WHITE DARKNESS - BLACK MAGIC SAGA - BOOK 1

CHOICES TO MAKE

By the next day, on Saturday, Leevanna was pacing around her room, nipping her thumb and with her brain working by the second. She was nervous. Rightly so.

Today everyone would be making the decision for her, all of the student body, including Stouvania, would be choosing if she was fit to continue participating in the Paragon Tournament as one of the twenty champions. She hadn’t sent word to her parents; she knew her father would outraged and was better not saying a single word. Luckily, no one would say either and her secret would be safe. Sthepon had reprimanded her two days ago for entering the duels without saying something to him first. But she knew he would have said no, and she wasn’t hoping for a yes either.

Perhaps it wasn’t such a good idea to do this. She would be asked if she wanted to proceed, and she could say no and end with this once and for all.

However, she knew that it wasn’t fair that just because she was a woman it wasn’t permitted for her to participate. And she had a point to prove. To everyone. Specially to men. To Vailant.

And it wasn’t that she was doing it specifically because of him.

No, don’t get her wrong.

She was doing this, participate in the tournament and possibly the war, because of herself. Because she wanted to prove women, royal women most of all, could and would be able to handle war. That it wasn’t fair for them not letting them to have a choice. Women weren’t just to have children, participate in social events and stay at home. Women were so much more. Womanhood was so much more than they were told.

Women were brave, intelligent, witty, strong and independent. Leevanna just didn’t want to do this for herself but for all women who felt they didn’t have a choice.

That was the main reason of why she wanted to be Head of Elements one day. To give women the choice of being whatever they want. To make a difference.

There was a knock on her door.

She stopped pacing. “Come in,” her voice small.

The door opened, revealing five people. Freya, Lhu, Thea, Rhaz and Mason. She frowned.

“What are you doing here?”

They looked at each other for a second before stepping into the room. Thea thew herself at Leevanna, who froze before the girl separated, “We just wanted to let you know that we are with you.”

“What?”

“Are you deaf?” Freya looked at her poorly. “We’re with you, woman. We are going to say yes for you to continue in the tournament.” Leevanna frowned yet again. “Oh she is daft.”

“Freya!” laughed Lhu before taking Leevanna’s hands into hers. “We are with you, Leev,” she smiled.

“It was obvious, I dare to say,” Rhazel gave a bite to the apple he had in his hand after that, and swallowed before saying, “You wouldn’t have thought we would leave you alone, would you?” Leevanna didn’t know what to say, she was staring into their eyes as if she just couldn’t comprehend their words.

This was unreal.

Mason crossed his arms over his chest and smirked playfully, “Leevanna Vaughan thought her friends would leave her alone.”

“W-Well, I-I—”

“I can’t believe it!” squeaked Thea offended. “We’re your friends, you i***t! And we’re women as well!”

“We are?” frowned Rhazel confused.

“We wouldn’t have dare to leave you on your own,” Thea continued. “Even if the school isn’t with you, we are. And that’s what matters. We have been trying to tell you, but, well… Things happened.”

“I can’t—”

“Oh, you f*****g can,” said Freya, already exasperated. She grabbed Leevanna by the shoulders and her eyes bore into hers. “You are a woman. A f*****g royal one as well. You are strong and brave, just like the rest of us. Just like any men in the world. You’re a person who’s capable. You can, Leevanna. Don’t think otherwise. Even if you’re water and ice, fire is within you, inside your whole being, and if you can’t find it, we help you, okay?”

Leevanna nodded, “Okay.”

“Now, stop whining and be the b***h you always are.” The jade-eyed smiled and nodded.

“Damn, even I couldn’t have come with such words,” said Lhu with her lips downwards and nodding in acceptance.

“Well, who wants a drink?” Mason’s voice made everyone turn around. A bottle of Flower Shot in hand.

“I certainly do,” Leevanna huffed before pushing her hair backwards with her hand. Rhazel summoned six cups and the six of them sat on the rug of Leevanna and Lhu’s bedroom and started chatting. Leevanna was still nervous, that was for sure, but after the kind of speech Freya had given to her about the fire within her, she felt stronger.

When she was younger, she remembered her mother given her a dragon egg. It was pearly white and had little dots that seemed golden and deep purple splatters. It was a Votryean Sparkscale egg, one of the most powerful dragons that ever existed. Neferet said it had been the only one in the nest to not crack and was more of a family heirloom than anything, but it was hers now. Leevanna knew the Vikena family, her maternal family, had been one of the only ones to be able to handle dragons for centuries, even when they stopped breeding them after the war.

Leevanna was thinking about it.

Her little secret.

“Bollocks.”

“I saw you!” exclaimed Rhazel Cox in Freya’s direction while laughing.

“I didn’t do it!”

“Oh yes, you did,” laughed Mason placing all the chess figures to their initial positions so they could play another round.

“Who cheats in bloody chess?” asked Rhaz also accommodating the figures on his board. Being part of House Vasilka had its perks and made them have the splendid advantages. For example, the room provided chess boards made of crystal, just like the pieces. Nobody expected less being honest.

“Freya,” laughed Leevanna.

“You need to pay,” reminded Lhu to the girl with a raised eyebrow playfully and extending her hand to her friend. Thea had left moments ago because her sister had sent word to her to help her with something.

“You are not going to read another page of my diary!” Freya refused.

“They read mine!” said Rhaz in a sharp voice. “If you lose, you pay,” Freya huffed doing a small whim.

“Thank you,” said Leevanna giggling when the raven-haired with platinum strands girl gave her the grey notebook to start searching a page to read.

“You have to drink the Flask of Truth,” reminded Lhu giving the small bottle to Freya.

“Bloody hell, Freya,” laughed Leevanna reading the page. “November seems a very interesting month here.”

“Oh, no, no,” Freya hurried after she drank the vial. “Give it back, Leev, I told you it’s none of your business,” she protested trying to get back her diary, but Rhazel grabbed it.

“It can’t be that bad,” the boy said. “At least not after mine.”

Lhu shuddered. “Poor toothpaste.”

“I was like twelve, get over it!” Rhaz huffed making a pout before starting to read the page in the diary. “Bloody hell…”

Leevanna and Rhazel looked at each other and smirked.

“Here it goes,” the girl said. “Dear diary, she is my sunshine, the ray of happiness in my days, I cannot tell her though, how I feel,” she started to say, and everyone started giggling making a flirtatious whistle.

“Oh, Uttara’s sake, Leevanna, shut up!” Freya exclaimed.

“Oh, as if we haven’t noticed how you look at Thea,” laughed Lhu before taking another chocolate angelwing into her mouth.

“Wait,” Freya’s eyes went wide, “what?”

“Yeah,” chuckled Rhaz. “I think is pretty obvious, Freya.”

“Oh, shut up.”

“Thea Levine, even her name is perfect, I swear. From the first day I saw you my heart beat for you. So, pull me closer to your heart and mind, and kiss me hard,” said the girl imitating the tone of a Juliet very much in love.

“Stop it, I — I think is enough,” Freya’s eyes filled with worry.

“Let her finish,” chuckled Rhaz.

“I cannot but wonder how her lips may feel, and how…” she lost her smile and lifted her gaze to look, Freya, who denied with her head begging her with her eyes. Leevanna hurried, opened her eyes and began laughing. “…And how your skin may be.”

“I was thirteen years old!” huffed Freya crawling to reach the girl. “I had just realised I loved her.”

“Sure about that?” mocked Rhaz seeing her red cheeks.

“Very sure,” Freya sighed looking at Leevanna, who was also looking at her. “I drank the Flask of Truth, you, arsehole.”

«… And how she will make me not want to die every day. I’m just tired of all this bullshit called life. Maybe you could make me smile more often, just a silly suggestion. Still, let’s not ruin our friendship, I think being friends is enough…»

“Let’s go to the Banquet Hall, my sunshines, the choice,” suggested Rhaz ruffling Freya’s hair after a couple of minutes of dedicating themselves to recall some memories they had from previous years. Everyone stood up from the ground and started to walk out of the door. “Who d’you think are going to be the twenty champions?”

“I don’t know,” Freya shrugged. “Perhaps that lad from Stouvania? What was his name?”

“Andrei Vetkov,” Lhu replied. “He’s the nephew of the Headmaster there. And with all the bullshit of Osnos and all, sure they are going to make him compete.”

Thea, who came by the opposite direction with her sister Leah and Leevanna’s cousin, Esmeray, caught up with them. “There you are, you lot,” her hands around Freya’s neck before hugging her, then she did the same with all the group.

“Oh, Gods’ sake, you seem bloody otters in love,” complained Rhaz, as he received the hug from his friend and giving her a kiss on the cheek. He covered his face with his hand. “So f*****g embarrassing.”

“You love me,” Thea stuck out her tongue.

“Please someone end with my misery,” he dramatized making the group of friends chuckle.

“Oh, shut it, Rhaz,” Esmeray smiled dreamily towards him.

“Only because you ask so, sweetheart.”

Leevanna hit the back of his head, receiving an ow! from his part. “Stay away from my cousin, Rhazel” she laughed as her arm linked with Lhu’s and they started walking.

“What do you think will happen with the champions?” asked Leah, her strawberry blonde hair in a ponytail. Two strands left upfront her head. “There are supposed to be four. One for each element. Are they going to be sent to the war though?”

Lhu glanced at Leevanna for a second.

“I don’t think the government would want to send sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds to the war,” Freya replied to Leah’s question. “Perhaps the ones who are of age, but if there is someone who is still sixteen or seventeen I don’t think so. There are laws for some reason.”

They kept walking, and a few seconds later the Vasilka group arrived at the Banquet Hall, being received by two students who handed them two small handkerchiefs, one red, one black. Leevanna continued walking with her friends until they reached the bleachers. She sat down between Lhu and Vailant who was speaking with Jia Xieren, it was the only place left for her to sit. Still, she kept her distance from him.

It was at that moment that the Asteria brothers entered the room as everyone else placed their respective parchments. Lhu stood up, taking advantage of Leevanna’s distraction with Thea’s sweets, and making sure Eisdrache hadn’t noticed certain girl sitting by his side.

The curly-haired walked towards them, who were discussing something about Aircross. “Hey,” she greeted to both. “Can I speak to you?” her eyes on both of them.

“Sure sweetie,” answered Calix Asteria, the taller of the two. “What is it?”

A rosy flush came up creeping Lhu’s necks and ears and her eyes flickered against Calix’s due to the nickname, a memory crossing her mind, but she can’t get distracted. So she starts murmuring with them for a while. That until a voice came by their side. Rhett Lynch. “What are you doing speaking with this filth?” his voice filled with wrath.

“None of your business,” Lhu bit out. She was tall, yes, but not as much as the brown-haired boy in front of her.

“I didn’t speak to you, scum!”

“Mate, don’t,” said Nash Asteria. “There is nothing going on.”

“Oh you sure about that?” mocked Rhett with venom in his tongue. “I mean, I don’t know, with your bother shagging this b***h all over the dungeons two weeks ago it isn’t clear—”

A punch on his jaw shut him up. Lhu’s eyes opened wide, hands over her mouth in shock. Calix shook his hand, scrunching his nose in pain. “Oh, f**k, that bloody hurt.”

“How dare you punch him?!” came the cry of Harlee Leighton, who helped his friend get back on his feet. Rhett’s lip bloody and bruised, jaw red from the punch Alex had given to him. “He is your cousin, for heaven’s sake!”

“Family or not, a woman doesn’t deserve to be disrespected that way,” Calix huffed, placing himself in front of Lhu. “There was nothing going on and he just came throwing insults left and right.”

“Mind your company then!” yelled Rhett trying to launch himself towards his cousin, but Dexter Madden and Selim Ahmad held him back by the arms, saying this like she isn’t worth detention, and mate just calm down. “Fine!” Rhett growled.

From the distance, Rhazel came walking towards Lhu, “Come here,” he said. Not a request but a demand, and Lhu knew better to neglect that order, she knew it was for the best. Giving once last glance to the brothers who nodded once, she walked towards Rhaz, who put an arm around her shoulders and continued to walk in direction of their friend group. “Don’t get near them, Lhu.”

“I know, I’m sorry, I just wanted to speak with them about something,” she said still trying to process what had happened. Rhaz gave her a kiss on the template and let her sit next to Leah and Esmeray, who were one seated one bleacher up from Leevanna, Eisdrache and Jia. Lhu looked at Esmeray, who smiled towards her, the gleam in her eyes still there.

She sighed and proceeded to listen to the argument Leevanna and Mason were having.

“They are my angelwings,” Leevanna said yanking away the coffee-coloured tin from his hands.

“Learn how to share!” he growled trying to get the sweets back.

“I’m an only child,” she stuck out her tongue to him. “What is mine, is mine and no one else’s!” the dark-skinned boy narrowed his eyes towards her before grabbing the chocolate angelwing from her hand and taking it to his mouth. “Mason!”

It was his turn to stuck his tongue out to her.

“Know better than to steal my sweets when I haven’t slept!” she whined and closed the lid of the tin to embrace it.

“We have spoiled her too much,” Mason chuckled before pinching her cheek. She slapped his hand away. “And I just remember seeing you sleep like one time, I swear.”

“I’m a very busy person to sleep.”

“With what if I may ask?” His eyebrow raised.

“Want to know my schedule?” he nodded, and she started counting with her fingers. “Eight o’clock, drown in my tears. Ten thirty, stare my prettiness in my mirror. One PM lunch with my sadness, I’ve been cancelling it, and I can’t do it again,” he smiled seeing her count with her fingers. “Three o’clock, finish reading my new book. Five thirty, anxiety crisis. Six fifteen, create imaginary situations in my head. Seven forty-five, try to commit suicide for God knows how many times in my life — oh! And stare at the ceiling and slip slowly into madness from ten o’clock until the morning.”

And his smile widens as he tries not to laugh. “Leev,” and he chuckles, “everything fine in there?”

And she tries not to laugh too. “Of course, everything is fine, I just want to kill myself, I don’t see a problem,” he nods pressing his lips and looking somewhere else before staring at her again.

“Never so same.”

“I know right?” a proud grin across her face.

A few minutes later, all professors entered the doors of the Banquet Hall, accompanied by Angelice Laverne, the Head of Elements, Aftan Alexus, Rhine Tauris and the Prime Minister of Eskarya, Margarett Hinde.

Leevanna did a pout, frustrated with herself. “You have butter hands,” laughed Freya seeing her complicate herself with the pen movement Mason was teaching them.

“Don’t make fun of me!” the jade-eyed huffed before throwing the pen to her lap again. “I f*****g quit this shite.”

“Uttara’s sake, even Rhaz could do it,” Mason rolled his eyes taking his pen from her hands to show her the movement again.

“That’s an insult or a compliment?” frowned the aforementioned.

“Leev — I swear to God,” said Mason running his fingers through his hair before sliding his hand through his face in exasperation. “You just have to roll the f*****g pen through— No! Between your — I f*****g give up.”

“My hands are less than the half of yours!” she bit out.

“She’s useless sometimes,” said Lhu playfully, covering her friend’s ears for her to not listen. “Have her a bit of patience.”

But then, someone else was the one paying her attention.

“Give me your hand,” Eisdrache said taking Leevanna’s hand.

“Don’t touch me,” she stood up straight away.

The friend group remained silent.

Mason was the one who grabbed her wrist gently and guided her to him, now he was sitting between the two.

“Just move your wrist at the same time as your fingers,” his soft and warm skin merged with the coldness hers had. His fingertips softly pressing the sides of her wrist while his index finger reposed over the back of her hand.

“Like this?” she frowned doing what he indicated.

“f*****g finally,” Mason smirked when she could move the pen between her fingers. “And she is the smartest one here?”

“I had to do your Herbalism’s homework last week because you don’t know how to differentiate plants, so shut up, t**t,” her eyes concentrating in her hand’s movement before creating another finalising with him receiving a hit on his head. He took off his middle finger.

A few seconds after, Angelice and Aftan were speaking in murmurs. He gave the student body a look before nodding to his lover and placing himself next to Harmony Armstrong, who silenced the Banquet Hall with the snap of her fingers.

All eyes now on the professors table.

Angelice Laverne stood on the podium and swept her eyes throughout the students. “Good morning children,” she greeted. “Today we gather around to know your final decision on the participating of Levanna Vaughan of House Vasilka in the Paragon Tournament,” her eyes search through the bleachers until they found the white-haired. Leevanna gulped and stood up to start walking in her direction. She could feel all eyes on her, expectant. Once Leevanna had also reached the podium, Angelice continued to speak. “You have been given two handkerchiefs, red if you vote no, black if you vote yes,” her expression serene. “You will have to stand and raise the handkerchief of your choice… With this said… I ask you the following question… Do you, House Vasilka, House Faris and Stouvania Academy, are in favour, yes or no, of Leevanna Vaughan Vikena, royal woman of House Vasilka, to participate in the Paragon Tournament?”

The whole Banquet Hall remained silence for a couple of seconds.

Leevanna started to feel lightheaded.

But then…

Freya was the first to stand up, hand raised and black handkerchief. Lhu was the second, also black, just like Thea who was the third.

Jia Xieren, black.

Esmeray and Leah, black.

And one by one, each woman from the three divisions started standing up and raising their hands, all with black handkerchiefs. She recognised most of them.

Artemisa Burke, Lia Exis, Lian Jianhong, Andrea Linae, Isobel White, and much more from House Vasilka, all with black handkerchiefs. Leevanna Recognised Orya and her two cousins, Flore Rigal and Lucienne Yurakin, also Leyla Trouvé, Beatrice Volikov and Akea Gakhar, from Stouvania, with the black one among the multitude. She didn’t recognise much from House Faris, only Gianna Lynch, but the majority of women had stood up. Then Flynn, Rhazel and Mason, also black handkerchiefs just like many other. From Stouvania she recognised Andrei Vetkov and Alek Sobakov, also black handkerchiefs. From Faris she just knew Derek Slatter and the Asteria brothers, who had also the black handkerchief raised.

She turned around, seeing Angelice, Sthepon Reeves, Zara Steinfield, Paris Finnerty, Azura Sandstorm, Harmony Armstrong, Nimeeh Starling, Alex Macnamara and more professors also raising their arms with black handkerchiefs. Just few people had their red handkerchiefs raised, she could count them. They were fifty among the student body, thirty men and twenty women.

And then, someone she didn’t expect to see.

Vailant.

Raising a black handkerchief.

Before she could process the view, Angelice Laverne started speaking again.

“Miss Leevanna Vaughan…” all eyes on her again, and Leevanna was about to explode. “Do you wish to proceed and be fully a champion in the Paragon Tournament after the decision made by your follow classmates?”

She waited a second.

Two.

Then three.

Taking a deep breath she proceeded to say, “Yes… I do wish to proceed and be a champion inside the Paragon Tournament after the decision made by my classmates and Stouvania Academy.”

“The decision is made, Leevanna Vaughan would continue as one of the twenty champions inside the Paragon Tournament,” a soft smile across her face. “She joins Leyla Trouvé, Andrei Vetkov, Orya Lukova, Flore Rigal, Alek Sobakov, Maksim Koleskinova, Miryam Moitessier, Katherine Russó, Beatrice Volikov, Antonov Petrova, Eisdrache Vailant, Derek Slatter, Rhett Lynch, Nick Colen, René Nathans, Calix Asteria, Salah Hyderi, Yagiz Sunter and Seki Kenjiro for the first task the 23rd of November,” she continued. “The second task will be the 10th of February, the third the 18th of March, the fourth the 5th of May and the final task the 22nd of June,” she then lowered her gaze to the paper over the podium. “The twenty champions would be fourteen at the end of the second task, cut to twelve for the third, and by the fourth task cut to eight, who will compete in the final task, two by each element… However, there will be instructions after all the tasks have been completed,” her eyes again on the students. “I will now give word to headmistress Harmony Armstrong.”

The headmistress of Gleaxsiara then stood behind the podium, “Now that we have our twenty champions, each of them will be given a clue for their first task… Thank you for your participation… You can now continue with the rest of your day until lunch.”

Leevanna stood quietly, hearing Angelice give them all the details for the tournament. After everyone inside the Banquet Hall had been dispersed to continue with their day, the twenty champions had been taken to headmistress Armstrong’s office, which was a floor lower than the Lookout Tower. Her eyes flickered against Stephon Reeves,’ who stared at her with narrowed eyes. She knew he wasn’t pleased with her being there, even if he had voted yes.

“Now…” said Margarett Haines, the Prime Minister, “Are any of you sixteen-years-old?” All of them shook their heads. “All of you seventeen or eighteen, right then?”

Every champion selected nodded.

Leevanna thanked the gods for giving her a birthday in August, even if that meant being one of the oldest in her friend group.

Margarett smiled, “Good then… There is no law involvement needed… Thank you very much, you have absolved me of various papers and documents.”

“A pity we’re not absolved of an Inferni among us,” General Óegnus’ eyes landed on Leevanna, who had been distracted by an ornament in the office.

Infernis had been a said selected group of people designated to kill all threats against the king, all of them even killing innocent families among the way. They were a myth and certainly Leevanna wasn’t one of them, though her parents had been accused of it, mostly her father.

All eyes then were on her.

“Excuse me?”

Leevanna became furious instead of scared. How dare he call her an Inferni? Did he even know who she was? Who here parents were? The Vaughan and Vikena names were two of the most ancient bloodlines in all the whole f*****g world and one of the most respected ones and — and he dared to call her an Inferni? Who did he think he f*****g was to call her that?!

“You don’t fool us, girl,” said the General, hands resting on his cane as he spoke.

“I am not an Inferni, and I am not going to let anyone call me names I certainly do not deserve to called!” Leevanna’s eyes became icy and face rosy as he started to walk towards Óegnus to confront him. “I am completely innocent of any war crimes because I was born during war!”

“But—”

“My parents were cleared from all charges after the wars ended because of true proof!” rage within her. “So, if you don’t bloody mind, I expect an apology!”

“You heard her, Óegnus,” spoke Stephon Reeves.

Someone in the room scoffed.

“She is pure scum,” said Rhett Lynch. “The apology should come from her part for thinking she is superior and deserves to be here.”

Leevanna’s head turned to face the boy. Her eyes became ice and Lynch’s expression one of fear.

Stephon stood by her side. “Enough.”

Leevanna got out from her mind and looked up at her godfather.

“Now that everyone is clear,” said Angelice Laverne before anyone else could speak, “you will be given a clue for the first task that will be held this twenty-three of November.”

A velvet small bag was given then to each champion.

Leevanna opened it and took a look inside.

Rocks.

Well… s**t.