“There’s no reason for you to be here,” he said, time and time again. I was tempted to ask when he would come up with some new material. Jokes lose their humour with every repetition and insults lose their sting. “Why do you even bother?”
His cronies tittered on cue. I rolled my eyes and ignored them as Master Falladine entered the classroom and started to demonstrate how spells, even very simple spells, could be used in combat. My older classmates - some were old enough to be my father - leaned forward with interest. A couple of them, I was sure, had served in an army; they certainly asked questions that suggested they had genuine experience, unlike the aristocrats who were granted rank as their birthright. Or so I thought. My father and brothers had kept me and my sisters well away from any passing soldiers, on the rare occasions they marched through the village. Much of what I knew came from horror stories of wars and conflicts so far away they might as well be in fantasy lands. I didn’t want to be involved.
“You must always be prepared to fight,” Master Falladine told us. He was the battle magic teacher, the only man I had ever met who looked more muscular than my father. His outfit was tight enough to show off his physique, while still allowing him to move easily. He carried a sword as well as a pair of wands, pointing out to Cemburu - when he asked - that magic wasn’t always reliable in combat, while a sword usually was. “You will never know when threats will raise their heads, or when you will have to fight for your life.”
Cemburu stuck up his hand. “Sir,” he said. “Who would fight a magician?”
“There is no shortage of people who think they can fight and kill a magician,” Master Falladine said, bluntly. “The anarchy may be in the past, but there is no shortage of lawless territory or men seeking to profit from the cares. Whitehall itself may be attacked at any moment. There are kings and noblemen out there who resent our predominance and our willingness to teach magic to everyone” – I could feel eyes burning into my back – “and they may sponsor further attacks on us, if they scent weakness.”
I tried not to shudder as Master Falladine continued to demonstrate spells, in-between lecturing as on the importance of physical exercise and combat training. I had never considered that the school might not be popular with everyone, although in hindsight it was obvious. Common-born magicians - and witches – threatened to upend the social order. I wasn’t sure if the story about Hilde turning a young nobleman into a frog and telling him that he would have to get a woman to willingly kiss him if he wanted to be turned back to a man, was true, but it was hard to control magicians. I could easily imagine the local nobility trying to maintain a monopoly on magical education and trying to stamp out commoner magic.
“I expect you all to practice these spells,” Master Falladine finished. “I want you all perfect by the end of the week. If you can cast them on cue, we will move on to embedding spells within bladed weapons and using them to enhance our prowess; if not …”
He let the unspoken threat hang in the air for a long moment, then smiled. “Janis, you’re on cleaning duty. The rest of you can go.”
I nodded as I got to work. As chores went, clearing the classroom was one of the easier tasks we were set. I really didn’t have to do much beyond picking up the states and wiping them, straightening the chairs and a handful of other minor tasks. Master Falladine and the rest of the class filed out, leaving me alone. I wondered, idly, where Master Falladine went for lunch. I had never seen him in the dining hall, not at lunch time. Perhaps he ate with his wife and family.… if he had a family. I didn’t know. We were not encouraged to socialise with our teachers outside the classroom. It would be difficult, I suspected, if Bernard and Julianne had a child. Did they? I didn’t know.
The air shifted behind me, a moment before I felt a hard pinch on my arse. I jumped and spun around, fists raised. It wasn’t uncommon for boys to try to kiss girls back home, but actually touching her rear? I was not surprised to see Cemburu standing by the door, flanked by his two goons, leering at me. He’d pinched me with magic. Anger shot through me. Father had walloped my bottom more than once, as I’d grown up, but how dare Cemburu touch me that way? How dare he?
Cemburu smirked and returned his wand to his sleeve. “Master Falladine did tell us to practice our spells.”
I gaped at him. Master Falladine had taught us the pinching spell, but he had never told us to practice or each other … and certainly not like that. “You dare …?”
His leer grew worse. “Of course I dare,” he said, fumbling with his belt. “You’re just a little commoner slut who needs to be put in her place, on her knees.”
For a moment, I just stared. Did he really think I would …? No village boy would ever dream of doing such a thing. Even if he managed to have his way with me, my father and brothers would pound him into bloody paste and no one would get in their way. They might even help them. It was one thing for a girl to open her legs willingly, even outside wedlock, but quite another for her to be forced. Her rapist would be lucky to survive long enough to be kicked out of the village. And yet …
Cemburu was an aristocrat. He thought himself my superior. Anywhere else, he would be right. I had heard the stories. No one would care about a commoner who was raped by a nobleman. They’d say you was lucky to be favoured with his attentions.
He started to draw his wand. I darted forward and punched his jaw, hard. Cemburu staggered backwards and collapsed, hitting the floor hard enough to surprise even me. My brothers would have shrugged off the blow, as would David and the other village lads. I would have hurt myself worse than I hurt them. But Cemburu … I wondered, for a moment, if I had broken his jaw. It was quite possible.
A spell struck me. I realise my mistake too late. Jahat or Irihati had hexed me. My entire body went limp. I fell to the floor, unable to move a single voluntary muscle. I could barely see anything as I lay helpless, all too aware I was suddenly at their mercy. If they wanted to rape me, they could … I cursed my decision to aim for the jaw instead of the throat. I could have killed Cemburu before he could lay a hand on me, maybe even taken down Jahat or Irihati. If nothing else, I would have made them pay …
“And just what,” Master Falladine said coldly, “is going on here?”
I flushed, drenching myself in shame. I had lost without even knowing I was in a fight. I should have …
“Well, sir,” Cemburu managed. His voice was no longer so snooty. I was impressed he could talk at all. “We were just practising our magic and …”
“Really.” Master Falladine sounded utterly unimpressed. “Go to my office and prepare yourself.”
The three boys started to protest in unison, only to be cut off by Master Falladine. “Go. Now.”
I groaned, inwardly, as Master Falladine closed the door, giving me some privacy to recover. The spell was slowly wearing off, but … I felt unable to think. The boys would blame me, of course, and unless they were expelled … I swallowed hard. They weren’t going to be expelled. Master Falladine would make their bottoms wish they had never been born, I was sure, but it wouldn’t be enough. They had stripped my confidence from me, called my very presence at the school into question, and … I was sure it was just a matter of time before they had everyone convinced I had been begging for it. For a moment, I wanted to run …
And then cold determination overwhelmed me.
I was going to make them pay for what they had done.