’s not that difficult to imitate a small sip; I tried to make everything look natural. The only thing unnatural in this whole situation was the master’s gaze, and then he emptied his own glass in one gulp. And we started dinner - me, trying not to flinch, and Lord Ellohar, dining with the grace of a true aristocrat.
And then things got weird:
“In this situation, the easiest thing would be to declare you my bride, Daya.” I managed to deceive the little people, and there would have been no problems with Thiers. And then you would have been safe, Thiers, out of grief, would have dug out this whole gang of conspirators, I would have been able to play my part, and then return you to Ryan. A smart and fail-safe plan, Daya, the best, given the circumstances. There is only one unpleasant and small “but” left - I like you. And to my sincere regret, a little more than just the chosen one of my best and, perhaps, only friend. It could be attributed to yours personal qualities, and it’s hard not to admire you, Daya, but... - he poured himself some wine again, - but I like you. And this happened only once in my life, and I... lost it.
I look at the master in shock, he grinned mockingly, saluted me with a glass, again drank it all to the bottom, and, cutting the meat into pieces, continued:
“If it were anyone else in Thiers’ place, my choice would be obvious, but a strong moral component intervenes, and I simply do not have the right to act so cruelly towards someone who saved my life at the cost of his own.” Thus, the option of a bloodless solution to the problem disappears, solely due to my lack of confidence in my own willpower. Actually, I have to admit that good girls have always been my weakness. However, let's not talk about that.
They smiled at me charmingly, and for a while the master returned to dinner. Only after pouring the wine again, he continued:
“What truly amazes me about you, Daya, is that using such a small number of facts, you are able to draw such correct conclusions.” Exceptionally correct conclusions. However, this is not so important. “Ellohar again drank everything to the bottom, and then said thoughtfully: “I have a feeling that someone is playing, controlling the situation and manipulating the characters.” This is not a pleasant feeling... You know, there was a situation in my life when it was a mere trifle, an accident, an absurdity, I would even say, and so it opened my eyes to a conspiracy aimed at overthrowing the imperial dynasty. It would seem like utter stupidity, but... while conducting that investigation, I experienced a feeling of horror for the first time. And I thought in horror - what would have happened if one of my adherents had not paid attention to that strange pattern that the rest simply did not notice.
Drumming his fingers on the table, as if pulling himself out of unpleasant memories, he aimed his gaze at me and said quietly:
“I’ll answer your questions, Deya, it’s a pity, you’ll never remember this conversation, but at least you’ll stop tormenting yourself with unnecessary worries.” So: First, the investigation in Ardama gave us nothing. At all. That curser who organized the hunt for Knights was an asshole and died as an asshole. Next time, go easy on the curses. By the way, he turned out to be a simple and ordinary person, not even a magician, although he was not one of the indigenous inhabitants of the empire, and the authorities controlling refugees did not identify him. The thread broke. Secondly, the Immortals also found nothing. At all. The only traces of magic were associated with the karrags, or rather their calling. Taking into account Erha's testimony, realizing that the first karrag was unable to cope with you, this creature, in which we assume the sea witch was, summoned three more cute representatives of the sea world. But since the guardian spirit blocked the summoning magic, taking measures to preserve the territory entrusted to him, she had to call them to the square. From there they crawled towards you.
The square where Ryan and I stood that morning! I'm more than sure that the witch was there and saw us. I suddenly really wanted wine.
“But alive and unharmed,” I thought stubbornly.
“Don’t be sad,” Ellohar extended his hand and flicked me on the nose, “Tier will figure everything out, he’s stubborn and persistent, and doesn’t calm down until everything is sorted out.”
A scarlet flame flared up.
Rian came out in the middle of the dining room, looked around, saw us, his gaze glanced at the bottle of wine, his eyes instantly narrowed and, as he approached, the master looked exclusively at Ellohar. I don’t know how the director of the School of the Art of Death reacted to his approach, because I myself kept looking at Lord Thiers, who again ignored me.
- Which one exactly? — Ellohar lazily asked and signaled to the server, and as soon as he approached, he said: “You are aware of Lord Thiers’ preferences.” - Then again to Ryan: - Thiers, I’ve known you for twelve years now, and Lady Thiers constantly has warnings. Which one this time?
Ignoring his hint, the Lord Director bent down, lightly touched my lips, then brought a chair and sat down, closer to me, who was frozen with the realization of the information received.
- Something happened? — Rian inquired politely.
I shook my head negatively, still looking at him with all my eyes.
“You’re pale,” the master carefully stroked her cheek.
“Everything is fine with Deya,” Ellohar responded lazily, pouring himself some wine again.
Rian grabbed the bottle, brought it to his lips, took a sip, then quickly peered into the remains of the seal that had been torn off when opening. He looked at me carefully again, then turned to the director of the School of the Art of Death, who was just slowly sipping this very wine, and asked the incredible:
— Did you manage to say a lot?
The glass in Ellohar’s hands trembled, after which the master directed an attentive gaze at me, but what is it attentive - practically searing.
“She didn’t drink a drop,” Ryan confirmed his fears.
The unforgettable look of Master Ellohar and me, slowly blushing under him. I had to justify myself:
“I didn’t want to drink... I pretended to be out of... politeness.”
The server approached, placed the dishes in front of the Lord Director and, bowing, left our table, drowning in awkward silence. I sat and tried to understand whether Master Ellohar said all this seriously or whether this was mocking his neighbor in his usual manner, however, if you remember the words and hints of the witches... it becomes somehow uneasy. Raising my eyes, I came across the gloomy and wary gaze of Lord Ellohar, and I felt completely uneasy.
“Day,” Rian called quietly, “what’s going on?”
And what can I say, I silently lowered my eyes again, leaving the masters to discuss what happened without my participation. It’s an extremely unpleasant situation, and in light of what I’ve heard, I no longer want to ask questions to Ryan. Although no, one question was important:
— Am I expelled? — still without raising my eyes, I asked.
In response, they asked me their own question:
- What do you want to hear from me, Deya?
I want to hear that you will no longer disappear from my life for four and a half days without even saying goodbye. And, probably, this is the only thing I want to hear now, because I can handle everything else, including expulsion from the academy... but I can’t handle your loss.
Taking a deep breath and still not looking up, I said quietly:
“If you don’t want to tell me, don’t.” I’ll ask the curator Veris, however, she also hands out the documents.
And crumpling the napkin, I stood up, turned around and left the dining room, unable to find the strength to continue this conversation. And then I remembered that Rian was clearly hungry, and so haggard, and she turned around to go back.
But the master opened the door before me.
“You weren’t expelled,” I still listen silently, “although I had a desire to sign the librarian’s petition, throw you over his shoulder and take you to the family castle.” But…
— Has your conscience awakened? - I asked, and, raising my head, still looked at him.
The face darkened, the eyes narrowed and Rian asked hoarsely:
- What does this have to do with it?
Yes, indeed, and... Although who am I for the great Lord Ryan Thiers to report his location to an ordinary adept.
-Are you going to remain silent? — the master asked with dull irritation.
I turned away, restrained all the statements that I so wanted to voice about his absence, and quietly answered:
- Let's go back, you need to eat...
“You don’t need to tell me, Deya!” - Ryan said sharply.
Something inside me breaks and flies into the Abyss in a hundred sharp fragments. I'm in pain. It hurts a lot, but is there any point in talking about it? None.
“Okay,” I said, barely audible, trying not to cry, “do what you want, as much as you want, and you can disappear again into nowhere.” Now please take me back to the academy, if possible.
The master silently took me by the hand, brought me back, sat me down on a chair, and pushed it towards the table. Nothing has changed at the table, except that new bottle wine, this time red, and the Lord Director's glass was full.
Noticing my gaze, Ryan asked:
- Will you?
Smiling bitterly, I quietly asked:
- What does it come with? - and explained the question: - Potion of oblivion, poison, or something more interesting?
Rian remembered the abyss and drank it all in one gulp, Ellohar, winking at me, also emptied his glass of white wine, I simply turned to the window, dreaming more than anything else of being somewhere very far away.
The server came up and handed me a pie with currisa, I smiled gratefully back, and then it sounded:
- Stand! – from Ellohar.
The half-vampire and I shuddered at the same time, and then I simply decided to prevent the interrogation that the master was clearly about to begin:
“I have a huge request, Lord Ellohar,” I said, trying to cover up my fear for the half-vampire with notes of irritation, “could you please refrain from shouting at the table?” Or is the hysteria of an adept at the academy of curses still included in your mandatory menu?
Ellohar waved his hand and the server disappeared. I squeezed out a "Thank you" with difficulty and pushed the barely touched omelette aside to take the pie. And as soon as I broke off a piece with a spoon and brought it to my lips, Rhian Thiers deigned to speak to me:
— Why was it necessary to hack the academy’s library?
Lord Ellohar suddenly intervened:
“Give the man something to eat, but you already know very well what she did there, Thiers.”
“Enlighten me,” the Lord Director responded unfriendly.
Grinning, the director of the School of the Art of Death answered mysteriously:
- For example, the answer to the question: “Can I send a certain Master Thiers into the forest?”
Rian put down his fork and knife without finishing the impressive piece of barely cooked meat, and folded his arms across his chest and looked at Ellohar.
“Or,” continued the impudent master, “Mistress Riate became interested in the problem of refusing marriage obligations.” Or maybe...
- May be enough? – with such impeccable politeness that it seemed outright mockery, Rian wondered.
“Or maybe,” Ellohar didn’t pay the slightest attention to his attack, “the young adept was simply tired of sitting on the windowsill all night, waiting for the great and omnipotent to stop reveling in invented grievances?”
Rian did not move and did not even change his face, but somehow suddenly there was a feeling that the clouds had thickened... And deciding not to allow quarrels, she quietly said:
- I was going through.
Forgetting about Ellohar, Lord Director turned to me and answered dully:
- I was following the trail.
Angry, tired, irritated and prickly all over!
“Okay, I was wrong,” taking a cup of tea, I hastily took a sip, washing it down more with the desire to speak out than just being thirsty.
And here’s a strange thing - the tea tasted like... wine!
Raising my head, I look at Master Ellohar, who grinned insidiously in response and saluted me with a glass.
- What's the matter? - Rian asked instantly. He reached out, took the cup from me, took a sip, and angrily asked Ellohar: “And for what Abyss did you do this?!”
- What did your mother say: Beware of him, Rian? You can begin.
“In vain, Ellohar,” Lord Thiers poured a full glass of red wine, handed it to me and said: “White wine really contains a potion of oblivion, a rather weak concentration, but this is for us, even a sip will have an effect on you.” The wine I drink, on the contrary, stimulates both the memory and the mind; I need it now, because four days without sleep and rest are beginning to affect my intelligence, which I cannot allow in the current situation. If there is information obtained during a conversation with the master that you do not want to forget, just drink half a glass. “Here,” and they handed me the wine.
It seemed to me that under the gaze of Lord Ellohar I would definitely choke, but I drank the entire glass to the bottom, despite the fact that I only needed half.
“My dear,” the Lord Director shouted to the server, “replace the tea and glass for my bride, and yes, be so kind as to serve her the same as I have.”
I looked at Ryan in some amazement, and then I suddenly felt that I was really really hungry. And such hunger...
Before the server appeared, I ate the entire omelet, Ellohar’s gaze no longer bothered me at all, and I also did not refuse the thinly sliced and barely fried meat, and then the incredible happened - forgetting about embarrassment, anger, and even resentment, I suddenly said:
“I couldn’t let you go.” I don’t know why, I couldn’t do it anyway. And if I was forced to stop you at the cost of my own life, I would do that too!
Ryan put down his fork and knife, leaned back in his chair, folded his hands on his chest and said with his excessive calm:
“Yes, but in the end you may well pay with your life for holding me back then, dear.” Because I didn't find this thing. I followed her trail day after day, I moved after her, I used up my entire reserve, thank the Abyss a witch I knew helped me, and yet I missed this creature. And where to expect the blow now is unknown.
The Lord Director sighed heavily, and I looked at him, realizing with horror that he had not slept... all these days, and I understand where both the irritation and fatigue came from.
“She attacked in Ardama,” the master continued, “and this was my chance to grab her.” And it seemed he was the only one.
- What about your ancestral castle? - Ellohar asked.
- Yes, we spread the word that my father has the ritual scheme, but answer me - who will go to Langred?
“Nobody,” the master grinned. “Even an idiot wouldn’t risk something like that.”
“That’s what we’re talking about,” said Rian thoughtfully.
Probably, this wine really influenced me, because previously I would have remained silent, but now I allowed myself to make an assumption:
- The same one who attacked many years ago, when the Thiers family artifacts were stolen.
For some reason, both masters grimaced at once as if they had eaten something extremely sour and unpleasant, then Rian reluctantly said:
“An unpleasant situation happened there, which the participants in those events extremely regret, and I have no desire to discuss it.
Sometimes they simply don’t hear us, although why sometimes - I’m used to the fact that rarely anyone is ready to listen to me. And she simply returned to dinner, trying, as always, not to pay attention... And yet it is extremely curious what happened then and who are those mysterious regretful participants in the events? I wonder if the father-in-law monster is one of them, and if so, you will definitely need to talk to Lady Thiers.
The master’s hand lay on top of mine, clenched into a fist, and he said quietly:
“It’s true that an extremely unpleasant story happened there, someday I’ll tell you, but now I’m too exhausted and angry for that.”
I smiled sadly in response, and we returned to dinner, although Lord Ellohar was clearly not in the mood for food.
And only after finishing the meal, Lord Thiers calmly said:
“In the future, refrain from trying to get my fiancée drunk, that’s the first thing, and secondly, no more joint dinners with Deya.”
- Why joint? - Ellohar responded, - I was sure that you would join. You couldn’t help but notice where I went after leaving your office.
“I couldn’t help but understand who you were watching before you left my office.”
- Naturally, you “couldn’t help but understand,” I would have been very surprised if Dara hadn’t told you about it. Your reborn hates me.
“Let's start with the fact that basically everyone hates you,” Rian noted.
“But there are those who idolize,” Ellohar smiled mysteriously.
“Yes,” Lord Thiers confirmed calmly and confidently, “your adherents and those few whom you value.” Ellohar, I said, you heard.
The director of the School of the Art of Death stopped smiling and answered dully:
- I heard.
And I silently finish the carrisa pie.
They waited for me in silence, and as soon as I finished chewing the last bite, Rian extended his hand.
Hellfire broke out.
I stood in Lord Thiers’ bedroom, hugging my shoulders with my arms and looking warily at that very bed. Ryan came out as soon as we were transported, and here I am standing here... alone. After standing for some time, she went to the window, but before she could touch the curtain, steps were heard. Then the question:
- What's the story with Ellohar?
“I think it’s better for you to ask him about this,” I answered, abandoning attempts to get to the window.
The master approached, his hands carefully slid over the shoulders and hugged. After some silence, Ryan said:
“Tomorrow your classes begin,” since I remained silent, he continued, “I will lift the ban on movement from you, and you will be able to conduct business in the office with Yurao, but I have one condition.”
Now I am silent with interest, studying the pattern on the fabric with my eyes.
“You’ll forget about this story with the artifacts.” You will forget completely. You will no longer look for the translation of those words, and you will not keep any information about the artifacts. You and Yurao will simply forget about this whole story.
“Yes,” the master responded coldly, “give me back the ring.”
I slowly turn around in the ring of his hands, raising my head, looking intently at Ryan.
“Not in this sense,” he said sharply, “unlike some, I never go back on my words.”
- Does that mean I refuse? – I asked angrily.
- And even in front of witnesses!
Remarkably simple.
“I wasn’t the one who refused to listen and demanded, ‘Hold her Ellohar.’”
“Oh yes,” Rian responded venomously, “you held on much more tightly, using a very weighty argument - your consent to our marriage!”
“I’m afraid if I let you go, there would be no one to marry!” - I blurted out.
Black veins bulged on Master Thiers’s handsome face, and he growled:
- I’m letting you go.
Taking a deep breath, I extended my hand and said with difficulty:
- Your ring, Lord Director.
The black eyes flickered, and Master Thiers descended into threats:
- I'll kiss you.
The adept of the Academy of Curses decided to keep up with the leadership of her own academy, and decided to also threaten:
- I'll curse you!
The black veins appeared clearly, and the threats turned to new level:
“I’ll kiss you so much that I won’t have any strength left to curse.”
But I had something to answer:
“And I’ll curse you so much that you won’t want to kiss me!”
Suddenly the master’s face returned to its original appearance, his eyes twinkled slyly and they suggested to me:
- Start.
“Sooooo,” I said incredulously, “and if I start...
“I’ll kiss you,” they answered me unexpectedly cheerfully, after which they clearly smiled with anticipation.
For some reason, I also smiled, but I was in no hurry to curse.
“Well, a little bit,” the master suggested provocatively.
“No,” I answered brazenly.
In response I heard:
- Coward.
And at the same time there is such an expectant look, and mocking sparkles in the eyes, and a very sly smile.
- And... and you... - I was trying to find the word - I'm offended!
- Am I offended? - Rian asked in surprise. “My own fiancée threatens me in front of everyone, and am I offended?” And what is this word anyway?
- Coward - no better! - I blurted out.
“Obezhuska doesn’t sound right at all,” he said indignantly.
- I like this! - I made a loud statement.
Ryan suddenly smiled warmly and answered quietly:
- And I like you.
I smiled back and hugged him, the master squeezed him in his strong embrace, and then I asked:
-What's wrong with this ring?
“You,” Ryan answered calmly.
- In what sense? — I tensed again.
Grinning, the Lord Director leaned towards me and breathed into my face:
“Lady Riate, may I allow myself one small liberty?”
“No,” I answered confidently.
“Coward,” Rian hissed and picked me up in his arms.
Hellfire broke out.
I've never been to the Eternal Woods... until now. And somehow I immediately imagined all the horrors that were told about the green elves and their eternal allies, the Lessars. And if it is still possible to come to an agreement with the elves, then the lessar will kill and not notice.
- Ryan, ah...
“Coward,” he repeated mockingly, continuing to carry me through the forest, somewhere to where the water was roaring.
“We are in the elven territories,” I whispered in fear, “only here is eternal summer.”
“I know,” he said calmly, continuing to maneuver through the trees to carry me forward.
“Rrrriaan,” I said.
“Dear,” he smiled warmly at me, “this is my sister’s husband’s territory, but even if it wasn’t, I sincerely pity those who would try to attack.
I cringed anyway, waiting for one of those green elves' nightmares to come true. They are so harsh that some green elves run from the green elves to us, and, despite the fact that they are terribly cold in our harsh climate, they don’t want to go back!
“I’ve been here before,” Ryan explained, noticing my pale appearance, “more than once.” And nothing happened to me, - and then he added sarcastically, - but you can threaten to break off our engagement, and then something will happen to you.
- For example? — I asked again instantly.
“And you threaten me, for starters,” Rian responded calmly.
And then we left the forest. And they found themselves on the shore of a small round lake. Such an almost fabulous lake, with clear water and water lilies already familiar to me, and green shores, and ...
- Man! - sang the mermaid sitting on the shore.
- Where? - several green-haired heads poked out of the lake, - where is the man?
And so it became very interesting to me - how often does the Lord Director visit this lake?
-Where is the man? - one of the water lilies rose, revealing the muzzle of a mermaid with a snub-nosed nose, very close to the shore on which we were.
And it was this little face that suddenly became distorted and the mermaid screamed:
- This is Thiers!
A screech rose above the lake, in the next instant a crowd of mermaids left the lake and rushed away, breaking bushes ... soon the screams and clatter died away in the distance.
In response to my astonished look, the master shrugged his shoulders imperturbably and reluctantly replied:
“They were... too persistent in their proposals last time.”
That was the end of the explanations, and they made me an offer:
- Take off your clothes.
“Thank you, I’m fine as is,” I answered politely.
Zvezdnaya E., 2015
Decor. Eksmo Publishing House LLC, 2015
* * *
“Adept Riate,” the head of our educational institution said with poorly concealed dull irritation, “I didn’t expect that I would have to raise this topic again, but... Do you understand that for something like this I am obliged to expel you?”
Lord Rian Thier, a member of the Order of the Immortals, the First Sword of the Empire, Master of Dark Magic and the Art of Death, looked at me tiredly and at the same time with anger with dull black eyes. A haggard, darkened face, chapped, chapped lips and a reproachful look in his gaze.
I lowered my head, I didn’t want to say anything in the presence of strangers, and besides the two of us in the office there were: Master Tesme, curator Veris, Lady Oris and the chief librarian Mr. Bibor. And considering that I was caught breaking into a library vault, and a vault intended only for master-level teachers, and even used a curse on Mr. Bibor himself, I was really in danger of expulsion.
“I’m very sorry, Lord Headmaster,” I said quietly, lowering my head.
I was really sorry, but Dara refused to help rudely and flatly. She stopped talking to me altogether. Master Tesme answered all questions very sharply: “Don’t get involved in this, adept Riate.”
Ryan was gone for four days, two of which I spent under house arrest in my room. Alone, suffering from worries and worries for him, and the worst thing - feeling her complete worthlessness. No, I don’t justify my action, I don’t justify it in any way, I just couldn’t sit and wait any longer and decided to act. This is the sad result...
The rules at the academy are strict, I broke them. Even the intervention of Okeno, who was now hovering outside the door, did not help, for some reason considering himself to blame for what had happened.
- You're sorry. – The Lord Director sighed heavily. – Is this all you want to tell us, adept Riate?
I wanted to say more, but not in front of everyone.
“Okay,” Rian said wearily, “go, adept Riate.”
I tossed my head and looked at him incredulously, but the master looked only at his own hands, placed on the table, clenched into fists. But no, as if sensing my gaze, they paid attention to me and reminded me:
- You are free.
I had no choice but to silently turn around and leave, although I had to make an effort not to slam the door.
* * *
And in the secretary’s room Okeno was waiting for me, who, ahead of Lady Mitas, asked:
- Expelled?
Holding back my tears, I quietly answered:
- Don't know.
The senior investigator shook his head reproachfully and asked once again:
– Why did you even go to this library?
“Riate-Riate, there are things that it’s better not to get into for defenseless people like you.” What did this prank of you and Knights with stealing the plate lead to, Riate! Two drow died, you were attacked by the karrags. And all this because of one stupid act!
What could I answer?
We wanted to reveal the secret - and now together with Yurao we are paying. Officer Knights has been suspended, and it looks like I will be expelled.
“I will speak to Lord Thiers,” Okeno promised soothingly. “But even if he expels you, you will become an intern in the Day Guard, in a year you will enter the combat department, seven years - and you will be on our patrol, Daya.” You are an excellent investigator, so I will provide you with a job.
An interesting perspective, that's just:
“Thank you, but... Yurao and I are planning to engage in private investigation, Master Okeno,” I whispered.
– Private investigation requires experience and knowledge, Deya, you will only get this in the Night or Day Watch. Although you are closer to Night, Daytime activities with a magical component are not involved.
Okeno's speech was interrupted by Veris, who opened the door slightly and invited the senior investigator into the Lord Director's office. I sadly trudged to the women's dormitory.
* * *
Wrapped in a cloak, I walked indifferently through the yard and did not immediately pay attention to the group of adherents moving across me.
Probably, I wouldn’t even look at them if I didn’t hear the sarcastic:
- Look, who's coming! The venerable blacksmith Gort herself!
Raising my head, I saw Rigra Dakene, her two brothers and servants with suitcases: lectures began tomorrow, so the fact of their arrival at the academy did not surprise me. I wasn’t surprised by Rigra’s “greeting” either, since I already knew about her meeting with Auntie Rui. Actually, the aunt herself said. But I had no desire to deal with the Dakene family, and therefore, overtaking them, I hurried to the hostel.
But I was followed by a mocking:
“Dirty waitress ignoring high society?” Although why be surprised here - the director’s favorite, if not mistress, is now a respectable woman, almost a blacksmith. “Rigra’s older brother knew how to say nasty things.
- Hey, Deika the waitress, did she lose her voice from happiness? - And this is the youngest.
I stopped and, despite the fact that my eyes were wet and my heart was completely torn to pieces, I slowly turned to the bastard Dakene family.
And she almost screamed!
Because behind the vile trinity stood Lord Ellohar, whom our local aristocrats did not see, being too carried away by me. And the Master of Death clearly did not want to draw their attention to his appearance, but he winked at me cheerfully and, putting a finger to his lips, called for silence. In general, the director of the School of the Art of Death looked strange: a black thin turtleneck sweater, black trousers, shoes - and that’s all. Considering that it’s not summer at all, and Rigra and his brothers, even wrapped in fur coats, still shudder from gusts of icy wind, Ellohar’s attire clearly did not match the weather. But judging by his slightly sly smile, the master was not cold at all, but was clearly having fun.
And for some reason I smiled too.
“Her look is strange, she also smiles.” Are you by any chance blessed? – Rigra’s older brother stepped towards me. - Hey, brat, answer when they talk to you.
The master’s smile changed from sly to... somehow predatory, and for some reason I felt pity for the Dakene brothers.
“Apparently, she wants us to teach her some manners again, right, Deika?” – the younger one also stepped towards me.
Lord Ellohar instantly stopped smiling and asked gloomily:
- Riate, what are we talking about? And what does “again” mean?!
The Dakene family jumped in surprise, the servants dropped their suitcases, and Rigra, seeing the master, gasped and sat down in the snow in fright. Lord Ellohar, not paying attention to everyone's reaction, slowly came closer, thus standing between the brothers, and, putting his arm around both of them in a friendly manner, asked with emphasized gaiety:
- What, my killer whales, are we having fun with fist fights? – The young aristocrats turned white. – Are we silent, my brave ones? And we’re doing it right, conversations always come out more soulful with torture! “Now both Dakene brothers trembled in horror.
A blue flame flashed.
When two adepts of death stepped out of it, the younger Dakene fell to his knees and howled, the master was not at all embarrassed by this.
“Well, well, it will be for you,” Lord Ellohar drawled mockingly. – For everything in this life you have to pay, for beating a weak woman too, especially since the punishment will be so fun and exciting, right, adept Gorkhe?
The first one to appear grinned nastily and asked only one question:
– Is it for a test or for a coursework?
– To an abstract on the history of torture. – Master of Death smiled very sweetly. - Orves, you take the second one and give it to the first-year adepts, they are practicing very interesting blows there today. Painful for men's... pride. At sunset, return both to the family nest. Please inform parents that they can send complaints to me personally. All.
The howling Dakene brothers were dragged into the blue flames, the master turned to the howling Rigra and said:
“Lord Director Thiers will deal with you, adept, and I will notify him about the incident personally.” Now get out of my sight.
Rigra has probably never run so fast before.
The servants, picking up the suitcases, rushed after her, and in the middle of the courtyard Lord Ellohar and I were left alone. And, despite all my gratitude for his appearance and for dealing with the aristocrats who were pestering me, I experienced a vague fear. The problem is that I didn't know what to expect from a master's degree.
It turned out - nothing good.
– Riate, are we making snot again? – he asked lazily.
I involuntarily sniffled and reminded the dark one of the obvious:
– It’s actually winter.
- AND? – The master raised an eyebrow. – Is this a reason for increased secretion? Riate, at this rate you will end up with cohabitation, and this is not only pathetic, but also a disgusting sight. Will you have lunch with me?
Shaking my head negatively, I tried to explain everything, and started with:
- I'm under arrest and...
“Consider this an escape,” Lord Ellohar interrupted me.
A blue flame flashed.
* * *
When the flame disappeared, we found ourselves in the master’s office, in that very School of the Art of Death. Moreover, the window here was open, and through the whistle of the wind I heard in the distance:
“Attack, lord,” the woman commanded in the same tone as Veris when she ordered us to start the race.
- Attack!
A muffled scream, and then the woman spoke again:
– The “Dead Loop” grip allows you to inflict maximum harm on the attacker with minimal effort and time...
Master Death walked up to the window, closed it, locked it, and all this with an insidious grin, after which, turning to me, he asked:
– Tea, juice, handkerchief?
“I don’t like this place at all,” I admitted honestly.
- Noticeable. “Lord Ellohar, bowing his head slightly, watched me with interest. – Riate, do you sleep well at night?
Shaking my head negatively, I walked to the already familiar sofa, sat down and realized that I definitely needed a scarf. And not alone.
“He didn’t show up for four days,” I groaned, “four days... I wasn’t allowed out of the academy... Dara doesn’t know anything, Tesme knows, but doesn’t speak... And I was slowly going crazy from anxiety and the unknown. Where is he? What about him? Why doesn't it appear? How did the Immortals' exploration of Ardam end? Questions, questions, questions... and no answers... And also anxiety, constant, maddening, terrible anxiety for him... - I sobbed. - I can’t do this anymore...
Lord Ellohar came up, sat down next to me, put his arm around my shoulders, handed me a handkerchief and, without hiding his sarcasm, said:
“Tantrums weren’t supposed to be on the lunch menu, but I’m willing to make the sacrifice.” What's next?
“Nothing,” I answered sharply, after the caustic remark I remembered who I was talking to, and tried to get up.
I blushed.
- Ashamed? – the director of the School of the Art of Death asked mockingly. - Come on, with your experience in robbing respected Tesme, there can be no talk of any shame. But the fact that I got caught, yes, it’s a shame.
He's just making fun of me!
Another silent but determined attempt to get up, but I was again held down.
“Quietly, quietly,” and Lord Ellohar said without mocking notes: “Tier was afraid for you, Daya.” He was very scared for you.
I stopped struggling, the master continued:
“I warned you not to get involved in this, as I felt, Riate.” You and the drow climbed into the arena, where the strongest fight, and the weak are not treated on ceremony. The smart ones, realizing what they got themselves into, immediately retreat, but you and Knights continued. And the height of stupidity is the story of this wooden plate, which, you were aware of, was being hunted by the conspirators. And okay, you would have simply dragged her away, but everything is worse, Riate: you gave away the fact of possessing her.
I sighed heavily and quietly asked:
- How are the same artifact Arsio Nker, who had the first medallion of the Thiers, and the murdered gnome tanner, who, in addition to the second medallion, also hid a tablet, and...
They imperiously closed my mouth, waited until I stopped making even attempts to free myself, and rudely asked:
- Riate, how is your hearing?
“My hearing is great,” I thought, but I didn’t tell Lord Ellohar about it.
Removing his hand from my face, the master suddenly asked:
– What answers were you going to find in the closed library?
The director of the School of the Art of Death was the first and only one who asked me this question, which is probably why I answered:
“It's all connected somehow. The theft of artifacts from the Thiers clan reminded me very much of a story told by one vampire - about the theft of artifacts from a clan of metamorphs.
- Coming in a dream? “As it turned out, Lord Ellohar knew about what happened.
- Yes. – I thoughtfully crumpled a black scarf with the symbols of death. “And suddenly artifacts surface in the imperial treasury. It would seem incredible, but only a stronger clan can defeat a clan, so everything is logical, and only one thing is unclear: why the emperor needed these artifacts. “Master Ellohar was silent, and I, encouraged by this silence, continued: “And then a group of people steal them and scatter throughout the empire.” And it would seem, what do an artifactor, a gnome and a magician have in common? Nothing, except for obvious participation in that same theft. And it is unclear why they did this if this did not bring them any benefit? They didn’t try to sell the artifacts, they didn’t try to give them to the same Spellcasters, and I have a feeling that they just wanted to hide them... - I remembered the corpse of the gnome-leatherworker and added in a fallen voice: - Hide at the cost of my own life. For what?!
Courteously bowing his head, Lord Ellohar listened to me thoughtfully, and his gaze, the attentive and penetrating gaze of a very experienced and wise dark one, sincerely surprised me. I don’t know why I told him all this, but now, remembering the caustic character of the master, I expected ridicule, but he simply remained silent.
“And you won’t shut my mouth?” – I asked with a bitter smile, clutching the handkerchief.
Lord Ellohar only narrowed his eyes provocatively in response, then smiled sadly.
“Let’s go,” Master of Death stood up and extended his hand. “I’m hungry, so it doesn’t hurt you to eat too.”
* * *
We had lunch in the school cafeteria. If the name “school canteen” suited this place, I would rather call it a restaurant. A cozy hall in an imperial style, round tables covered with snow-white tablecloths, exquisite cutlery, impeccable service and dishes for every taste.
We walked to one of the tables by the window and had barely sat down when the server, dressed in school uniform, greeted us with a bow, then handed us a list of dishes to choose from.
“To me, as always,” Lord Ellohar responded lazily, “but the lady should have been offered a more conservative menu, don’t you think?”
The waiter, a half-breed vampire, suddenly turned pale and, saying: “I humbly ask you to forgive me,” carefully took away from me a thin book with gold embossing. I didn't even have time to open it.
“Believe me, if I were you, I wouldn’t get upset,” the master consoled.
“I like to look at menus in different establishments, it’s always interesting,” I responded.
“Okay,” Lord Ellohar smiled mysteriously, “I’ll ask you to bring it back... after lunch.”
The waiter appeared and brought, obviously in a hurry, a dusty menu, on which were the monograms of the capital's Semaron restaurant.
- And you will prepare everything that I order from this? – I asked suspiciously.
“Undoubtedly,” said the Master of Death, smiling mysteriously.
The half-vampire swallowed barely noticeably. I suddenly felt sorry for both him and the cooks, and I asked for the simplest thing:
- Can I have an omelette with greens?
Someone clearly immediately felt better, and they asked me with gratitude:
- What would you like for drinks?
- Just tea. “Anyone,” I answered hastily.
Maybe wine? suggested Lord Ellohar.
My eyes instantly filled with tears, my heart spasmed, and I quietly answered:
- No thanks.
Throwing a mocking glance at me, the master ordered:
– White, from my stocks. And yes - I'm hungry.
It was the first time I had seen a server move at a run, and so fast at that. And it has never happened that the order was delivered almost instantly. But before I had time to smooth the napkin on my lap, the half-vampire returned with a tray and began deftly setting the table. Lord Ellohar, as it turned out, shared the same culinary tastes with Rian, and meat was brought for him. The piece was barely cooked, but the director of the School of the Art of Death seemed very pleased with it. Me too - the fluffy omelette looked appetizing and the tea was just the way I like it - with a sprig of currisa. And then the vampire deftly poured the wine into the glasses. I looked at him indignantly, wanting to stop pouring the drink into my glass, since I had no intention of drinking wine, but then...
“Don’t drink,” the server whispered with his lips.
I choked on my indignation, squeezed out a pitiful smile and asked in a shrunken voice:
– Can I have some dessert for tea?
“Of course, lady,” the half-vampire bowed ceremoniously and left us.
My heart was beating frightenedly, my palms were cold, I didn’t want to eat.
These aristocrats and their wine... The fact is that I believed the server’s warning immediately and unconditionally.
“I propose a toast,” Ellohar raised his glass, “to the beautiful chosen one of Lord Ryan Thier!” “I looked at the master with suspicion, he smiled at me and said: “It would be impolite not to support such a wonderful toast, Daya.” Come on, just one sip.
With a trembling hand, I took the glass, tried to smile and brought it to my lips. In general, it’s not that difficult to imitate a small sip; I tried to make everything look natural. The only thing unnatural in this whole situation was the master’s gaze, and then he emptied his glass.
And we began to eat - me, trying not to flinch, and Lord Ellohar, dining with the grace of a true aristocrat.
And then the strangeness began.
- In this situation, the easiest thing would be to declare you his bride, Daya. And then you would have been safe, Thiers, out of grief, would have dug out this whole gang of conspirators, I would have been able to play my part, and then return you to Ryan. A smart and fail-safe plan, Daya, the best, given the circumstances. However, alas, there is one small and unpleasant "but" - I like you. And, to my sincere regret, a little more than just the chosen one of my best and, perhaps, only friend. One could attribute it to your personal qualities, and it’s hard not to admire you, Daya, but... - The Lord poured himself another glass of wine, - but I like you. And this happened only once in my life, and I... lost it.
I looked at the master in shock, he grinned, saluted me with a glass, again drank it all to the bottom and, cutting the meat into pieces, continued:
“If it were anyone else in Thiers’ place, my actions would be obvious, but a strong moral component intervenes, and I simply do not have the right to act so cruelly towards someone who saved my life at the cost of his own.” Thus, the option of a bloodless solution to the problem disappears solely due to my lack of confidence in my own willpower. In general, I must admit - good girls have always been my weakness. However, let's not talk about that.
They smiled at me charmingly, and for a while the master returned to dinner. I was simply silent in shock, trying to understand what Lord Ellohar was just talking about!
He poured himself another glass of wine and continued:
– What truly amazes me about you, Daya, is that using an incredibly small number of facts, you are able to draw such correct conclusions. Exceptionally correct conclusions. However, this is not so important. “Lord Ellohar drank it all down in one fell swoop, and then said thoughtfully: “I have a feeling that someone is playing, manipulating the characters.” Such an unpleasant feeling... You know, there was a situation in my life when a mere trifle, an accident, an absurdity, I would even say, opened my eyes to a conspiracy aimed at overthrowing the imperial dynasty. It would seem like utter stupidity, but... While conducting that investigation, for the first time I experienced a feeling of anxiety. And subsequently I thought more than once - what would have happened if one of my adherents had not paid attention to that strange pattern that the others simply did not notice.
Drumming his fingers on the table, as if pulling himself out of unpleasant memories, the lord fixed his gaze on me and said quietly:
“I’ll answer your questions, Deya, it’s a pity you’ll never remember this conversation.” So: first, the investigation in Ardama gave us nothing. At all. That curser who organized the hunt for Knights was an asshole and died as an asshole. Next time, go easy on the curses. By the way, he turned out to be a simple and ordinary person, not even a magician, although he was not one of the indigenous inhabitants of the empire, and the authorities controlling refugees did not identify him. That is, the curser was thrown through the portal, and a magician did it. A sufficiently strong magician - portals are a thing that is inaccessible and virtually impossible to track. The thread broke. Secondly, the Immortals also found nothing. At all. The only traces of magic were associated with the karrags, or rather, their summoning. Taking into account Erha's testimony, realizing that the first karragh was unable to cope with you, this creature, in which, as we assume, was the sea witch, summoned three more cute representatives of the sea world. But since the guardian spirit blocked the summoning magic, taking measures to preserve the territory entrusted to him, she had to call them to the square. From there they crawled towards you.
Square! There is only one town square in Ardama! The same one where we stood with Rian on the day of the attack! I'm more than sure that the witch was there and saw us.
I suddenly really wanted wine.
“But alive and unharmed,” I thought stubbornly.
“Don’t be sad,” Master Death extended his hand and flicked me on the nose. – Thiers will figure everything out, he is stubborn and persistent and never calms down until everything is sorted out.
Hellfire broke out.
Ryan came out in the middle of the dining room, looked around, saw us, his gaze glanced at the bottle of wine, his eyes instantly narrowed. And as he approached, the master looked exclusively at Lord Ellohar. I don’t know how the director of the School of the Art of Death reacted to his approach, because I myself, without looking away, looked at Lord Thiers, who again ignored me.
– Which one exactly? – Ellohar lazily inquired and signaled to the server, and as soon as he approached, he said: “Are you aware of Lord Thiers’ preferences.” - Then again to Ryan: - Thiers, I have known you for many years, and Lady Thiers constantly has warnings. Which one this time?
Ignoring his mockery, the lord director bent down, lightly touched my lips, then brought a chair and sat down closer to me, who was frozen in amazement.
- Something happened? – Ryan politely inquired.
I shook my head negatively, still looking at him with all my eyes.
“You’re pale,” the master carefully stroked my cheek.
“Everything is fine with Deya,” Lord Ellohar responded melancholy, pouring himself another glass of wine.
Rian grabbed the bottle, brought it to his lips, took a sip, then quickly peered into the remains of the seal that had been torn off when opening. He looked at me carefully again, then turned to the director of the School of the Art of Death, who was slowly sipping this very wine, and asked the incredible:
– Did you manage to say a lot?
The glass in the hands of Lord Ellohar trembled, after which the master directed a gaze at me, what a gaze it was - practically searing.
“She didn't drink a drop,” Ryan confirmed his fears.
Unforgettable expression on the face of the master of Death - and I, slowly blushing. I had to justify myself:
“I didn’t want to drink… I pretended to be… polite.”
The server approached, placed the dishes in front of the Lord Headmaster and, bowing, left our table, drowning in awkward silence.
I sat and tried to understand whether Master Ellohar said about his feelings seriously or whether this was mocking his neighbor in his usual manner. However, if you remember the words and hints of witches ... it becomes somehow uncomfortable. Raising my eyes, I came across the gloomy and wary gaze of Lord Ellohar, and I felt completely uneasy.
"Day," Ryan called softly, "what's going on?"
So what can I say? I silently lowered my eyes again, leaving the masters to discuss what had happened without my participation. It’s an extremely unpleasant situation, and in light of what I’ve heard, I no longer want to ask questions to Ryan.
Although no, one question was important.
- Am I expelled? Still, without looking up, I asked.
In response, they asked me their own question:
“What do you want to hear from me, Daya?”
I want to hear that you will no longer disappear from my life for four and a half days without even saying goodbye. And, probably, this is the only thing I want to hear now, because I can handle everything else, including expulsion from the academy... But I can’t handle your loss.
Taking a deep breath and continuing to look exclusively at own hands, I said quietly:
“If you don’t want to tell me, don’t.” I’ll ask the curator Veris, however, upon expulsion, she is the one who hands out the documents.
And, crumpling up the napkin, I got up and left the dining room, unable to find the strength to continue this conversation.
And then I remembered that Rian was clearly hungry and so haggard, she stopped, sighed heavily and turned to go back.
But the master opened the door before me.
- You were not expelled. “I was still silent, looking exclusively at my feet. “Although there was a desire to sign the librarian’s petition, throw you over his shoulder and take you to the family castle.” But…
– Has your conscience awakened? – I asked and, raising my head, still looked at the dark lord.
The face darkened, the eyes narrowed, and Rian asked hoarsely:
– What does this have to do with it?
Yes, indeed, it has nothing to do with it... Although who am I for the great Lord Ryan Thiers to report his location to an ordinary adept.
-Are you going to remain silent? – the master asked with dull irritation.
I turned away, restrained all the statements that I so wanted to voice about his absence, and quietly answered:
- Let's go back, you need to eat...
– You don’t need to tell me, Deya! – Rian said sharply.
Something inside me breaks and flies into the Abyss in a hundred sharp fragments. I'm in pain. It hurts a lot, but is there any point in talking about it? None.
“Okay,” I said, barely audible, trying not to cry, “do what you want, as much as you want, and you can disappear again into nowhere.” Now please take me back to the academy, if possible.
The master silently took me by the hand, led me back to the dining room, sat me down on a chair and pushed it towards the table.
Nothing had changed at the table, except that a new bottle of wine had been added, this time red, and the Lord Headmaster's glass was full.
Noticing my gaze, Ryan asked:
- Will you?
Smiling bitterly, I quietly asked:
- What does it come with? – And she explained the question: – Potion of oblivion, poison or something more interesting?
Rian mentioned the Abyss and drank it all in one gulp, Lord Ellohar, winking at me, also emptied his glass of white wine, I simply turned to the window, dreaming more than anything else of being somewhere very far away.
The server came up and handed me a pie with currisa, I smiled gratefully back, and then it sounded:
- Stand! – from Ellohar.
The half-vampire and I shuddered at the same time, and then I simply decided to prevent the interrogation that the master was clearly about to begin.
“I have a huge request, Lord Ellohar,” I said, trying to cover up my fear for the half-vampire with notes of irritation, “could you please refrain from shouting at the table?” Or is the hysteria of an adept of the Academy of Curses still included in your mandatory menu?
The Master of Death waved his hand, and the server disappeared. I squeezed out a “Thank you” with difficulty, pushing aside the barely touched omelette to move the pie closer.
And as soon as I broke off a piece with a spoon and brought it to my lips, the Lord Director deigned to speak to me:
– Why was it necessary to hack the academy’s library?
Lord Ellohar suddenly intervened:
- Give the man something to eat. And you already know very well what she was doing there, Rian.
“Enlighten me,” Master Thiers responded unfriendly.
Grinning, the director of the School of the Art of Death answered mysteriously:
“For example, I was looking for an answer to the question: “Is it possible for me to send a certain dark lord through the forest?”
Rian put down his fork and knife, not having finished cutting an impressive piece of the same barely cooked meat as his mentor, and, folding his hands on his chest, looked at Lord Ellohar.
“Or,” continued the impudent master, “Mistress Riate became interested in the problem of refusing marriage obligations.” Or maybe...
- May be enough? – so furiously that it seemed like an outright threat, Rian wondered.
“Or maybe,” Master Death didn’t pay the slightest attention to his attack, “the young adept was simply tired of sitting on the windowsill all night waiting for the great and all-powerful to stop reveling in imaginary grievances?”
Ryan didn’t move and didn’t even change his face, but somehow suddenly there was a feeling that the clouds were thickening... And deciding not to allow quarrels, I quietly said:
- I was going through.
Forgetting about Ellohar, the Lord Director turned to me and said in a dull voice:
- I was following the trail.
Angry, tired, irritated and prickly all over!
- Okay, I was wrong.
Taking a cup of tea, she hurriedly took a sip, washing down more the desire to speak out than the thirst.
And here’s a strange thing - the tea tasted like... wine!
White wine!
I raised my head and looked in surprise at Master Ellohar, who grinned insidiously in response and saluted me with his glass.
- What's the matter? – Lord Headmaster asked instantly. He reached out, took the cup from me, took a sip, and angrily asked Ellohar: “And for what Abyss did you do this?!”
Grinning, the director of the School of the Art of Death said:
– What did your mother say: “Beware of him, Ryan”? You can begin.
“In vain, Ren,” Lord Thiers poured a full glass of red wine and explained: “White wine actually contains a potion of oblivion, a rather weak concentration, but this is for us, even a sip will have an effect on you.” The wine that I drink, on the contrary, stimulates both the memory and the mind, I need it now, because four days without sleep and rest are beginning to take their toll, which I cannot allow in the current situation. If there is information obtained during a conversation with Ren that you do not want to forget, just drink half a glass. “Here,” and they handed me the wine.
It seemed to me that under the gaze of Lord Ellohar I would definitely choke, but I drank the entire glass to the bottom, despite the fact that I only needed half.
“My dear,” shouted the lord director of the server, “replace the tea and glass for my bride and be so kind as to serve some meat for the lady.”
I looked at Ryan in some amazement, and then suddenly I felt that I was really really hungry. And the hunger is so unnaturally strong...
Before the server appeared, I ate the entire omelette, Lord Ellohar’s gaze no longer bothered me at all, and I didn’t refuse the thinly sliced and slightly fried meat, and then the incredible happened - forgetting about embarrassment, anger and even resentment, I said:
“I couldn’t let you go.” I don’t know why, I couldn’t – that’s all. And if I was forced to stop you at the cost of my own life, I would do that too!
Ryan put down his fork and knife, leaned back in his chair, folded his hands on his chest and said with his excessive impenetrable calm:
“To my incredible fury, the problem is that you may well pay with your life for holding me back then, my love.” Because I didn't find this thing. I followed her trail day after day, I moved after her, I used up my entire reserve, thank the Abyss, a familiar witch helped me recover, and yet I missed the criminal. And where to expect the blow now is unknown.
The Lord Director smiled sarcastically at me, and I looked at him, realizing with horror that he had not slept... all these days, and now it is clear where both irritation and fatigue come from.
“She attacked in Ardama,” Rian continued, “and this was my chance to capture her.” And it seems that he was the only one - now she will become much more careful.
– What about your ancestral castle? – Lord Ellohar intervened in the conversation.
Ryan looked at him and replied:
- Yes, we spread the word that the wooden plate, previously kept by the dwarf tanner, is now in my father’s possession, but answer me - who will poke his nose into Langred?
“Nobody,” the master grinned. “Even an idiot wouldn’t take that risk.”
“That’s what we’re talking about,” said Rian thoughtfully.
Probably, this wine really influenced me, because previously I would have remained silent, but now I allowed myself to make an assumption:
– The same one who attacked many years ago, when the Thiers family artifacts were stolen.
For some reason, both masters grimaced at the same time as if they had eaten something very sour, then Rian reluctantly said:
“An unpleasant situation arose there, which the participants in those events extremely regret, and I have no desire to discuss it.
But why?! After all, this is exactly what, it seems to me, would become a thread for further investigation! However, the master “I have no desire to discuss it”! Sometimes they simply don’t hear us, although why sometimes - I’m used to the fact that rarely anyone is ready to listen to me. And she simply returned to dinner, trying, as always, not to pay attention... And yet I am extremely curious, what happened then and who are those mysterious regretful participants in the events? I wonder if the father-in-law monster is one of them? And if so, you will definitely need to talk with Lady Thiers.
The master’s hand lay on top of mine, clenched into a fist, and he said quietly:
“An extremely unpleasant story really happened there, someday I’ll tell you, but now I’m too exhausted and angry for that.”
I smiled sadly in response, and we returned to dinner, although Lord Ellohar was clearly not in the mood for food. He simply didn’t touch the meat anymore, he just drank the wine slowly, without taking his gaze off me with an evil gaze. Trying not to look at him at all, I silently finished the pie, Rian was also silent.
And only after finishing the meal, Lord Thiers said, turning to the mentor:
“From now on, refrain from trying to get my fiancée drunk, that’s the first thing, and secondly, no more dinners alone with Deya.”
- Why alone? – Lord Ellohar responded thoughtfully. “I was sure you would join.” You couldn’t help but notice where I went after leaving your office.
“I couldn’t help but understand who you were watching before you left my office.”
– Naturally, you “couldn’t help but understand,” but I would have been very surprised if Dar had not told about this. Your reborn hates me.
“Let's start with the fact that everyone basically hates you,” Rian noted.
– But there are also those who idolize. – The Master smiled mysteriously.
“Yes,” Lord Thiers confirmed calmly and confidently, “your adherents and those few whom you value.” Ellohar, I said - you heard.
The director of the School of the Art of Death stopped smiling and said dully:
- I heard.
And I diligently finished the curry pie.
They waited for me in silence, and as soon as I finished chewing the last bite, Rian extended his hand.
Hellfire broke out.
* * *
I stood in Lord Thiers's bedroom, arms wrapped around my shoulders and looking warily at the bed. Ryan came out as soon as we were transported, and now I’m standing here... alone. After standing for some time, she went to the window, but before she could touch the curtain, steps were heard.
Then came the question:
– What’s the story with Ellohar?
“It seems to me that you’d better ask him about this,” she answered the Lord Director, giving up trying to get to the window.
The master approached, his hands carefully slid over my shoulders and hugged me. After some silence, Ryan said:
– Tomorrow your classes begin. - Since I remained silent, he continued: - I will lift the ban on movement from you, and you will be able to do business in the office with Yurao, but I have one condition.
Now I was silent with interest, studying the pattern on the curtain with my eyes.
The condition turned out to be the following:
– You will forget about this story with the artifacts. You will forget forever. You will no longer look for the translation of those words, and you will not keep any information about the artifacts. You will simply forget about this whole story - both you and Yurao.
“Yes,” the master responded coldly, “give me back the ring.”
She turned slowly, raised her head, and looked intently at Ryan.
“Not in that sense,” he said tensely. – Unlike some, I never go back on my words.
- So I refuse? – she asked angrily.
And even with witnesses!
Remarkably simple.
“It was not I who refused to listen and demanded from Lord Ellohar: “Take her away.”
“Oh yes,” Rian responded venomously, “you held on much more tightly, using a very weighty argument - your consent to our marriage!”
“I’m afraid if I let you go, there would be no one to marry!” – she blurted out, unable to restrain herself.
Black veins bulged on Master Thiers’s handsome face, and he growled:
- I’m letting you go.
Taking a deep breath, I extended my hand and said with difficulty:
“Your ring, Lord Headmaster.”
The black eyes flickered, and Master Thiers descended into threats:
- I'll kiss you.
The adept of the Academy of Curses decided to keep up with the leadership of her own academy and also threatened:
- I'll curse you!
The black veins appeared more clearly, and the threats moved to a new level:
“I’ll kiss you so much that I won’t have any strength left to curse.”
But I had something to answer:
“And I’ll curse you so much that you won’t want to kiss me!”
Suddenly the master’s face returned to its original appearance, his eyes twinkled slyly, and Rian insidiously ordered:
- Start.
“Sooooo,” I said incredulously, “and if I start...
“I’ll kiss you,” they answered me unexpectedly cheerfully, after which they clearly smiled with anticipation.
For some reason, I also smiled, but I was in no hurry to curse.
“Well, a little bit,” the master suggested provocatively.
“No,” I answered brazenly.
In response I heard:
- Coward.
And at the same time there is such an expectant look, and mocking sparkles in the eyes, and a very sly smile.
- And... and you... - I tried to find the word, - I’m offended!
– Am I “offended”? – Rian asked in surprise. – My own fiancée threatens me in front of everyone, and I’m offended? And what is this word anyway?
- Coward - no better! – I blurted out.
“Obezhuska doesn’t sound right at all,” he said indignantly.
- I like this! – I made a loud statement.
Ryan suddenly smiled warmly and answered quietly:
- And I like you.
I smiled back and hugged him, the master squeezed him in his strong embrace, and then I asked:
-What's wrong with this ring?
“You,” Ryan answered calmly.
- In what sense? – I tensed again.
Grinning, the Lord Director leaned towards me and exhaled into my face:
– Lady Riate, may I allow myself one small liberty?
“No,” I answered fearfully.
“Coward,” Ryan grinned and picked me up in his arms.
A scarlet flame flared up.
* * *
When the fire died down, I got the impression that another green flame was burning around us, the greenery around was so bright, rich, and lush. And it seemed that everything was engulfed in green flames - huge black boulders, half-hidden by climbing plants to the very tops, and trees entwined to the crowns, and the ground, so overgrown with grass that it was not visible at all... Except for the roots covered with bright green moss , were visible here and there.
I've never been to the Eternal Woods... until now. And somehow I immediately imagined all the horrors that were told about the green elves and their allies, the Lessars. And if it is still possible to come to an agreement with the elves, then the lessar will kill and not notice.
- Ryan, ah...
“Coward,” he repeated mockingly, continuing to carry me through the forest, somewhere where the water was noisy.
“We’re in elven territories,” she whispered to him in fear, “only it’s always summer here.”
“I know,” the Lord Director responded calmly, continuing to maneuver between the trees and carry me forward.
“Rr-ria-a-an,” I drawled.
“Dear,” he smiled warmly, “we are on the territory of my sister’s husband, but even if this were not so, I sincerely feel sorry for those who would try to attack.”
I cringed anyway, waiting for one of those green elves' nightmares to come true. They are so harsh that some of them flee from their relatives to the Dark Empire and, despite the fact that they are terribly cold in our harsh climate, they do not want to go back!
- For example? I instantly asked.
- And you threaten for a start, - the master suggested imperturbably.
And then we left the forest.
And they found themselves on the shore of a small round lake. Such an almost fabulous lake, surrounded by tall trees reflected in the mirror surface, with clear water and water lilies already familiar to me, and green shores, and...
- Man! sang a mermaid sitting on the shore and picking flowers.
- Where? - several green-haired heads poked out of the lake. -Where is the man?
And so I became very interested - how often does the Lord Director visit this lake?
-Where is the man?!
One of the water lilies rose, revealing the face of a mermaid with a snub nose, very close to the shore where we were. And it was this little face that suddenly became distorted, and then the mermaid screamed:
- This is Thiers!
A squeal rose over the lake, the next moment a crowd of mermaids left the lake and, having grown legs, rushed away, breaking bushes... Soon the screams and stomping died away in the distance.
In response to my amazed look, the master calmly shrugged his shoulders and reluctantly answered:
“They were... too intrusive last time.”
That was the end of the explanations, and they made me an offer:
- Take off your clothes.
“Thank you, I’m fine as is,” I answered politely.
The twinkle of his black eyes was mesmerizing, as was the master’s smile, and then he took me by the hand, led me to the lake, pulled me to bend over, and asked in a whisper:
“Touch the water,” and noticing my disbelief, he explained: “This is not a simple forest lake, Daya.” For those who have a bit of elven magic in them, this is a source of healing power. I need it now to recover. “And sighing heavily, Rian admitted: “The pain in my throat is unbearable.”
-Then what are you waiting for? – I did not hide my indignation. - If it really helps, then...
“I want to see the expression on your face when you finally touch the water,” he whispered.
Throwing a surprised look at him, I dipped my fingertips into the water and... The bluish sparks that appeared at the point of contact with the water, sparkling and shimmering, rose up my hand, and this made it a little ticklish and very pleasant.
- What's this? – I exclaimed in surprise, lowering my palm a little lower.
“Take off your clothes,” Rian repeated and, getting up, walked away to a large boulder.
When the master took off his sweater in one motion, I turned away embarrassedly, again paying all my attention to this amazing lake. And then a strange thought came into my head - this is elven magic, and if so, then...
I quickly pulled my left sleeve up, pulled out the magnifying crystal from the bracelet and, scooping up the water with my right palm, peered into its crystalline composition... And imagine my surprise when I saw familiar patterns!
- Ryan! – I exclaimed, jumping on the spot...
The master caught me before the water closed over my head and immediately carried me to the shore. I didn’t have time to choke, but I did get wet and scared.
– What did you see there that was so scary? Ryan asked as he laid me down on the grass.
“Crystals,” I breathed, pushing myself up on my elbows.
– Crystals are good. “He took off my right boot, pointedly poured water out of it and asked cheerfully: “What, you couldn’t first undress and then look at the crystals?”
- It could be. – I bit my lip, trying not to laugh, because it was funny to watch the expression on the master’s face while waiting for the water to pour out.
- And what stopped you? Ryan put down the first boot and reached for the second.
- I didn't want to go swimming. - Lord Thiers again defiantly poured water. “And I can undress myself.”
-Are you going to undress? – he instantly perked up.
I blushed and replied sternly:
- I won’t.
I stood up and they helped me pull off my wet sweater, because I would hardly have been able to do it myself - taking off wet woolen things is extremely inconvenient. And then, taking the filmed, Rian turned away and ordered:
- Pants and stockings.
Embarrassed, I stole and handed over what was required, and the master, still without turning around, left to hang up my things. And one glance at my shirt was enough for me to hastily go swimming.
“Try to swim a few steps from the shore, then there’s sand, but near the shore there’s mud,” Rian warned.
And just diving into the lake, I suddenly thought - how did he guess that I was going for a swim? He didn't look.
And then somehow everything was forgotten, and, looking at the sparkles on my own palms, I heard the splash of water when Ryan dived, and then:
-What are you looking at so interestedly? – the master asked, swimming up and hugging me from behind. – And what kind of crystals are they?
I am covered with a strange and exciting awareness of rapidly leaving thoughts...
- AND? – A careful kiss on the shoulder. – You were surprised at the composition of this water. What with her?
I feel my heart begin to beat faster from his proximity, my throat is tight, and I can’t speak or move.
Not noticing my condition, Rian made his assumption.
– Did you see crystals identical to those that were woven into the amulet at the witch school? “I nodded frantically, feeling the warmth of his body with all my skin. - I got what you mean. – Another gentle kiss, but this time where the shoulder was not covered with wet cloth. – Ellohar told me how persistently you studied that carpet. Don't be surprised, there really was a weave of elven magic in it. Here the elven magic is of the same order that was used to create the amulet.
It’s so strange, in the Borderlands there is a harsh winter, but here it’s a hot summer, warm water, strange sparkles all over my body, and the master’s breath has a strange effect on me, intoxicating me more than any wine...
- Everything is fine? – Rian drew attention to my silence. - Deya?
Silently I pulled away from the embrace and quickly dived down in the hope of reaching the bottom and distracting myself from the sensations that were extremely unusual for me.
I didn’t swim to the bottom - as it turned out, it was incredibly deep here, so I had to swim back up.
* * *
Once on the surface, I looked around and didn’t see Rian. Deciding that he was also diving, she swam to the shore, sat down on one of the boulders, dipping her feet into the water, and began to examine the lake again. There was no master! She began to look around excitedly, leaning forward a little, and then...
He emerged right at my feet, grabbed me by the waist and, holding me in outstretched arms, pulled me back into the water. And it’s good that the mermaids ran away, because I screamed so much that I almost went deaf myself.
And he laughs...
- Ryan! – she exclaimed, angry. - This... this...
- Funny? – the master asked laughing.
I sighed heavily and shook my head reproachfully.
“You know,” the lord director hugged, pressing him to himself, “this restraint in you amazes me.” Sometimes you just need to relax and have fun.
– By playing dirty tricks on the crown prince? – I asked innocently.
My phrase had unexpected consequences.
– Good idea! “Rian picked me up, carried me ashore and, letting me go, asked in a whisper: “Are there frogs anywhere?” Let's go find a couple.
And we went to look for frogs. True, they first pulled the Lord Director’s dry shirt over my wet shirt, but Rian, saying: “It makes me feel better,” stopped all objections.
They found four large, fat and nasty toads, and the master said:
- That's it!
Hellfire broke out.
Then Rian, for some reason ignoring the fact that the frogs were disgusting and disgusting, paralyzed them, carefully raked them onto a water lily leaf and pulled me into the passage.
And we appeared, wet, with water dripping from our clothes and hair, in the Crown Prince’s chambers, which were already familiar to me, only the place of appearance was behind the curtain. And so I stand, looking at the table set for two people, and Master Thiers, a member of the Order of the Immortals, the Lord Director of the Academy of Curses, silently sneaks up to the table, carefully removes the lid from the dish, clearly intended for the prince, looks appraisingly at the meatloaf and in the end he whispers to me:
Trying not to laugh, she silently approached the table and heard:
- Grab a plate. - I took. - And bread. – I put a few buns on top. - And wine with glasses.
“I only have two hands,” she reminded the master, taking only the wine.
“This is sad,” he said with feigned sadness and, placing the frogs on the table in the very place where I took the plate from, covered them with a lid.
And then he took the glasses and a plate of fruit and whispered:
- Everyone went.
And we went: me, trying not to giggle, and he, smiling mysteriously. We reached the silently burning scarlet flame, stood in the center, and waited.
“They’re already coming,” Ryan whispered and then: “Don’t look!”
- Why? – I asked barely audibly.
“Well...” He leaned close to my ear and said: “Let’s just say they’re a little underdressed.”
- Slightly?
The flame suddenly crackled menacingly, but Rian tensed, and it became silent again. True, I could not understand why the master suddenly lost his temper. Fortunately, those who were robbed by us were so busy with themselves that they did not hear anything.
But the next moment I heard a flirtatious woman’s question:
– Do you like this hair color so much? Your insatiable highness, how long can you kiss my hair? I have much more interesting places for kissing.
I look at the master - his lips are compressed, his eyes are narrowed. With such a height, he could clearly see those who entered, since the top and lace pattern of the curtains began above my head. But the Lord Director clearly did not like what he saw.
“Otherwise?..” the female voice still asked coquettishly.
“I’ll turn your pretty head toward the Abyss, put it in the center of the table and admire your face, twisted in pain,” Darghanash said completely calmly and most importantly confidently, “and I’ll throw your body to the dogs.” She shut up and sat down.
Judging by the sounds, she obediently and silently sat down. I looked at Ryan in complete amazement. Aristocrats have good morals, to say the least.
- Are we leaving? – the master asked with only his lips.
I shook my head. We shouldn't have brought the frogs here.
Ryan smiled knowingly, leaned over, gently kissed the tip of my nose, and while I closed my eyes and melted under his touch, everything happened.
First the prince said:
- I'm hungry as a goblin.
Then the lids scrape on the table, and then...
- Abyss!
Apparently, Darg jumped up, because the chair crashed.
- Abyss! Frogs! Guards! Tierrrrrrrr! Guard!!! - screamed the enraged heir to the empire.
“He always had problems with logic,” Ryan whispered to me.
The flame flared up brighter, carrying us, and on the other side of the passage the prince’s hysterical cry could still be heard:
- It's all Thiers, dad! This is Thiers, his traces! Look, there! It's Thiers!
The fire died down and the screams stopped.
“It’s not true,” Ryan pointed to his feet, “these were definitely not my tracks.”
I also looked at the master’s feet and quietly screamed in surprise - they turned out to be webbed, and then before my eyes they again became the same feet, only of a significant size.
“But there’s one thing we didn’t think about, dear colleague in mocking the heir to the crown,” drawled the Lord Director.
– What is this about? – I asked, taking the bottle more conveniently.
“Okay, I’ll be right there,” Rian said hastily and, leaving glasses and fruit right on the grass, disappeared into the flames.
When he returned, I couldn’t even believe my eyes, because the master brought with him a huge mattress, which he had clearly dragged from his own bedroom. More precisely, as soon as he threw it on the shore of the lake, I immediately realized that it was from there - I saw a white bedspread with a black pattern in the master’s bedroom.
“Let’s all come here,” with these words they took away the dish with meatloaf and bread from me, and the wine was also taken away.
Carefully placing everything on the mattress, Rian pulled off his already wet shirt, leaving me only in my wet one, and also threw everything onto the mattress. And then, grabbing his hand, he dragged him back into the lake.
And as soon as we were in the water again, he cheerfully suggested:
- I'm catching up.
“Because the reward for the one who catches it is a kiss, and you, my love, are unlikely to agree to demand such a thing, even if you manage to catch me.” Are you ready?
And I thought whether or not I should tell him that I spent my childhood with mermaids and every child in Zagreb knows how to swim very well. I decided not to talk.
And I did the right thing, otherwise it would have been a shame for me, who didn’t even have time to really sail a decent distance.
“Gotcha,” Rian whispered, carefully wrapping his arms around her.
“It’s so unfair,” I said, struggling weakly, “I haven’t even started swimming yet!”
- Mmmm, do you call swimming to the middle of the lake “not started swimming”? Dear, but “started to swim” - as I understand it, you’re already running through the forest? “And, turning me around, Rian pulled me closer, gently touched my lips and whispered: “This is the first.”
I slowly blushed under his cheerful gaze.
- More? – the master asked, clearly amused.
- Let's! “The excitement was starting to take over, especially considering the fact that I was going to change tactics.
“I love you,” Rian said with a winning smile and let him go.
Under his gaze, slightly mocking, she took a deep breath, gave an equally victorious smile and went under the water. Not very deep, just very thoughtfully, and took a sharp right, planning to hide in the thickets of water lilies, and then carefully emerge there so that he wouldn’t notice me...
A jerk upward, and as soon as we reached the surface, Rian cheerfully announced:
- Gotcha.
– I didn’t even sail!
– And this is catch-up, not a game of hide and seek. “You can’t argue with his logic.” - Second.
This time I closed my eyes in anticipation and... did not wait for anything. I looked at Ryan, he smiled mysteriously and did nothing.
“I like your shyness,” he said quietly, “and the cute way you blush.”
I'm really blushing.
I thought about his words, but as soon as I was about to answer, the master kissed him tenderly and, without taking his lips off, whispered:
“You’re just a person, Daya.” You are my little, gentle man, who will be eaten for the opportunity to own even one of the artifacts. Understand, when I put this ring on you, I expected that you would soon become mine and be hidden behind the walls of Langred. It didn't work out. I've strengthened my defenses, but I'm afraid this isn't enough. I can't lose you, darling. I've been looking for you all my life and I just can't lose you.
- Well, swim away.
And they let me go. With an embarrassed smile she swam up to him, hugged him, pressed him and whispered:
- I caught it.
He hugged her tightly and also whispered:
- I caught you and will never let you go.
And sparkles ran through our bodies, and from this everything was filled with a feeling of calm, happiness and warmth, and only the birds around sang and the frogs carefully voiced their voices...
- On beach? - suggested the master.
- Let's swim a little more, otherwise summer is so far away, I miss it.
“We can be here almost every day,” Ryan’s warm breath touched my hair.
“We can’t,” she sighed heavily, “classes start tomorrow, Yurao and I have a lot to do in the office, I hope the spirit there has already calmed down.”
– Calm him down? - suggested the master.
- We can handle it ourselves. “I raised my head and, looking into the black, slightly shimmering eyes, I quietly added: “I don’t want to take off the ring... It doesn’t come off.”
A sly smile and confession:
- I enchanted. And most importantly, there is no magic visible and only I can remove it.
I looked indignantly at Ryan, he smiled, looking at me somehow enthusiastically. Then the smile became mysterious, and I heard:
“I have a proposal for the summer - I’ll drop what I’m doing, take you, and we’ll travel through all the elven territories, there are amazing places here.” What do you say?
- Together? – Despite the moral side, I liked the idea.
“Alas,” they answered me with feigned sadness, “a couple more horses will ask to accompany us.” What do you say?
Pushing away from Ryan, I swam away, then threw a flirtatious note over my shoulder:
- I’ll think about it.
There was a dissatisfied grumbling from behind.
“Yeah, I’ll look at your behavior,” I continued to become impudent.
The splash of water, Rian caught up, picked him up in his arms, pressed him and exhaled in his face:
- I'll kiss you.
- Got it, right? – I asked innocently and hugged his neck.
“Yes,” he confirmed, covering my smile with a kiss.
* * *
We were lying on a luxurious feather bed: me in the master’s shirt and Rian in the same wet trousers. As soon as we got ashore, they silently but adamantly undressed me, despite the objections, and handed me a dry shirt. True, as soon as I pulled it on, the Lord Director, defiantly standing with his back to me, calmly said:
– Take off your underwear too, please.
“No...” I started.
“I’ll take it off myself,” Lord Thiers threatened.
“You’re wearing wet trousers,” I said indignantly.
– I am a man, that’s the first thing, I won’t get sick – that’s the second and third thing – you heard my warning.
She silently pulled off her underwear, walked away, and hung it behind a bush so that some people wouldn’t see. Because there was only underwear handed over by the monster-in-law, and only the color remained innocent in it.
Upon my return, a mattress was laid for me in the absence of a table and Rian was waiting for me with a satisfied smile and two glasses of wine.
“I’ll get drunk with you, Lord Director,” she remarked mockingly, sitting down and carefully holding the hem of her shirt.
“What are you saying, adept Riate,” the master answered in the same tone, “at this rate, we can’t even get drunk with you.”
Taking the glass handed to me, I involuntarily looked around - the sun was setting towards the horizon, and now it was time for the evening singing of frogs, although while the birds were flying, and grasshoppers were still chirping in the grass.
“It’s so wonderful here,” I whispered, as if enchanted by the amazing nature.
– It’s good to swim here at night, when the light of the lake competes with the shine of the stars. Shall we stay?
Well, I finally got around to the proposal to spend the night together.
Suddenly Ryan tensed. At first glance, nothing had changed - the master was still sitting, with one leg crossed and leaning on the other, bent at the knee, and droplets of water still sparkled on his shoulders and chest, and a smile played on his lips, but something was elusive has changed. I didn’t immediately realize that the sparkles from my eyes instantly disappeared, and my gaze darkened. The next moment, the surrounding landscape became slightly blurry, Rian winked at me and conspiratorially pressed his finger to his lips... mine. I had to nod. He broke the touch with displeasure. Then he saluted me with a glass and began to drink slowly, mysteriously looking somewhere behind me.
Turning around, I instantly forgot about the wine and everything else - because twelve elves in full battle garb came out to our cozy lake!
Moreover, these were the same green elves, that is, the Air clan, the most severe of all the champions of the Forest. And judging by the shamrock on the armor, we are in the ancestral territories of the clan, from which even the original forest ones fled. And everything from dryads to living trees!
“Ri...” I started, but they silently covered my mouth.
Turning to the master, I saw his cheerful grin and realized that there was nothing special to worry about. Maybe. On the other hand, there are twelve of them in full battle dress, which means they are Guardians of the Forest, and they are all magicians. I know for sure, because our Night Guard was staffed in their image and likeness, therefore, everyone here is a magician, and not a weak one.
She looked questioningly at Ryan, who, smiling mysteriously, continued to sip his wine. For me, unlike him, it was neither mysterious nor fun, I was here on the mattress in only a shirt over my naked body, next to a half-naked master, and also wine, meat and fruit. Well, don’t forget about the mattress. Yes, I'm ashamed and scared.
Ryan leaned towards me and, touching my ear with his lips, whispered:
- They won't see us.
And I would have believed, or rather, I believed, since their glances, examining the lake, slid as if through us, but... One of the guards approached the shore where I slipped and fell into the water, sat down, peered into the trampled grass... Then got up and slowly walked towards the bushes behind which I had hung my laundry!
- Erguran! “I shuddered with my whole body from the master’s shout and almost spilled my wine. – If I were you, I would turn around and hastily leave the shore of this lake!
All the elves pulled their bows at once, and the tips of the arrows were pointed threateningly in our direction. And that same elf, who had not reached my drying linen five steps, slowly turned around, just like the others, peering at the place from which the Lord Director’s voice came.
Obviously not seeing anything, the elf, also raising his voice, shouted:
– Lord Thiers, is it just me, or do we once again have the dubious honor of receiving you on our territories?
– Dubious honor, Erguran? – Rian asked with icy calm.
The bows were instantly lowered, the detachment of elven guards retreated into the forest, all as one, except for this Erguran, who continued to stand.
“Dark to you,” the master lazily wished him to get lost.
The elf shuddered noticeably, but turned around and disappeared among the trees.
“They left and will not return,” Rian reassured me, who was intensely peering into the forest. “And others will be warned that it’s better not to come here.”
Exhaling sharply, I drank half a glass of wine in one fell swoop, then asked a little sharply:
“Are you so sure that the Air clan, or rather the most vengeful and dangerous clan of Shamrock, will simply react to your very defiant speech?” Ryan, these are the Guardians of the Forest! This…
“So many emotions,” the master interrupted me, smiling. “Deya, just trust me: they won’t come back, because the last time the Shamrock clan had the dubious honor of trying to kill me, they lost the best of the best, and then the average of the best, and then my mother intervened, and only thanks to this, the clan survived.
He continued to smile, but the Lord Director's face darkened significantly at these words. I silently thought about the situation, then suggested:
- Your sister?
“Yours,” I instantly corrected. “It’s just that when you’re so stern, I involuntarily switch to “you.”
“Sorry,” Ryan smiled warmly. – Yes, there is a story connected with my sister.
- Something bad? – I asked worriedly.
“How to say it,” the master’s smile again became very mysterious. – At that time, my father was an ambassador to the elven court, my sisters, they are much younger than me, naturally, were with their parents, but I was training in the Order of the Immortals. So, Aera was twenty-two when she disappeared while walking in the palace park. All the elven territories were raised with their sharp ears, but no traces of my sister were found. And then I would have paid attention to my mother’s strange behavior - she participated in the search without enthusiasm - but no, I was furious and vowed to dig the bastard out even from cesspool orcs. And leaving the order, he rushed to the territory of the elves. I managed to get on the trail that same evening, but as soon as I told the lord who I suspected of committing the crime, I was vaguely told that the territories of the Air clans were in fact not subordinate to the Elven crown.
“Oh,” I was scared.
“It all worked out,” Rian recalled and returned to the story: “They really tried to “not let me in,” and there was even an attempted murder. That’s when I got angry and organized a massive hunt for the pointy-eared creatures on their own territory. I tied up those caught in traps of varying complexity and transported them to a cave with the same onyx, which, in high concentration, absorbs the magic of the elves. I spent two hours digging it, luckily at least a deposit of onyx was found nearby. The Pointy Ears staged raids, combed the forest and... - a sly smile - returned home, missing a couple of guards. On the eighth day of the glorious hunt, I finally managed to capture Orvad, whom I suspected of kidnapping Aera. With him, unlike the others, to whom I, in principle, had no complaints, I did not stand on ceremony. The arrogant head of the clan, having lost two teeth in front of his fellow tribesmen, nevertheless deigned to announce that Lady Thiers was in his house. I knocked out his third tooth as soon as Orv growled that she would remain there.
- AND? – I was shocked by the story.
“And then mom appeared,” Rian frowned, “and with her the frightened Aera.” “After finishing the wine, he continued: “Sister, tearfully begging me not to kill her beloved, I’ve just already started this business that pleases the Abyss, told me something completely incredible, namely, that she is in love with the pointy-eared one to the point of losing her memory, and if I kill him, she will too.” will die. In response to my natural question: “What Abyss is this whole kidnapping show for?” Aera stopped sobbing and wringing her hands, wiped away her tears and, frowning, muttered: “What could I do, if otherwise he didn’t want to admit to himself that he loved ? Look at him, he is so stern that he would never allow himself such weakness as falling in love. And so... kidnapped... seduced... We have a wedding today...” I confess, as soon as I saw how long Orv’s face was stretched out from the realization of such a masterly trick around his finger, I changed my mind about cutting out his heart and even grew his teeth back.
Imagining this picture, I laughed, but then:
– Did Lady Thiers know?
“No,” Ryan grinned, “but my mother admitted that she guessed everything herself, as soon as it turned out that on the day of the abduction, Aera wore her best dress.”
I smiled and sat down more comfortably, the master suddenly put one arm around my waist, pulled me closer and sat me down so that I was now leaning with my back on him.
“It will be more convenient,” he explained his actions.
I looked sideways at him and suddenly realized that I was not very comfortable in this way, morally and ethically.
“The most interesting thing was a year later,” Rian began to carefully finger the hair on the back of my head, and I unexpectedly changed my mind about moving away from him, “when another kidnapping happened, and this time my younger sister was kidnapped.
“Wow,” was all I said.
“Alas...” Ryan leaned over and gently kissed my temple. “After that, my father freaked out, took my mother and left the elven territories, explaining everything to the emperor in one phrase: “At this rate, these cunning pointy-eared ones will take my wife into their hands!”
- Yes? – Frankly, I was surprised. “Was Lord Thiers so angry?”
- Father? No, unlike his mother, he immediately approved of both sons-in-law, but he had to at least somehow justify his resignation, and it was advisable to do it in such a way that someone, namely the emperor, would feel guilty.
- Interesting solution. “I turned my glass thoughtfully, looking at how the light shimmered on the crystal. – And... did you also find out what happened with your second sister?
“No,” Rian kissed him tenderly again, “the second son-in-law turned out to be much smarter - he informed me 24 hours in advance.”
I turned around, looking at the master in surprise.
“Yes, yes,” he laughed, “I was also surprised by the message Ellohar sent, but I arrived almost instantly.” It turned out that Naelen was studying at the School of the Art of Death in his last year, while I entered my first, and we had already met before. Frankly, the last thing I expected to hear from him was: “Lord Thiers, you see, tomorrow I plan to kidnap your sister.”
“Oh...” I said in surprise.
- Oh yeah. “They gently stroked my cheek. – You see, Naelen belongs to the Water clan, and this clan is constantly in conflict with the Air clan, the head of which is the same Orvad Haelree, who married my older sister, and therefore mom was categorically against Naelen. In addition, my youngest son-in-law is neither the head of the clan, nor even close to power, and most importantly, he does not strive for this. That is, the son-in-law did not suit my mother in all respects, and she did not hide it.
Yes, but a monster-in-law can humiliate you even with a glance.
– Add to this that Lareni already had a fiancé, and she gave him consent to the engagement, and then there’s the story of Naelen.
- And what did you do? – I was very interested in the answer to this question.
– I went to Lari and talked to her. And on the second day he participated in the kidnapping of his own sister.
– Master, you amaze me more and more! – I sincerely admitted. -What about Lady Thiers?
“Lareni’s groom was Darghanash,” Rian answered somewhat sharply. “Yes, he was in love with her, and yes,” Lareni, enchanted by his gallantry, also believed that she was in love, but time passed, and she noticed more and more what Darg was hiding from her parents, and from my mother. And for a girl who grew up in my family, meanness is unacceptable, as well as for me. And one more thing - I saw with what tenderness she spoke about Naelen, so my choice was obvious.
After a little thought, I came to the obvious conclusions:
“You ruined the crown prince’s wedding, and now he’s making an effort to repay you in kind?”
“Exactly,” the master’s lips slid over his temple, lightly touching his cheek, “but there is a significant difference between me and Darg.”
- Which? I asked, closing my eyes and barely breathing.
Opening my eyes, I turned my head and came across an overly calm, studying gaze.
“The feeling that you are expecting something from me now,” I remarked.
Smiling, the master said:
- This is true. I am waiting.
- What? – asked not without interest.
“Reactions to my words,” Ryan answered with the utmost honesty.
She shrugged her shoulders, and then he explained:
“I just made it very clear that I will never give you up to anyone, dear.”
I silently look at the lake, trying to hold back a smile.
- Deya? – the master clearly expected something different.
“I wonder,” I continued to look at the lake, “knowing about the story with Lord Gradak, do you really think that you can keep me?” “Half turning around, she looked into his surprised eyes and said quietly: “Just try to let go!”
- You're scaring me. “Rian leaned over, carefully touched my shoulder with his lips, then said thoughtfully: “However, what else can you expect from a girl who has been awake at night for almost four years to gain freedom.”
“You taught me to win,” she quietly reminded him.
Ryan hugged me tighter, and we sat for a long time, looking at the lake plunging into twilight.
“And yet I will take the ring,” the master said sadly, “another one that is not an artifact will become your engagement ring, and I hope that the last of the Thiers’ values will not burst into your life with another chain of accidents.”
If only Ryan knew how wrong he was then.
* * *
The first day of school started as usual:
- Morning formation!
So far only the first signal has sounded. Previously, there was only one signal, and after it we had to hurry - four and a half minutes before formation. But after some time this innovation was canceled, and now there were two signals. The first – “wake up” – is fifteen minutes before formation, and the second is already two minutes later.
Jumping up, I first hurried to open the doors - Lucky, who had grown to the size of a well-fed cat, imposingly swam into the room and leisurely occupied the sofa. Judging by his well-fed and satisfied appearance, he had already been to the dining room.
- How did the night go? – Without even hoping for an answer, I asked and headed to the shower.
There I almost fell when I heard:
“The night went well, it was so fruitful, so high-quality.”
Carefully returning to the bedroom, I closed the door to the living room and quietly called:
- Dara... - The spirit of death demonstratively did not speak to me for four days after the attack by the karrags, but now I sincerely hoped for her consciousness. - Dara!
The air shimmered, the reborn one appeared in a bluish halo, yawned sweetly and asked:
- Oh, you spoke to me! – I was happy.
“Why not,” she responded brazenly. “Now you won’t pester me with questions like “Where is Ryan?”, as well as with a pale appearance and a shaking chin. So why did you call?
Deciding not to be offended by her, she quietly said:
- Lucky... talking.
- Yeah? – Dara instantly perked up. - Mm, how fast... What happened to you and Thiers at night?
I blush slowly but thoroughly, after which I hastily change the topic of conversation:
“So it’s normal for him to talk?”
- Mm-hmm, are we keeping silent? “Dara looked at me with a sly squint. - I'm here now.
And she disappeared.
Well, she never had a conscience, and with a heavy sigh of unsatisfied curiosity, I headed to the shower. Imagine my surprise when the door slammed in front of my nose!
“You see, here’s the thing,” Dara appeared at the door, cutting off the path to the shower, “we, the reborn, feed on emotions.” And when we gain a sufficient level of strength, we seize control of the body, if any. And the revived cat, against the backdrop of your experiences, has grown surprisingly quickly, probably overnight it managed to rebuild the animal’s throat, so now yes, it’s talking.
All this was very interesting, but:
- Dara, thank you, now excuse me, I’m already late, I should at least wash my face.
An insidious smile blossomed on the ghostly lips, and almost immediately there was a knock on my door, after which the voice of Captain Veris was heard:
“Come in,” I said sadly.
The door opened, judging by the sounds, Veris entered, and then an impudent sound was heard:
- What a pussy! Murk, baby, what are you doing tonight?
Silence.
The lucky one took it as agreement and purred:
- Murrr, and you are a hot kitty...
“It’s definitely not fire,” Veris muttered and, marching through the living room, burst into my bedroom. And so, in front of us, she allowed herself to be indignant: “What does this dragon mug allow herself to do?” We should have cut him down right away!
“Relax,” Dara responded, “he’s not able to take other forms yet.”
- "Bye"! – the curator looked extremely indignant. “But during the last revival, the spirit of the Golden Dragon was the first womanizer in the entire Dark Empire!”
- Yes-ah-ah? Dara raised her eyebrows in surprise. – Now this is interesting. - And then with a hint: - By the way, I'm curious about something else ...
Lady Veris immediately remembered my existence, quickly approached, sniffed the air through her nose and said in disappointment:
- Nothing. A couple of tender kisses, a few touches, and what appears to be wearing Thiers' clothes. Your assumptions were wrong.
- But the cat has grown! – Dara was indignant.
“I noticed that,” the captain hissed and then to me: “And I’ll have a very serious talk with you later, petty robber of archival funds!” And believe me, the intercession of Thiers, who in response to all the accusations told everyone: “Don’t dare touch Riata,” will not save you!
The semester promised to be very difficult.
- Now wash up quickly and get into formation! – the curator finally barked.
Dara silently cleared my way into the shower room, and then they both left the bedroom altogether. While washing my face, I heard snippets of their conversation:
- Why are you doing this to her? – Dara asked quietly.
– Because there are rules, and no one is allowed to break them!
– Do you know why she went there? – I did not expect intercession from the revived spirit.
“She used a curse on an academy employee, Dara!” This is a violation of all the rules, and she should be expelled for this!
Unexpectedly, Lucky spoke up in my defense:
- They brought it, girl, they brought it... r-rr-r-r. “He didn’t stop there.” - How to sniff, you’re perrrrrrry, but how to help, you can’t figure it out.
Silence.
Then Dara became indignant:
– What was I supposed to answer her? Thiers doesn't report to me!
“And I... I...” Veris was also indignant. – I don’t have to babysit every adept.
“But no one grows,” Lucky answered, purring. - And if, kitty, someone else’s personal life doesn’t give you peace, then come at night, we’ll fix your own, mrr.
The front doors slammed.
It became quiet.
I quickly got dressed and went out. The lucky one was dozing on the sofa and, opening one eye like a cat, looked at me slyly.
“Thank you,” I sincerely thanked.
“Give me a break,” they purred in response.
Unfortunately, there was no time to talk.
* * *
During the formation, I stood next to the happy Yanka and not far from the very unhappy Rigra. Immediately after listening to Veris’ speech about how glad she was to see us and how she hoped the holidays were fruitful, Timanna joyfully whispered to me:
- I'm getting married.
My first thought was that my mother was so fed up with Yurao that he decided to get married in a hurry, but... But then Yanka added:
“You’ll apologize to Yurochka for me, won’t you?”
“No,” I answered decisively. “This is your relationship, and I won’t interfere.”
Timanna pouted her lips, sighed heavily and said sadly:
- Well, okay, he still saw Taek and me under the mandrake on the first night of the death of winter.
And he didn't even tell me. After all, he didn’t say a word that it was all over with Yana.
In between jogging and dodging snowballs launched by the apt curator Veris, I learned the details of this love story. It happened like this: Yanka was sitting in the office with Riate when a young messenger from one of our respectable dwarf clients came in with a parcel for Mrs. Riate. And this same Taek, a half-breed, like most of the inhabitants of the Borderland, invited Yanka to take a walk on the holiday of the first night of the death of winter. Since Yurao is usually on shift at night, Yana agreed. It all ended with a kiss under the mandrake. I mean, it ended with Yurao and began with Taek. By the way, Timanna said that she now works in the shop of the venerable leatherworker Urd. After this information, I tripped, fell onto the path and received a snowball from Veris, apparently to more clearly understand what had happened.
The rest of the run I thought about who to take to replace the windy Timyanna. Because a second assistant in the office was vital.
And when we returned to the hostel and found that the Lord Director was standing on the threshold, surrounded by Lady Mitas, Lady Oris and Mrs. Irdan, thoughts about the office disappeared somewhere. But a lot of other very unpleasant ones appeared, for example, that I was all dirty, covered in snow and wet, too. The gaze of black eyes that flickered slightly at my appearance slowly slid over my wet face, neck... naked after another fall, my right hand was scratched, I simply hid my left behind my back. After which Lord Thiers turned to Lady Veris with a very calm expression on his face.
“On a general basis, Lord Director, as you asked,” she answered, smiling sweetly.
And I realized that the curator intended to be angry for a long time...
Hastily running up the stairs, slipped through the doors and almost ran to the shower.
* * *
I forgot that a thinking and talking creature was waiting in the living room.
“Wow, how they treated you,” said Lucky, who woke up at my appearance. – Is Veris on a rampage?
Stopping, I involuntarily smiled, looking at the satisfied and well-fed face of the cat, then I realized that he was unlikely to allow himself to be squeezed.
- There’s no point in licking your lips at me. - The lucky one covered his muzzle with his fluffy tail, - you better get yourself in order, it’s scary to look at.
And I went to wash. A quick shower, an already favorite academy uniform, hair tied up in a braid, notebooks folded into a folder and the thought that I still need to have breakfast. I had time before the introductory lecture, but something came up for which I was ready to forget about morning tea.
Hellfire broke out.
In the living room.
And I just smiled when I heard a polite knock on the door - the funniest thing is that the master spent the night here, and his delicacy amazed me.
“But you can’t,” I replied brazenly, pulling on my boots.
- At all? – they asked cheerfully from the other side of the door.
- At all! – Lucky declared brazenly, invading our idyll.
- Somehow... too fast...
Hastily leaving the bedroom, I approached the master, who was looking with slight bewilderment at the impudent cat, defiantly baring his teeth, and I was instantly hugged. The lucky guy, without thinking twice, decided to insert a comment:
- Man, it’s not yours - don’t paw!
Ryan's reaction was:
– And my memory returned completely... Not bad. “And then, turning to me, the Lord Director asked: “Can I take him?”
I’ve never seen such an offended cat’s face and such big, big eyes, but Lucky was offended and then looked at me indignantly.
- To Scratchy? – I asked the master.
“No,” Rian laughed, kissing my hair, “I won’t let him into my castle in this state, you can’t even imagine how his last awakening ended.”
- How? – I was really curious.
- Long story... - The hug became a little stronger. - Will you give it back?
- Lucky?
“Mmmm... yes...” It seems like I’ll have to redo my braid, but for some reason I don’t mind at all.
– Is my permission required? – I asked, losing the thread of reasoning.
“Yeah,” Ryan continued to kiss my hair.
I gently pulled out of the hug, turned to the master and saw what he didn’t want to show at all - darkened eyes. I think I'm starting to recognize Lord Ryan Thiers.
- What's wrong? “I just couldn’t help but ask.”
In the evening, we agreed that he would take the ring from me, replacing it with an identical one made to order from the capital’s jeweler, but for some reason I had a strange feeling that the Lord Director intended to change his plans.
So I asked directly... And the answer was silence.
After thinking about it, I came to the conclusion:
-His Highness the Crown Prince...
“...this morning I tried to tell the name of my bride,” the master completed for me. “And I’m sure you can guess whose name was mentioned.”
“Well, it wasn’t your tracks there,” I said, smiling.
“You see,” Rian also smiled, and his face immediately brightened, “the merman interviewed had an alibi and did not have the ability to use fire portals, besides, I got a little angry and set the curtain on fire.” So after we left, we also had to put out the fire in the crown prince’s chambers...
“Ah,” I said, having already guessed whose traces Rian had faked yesterday. - So, what is next?
Lingering and demanding.
“I ran away,” reaching out, lightly touching his cheek with my lips and, embarrassed, immediately pulled back. – Can I leave the lucky one for now?
After my kiss, Ryan stood and smiled, but as soon as I voiced the question, he frowned and answered:
- Undesirable. On the other hand, Dara will look after him anyway.
And for some reason I have a strange feeling that someone is not telling me what to say.
“I’m going to a lecture,” said Riana, rushed to the sofa, grabbed Lucky and ran away.
* * *
Our entire group, except for the expelled Loger, was gathered on the first floor. Tesme gave me, holding the cat close to him, a dissatisfied look and said:
– Adepts, from this day on you are introducing an additional course “Counteraction Spells”.
We listened in surprise, since the information was... incredible, in fact. It’s just that before, Tesme himself gave us counteracting spells, purely out of the kindness of his heart, since they were not included in the training program. And here it is.
– This special course, introduced by decree of the Lord Director, will be taught by my colleague, and I will ask you to respond adequately. Follow me.
We were taken to the dungeon. And not even to the usual laboratories under the second building, but to the most protected part of the Academy of Curses. So as soon as the door opened, we all heard a grumbling:
- They walk and walk here, no peace for the old woman... ugh, the stairs. Come on in already, don’t crowd, follow me here!
We silently followed the steps of the winding staircase, accompanied by the measured muttering of the once wardrobemaid and the strange sound of a mechanical clock.
A sound that had never been heard here before.
Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock... It would seem like nothing special, but with every “tick” fear rises like an icy cold up your legs.
Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick...
– Does the clock hear everything? – I asked quietly.
And a strange feeling of doubt about my own adequacy, because no one responded to my words. It was as if they didn’t hear me...
But, as it turned out, I was mistaken, because the next moment Lucky said:
“He blurred the edges, the staircase is a guide, we are descending into the other world.
I stopped instantly. Yanka flew at me... paused for a moment and... passed through.
Through me!
Lucky snorted and hastened to reassure:
- Quietly, quietly, quietly, look how your heart beats. Everything is fine, little one, you froze after the border, so we quietly and peacefully descend further - believe me, in the world of the dead there is nothing to be afraid of the living, none of the departed can cause harm. Now, if you drag the dead out to you, then yes, then they can bypass any defense system, but on their territory the dead are like helpless babies. But I can’t imagine how he blurred the line!
And I continued my descent, with every step I felt how the grave cold rose higher... higher... and soon covered my head.
At the same instant, all sounds became blurry, the former black walls took on a rather gray color, and red frost crunched underfoot.
“How creepy,” she whispered as soon as we were at the foot of the stairs.
“They can already hear you here,” said Lucky and, jumping from my arms, rushed off somewhere into the darkness.
Confused, I just looked after him in fear.
Magister Tesme stood in front of our frightened group, waited until everyone had descended from the stairs and began his instructions:
– Adepts, I ask you to avoid unnecessary emotions. So, you and I are in the other world...
I, already warned by the cat, took the information calmly, Timanna tried to faint in horror, and she was not alone in her attempt until Tesme’s words:
– Those who attempt to lose consciousness will be subject to Killing Curses under special conditions.
Everyone instantly pulled themselves together and prepared to listen to the master. With a wry smile, Tesme continued:
“So, thanks to Lord Headmaster, you and I have a unique opportunity to study curses without having to remain silent. And why we can pronounce curses here, the adept Riate will tell us!
My name was pronounced in such a way that everyone stared at me at once. No, I knew why the master was angry, but I didn’t suspect that he would demonstrate his negative attitude towards me at his lectures.
“Because...” I began to mumble, then I remembered Lucky’s words and decided to draw conclusions based on them, “because in the world of the dead nothing threatens us.”
Master Tesme looked at me carefully and very suspiciously for a minute, then reluctantly nodded and said:
- Something like that, Riate. For others, I’ll make it more specific: in the other world, curses have no power. At all. No curse, no wish.
No, everyone, of course, was surprised, but did not show any emotion, remembering the first warning.
“Follow me, adepts,” Tesme commanded and headed towards the black bound doors, only vaguely reminiscent of those that led to his laboratory.
“What are we going to do tonight, baby?” My night is busy, but the evening is all yours.
Timyanna didn’t get through the doorway the first time; I had to take her hand and lead her along. Lucky chuckled meanly.
True, as soon as he entered the room, even he became silent.
“Dear colleague, we were talking about the design of the auditorium, and this, with all due respect, doesn’t look much like a lecture room,” Tesme said, looking at the black walls decorated with entrails.
“Exclusively an illusion, dear colleague,” a voice sounded from above...
The next moment, all the adherents screamed in horror at once. Except me, because they covered my mouth with a paw and whispered:
– Also an illusion.
And therefore, looking at the black skeleton of a dragon descending from the black and therefore incomprehensibly high ceiling, I didn’t scream, no... I just silently felt my hair stand on end...
And the remains of the monster peacefully sank to the floor and turned into a tall human magician, the same one I had already seen in the stone during the meeting with the goblin in the Golden Harp. And he smiled at all of us, unkindly, and said:
– Hello, adherents of the Academy of Curses. Welcome to the edge!
The cat removed his paw, reached out to my ear and whispered:
– Selius, head of the Order of Dark Fire. A rare scum - when they were captured, he killed his wife. He strangled him himself, in front of the Black Riders, and then burned him.
- For what? – I whispered in surprise.
“They said it was out of jealousy, but knowing this bastard, I can say for sure that he put his ends in the water.” In the sense that she knew something, he hid it in the most reliable way and even burned the remains solely so that the necromancers would have nothing to work with. You should have seen her eyes when he started strangling her...
And something pulled me to ask:
“And she wasn’t a witch, by any chance?”
“Yes, from the sea,” Lucky answered barely audibly.
And it feels like my heart is skipping a beat. And something elusive, some kind of guess, clue, understanding... I wonder, did the magicians know that they would be given such a life-like existence? They probably already knew by then. And then it turns out that this Selius acted completely vilely, depriving his wife of even a ghostly chance at life...
Meanwhile, the ghost approached our frightened group, looked at everyone with a tenacious gaze, and it was my turn.
- Pet? – the magician asked.
“Meow,” Lucky said innocently.
Selius narrowed his transparent eyes and said hoarsely:
- Come on, you can’t drag a normal cat into the other world!
My cat sighed sadly, cast a sad look at me and told the magician:
And for some reason this “Meow” looked like a complete mockery.
Selius looked at me intently, I almost gave out the same “meow”, but restrained myself, but spoke out to Thesma:
– Adept Riate is in a special position with us until the end of the investigation, dear magician.
I didn’t immediately understand what they were talking about, so I asked again:
- What? What investigation?!
Tesme's gloomy look and no less gloomy:
– Our respected librarian Mr. Bibor is dying, Riate. And a repeated check of the library collections revealed the loss of three publications on prohibited curses.
- It's not me! – The scream broke out before I remembered that the situation was not conducive to clarifying the situation. “And I cursed the librarian with simple short-term memory loss so that he would forget that he saw me.” I didn't take anything from the library!
Tesme grinned, thereby demonstrating that he “believed” me.
“Get to your places,” the master ordered everyone. – Dear colleague, return the classroom to an acceptable appearance that matches the classroom. “And he approached me and, as soon as everyone had left, he hissed: “There was no one there except you, Riate.” And besides you, no one has dared to steal before. Are you really, future Lady Thiers, so confident in your impunity that you no longer shy away from murder?
She staggered, looking at the professor in horror.
So that’s why he’s so angry at me, but... Why didn’t Rian say anything?!
“I didn’t take any books,” she whispered in a choked voice. “I used a simple curse, Master.” I was just in despair, I... They don’t die from the same thing, I...
But, without even giving me the opportunity to justify myself, the teacher hissed:
– Be glad that you hooked up with the Lord Director, who believes so much that he simply closed his eyes even to the evidence. However, an investigation began. And I will be curious to see how his attitude towards you, adept Riate, will change when everything becomes clear.
Tesme turned around and left, and I remained standing at the door, looking after him in shock. Monstrous accusation! Simply monstrous!
“Yeah-ah-ah,” muttered Lucky, “they set you up beautifully, baby.”
I barely suppressed a convulsive sob.
“Don’t cry,” the revived spirit immediately reacted. “Notice that Thiers didn’t say a word to you, which means he’s confident in you and will get to the bottom of the truth.” And then we’ll admire this master’s face together, right?
“Yes,” I muttered, remembering that Rian really didn’t say anything, didn’t even try to hint or ask.
This means he believes me, and his opinion is still the most important to me. And it immediately let go, and it even became easier to breathe, but one thought haunted me: “Who set me up like this?”
Walking into the classroom, I took my usual place next to Yanka, who looked at Lucky and me strangely, but remained silent. From the others I also received strange, intense looks, unkind and studying.
Having transferred the cat to my lap, I put the notebook on the table, opened it to the first page, indicated the name of the new subject in the title and, like the others, waited in silence for the lecture to begin. But the human magician behaved strangely:
- Close your notebooks! You must listen and remember every word spoken!
Tesme, sitting slightly to the side of the board, said melancholy:
– Adepts of our academy develop mainly visual memory, as required by their specialization. Structure your lecture in such a way that they have the opportunity to record almost every word you say.
– Dear Selius, it seemed to me that a period of two hundred years was sufficient to study our language. If this is not the case, we will replace you. I also have to remind you that the lecture time is limited.
Lucky, curled up in my lap, snorted but said nothing. The magician also remained silent, but his gaze, if it could, would have melted Thesme on the spot.
However, Selius restrained himself and, turning to us, began teaching the lesson:
“I know that you have been trained for four years as experts capable of detecting traces of the presence of a curse and identifying it. It's a shame you weren't taught how to resist curses. This is what we will do. - A dissatisfied look at Tesme and a little impudently: - Listen and remember. I will not teach you specific counter spells, although this will be present in our lectures, but basically my task is to teach you to think, analyze and neutralize curses of any complexity. Ideally, you should be able to resist even curses unknown to you, destroying their basis.
I already liked his approach, and given the fact that not so long ago I had to face previously unknown curses, the promised skills became completely invaluable.
“Everything has a basis,” the magician turned around, swam up to the board, waved his hand, and the illusion of killing someone with a lot of entrails immediately dissipated, leaving a clear space. – For example, almost everyone present here is based on water! It is she, changing under the influence of curses, that makes them so effective.
This is a fundamentally wrong theory, and we all frowned, as did Tesme, who looked at his colleague very distrustfully.
“Listen, listen carefully,” Lucky whispered to me. – Selius is the only one who managed to curse all the great families of the Dark Empire, and they could not remove this nasty thing for a very long time.
- All at once? – I sarcastically, instantly losing faith in the ghostly teacher.
“Listen to him carefully, Deika,” the cat hissed, “listen and remember every word.”
I looked around: apparently, Selius’s authority had fallen in the eyes of our entire group, and no one hid this, but I decided to listen to what he had to say - it certainly wouldn’t hurt. And I wrote down what was said, using the abbreviations that Tesme taught us. And when I raised my head, I realized that Selius was looking at me, and looking with gratitude. He began to tell me, practically not paying attention to the others:
– Each curse is built according to a certain scheme - emotions plus a mental message. Dressed in verbal form, it affects the structure of the victim’s body. But you don’t take into account that a graphic representation of a structure changed under the influence of a curse is also very effective.
The words he used were not entirely correct, but fundamentally... fundamentally, perhaps he was right, since I suddenly remembered what I did in the office. After all, I drew a sign from protective magic, and it really protected! From that moment on, I eagerly listened to every word of the magician, listened, correlated it with what I had to learn and apply not so long ago, and understood that this was a new, completely new level of curses. More precisely, the newest thing is the well-forgotten old.
And Selius continued:
- Any curse is reversible.
Our group began to make noise, Tesme openly laughed at his colleague, and I listened with bated breath.
“It’s extremely unpleasant to observe your limitations,” Selius said with a grin. – On the other hand, our knowledge has always been the lot of a select few - two or three magicians out of hundreds of magically gifted ones who are able to look at the world with wide eyes.
Tesme did not remain silent:
– You know, the adepts present here, considering the population size, are also the chosen ones. In fact, there is one adept for every two to three thousand reasonable citizens of the empire.
“I was talking about magicians,” Selius clarified coldly. – And if we talk about this herd, which you call adepts, I see here only one adept capable of becoming an outstanding curser.
And the magician pointed at me.
A tricky grin spread across Tesme’s lips, and then he said:
– Believe me, not only you, dear colleague, appreciated the potential of this particular adept.
The blood drained from my face. It is extremely unpleasant when you are accused of something you did not do, but these hints were completely offensive.
And I decided that this time I will not remain silent.
“I didn’t expect it from you,” I said quietly.
The master silently folded his hands on his chest, looked at me with a hostile look, then turned to Selius:
- Continue the lecture.
The magician returned to the board and wrote: “Antage counter spell.”
“Write it down,” he said, turning to us.
The further lecture proceeded in accordance with the classical teaching methods at our academy. I wrote down mechanically, trying to concentrate on educational material, but... it didn’t work.
“It’s obvious that you grew up in the village,” Lucky suddenly whispered.
In response to my puzzled look, he explained:
– Public opinion is too important to you. Come on, baby, why do you care what this arrogant destitute thinks?
My look became even more perplexed.
“Tesme is deprived of magic,” explained Lucky, then grinned and added very quietly: “By the way, he himself does not even suspect that Selius’s student deprived him of magic.” Funny, right?
I wonder if the revived spirit of the Golden Dragon knows the language of human magicians? And the story with the artifacts? AND…
Suddenly the air shimmered, the next moment Dara appeared in front of us, who, nodding to Master Thesma, said:
– Changes were made to the schedule of the fourth year at the request of Master Senior Investigator Okeno. The Lord Director approved. After the end of this lecture, adherents are expected in the forensic classroom. Household curses are postponed during practical classes. All the best to you.
And the reborn spirit evaporated.
“Apparently, some kind of murder,” Yanka guessed.
“Yes, Okeno likes to conduct field tests,” responded Gorrad.
And we all stared at Selius again, waiting for the lecture to continue. What we couldn’t take away was our thirst for knowledge.
““Arre ebectum” and this symbol that you imagine, but in fact draw mentally,” Selius depicted one of the simplest salt crystals in a few strokes, “and your teacher will no longer see your breakfasts,” the magician concluded his speech.
For a couple of moments we tried to comprehend what we had heard, then we all quickly opened the notebooks to the last page and entered both the spell and the crystal diagram. Master Tesme calmly let us write everything down, then said:
– Adherents, everyone immediately gets a low score in the methodology of curses.
– You should try to fly, you naive ones. What magic is on your reserve?
And everyone immediately remembered that we are not magicians... It's a shame.
And we were offended right up to the words of Selius:
– Who among those present could boast of blacksmithing skills? “We looked at him in surprise, the magician smiled and asked a provocative question: “Or perhaps we have experts in the southern elven dialect here?”
Everyone shook their heads negatively, Selius smiled and said instructively:
– I don’t argue, in order to become magicians, it will take you from fifteen to thirty years - with zero resources that you now possess. But just as each of you is able to learn a few elven words or forge a bracket for fastening logs, so the simplest magic is quite accessible to you. You, adepts of the Academy of Curses, are fluent in controlling your own energy flows and have excellent visual memory - this is enough to use the simplest magic for personal use. You are able to influence yourself.
For some reason, we all looked at Tesme at once, but the master looked intently at Selius, then said venomously:
– Do we give adepts knowledge not specified in the lecture plan? – For some reason, after these words, Selius literally dimmed. And Tesme stood up and ordered us: “Get out.”
The lucky guy immediately jumped off my lap and ran off somewhere again. The whole group of us stood up, collected our student supplies and, thanking the magician for the lecture, moved out of the audience in a disorderly crowd. And I don’t know which teacher is right in this case, but I’m sure that I wasn’t the only one who was going to try a magic spell today.
* * *
It was not easy to get out of the other world. To begin with, the staircase, during its short stay here, for some reason acquired a greenish tint and a slimy surface, and therefore those in front safely fell on us, walking behind. But even when we all began to climb up, clinging to each other, it turned out that for some reason the air was thickening, slowing down our movement.
- Dara! - Tesme shouted.
The spirit appeared above us, flickered, then gloomily ordered:
- Everyone down.
The adepts, smeared with green slime, obediently returned to the inhospitable embrace of the world of the dead. At the same instant, the stairs were engulfed in blue flames. Moreover, Dara burned her with a bored expression on her face, as if this was a routine performance of duties, and these same duties had long been disgusted.
When the stairs were charred, Dara brought it to the state of a red-hot stone, reddish, and then ordered:
- Get up.
We silently and expressively looked at the revived one, and she looked at us no less expressively.
- How long will you stand? – Tesme has ascended to the first step. - Time, adepts.
Everyone silently and carefully followed the master, and only I stood, looking around in search of Lucky.
- Deya! – Dara called out to me.
She obediently walked towards the stairs. The first time we tried to rise, Tesme remained below, and I understood that no one was going to close the entrance to the other world, but now the master went first and...
“Here I am,” came a voice from behind, after which Lucky, deftly jumping onto my back, climbed onto my shoulder, made himself comfortable, causing me to almost fall, and purred: “I found out.”
- I learned that? - Having pulled the cat away, I hugged him and hurried up the stairs, and I could no longer hold the air.
“I found out who set you up so nicely, little one,” the revived spirit purred and rubbed his muzzle against my shoulder quite like a cat.
- Ee-e-e... - I even stopped, - who?
“You’ll find out, sir, you’ll find out everything in a lesson with senior investigator Okeno, he’s right at the crime scene.” - And Lucky closed his eyes touchingly, just like an ordinary cat.
Realizing that I had fallen behind the group, I hastily resumed my movement and yet:
- Could you tell me? – I asked hesitantly.
– And ruin your moment of realizing the truth? Am I a beast? Not literally, but still. – The lucky one opened one eye. “You can guess it yourself, you’re my smart little girl.”
No one has praised me for a long time, it’s very nice.
* * *
As soon as we entered the real world, it immediately became easier to breathe, even though it was a dungeon. And much easier.
And even somehow the grumbling was perceived with joy:
– They walk and walk... Don’t shuffle your feet, Gergen!
Our most imperturbable and eternally indifferent adept shuddered with his whole body and continued to climb much faster.
Tesme frowned and stopped.
- Why are we standing? – the staircase inquired touchingly.
– Stop scaring the adherents! – the master ordered angrily.
- Look, I found some timid ones, don’t make fun of the old staircase, Tesme. Your timid little ones wander around alone!
Tesme remained silent, apparently waiting for the extra ears, that is, the adepts, to pass. And he stood, and we all passed by, but since I was walking behind everyone, I heard him quietly:
- Oh, what did I blurt out, old... Sorry, Tesme, it’s not my secret.
And the spirit washed its hands, in the sense - disappeared, even the lamps dimmed a little with her departure. The next moment the master barked:
- Riate, stop!
I stopped. The lucky one pretended to be asleep and not listen to anything at all, but he stopped purring.
- Riate! - Tesme, jumping three steps at a time, quickly approached, hovered over me and hissed: - Adept Riate, once again and looking into my eyes - did you take forbidden books from the library?
Despite the not particularly bright lighting, I clearly saw that Tesme’s right eyelid was twitching.
Looking towards the departing group, she sighed heavily and answered honestly:
– Master, you know about my relationship with the Lord Director. About what we had to face in the office, too. Yes, you know everything, master! - Lucky suddenly began to purr again, as if calming me down, I calmed down and continued more quietly: - And so you always taught us to look, remember, analyze, draw conclusions. And do you know what my conclusions are, Master? My conclusions are that we are faced with someone who knows much more about curses than we do! It’s the same as if we knew curses only up to the sixth, still virtually safe level, and someone else could easily use the tenth, or even thirteenth levels. And it’s one thing when you learn all this in theory, but it’s completely different when you come across it in life. I collided. I came across the fact that counter spells from your personal notebook help, but from the collection that you dictated to us, they don’t! And when your partner dies in your arms, and he is generally a Night Watchman, that is, in principle, he is magically protected more than anyone else, somehow you stop thinking that using your book is bad, because the spells written in it helped save Yurao.
“Riate...” Tesme tried to interrupt me.
But there was no stopping me.
“Why am I telling you everything, Master,” a convulsive sigh, and I still said it: “I am not at all ashamed that I used your book.” On the contrary, I’m scared to even imagine that I might not have used it. But I didn't steal any textbooks from the library! Because I've never been interested in forbidden curses. Here are spells to counteract them - yes, but the curses themselves - in no case! Especially considering the fact that now I know for sure that this is outdated knowledge.
End of introductory fragment.
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Elena Zvezdnaya
Lesson Four: How to cheat evil spirits for money
The Great Rian Thier, a member of the Order of the Immortals, the First Sword of the Empire, Master of Dark Magic and the Art of Death, the only one at the sight of whom even Thesme turned pale, looked wearily at me with dull black eyes. A haggard, darkened face, chapped, chapped lips, and a silent question in his gaze.
I lowered my head, I didn’t want to say anything in the presence of strangers, and besides the two of us, Master Tesme, Captain Veris, Lady Oris and our chief librarian, Mr. Bibor, were present in the office. Considering that I was caught breaking into a library vault, and a vault intended only for master-level teachers, using a curse on Mr. Bibor himself, I was really in danger of being expelled.
“I’m very sorry, Lord Director,” I said quietly, lowering my head.
I was really sorry, but Dara refused to help rudely and flatly. Master Tesme answered all my questions very sharply: “Don’t get involved in this, adept Riate.” Rian... Rian was absent for four days, two of which I spent under house arrest. The rules at the academy are strict, I broke them. Even the intervention of Okeno, who was now hovering outside the door, did not help.
“You’re sorry,” Ryan sighed heavily. - Is this all you want to tell us, adept Riate?
I wanted to say more, but not in front of everyone.
“Okay,” the Lord Director said wearily, “go, adept Riate.”
I raised my head and looked at him in disbelief, but the master did not even spare me a glance. But no, as if sensing my gaze, they paid attention to me to remind:
You are free.
I had no choice but to silently turn around and leave, although I had to make an effort not to slam the door.
And in the secretary’s room Okeno was waiting for me, who, ahead of Lady Mitas, quietly asked:
Expelled.
Holding back my tears, I quietly answered:
Don't know.
The senior investigator shook his head reproachfully and asked once again:
Why did you go there?
Riate-Riate, there are things that it is better not for someone as defenseless as you to get involved. What did this stunt of yours with stealing the plate lead to, Riate. Two drow died, you were attacked, and nine guards were injured in the battle with the karrags. And all this because of one of your stupidest actions!
What can I say to this? We wanted to reveal the secret, both Yurao and I are now paying the price. Officer Knights has been suspended, and it looks like I will be expelled. We were simply put in our place very rudely. No one doubted that we disagreed with this very passage, but our opinion was completely ignored.
“I’ll talk to Lord Thiers,” Okeno said softly, “but even if he expels you, you will become a trainee in the Day Guard, in a year you will enter the guard academy, seven years and you are with us, Day.” You are an excellent investigator, so I will provide you with a job.
Thank you, but... Yurao and I are planning to engage in private investigation, Master Okeno.
Private investigation requires experience and knowledge, Deya, you will only get this in the Night or Day Watch. Although you are closer to Night, Daytime activities with a magical component are not involved.
His speech was interrupted by Veris, who opened the door slightly and invited the senior investigator into the director’s office. I sadly trudged to the women's dormitory.
Wrapped in a cloak, I walked indifferently through the yard, not immediately paying attention to the group walking across me. And, probably, she wouldn’t even have looked if she hadn’t heard this snide:
Look, who's coming, the venerable blacksmith Gort herself! - it was impossible not to recognize this voice.
Raising my head, I saw Rigra, her two brothers and servants with suitcases - lectures began tomorrow, so the fact that adepts who had had their holidays arrived at the academy did not surprise me. I wasn’t surprised by her “greeting” either, since I already knew about the meeting with Auntie Rui. But I had no desire to deal with her, and therefore, overtaking them, I hurried to the hostel.
Dirty waitress ignores high society? Although what is there to be surprised about - the director’s favorite, not to say mistress, now a respectable woman, almost a blacksmith, is her older brother.
Hey, Deika the waitress, did she lose her voice from happiness? - and this is the youngest.
I stopped, and, despite the fact that my eyes were wet, my heart was completely torn to pieces, I slowly turned to the bastard Dakene family. And she almost screamed, because behind the vile trinity stood Lord Ellohar, whom our local aristocrats had not seen. But the master winked at me cheerfully and, putting his finger to his lips, called for silence. In general, the director of the School of the Art of Death looked strange - a thin black sweater that fit his neck, black trousers and that’s it. Considering that it’s not summer at all, and Rigra and his brothers, wrapped in fur coats, still shudder from gusts of icy wind, Ellohar’s attire was indeed strange. But the smile is cheerful, a little sly, and I smiled back.
She has a strange look, she also smiles. Are you, by any chance, stray? - Rigra’s older brother stepped towards me. - Hey, brat, answer when they talk to you.
From a sly smile the master’s smile became somehow predatory.
Apparently she wants us to teach her some manners again, right, Deika? - the younger one stepped towards me threateningly.
Ellohar instantly stopped smiling and asked gloomily:
Riate, what are we talking about?
The Dakene family jumped in surprise, the servants dropped their suitcases, and Rigra, seeing the master, gasped and sat down in the snow in fright. Ellohar slowly came closer, thus standing between the brothers, and hugging both of them by the shoulders in a friendly manner, with emphasized gaiety, asked:
What, my killer whales, are we having fun with fist fights? - the young aristocrats turned white. - Are we silent, my brave ones? And you’re right, torture is always more fun! - Now both Dakene brothers were trembling in horror.
A blue flame flashed.
When two adepts of death stepped out of it, the younger Dakene fell to his knees and howled, the master was not at all embarrassed by this:
Well, well, my dear, you will have to pay for everything in this life, for beating a weak woman too, especially since it will be so fun and exciting, right, adept Gorkhe?
The first one to appear grinned nastily and asked only one question:
Is it for a test or for a coursework?
To the essay on the History of Torture,” Ellohar smiled so happily. - Orves, you take the second one and give it to the first-year adepts, they are practicing very interesting blows there today. Painful for men's... pride. At sunset, return both to the family nest. Please inform parents that they can send complaints to me personally. All.
The howling Dakene were dragged into the blue flames, they turned to the howling Rigra and politely said:
Director Thiers will deal with you, adept, and I will notify him personally about the incident. Now get out of my sight.
Rigra has probably never run so fast before. The servants, picking up their suitcases, rushed after her, and in the middle of the courtyard Ellohar and I were left alone, although I didn’t know what to expect from the master. It turned out nothing good:
Riate, are we making snot again? - he asked lazily.
I involuntarily sniffled and reminded him of the obvious:
Winter, actually.
AND? - the master raised an eyebrow. - Is this a reason for increased secretion? Riate, at this rate you will end up in cohabitation, and this is not only a pitiful sight, but also disgusting. Will you have lunch with me?
Shaking my head negatively, I tried to explain everything, and started with:
I'm under arrest and...
Consider this an escape,” Ellohar interrupted me.
A blue flame flashed.
* * *When the flame disappeared, we found ourselves in the master’s office, in that very school of the Art of Death. Moreover, here the window was open, and through the whistle of the wind, I heard in the distance:
Attack, lord,” the woman ordered, in the same tone that Veris used when she ordered us to start the race.
Attack!
A muffled scream, and then the woman spoke again:
The “Dead Loop” grip allows you to inflict maximum harm on the attacker, with minimal effort and time...
Ellohar went to the window, closed it, locked it, and all this with an insidious grin, after which, turning to me, he asked:
Tea, juice, handkerchief?
“I don’t like this place at all,” I admitted honestly.
Elena Zvezdnaya
Academy of Curses. Book 4
The Great Rian Thier, a member of the Order of the Immortals, the First Sword of the Empire, Master of Dark Magic and the Art of Death, the only one at the sight of whom even Thesme turned pale, looked wearily at me with dull black eyes. A haggard, darkened face, chapped, chapped lips, and a silent question in his gaze.
I lowered my head, I didn’t want to say anything in the presence of strangers, and besides the two of us, Master Tesme, Captain Veris, Lady Oris and our chief librarian, Mr. Bibor, were present in the office. Considering that I was caught breaking into a library vault, and a vault intended only for master-level teachers, using a curse on Mr. Bibor himself, I was really in danger of being expelled.
“I’m very sorry, Lord Director,” I said quietly, lowering my head.
I was really sorry, but Dara refused to help rudely and flatly. Master Tesme answered all my questions very sharply: “Don’t get involved in this, adept Riate.” Rian... Rian was absent for four days, two of which I spent under house arrest. The rules at the academy are strict, I broke them. Even the intervention of Okeno, who was now hovering outside the door, did not help.
“You’re sorry,” Ryan sighed heavily. - Is this all you want to tell us, adept Riate?
I wanted to say more, but not in front of everyone.
“Okay,” the Lord Director said wearily, “go, adept Riate.”
I raised my head and looked at him in disbelief, but the master did not even spare me a glance. But no, as if sensing my gaze, they paid attention to me to remind:
You are free.
I had no choice but to silently turn around and leave, although I had to make an effort not to slam the door.
And in the secretary’s room Okeno was waiting for me, who, ahead of Lady Mitas, quietly asked:
Expelled.
Holding back my tears, I quietly answered:
Don't know.
The senior investigator shook his head reproachfully and asked once again:
Why did you go there?
Riate-Riate, there are things that it is better not for someone as defenseless as you to get involved. What did this stunt of yours with stealing the plate lead to, Riate. Two drow died, you were attacked, and nine guards were injured in the battle with the karrags. And all this because of one of your stupidest actions!
What can I say to this? We wanted to reveal the secret, both Yurao and I are now paying the price. Officer Knights has been suspended, and it looks like I will be expelled. We were simply put in our place very rudely. No one doubted that we disagreed with this very passage, but our opinion was completely ignored.
“I’ll talk to Lord Thiers,” Okeno said softly, “but even if he expels you, you will become a trainee in the Day Guard, in a year you will enter the guard academy, seven years and you are with us, Day.” You are an excellent investigator, so I will provide you with a job.
Thank you, but... Yurao and I are planning to engage in private investigation, Master Okeno.
Private investigation requires experience and knowledge, Deya, you will only get this in the Night or Day Watch. Although you are closer to Night, Daytime activities with a magical component are not involved.
His speech was interrupted by Veris, who opened the door slightly and invited the senior investigator into the director’s office. I sadly trudged to the women's dormitory.
Wrapped in a cloak, I walked indifferently through the yard, not immediately paying attention to the group walking across me. And, probably, she wouldn’t even have looked if she hadn’t heard this snide:
Look, who's coming, the venerable blacksmith Gort herself! - it was impossible not to recognize this voice.
Raising my head, I saw Rigra, her two brothers and servants with suitcases - lectures began tomorrow, so the fact that adepts who had had their holidays arrived at the academy did not surprise me. I wasn’t surprised by her “greeting” either, since I already knew about the meeting with Auntie Rui. But I had no desire to deal with her, and therefore, overtaking them, I hurried to the hostel.
Dirty waitress ignores high society? Although what is there to be surprised about - the director’s favorite, not to say mistress, now a respectable woman, almost a blacksmith, is her older brother.
Hey, Deika the waitress, did she lose her voice from happiness? - and this is the youngest.
I stopped, and, despite the fact that my eyes were wet, my heart was completely torn to pieces, I slowly turned to the bastard Dakene family. And she almost screamed, because behind the vile trinity stood Lord Ellohar, whom our local aristocrats had not seen. But the master winked at me cheerfully and, putting his finger to his lips, called for silence. In general, the director of the School of the Art of Death looked strange - a thin black sweater that fit his neck, black trousers and that’s it. Considering that it’s not summer at all, and Rigra and his brothers, wrapped in fur coats, still shudder from gusts of icy wind, Ellohar’s attire was indeed strange. But the smile is cheerful, a little sly, and I smiled back.
She has a strange look, she also smiles. Are you, by any chance, stray? - Rigra’s older brother stepped towards me. - Hey, brat, answer when they talk to you.
From a sly smile the master’s smile became somehow predatory.
Apparently she wants us to teach her some manners again, right, Deika? - the younger one stepped towards me threateningly.
Ellohar instantly stopped smiling and asked gloomily:
Riate, what are we talking about?
The Dakene family jumped in surprise, the servants dropped their suitcases, and Rigra, seeing the master, gasped and sat down in the snow in fright. Ellohar slowly came closer, thus standing between the brothers, and hugging both of them by the shoulders in a friendly manner, with emphasized gaiety, asked:
What, my killer whales, are we having fun with fist fights? - the young aristocrats turned white. - Are we silent, my brave ones? And you’re right, torture is always more fun! - Now both Dakene brothers were trembling in horror.
A blue flame flashed.
When two adepts of death stepped out of it, the younger Dakene fell to his knees and howled, the master was not at all embarrassed by this:
Well, well, my dear, you will have to pay for everything in this life, for beating a weak woman too, especially since it will be so fun and exciting, right, adept Gorkhe?
The first one to appear grinned nastily and asked only one question:
Is it for a test or for a coursework?
To the essay on the History of Torture,” Ellohar smiled so happily. - Orves, you take the second one and give it to the first-year adepts, they are practicing very interesting blows there today. Painful for men's... pride. At sunset, return both to the family nest. Please inform parents that they can send complaints to me personally. All.
The howling Dakene were dragged into the blue flames, they turned to the howling Rigra and politely said:
Director Thiers will deal with you, adept, and I will notify him personally about the incident. Now get out of my sight.
Rigra has probably never run so fast before. The servants, picking up their suitcases, rushed after her, and in the middle of the courtyard Ellohar and I were left alone, although I didn’t know what to expect from the master. It turned out nothing good:
Riate, are we making snot again? - he asked lazily.
I involuntarily sniffled and reminded him of the obvious:
Winter, actually.
AND? - the master raised an eyebrow. - Is this a reason for increased secretion? Riate, at this rate you will end up in cohabitation, and this is not only a pitiful sight, but also disgusting. Will you have lunch with me?
Shaking my head negatively, I tried to explain everything, and started with:
I'm under arrest and...
Consider this an escape,” Ellohar interrupted me.
Elena Zvezdnaya
Academy of Curses. Book 4
The Great Rian Thier, a member of the Order of the Immortals, the First Sword of the Empire, Master of Dark Magic and the Art of Death, the only one at the sight of whom even Thesme turned pale, looked wearily at me with dull black eyes. A haggard, darkened face, chapped, chapped lips, and a silent question in his gaze.
I lowered my head, I didn’t want to say anything in the presence of strangers, and besides the two of us, Master Tesme, Captain Veris, Lady Oris and our chief librarian, Mr. Bibor, were present in the office. Considering that I was caught breaking into a library vault, and a vault intended only for master-level teachers, using a curse on Mr. Bibor himself, I was really in danger of being expelled.
“I’m very sorry, Lord Director,” I said quietly, lowering my head.
I was really sorry, but Dara refused to help rudely and flatly. Master Tesme answered all my questions very sharply: “Don’t get involved in this, adept Riate.” Rian... Rian was absent for four days, two of which I spent under house arrest. The rules at the academy are strict, I broke them. Even the intervention of Okeno, who was now hovering outside the door, did not help.
“You’re sorry,” Ryan sighed heavily. - Is this all you want to tell us, adept Riate?
I wanted to say more, but not in front of everyone.
“Okay,” the Lord Director said wearily, “go, adept Riate.”
I raised my head and looked at him in disbelief, but the master did not even spare me a glance. But no, as if sensing my gaze, they paid attention to me to remind:
You are free.
I had no choice but to silently turn around and leave, although I had to make an effort not to slam the door.
And in the secretary’s room Okeno was waiting for me, who, ahead of Lady Mitas, quietly asked:
Expelled.
Holding back my tears, I quietly answered:
Don't know.
The senior investigator shook his head reproachfully and asked once again:
Why did you go there?
Riate-Riate, there are things that it is better not for someone as defenseless as you to get involved. What did this stunt of yours with stealing the plate lead to, Riate. Two drow died, you were attacked, and nine guards were injured in the battle with the karrags. And all this because of one of your stupidest actions!
What can I say to this? We wanted to reveal the secret, both Yurao and I are now paying the price. Officer Knights has been suspended, and it looks like I will be expelled. We were simply put in our place very rudely. No one doubted that we disagreed with this very passage, but our opinion was completely ignored.
“I’ll talk to Lord Thiers,” Okeno said softly, “but even if he expels you, you will become a trainee in the Day Guard, in a year you will enter the guard academy, seven years and you are with us, Day.” You are an excellent investigator, so I will provide you with a job.
Thank you, but... Yurao and I are planning to engage in private investigation, Master Okeno.
Private investigation requires experience and knowledge, Deya, you will only get this in the Night or Day Watch. Although you are closer to Night, Daytime activities with a magical component are not involved.
His speech was interrupted by Veris, who opened the door slightly and invited the senior investigator into the director’s office. I sadly trudged to the women's dormitory.
Wrapped in a cloak, I walked indifferently through the yard, not immediately paying attention to the group walking across me. And, probably, she wouldn’t even have looked if she hadn’t heard this snide:
Look, who's coming, the venerable blacksmith Gort herself! - it was impossible not to recognize this voice.
Raising my head, I saw Rigra, her two brothers and servants with suitcases - lectures began tomorrow, so the fact that adepts who had had their holidays arrived at the academy did not surprise me. I wasn’t surprised by her “greeting” either, since I already knew about the meeting with Auntie Rui. But I had no desire to deal with her, and therefore, overtaking them, I hurried to the hostel.
Dirty waitress ignores high society? Although what is there to be surprised about - the director’s favorite, not to say mistress, now a respectable woman, almost a blacksmith, is her older brother.
Hey, Deika the waitress, did she lose her voice from happiness? - and this is the youngest.
I stopped, and, despite the fact that my eyes were wet, my heart was completely torn to pieces, I slowly turned to the bastard Dakene family. And she almost screamed, because behind the vile trinity stood Lord Ellohar, whom our local aristocrats had not seen. But the master winked at me cheerfully and, putting his finger to his lips, called for silence. In general, the director of the School of the Art of Death looked strange - a thin black sweater that fit his neck, black trousers and that’s it. Considering that it’s not summer at all, and Rigra and his brothers, wrapped in fur coats, still shudder from gusts of icy wind, Ellohar’s attire was indeed strange. But the smile is cheerful, a little sly, and I smiled back.
She has a strange look, she also smiles. Are you, by any chance, stray? - Rigra’s older brother stepped towards me. - Hey, brat, answer when they talk to you.
From a sly smile the master’s smile became somehow predatory.
Apparently she wants us to teach her some manners again, right, Deika? - the younger one stepped towards me threateningly.
Ellohar instantly stopped smiling and asked gloomily:
Riate, what are we talking about?
The Dakene family jumped in surprise, the servants dropped their suitcases, and Rigra, seeing the master, gasped and sat down in the snow in fright. Ellohar slowly came closer, thus standing between the brothers, and hugging both of them by the shoulders in a friendly manner, with emphasized gaiety, asked:
What, my killer whales, are we having fun with fist fights? - the young aristocrats turned white. - Are we silent, my brave ones? And you’re right, torture is always more fun! - Now both Dakene brothers were trembling in horror.
A blue flame flashed.
When two adepts of death stepped out of it, the younger Dakene fell to his knees and howled, the master was not at all embarrassed by this:
Well, well, my dear, you will have to pay for everything in this life, for beating a weak woman too, especially since it will be so fun and exciting, right, adept Gorkhe?