The Invite

Chapter 9

I woke up feeling exhausted.

Completely exhausted.

The first thing I noticed was the door.

I stared at it for a solid ten seconds.

Yesterday, the door had been on the left side of my room.

Today?

It was directly in front of my bed.

I slowly turned my head.

The windows were no longer facing outside.

They were facing another wall.

I blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Nothing changed.

"What kind of demonic problem is this?"

The room remained silent.

As usual.

Wonderful.

I dragged myself out of bed and headed for the bathroom.

After a warm bath, I put on the dress the maids had prepared.

It was elegant.

Royal blue.

Probably expensive.

Which was unfortunate because expensive things still didn't pay my rent.

I stepped out of the bathroom.

Then froze.

A man was sitting in my chair.

My chair.

My personal chair.

The chair inside my room.

I stared at him.

He stared back.

Then smiled.

A very dangerous smile.

The kind of smile that belonged on magazine covers.

Or wanted posters.

Possibly both.

He stood up.

Tall.

Ridiculously handsome.

Pepper-red eyes.

Dark hair.

Perfect posture.

Perfect jawline.

Perfect everything.

I immediately disliked him.

"Hi," he said. "My name is Zoland."

"Great."

He blinked.

I continued.

"Will you pay my rent?"

"What?"

"My rent."

"I just introduced myself."

"And I introduced my biggest problem."

He looked genuinely confused.

I liked that.

"Anyway," he said, "I was sent to bring you to the Spell Hall."

"I don't need spells."

"You do."

"I need money."

"Not everything is about money."

"That sounds like something a rich person would say."

He sighed.

I smiled.

Round one to Zilla.

Without another word, I grabbed my phone and walked out.

Zoland followed behind me.

The hallway was already full of servants.

At this point, I was convinced the castle rearranged itself just to annoy me.

I approached a large door.

Grabbed the handle.

Pulled.

Nothing.

I pushed.

Nothing.

I kicked it.

Still nothing.

The door moved slightly to the side.

I froze.

The door had moved.

Again.

I moved left.

The door moved left.

I moved right.

The door moved right.

"What are you doing?"

"I am fighting for my life."

Zoland immediately burst into laughter.

His shoulders shook.

His side was hurting.

The servants were trying not to laugh.

I pointed at the door.

"The door started it."

A servant stepped forward.

"Miss Zilla."

"What?"

"You have to ask politely."

"I have to what?"

The servant knocked three times.

Then gently opened the door.

It swung open immediately.

I stood there in silence.

Then looked at the door.

Then at the servant.

Then back at the door.

"I hate this castle."

Zoland laughed even harder.

---

The Spell Hall was enormous.

Students filled the room.

Some were children.

Some looked older.

Books floated through the air.

Glowing symbols spun across the ceiling.

A girl levitated six feet above the ground while reading.

A boy accidentally turned his chair into a chicken.

Nobody seemed concerned.

I was deeply concerned.

"What is this?"

"The Spell Hall."

"Obviously."

I pointed.

"A chair became poultry."

"That happens."

"No."

I pointed again.

"A child is floating."

"Also normal."

"No."

I pointed at a book flying overhead.

"THAT BOOK IS ALIVE."

"It isn't."

"It has more freedom than I do."

---

Zoland rubbed his forehead.

"You'll be learning magic."

I folded my arms.

"Will it pay my rent?"

"No."

"Then I reject it."

"You can't reject it."

"I just did."

"You are impossible."

"I've heard that before."

---

A group of students approached.

Their eyes widened.

They were staring.

Again.

Everybody in this kingdom stared.

I was beginning to think it was a cultural tradition.

One of them whispered.

"Is that her?"

"The Sixth Family?"

"No way."

"It has to be."

I looked around.

"Who are they talking about?"

Nobody answered.

Typical.

---

Zoland finally led me toward a large platform.

At the center stood a crystal sphere.

It was taller than me.

Glowing purple.

Pulsing with energy.

I immediately didn't trust it.

"What does this do?"

"It measures magical affinity."

"I don't like the word affinity."

"You'll survive."

"People usually say that before something terrible happens."

---

Zoland placed a hand on the crystal.

The sphere glowed red.

The students nodded.

Apparently that meant something.

Then he stepped aside.

"Your turn."

"No."

"Zilla."

"No."

"Touch the crystal."

"I don't negotiate with glowing objects."

The students started laughing.

Even Zoland was smiling.

Traitor.

---

Finally, I placed my hand on the crystal.

Nothing happened.

I smirked.

"See?"

Then the entire room exploded with light.

Purple.

Silver.

Gold.

Blue.

The crystal shook violently.

Books fell from shelves.

Students screamed.

Several floating objects crashed into walls.

A nearby instructor dropped his coffee.

The room went silent.

Completely silent.

Uh-oh.

---

I slowly removed my hand.

"Is that bad?"

Nobody answered.

"Hello?"

Still nothing.

Zoland was staring at the crystal.

His expression had completely changed.

The smile was gone.

For the first time, he looked worried.

Very worried.

---

The crystal suddenly cracked.

A thin line spread across its surface.

Then another.

And another.

Until the entire sphere looked ready to shatter.

Every student backed away.

Every single one.

Except me.

Because I had no idea what was happening.

---

"Why is everyone moving?"

One girl whispered.

"It awakened."

Another student looked terrified.

"That's impossible."

"It shouldn't exist anymore."

"What shouldn't exist?"

Nobody answered.

Again.

I was getting tired of that.

---

Then the crystal spoke.

A voice echoed through the entire hall.

Ancient.

Powerful.

Female.

The same voice repeated one sentence.

Over and over.

Over and over.

Like a memory trapped in time.

«"I am the one who cleanses me of my father's sins."»

Silence.

Absolute silence.

---

The crystal shattered.

Glass exploded across the room.

Students screamed.

Instructors rushed forward.

Zoland immediately stepped in front of me.

Protecting me.

His red eyes fixed on the shattered remains.

For the first time since meeting him...

He looked afraid.

Very afraid.

And that terrified me more than the explosion itself.

Because if someone like Zoland was scared...

Then something was terribly wrong.