The Curse (H. Academy Series #1)

The smell of medicinal alcohol woke me up. I wrinkled my nose, which fought against the scent, and opened my eyes. Brightness immediately made me close them again. I was lying on a bed, rough sheets beneath my hands and weakness in my body.

“Jade?” Amma’s voice made me open my eyes again, adjusting to the neon lights. “Morta, she’s awfully pale.”

“That’s because of this goddess forsaken neon lightning.” Morta’s regularly uninterested voice made me chuckle and I finally opened my eyes fully.

“You’re awake!” Amma squeaked happily.

“Can you get me some water?” I asked. My throat was so dry that it hurt to breathe. I was in a hospital bed, in a separate room. Amma jumped off the chair immediately and ran away.

“Are you guys okay?” I asked naively and turned to Morta. Her face was completely white and her silver eyes were red, her eyeliner smeared all over her face.

“We’re okay, but a lot of students aren’t.” She looked down, the expression on her face completely beaten. “That black thing was contagious.”

Amma returned with my water and I greedily gulped down the entire glass, feeling the water revive me. I wasn’t technically hurt, but I felt weak all over. Understandable, considering I have never used a spell as strong as the protection spell, I cast.

“It was awful, Jade, everyone went wild!” Amma rubbed her swollen eyes as another tear escaped from them.

“It was basically Hunger Games.” Morta murmured, but Amma didn’t appreciate the humour.

“How many people died?” I asked as the lump formed in my throat. My heart squeezed inside my chest and I felt the upcoming tears in the back of my eyes. But I had way too much work to do to cry now.

“Fifteen students. They managed to save the most. But the white magic wasn’t working.” Amma shook her head and took a breath, stopping her own voice from quivering.

“So, Thar singlehandedly saved the school.” I murmured, throwing my head back onto the rough pillow.

“Well, he had help.” Amma smiled at me.

“How did you get the glass out of his eyes?” Morta asked.

“I created tweezers from carbon in the air. It’s a nifty trick I used in high school every time I realised my eyebrows weren’t perfect.” I shrugged.

“That’s kind of genius.” Morta murmured, which was a real compliment coming from her.

“And you used that notebook to form a protection field.” Amma hummed proudly.

“Yeah, well, I didn’t have time to draw actual symbols, but I guess it worked.” I lifted my head and looked around. At least they gave me a separate room. Medical supplies and white furniture decorate the room, creating that typical hospital atmosphere.

“Jade, why didn’t white magic work?” Amma asked like I had all the answers in the world.

“I don’t know. How’s Thar?” I remembered this must have taken its toll on him, too. He may be powerful, but he still singlehandedly repelled the entire black ooze. Once it came back into my mind, I shivered all over, still feeling that awful stench in my nostrils.

“Probably better than you.” Morta gave me a once over and I frowned, pushing the sheets off me.

“I have to find him.”

“Woah, settle down, lover girl, you’re in no shape to run through the school.” Morta grabbed my shoulders and pushed me back onto the pillow.

“Let me go, Morta! I have to talk to him.” I struggled against her hands and won. I looked over my white hospital gown and frowned. “Clothes!” I demanded and Amma immediately ran away.

“Listen, Jade, there’s not much you can do right now. Thar is probably talking to other teachers and setting up protection spells around the school.” Morta said, but I shook my head.

“It has to be black magic. Which means Thar is the only one of use and he can’t do it alone.” I was right and I knew it, but I also knew fighting for my chance would be much harder.

“Thar is an experienced mage that has control over his powers-”

“Thar is twenty-five years old and a teacher just because there was no one else.” I interrupted Morta.

“And how exactly will a nineteen-year-old girl with no experience whatsoever help him?” Morta squinted and I sighed, right when Amma returned with my clothes. Which were her clothes, to be precise. I took the long-sleeved yellow, floral dress, tightened around the waist and sighed again.

“My closet was too far?” I asked.

“I can’t come inside if you’re out. The lock won’t let me.” Amma shrugged. “I was thinking that we should break down the walls between our rooms. With everything going on, I would feel much safer if we shared a room.”

Morta and I exchanged a glance.

“Uh, honey, no.” Morta shook her head.

“What? Why not?” Amma whined.

“Because some of us might want to bring someone over at some point.” I said, realising what Morta’s gaze hinted at.

“Oh.”

I took off the white gown and put on Amma’s dress, which was much shorter on me. The mirror was on the opposite wall and I cringed at my paleness, but I combed my hair with my fingers and tried to plaster on an expression of peace.

“I really don’t think this is a good idea, Jade.” Amma murmured. “You might be hurt.”

“I’m fine.” But as soon as I stepped on my feet, I realised my ankle was swollen from jumping off the table in the main hall. “Shit.” It wasn’t that big and it didn’t change colour, but it hurt when I shifted my weight on it.

With a little help from my friends, I walked out of the hospital area in the southern wing and headed for the main building. The low sun was beginning to set and I realised I was out for quite some time.

“Where do you want to go?” Amma asked.

“To Thar’s office.” I pointed to the hallway, remembering where to go from last night. Adrenaline pumped through my veins, which happened every time I had an agenda. There were so many things I needed to do. And the first one on the list was finally convincing Thar that he had to train me. Not just in class, but separately, too. I needed to learn how to use this thing that coursed through my veins, especially if only black magic worked against these demons.

As soon as I saw Thar’s door, I rushed to it and knocked. Voices from the inside stopped and I knocked again. Silence loomed on the other side.

“I know you’re in there!” I shouted while both Amma and Morta insecurely stared at me and my strange behaviour. But they didn’t know what it felt like to have the entire school rely on you. What it felt like to be the only one able to help.

Silence continued inside the room and I grabbed the handle, which immediately burnt my hand.

“Ouch!” I shouted louder than it actually hurt and threw myself on the door.

“Jade, this is a bit childish.” Morta pointed out, but I ignored her. I hit the door with my fists, even though it began to hurt.

“Locking me out is childish!” I shouted and right as I was about to lean onto the door with all my might, it flung open and I staggered inside. Eyes of all the teachers in the school slammed into and I smiled nervously. “Am I interrupting?”

“What are you doing here, Jade?” Thar asked, his eyes were patched up, but a hint or red remained inside of the whites. Professor Lange sighed, Professor Darth began angrily tapping his foot on the floor and the pretty professor smiled encouragingly. Others I didn’t recognise.

“I want to help.” I crossed my hands on my chest, hoping I looked intimidating. Which I doubted, considering the yellow, floral dress. “I demand to help.”

“Jade, we appreciate what you did today, we really do.” Professor Lange cut in before Thar managed to say anything. “But keeping you save is our priority, not the other way around. The way you stepped in today was extremely courageous and extremely foolish. You could’ve been killed.”

I would not be mean. I would not be mean. I would not be-

“Funny, because I remember your lost expression when you realised white magic wasn’t working against it. How your eyes practically begged me to do something.”

“Jade!” Thar came nearer.

“Young lady, how dare you say something like that to me?” Professor Lange’s forehead wrinkled further and she pursed her lips, staring me down. But I kept my ground.

“You need my help and you know it! At least train me, help me become better.” I turned to Thar and felt instantly sorry. His eyes became red again, filling up with blood, his knuckles were completely white and his expression tired.

“Jade, the first thing we need to do is protect the school-” Professor Darth began.

“I can do that!” I interrupted quickly, feeling all kinds of stressed out glances all over me. I even heard Amma’s nervous chuckle from the doorstep. I behaved like a child someone let off the leash, but someone needed to act.

“Listen, you’re still in shock-”

“You’re in shock!” I interrupted Professor Lange again and she did not appreciate it. “Obviously, you didn’t witness the same thing I did. Fifteen of your students died today, the only thing that worked against the black ooze was black magic. The only black magic users in this school are Thar and me-”

“Professor Adara.” Thar corrected me.

“Professor Adara and me.” I felt the warmth crawl up my cheeks. “Let me help. You’re wasting your opportunity of having one more black magic user trained. We all know I can help.”

“Thar, please, get the girl out of here.” Professor Lange nodded towards the exit and I felt Morta’s grip tighten around my forearm.

“But, but, I can help!” I tried one more time and noticed sympathy form in pretty professor’s eyes.

“Jade, dear, we don’t really need your help.” She tried to ease her words with a smile.

“We don’t need your help, Jade, because your father will be coming to school.” Professor Lange smiled wickedly my way and I felt all levels of betrayed.

“What?” I had to have guessed something like this would occur. Of course, they needed to inform the Arch Mage of the things that happened, which meant my father would know. And if black magic was needed somewhere, he came with it.

“Jade, let’s go.” Thar grabbed me by my hand and literally pulled me out of his office.

“Bringing in my father will do more harm than good!” I shouted towards the teachers, but Thar already dragged me half out of the door.

“What the hell are you doing?” He asked once the door closed shut.

“I want to help!”

“You can’t just interrupt a meeting like this.” He shook his head, the blood forming in the corners of his eyes, which made me lift my hand and try to help. He caught it mid-air. “Jade.”

“What? I can help.” I murmured. Thar looked over my head and I turned, seeing both Morta and Amma stare at us, with strange mixture of emotions on their faces. “What?”

“Jade, go to your room, rest, sleep on it. I’ll make sure you get proper training, I swear.” Thar’s voice made me look at him again, his hand still gripping mine. I used my other hand to wipe away the blood that clothed in his eyes. I extended my magic to his eyes and closed mine.

Soft, healing energy spread through me.

“I may be hungover, but I’m not dead, remove from my eyes, this awful red.” I whispered and watched the red colour disperse around the whites of his eyes, slowly disappearing.

“Seriously?” He asked and smiled gently.

“You’ve no idea how many magical makeup tricks I have. It was the first thing I taught myself.” I smiled. “Promise you’ll let me train?”

“I’ll let you train. But you can’t come in demanding things like this. And please, don’t call me Thar in front of other teachers.” The gentle smile that gripped his lips was strange and unfamiliar, but I nodded nonetheless, without further questioning.

“Okay, I understand.” I retreated my hand and stepped away. Morta half-dragged me away, an unknown emotion lingering on her face, awe, confusion.

“Jade,” Thar called for me and I immediately turned around, finding his eyes, “thank you. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“You’re welcome.” I smiled and Morta pulled at my sleeve.

While we walked away, I thought about the food we might order. I was craving something greasy and full of calories, like a hamburger. My strength was entirely drained and I looked forward to watching Netflix with Amma and Morta.

“So, that went well, right?” I asked once we exited the building and walked over the pebbled paths to the western wing.

“Yeah, he’s going to train you.” Amma chuckled nervously and I squinted suspiciously.

“What? That’s a good thing. If I want to defend this school, I have to learn magic.” When Amma’s awkward smile didn’t go away, I turned to Morta. “What?”

“How long have you known you’ve got him whipped?”

“What?” My eyes widened and embarrassment flowed through me.

“Come on, don’t play dumb. He wants to bang you and you know it.” Morta snickered.

“He’s my teacher! I’m sure he’s smarter than that.”

“Oh, he may be smarter than actually succumbing to his desires, but that doesn’t mean you can’t full-on emotionally blackmail him into giving you whatever you want.” An idea seemed to pop in Morta’s head and I rolled my eyes.

“I don’t know,” Amma murmured, “it’s like he actually likes you.”

“Maybe because I’m the only other black magic user in the school? Or because, you know, I basically saved his life today?” I was certain Thar would eventually be fine without me, but I also didn’t want them to be right. A complication like that could actually get us all killed.

“Or maybe he wants to bang you.” Morta shrugged.

“Whatever. I’m too smart to do that.” I said and walked ahead, leaving them behind. If this were some other life where he wasn’t my teacher, then sure, I’d want him. But not only was he my teacher, but also our school almost got ripped to shreds today. And something like a romantic involvement was nowhere near my mind.

Still, I smiled at the thought.