us.” He’s clearly going for a slightly lighthearted air, probably to soothe me.
“Did I have a choice?” I point out.
I can’t help but notice that Roman isn’t here. I’m not sure if I should read anything into his absence, but it makes me anxious for some reason. He was at the faculty meeting during my first year after my wall walking ability manifested, so I wonder if he was deliberately left out this time.
Man, I hope not.
Hardwick sighs, looking troubled. “I’m sure you know why we called you here today. We’ve been hearing concerning reports from several students that you’re the one who’s been stealing other people’s magic.”
“I’m not!” I blurt out before he can say anything else. I realize my hands have balled into fists, and I try to relax them. “I would never do that to anyone. I wouldn’t hurt anybody like that.”
Now I know why these specific professors are here. Macombe teaches Advanced History of Magic, while Binns teaches Theory of Magic. Whatever new power they think I might have, it’s probably rare or unheard of, and Hardwick must’ve wanted their expertise.
As for Tamlin… Well, she teaches Combat, overseeing my sparring class. If anyone could take me down if I went crazy, even without magic, it would be her.
My stomach tightens with nerves as I gaze around the room.
The moment I told Cam, Dmitri, and Asher what’d happened that day in class and that I didn’t think I’d stolen anyone’s magic, all three of them got this look in their eyes—a light, like sunlight glinting off steel, warm but full of conviction. They didn’t even have to say anything for me to know they believed me and that they were on my side.
With these four, though, I don’t see that.
And it makes my palms feel a little clammy and my heart beat harder in my chest.
Hardwick nods at Cheryl, and she leaves, closing the door behind her. I sit down, since what the hell else am I gonna do, and Hardwick clears his throat.
“Elliot, you’ve shown remarkable growth since you arrived at our academy,” he says. “You represented us well in the Trials and overcame quite a lot in the process. More than you should’ve had to, as we now know. We were all relieved to hear that you recovered from your ordeal over the summer. And before that, you saved countless lives when you stopped that unfortunate student from stealing the Brimstone Orb.”
Nobody knows who compelled Raul to try and steal that artifact, or what exactly they planned to do with it once they got it. Whoever it was, they manipulated his frustration and feelings of anger toward the magical establishment to radicalize him against his own kind. Then they put some kind of binding spell on him so he couldn’t spill the beans.
I feel bad for the kid, honestly. Even though my relationship with magic has improved a lot, I can understand his anger. There but for the grace of Maddy, I might’ve gone.
“All that is to say, we trust you, Elliot. I don’t think you’re the kind of person who would do something like this intentionally,” Hardwick continues. He folds his hands together, interlocking his fingers, and rests them on the desk. “I hear nothing but good things about you in your classes. That you’re focused, fair-minded, and driven. That you work hard and keep to yourself.”
Yeah, all true. Notice I’m not winning the most popular student of the year award.
“But there is still the possibility that you’ve been doing this without realizing it. Forgive the cliché, but it’s like the werewolf who transforms on the full moon without knowing it, goes out and wreaks havoc, and then wakes up in bed human again and none the wiser.”
Hardwick has a thing for speeches and metaphors, in case you couldn’t tell.
“It’s why we call Unpredictable magic… unpredictable.” He shrugs. “I don’t think you want to hurt anyone, but it’s the only lead we have, and we have to take precautions. We’d like you to please submit to some testing to see whether you are in fact the cause.”
Do I want to be tested? Have my magic poked and prodded? Hell, no. But it’s better than them just hauling me off and yanking my magic out of me. And it’ll be good to get official confirmation that no, I’m not doing this. Some students might still gossip, sure. I bet Alyssa will be one of them. But it’ll stop most of the nasty rumors from spreading,