Veiled Spirits

CHAPTER 11

IZZY

Minutes later, I hear the door creak open. Prying my burning eyelids apart, I squint at Judith as she walks toward me. “The dean agreed to twenty laps. I hate to rush you out, dear, but it’s best if you leave before he comes back out.”

“Thanks, Judith. You’re a lifesaver,” I tell her with a tired smile.

While running five miles when I can barely stand won’t be fun, at least it’s doable.

Some of my past punishments include cleaning the entire school and cooking food for all students and staff for a week. Both of those tasks are usually done with magic. My brothers have come in to help me do tasks that are pretty impossible without magic. The dean hates it.

Pushing to my feet, I give Judith one more hug before heading out. Once I’m out of the building, I pull my earbuds out of my backpack and put them in. I put on “Happier” and shake out my limbs. With my music on, I start jogging to the Walsh Athletic Center, hoping it will help me wake up. I feel like I could fall asleep standing up right now.

A little less than ten minutes later, I arrive in front of the glass and steel building. Whereas most of the other buildings at HGU look like they’re from the seventeenth century, the Walsh Athletic Center is all modern glass, right angles, and cold gray metal. Whoever designed it did not understand the assignment to match the rest of campus.

I pull open the glass and metal door and am immediately smacked in the face with cool air. Since it’s September, the air is muggy and humid outside. The rapid change causes me to shiver and wish I brought a sweater with me.

“I’m so fucking tired,” I mumble as I walk around the red track toward Levi’s office. A few students are working out on the fake green grass in the middle, but most people prefer to use the weight rooms upstairs. Beneath the main floor are two pools for competitive swimming.

I’d think physical activity would be beneath mages, but the mages here get super into sports competitions. Since mages don’t have naturally enhanced strength, speed, or reflexes, HGU can play against normal universities.

“I know you are, kid. Maybe Levi will let you rest a bit before doing the laps,” Aggie suggests as we round the corner to the coaches’ offices. Levi doesn’t coach any sport. Instead, he’s in charge of all the physical education and combat classes. He only started last semester, so he’s a fairly new instructor. Maybe that’s why he doesn’t hate me like the rest of the school.

“A short rest isn’t going to do anything. It’s better to get it over with now.” We walk the remaining distance in silence, each of us lost in our own thoughts.

I’m relieved to see Levi’s door open, the light on. At least I don’t have to wait around for hours. I can get the laps over with and go on to my other classes.

Unlike other coaches or professors, Levi goes by his first name instead of his last name. It was a little weird at first, but I’ve gotten used to it.

I knock on the doorframe and pull out my earbuds before stepping into the space. Levi’s office is decorated in shades of black and gray. His gray walls are bare, and his ebony wood desk is devoid of anything personal. I’ve wondered why he doesn’t decorate, but it’s not really my place to ask.

“Hey,” I greet Levi as I step inside his office. He jerks his gaze up from his computer when I step in. My eyes meet his obsidian ones. With his irises being pitch-black, the only way I can tell he even has pupils are the red rings around them. Levi wins the award for coolest eyes, hands down.

“What are you doing here, little raven?” Levi asks with his lips tilted up in a small smile. He pushes his black hair out of his eyes as he talks. With it cut shorter on the sides and longer on top, the onyx strands frequently fall in his striking eyes. His olive skin keeps him from being washed out by his dark hair and eyes.

My tired brain flashes back to the first time he called me that.

I can’t believe I have to take gym class as a junior in college. If I were allowed to participate in any of the sports, I wouldn’t have to take a gym credit. Without any magic, I’m banned from all school-sponsored activities.

I had the choice between weightlifting and combat class. Obviously, I choose combat. A school-sanctioned opportunity to beat up the other mages at HGU? Sign me the fuck up.

There’s a new professor teaching P.E. classes this year. He’ll probably be just as much of an insufferable asshole as the rest of the faculty here, but there’s always a chance he might be better. Just like there’s always a chance that T-Rexes will become unextinct and eat all of my classmates, which is probably a more likely scenario, honestly.

With a deep sigh, I push the heavy wood doors to the gym open. I choose a spot along the back wall, so I don’t have to get too close to any of the other mages.

It’s a few minutes before the professor walks in. I’m lost in my thoughts, so I don’t notice him enter until he says, “Good morning, class. I’m Levi, your new combat teacher. For our first class period, I’m going to do individual sessions with each of you to assess your skills. Once you’ve completed your assessment, you can leave. The rest of you can talk quietly amongst yourselves as you wait.”

Levi calls the first person up, and everyone else breaks off into their little cliques. I stay where I am against the wall. Class is going pretty well until Tyler Giles sidles up next to me. “I’m surprised they let a magicless nobody like you in a combat class.”

I roll my eyes so hard, it’s a wonder they don’t get stuck. “It’s a surprise they let an unoriginal, marginally more intelligent than a toaster, b-level mage like you in combat class.”

Tyler’s face turns almost purple in anger as he sputters at my insult. Before he can respond, the new combat teacher is suddenly standing in front of us. I let my head thump against the blue mat behind me, already knowing I’m going to get yelled at for this encounter. It doesn’t matter that I didn’t start it. I’m always the one at fault.

“I don’t tolerate bullying in my class,” Levi barks.

My eyes snap open and my mouth parts in shock. I’m not the one bullying anyone. As I suck in a breath to argue, I realize the combat teacher is glaring at Tyler, who’s almost as shocked as I am. “I wasn’t bullying her. She’s the one who was insulting me! I was just trying to make conversation.”

“I heard what you said to her, so don’t try to lie to me, boy. You’re dismissed from today’s lesson. You can arrange time with me outside of class for your assessment.” When Tyler just opens and closes his mouth like a fish, Levi growls at him. “Leave. Now!”