The Ragnix Circle

“How did you find this place?”

“It was just there,” I answered. “I get bored a lot of the time so I wander round the city.”

“It’s beautiful Tyler,” she said leaning on one of the rails at the top of the tower. She looked more peaceful than earlier. I smiled to myself remembering her expression when she saw my bike. It was priceless.

We stood there watching the city, as the sun set in the horizon. I watched as the stars begun to bathe the sky in their brilliant lights. The might silver orb watched over the city like a mother watches its young. I don’t know how long we had been up there, but just like all the other times I had been here, it was worth it, more so because I had showed it to Ashlan.

“Look,” Ash surprised me. “I think I see Mr. Bunowa’s constellations.”

“Where?”

“Can’t you see the Argo?” she asked.

“Rigel, Auriga, Sirius and Dracomis,” I laughed. “I can see them all.” That was not a lie. I could see all the stars and name them off hand.

“By the way thanks Tyler.”

“For what?”

“Not ditching me,” Ash said calmly. “Most people would have ditched me. Just look at the others. They think I’m some kinda of curse to the whole pleb race just because I take no shit from the other classes.”

“The others,” I said remembering my name for the other classes. I could not help letting out a sarcastic bark of laughter.

“As in,” Ash said confused. “What’s so funny?”

“The others that’s what I call them,” I said. “The other classes, I call them the others.”

“Cool name,” she smiled at me. “I guess I now see the sarcasm.”

“So who was Xander?”

Ashlan’s face darkened at the mention of that name. She bit down hard on her lower lip trying not to cry or even sink into a depression. I could see the veins on her hands as she clutched the rails tightly.

“Sorry,” I said. “If it is a sore subject, I might as well drop it.”

“Fuck it,” she said suddenly. “You would have found out sooner or later. Better you hear it from me than hearing some absurd version of the truth.”

“Hear what?”

“Xander was my younger twin,” she said in a distant voice. “Back on Bricore, he was constantly bullied and hurt by the others, so when we realized they were bringing us here, I promised myself he would never be hurt ever again. I was meant to protect him, so when we came, I was the one that Alex and his friends ganged up on. I always got back to the dorm bleeding or with something sprained. One day it was too much for Xander to handle, so he confronted Alex in front of most of the school.

“Kaitin began using magic on him, just like they used to do to me. I was too late to save my brother. I shoved him out of the way and this scar…” she pulled her hair back and let the fresh wound come into view. “…was the fruit of my attempts. Xander was cut to pieces as; Kaitin’s magic took control of him. I took a little of the spell as I tried to push him out of the way. I remember attacking her but I guess you already knew that, plebs are kinda weak when it comes to magic.”

“I figured it out on the first day,” I lied to us both.

“I tried to get them punished, but only managed to get myself punished,” Ash went on with her story. “Ever since then, all plebs avoid me and all the others enjoy taking swipes at me.”

“It was not your fault your brother tried to protect you.”

“I was supposed to protect him,” Ash snapped. “He was my younger brother so I was supposed to protect him not the other way round.”

“Sometimes we all needed a little protecting.” I hugged her seeing the tears springing into her eyes. I held her close until her breathing became steady. I don’t know what made me do it, but I used magic at that moment. I hoped she would not realize it. I felt all the rigid inches of her scar as I let a small bit of magic touch the sides. It begun to close up. It will be sometime before you realize what I did.

She let me go and walked a small distance away from me.

“You remind me of him Tyler,” she said.

“In a good way or bad way.”

“A bit of both,” she smiled and for the first time I thought it was genuine.

“One day Ash,” I said. “You’ll get your revenge on the Ragnix council and their pompous kids.”

She kept quiet and I thought that was the end of the conversation. A gentle breeze filled the air around us. Her hair flowed out behind her head revealing her slender neck. I looked at the spot where the freshly opened scar was supposed to be. I did it. I smiled to myself. She had no clue I had removed the scar that tortured her.

“What?” she asked.

“Oh nothing,” I said timidly.

“Come on,” she said fully turning away from the view. “You were looking at me and then you smiled.”

“It’s nothing Ash believe me.”

“Alright.”

We stayed in an awkward silence until she looked at me more confused. It was as if something had finally clicked in her mind. Her hand went to her face to try and trace the scar. I watched her eyes pop in surprise as she discovered its absence. I swallowed hard knowing I had counted my cream darts before I had bought them.

“What?”

“Who are you Tyler Bennett?” she asked suspiciously.

“What kinda question is that?”

“Tyler,” she said. “I’m dead serious. You’ve never been into the dorm. You are never in any of our free periods and you have a freaking bike. No pleb is that well off. Are you like some guardian trainee, sent to weed out the nasty plebs?”

“You’re just imagining things Ash.” I looked away from her afraid of letting her see the fear.

“”You’re lying, Ty,” she said coming to stand in front of me.

“I am not.”

“Look me in the eye and say you’re not lying.” I kept quiet and still looked over her head.

“Fine,” she exclaimed, “you’re lying. I’ve been round the dorm a lot of times and I’ve never seen you. Fine at least tell me what was up with your eyes today. They kinda changed when Ariel and Kaitin attacked me.”

“Some allergy Ash.”

“And the heat that seemed to be coming from both your shoulders,” she crossed her arms over her chest. “I felt it Tyler.”

I guess it can’t hurt to tell her. My mind had no way out of this one. Kasiman should have been more worried about Ashlan noticing my power baying to come out and not the pure kids. She seemed to be seeing everything that the rest could not see.

“Well?”

I hesitated.

“I get it,” she said angrily. “It’s not like I’ll tell on you but whatever Tyler, I’m done standing up for you. I told you some shit I’d rather have not and you lie to me a few seconds after.”

“Ash…”

“You owe me something close to the truth Tyler,” she snapped.

“I am not lying,” I said. “I’m no guardian. Those are just some gun wielding low level magic people.”

“Fuck you Tyler,” she yelled, shoving me before turning on the spot and walking away towards the stairway. It had to be now if I was going to tell her.

“I’m a pure blood,” I said as she set her foot on the first step down. She stopped her foot midway in the air. You’ve started so go on. “I’m just like one of them Ash. I am a pure blood mage, magician, and wizard, whatever you call them.”

“You’re joking,” her voice was slow and back was still turned to me.

“No I aint.” I turned my back to her and stared at the city. I hoped that she would turn round and listen. I heard her turn and approach me. I could feel the fear in her steps as she drew closer.

“You’re serious huh.”

“Yeah,” I said.

“How come?”

I turned round and found myself looking deep into her eyes. She was not judging me just like I knew others would have done. I sat down on the hard stones of the tower with my back leaning against the rails. Ash sat next to me.

“Can I see your tattoo?”

“They’re two actually,” I laughed hysterically. “Two bloody tattoos.”

“You know what that means…”

“I’ve been in school with you Ash,” I cut her short. “I’m the only child of two pure lines.”

“Hold up man,” she said fiercely, “I want no war of words, just tell me.”

“Sure, here’s my bloody curse.” I removed my T- shirt and let the light of the moon wash me. I went rigid as her slender fingers traced the Merlin dragon before tracing the Aperdian dragon as well.

“They’re beautiful Ty.”

“They’re a curse Ash.”

“I know these two dragons,” she said suddenly. “Oh my giddy aunt, those lines are not lost.”

“Yeah my dad will be flustered a pleb thinks so highly of his family,” I said sarcastically.

“Tyler, those are the only two families that I respected along with the other two lines that were burned away by the Le Fays,” she touched my tattoos again.

“Little good that will do Ash,” I said angrily.

“You’re stronger than all those freaks and you let them treat you like that.”

“Yeah,” I said. “I must not let anyone know which means this stays between us Ash.”

“I swear.”

“It’s almost impossible,” Ash said. “It was all over the news, when Mr. Michaels’ brother and his family were found dead in their flat. But the Aperdian dragon, crap that’s wicked. How is it possible?”

“My mum, how else?”

“You’re saying Emily Aperdian is alive?”

“Actually it is Emily Bennett now,” I said.

“Sorry,” Ash said. “It’s just too shocking. Those are the most powerful true families and they were against the harsh treatment of plebs.”

“I’m against it as well Ash,” I whispered. “I lived with plebs for sixteen years and believed I was one until recently.”

“Oh,” she said taken a back. “So you lived your whole life thinking you were something you were not.”

“Pretty much.”

“That kinda sucks,” she said. “So you are now conflicting with who you are and who you thought you were. I get it Tyler.”

She really understood my battle. On one side I knew I was a pure blood and one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful and on the other. I was a pleb. I had suffered with them and made many friends among the lowest class. But I knew I had only one way out and that was to sort myself out. I had nothing else to say to her. I just stared away into the distance. The cold wind pricked at my skin and I was about to put on my shirt when I realized Ash was staring at her watch.

“What’ wrong?” I asked.

“Nothing,” she snapped, “just missed the silly curfew.”

“You’re joking right,” I was alarmed.

“There goes my clean record.”

“You can stay with me,” I said.

“Where?” she snapped. “In that imaginary room.”

“Actually,” I said, “at the house. I think I can get you past my parents.”

“No way am I going with you Tyler,” she said. “I’ll be wizard food.”

“No you won’t.” Did ash think all pure bloods were that evil?

“What of the weekend thing,” she argued. “I’m a pleb and I’ve to be at school for the weekend trip home.”

“I’m a pleb in the system Ash,” I laughed. “I’ll get us there on time okay.”

“You better pure blood.”

I could not help frowning at her new nickname for me.

“Okay you hate the name,” she smiled seeing my frown. “Put on your shirt Tyler.”