Chapter 220: Not Listening

Kithina walked down the academy’s halls with brisk strides. Today she had a mission, a goal, and she would not fail no matter what. The last month had been stressful, her mind occupied with the question, waiting for the question, hoping for the question… but the question never came.

The winter snows had arrived weeks ago, the Winter Ball was almost here. Kithina had been looking forward to the academy’s premier dance ever since she was a 1st-year. Like many others, she had dreamed of walking into the ballroom under the eyes of Hollow Shade’s high society and awing them with her elegance and grace.

As the days leading up to the Winter Ball grew shorter, the conversations about the dance only grew more frequent. It seemed almost as if every day a girl gushing about how she had been asked to the dance in such a romantic style. Kithina had personally witnessed a drow pack an entire classroom with roses before he asked. It was tacky but sweet.

Kithina had wondered how Callum might ask. While it may not have been said, it had been pretty obvious that he would ask her. She was his closest friend; they had spent the past summer together, supporting each other after the tragedy on Widow’s Crag. Freya and Callum might have once been a couple, but that time was long past and gone. The most popular girl in school clearly only had eyes for the orc Kegrog, even if she denied it.

There was no one else Callum might possibly ask to the ball… until she showed up. Sylvie had been spending more and more time with their group of friends and a lot of alone time with Callum. Kithina had been worried, but Callum had assured her that Sylvie was only a friend. Sylvie herself had said she wasn’t interested in going to the ball. Even still, Callum hadn’t mentioned anything about the Winter Ball. The dance was in a few days and he had yet to say anything.

Kithina hoped that the dance might be the first step into finally solidifying her relationship with Callum, that they could be more than just friends. Now she wasn’t even sure she’d be asked. But that was all about to change.

Kithina quickened her pace and hurried down the hall. A few days ago she had met Feli on the academy grounds. They had spoken for a while and she admitted her worries to the pretty human. Feli had told her that men were sometimes slow, even dumb, but that shouldn’t let her be slow too. If she wanted something she should go and get it.

And she was right, Kithina thought.

She had had enough of listening to others talk about the dance and who was going with whom. It was all anyone was talking about. Well, almost everyone, there was one particular blue goblin who didn’t seem interested in the dance. It seemed as if he wasn’t interested in anything these days, he usually kept to himself and declined to spend time with his friends if it had anything to do outside of academics.

Stryg had been a bit of a dark spot these past few months, no one could blame him. But seeing him like that only reminded Kithina and her friends what they had lost, whom they had lost.

Kithina stopped in front of the study room’s closed door and lightly slapped her cheeks.

None of that matters right now, she thought.

It was best not to think about Stryg or any depressing memories right now. She had a mission, a goal to achieve. She steadied her nerves and twisted the doorknob.

~~~

“Not like that,” Stryg shook his head. “The tail and descender of the sigil are wrong.”

“How?” Callum wrinkled his brow. The glowing red sigil floating in the air seemed fine to him.

“That’s because you’re looking at it from only one direction. Come over,” Stryg pulled him around to the other side of the table.

Callum stared at the backside of the sigil, his shoulder slumped, “Oooohh…”

“It’s too flat, the sigil’s tail needs to have more of an ellipse. You aren’t writing on paper with ink, you’re using magic to write on air, it’s three-dimensional. You have to take into account each side.”

“Right, thanks,” Callum nodded sincerely.

“Okay,” Stryg hopped back into his chair. “Again.”

“No, really, thanks, Stryg. I’m doing great in my white magic classes, but red classes have been really difficult this year. I was born… different. I have trouble reading sometimes, the words sort of blur together. You can imagine how hard it is to be a red mage. I sometimes misread the labels on potions, mixing up the wrong ingredients. And as for wards?” Callum gestured to the misshapen ward in the air, “There’s your proof of my glorious skill. So from the bottom of my heart, thanks for helping.”

“It’s fine, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something anyway.” That and I’m hiding from Feli, she knows where I usually train.

“Either way I appreciate it deeply. You really must be excelling in your curse training if you can teach someone as bad as me,” Callum laughed. “Loh’s a great teacher.”

Except she never taught me a single arcane sigil, not that anyone else did in this academy. “It’s not like that, I mean she is a great teacher, but the arcane language is the same; it doesn’t matter if you’re casting red wards, grey curses, or brown’s enchantments. They all use the same sigils.”

“Then I guess I’m lucky you’re just a natural at teaching,” Callum smiled.

“No, I’ve just had some practice tutoring someone else.”

“Oh? Who?”

“A friend.”

“Oh…” Callum cleared his throat, “So, what did you want to talk to me about?”

Stryg sighed, he had been putting this off for so long he didn’t know where to begin. “Back in Widow’s Crag, before we were ambushed by the Cairn. I overheard Clypeus and Nora talking.”

“Clypeus?” he said softly.

“Nora was talking to him about a lot of things. She also mentioned the day you were born.”

“What? Why?”

“The day you were born your father wasn’t in the city. I spoke to Gian and confirmed it. I really didn’t know what to make of any of this, but Gian helped me put it all together.”

“Gian Gale?” Callum suddenly felt worried. What had Gian said to Stryg? Did Stryg know? Did he know he was a Veres? No, that couldn’t be. There wasn’t any proof.

“Gian was on a mission in Frost Rim, he wasn’t in the city either. Neither was Lord Gale, he was accompanying your father in Dusk Valley,” Stryg said quietly.

“Okay…? And?” He felt relieved. Maybe this wasn’t about Stryg’s heritage after all.

“One of Lord Veres’ wives was left in charge of your House that day…”

Carmilla’s mother, Regina, the primary wife, Callum thought. “Yeah, my three older siblings were still too young to rule while my father was away. What’s your point?”

Stryg sighed, “I talked to Gian, I asked him for a favor, to look into that day. He found out something strange. A vampire named Marcus Gale was in charge of protecting your mother while your father, Lord Veres was gone. Have you ever heard of him?”

Callum frowned, something didn’t feel right. “...No. There are dozens of Gales, but I know them all. Are you sure his name was Marcus?”

“Gian told me that one of the other Gales spotted Marcus running through the gardens that night, carrying something in his hands. Why would the Gale in charge of protecting your mother leave her side when she was at her most vulnerable?”

“He wouldn’t…unless,” his eyes widened. “He was ordered.”

“Who could order him to leave his duty? Lord Veres and Lord Gale weren’t there, neither was Gian.”

“Regina, my father’s first and primary wife,” he uttered the words slowly.

“Marcus Gale was there to protect a Veres, you, not your mother. Marcus left your mother’s bedroom, carrying you in his hands.”

“No,” Callum shook his head. “Gales are honorable, Marcus wouldn’t have just abandoned his charge.”

“Unless he was coerced somehow. Gian told me that shortly after your birth Marcus Gale was found dead in a brothel. Stabbed by a whore they say. House Gale burned down the brothel with all the women still inside. Lord Gale didn’t want to bring shame to House Gale. He also scrubbed the name Marcus Gale off any records, he didn’t get a proper burial at your family’s joint cemetery. Marcus was essentially erased.”

This can’t be real, Callum thought horrified. But he remembered how well his family was at burying the past.

“Like you, I’ve trained with the Gales, they’re some of the best warriors in the entire realm,” Stryg said. “Maybe I’m wrong, but they don’t look like the kind of warriors to die in bed.”

Callum laughed bitterly, “So, you’re saying he was killed? To cover up my mother’s murder at the hands of Regina?”

“Nora said your father loved your mother, a human. We both know what it’s like to be despised for what we are.” Stryg shrugged, “I don’t really know much about your family’s affairs, like I said, Gian helped me put it all together. He wanted me to keep this all to myself, but I thought you should know. That’s what friends are for, right? We have each other’s back.”

Callum bent over and planted his forehead on the table, he didn’t want anyone to see him right now, the anguish his face betrayed. His sister Elise was right, they needed to kill the eldest, Carmilla. And now he would kill her mother Regina too.

The doorknob clicked open, Kithina walked into the study room. She glanced at Stryg, he looked grim.

Nothing new there, she thought.

Callum’s head was planted on the table, he seemed tired. That was odd, he was usually so cheerful.

“What are you two up to?” she asked.

“We, uh, were practicing magic,” Stryg said. “Pretty busy right now, Kitty.”

“It doesn’t look like that,” she frowned.

“Now’s not a great time,” Stryg said.

“O-okay, I’ll, uh, come back later,” she turned back, then stopped. “No. I’m not putting this off any longer. Cal!”

“Mm,” Callum grunted, he didn’t bother looking up.

She clenched the edge of her shirt tight, “Will you… go to the Winter Ball with me!?”

Callum said nothing, he didn’t move.

Kithina’s face grew pale, she bit her lip, “Um… Cal?”

“Hm? Yeah, sure,” he muttered.

Kithina’s expression turned bright, “Great! I mean, c-cool. I’ll, um, let you get back to your magic and stuff. We can talk more later. Good luck studying!”

She slammed the door shut and ran off. Stryg could hear her hollering in triumph down the hall.

He turned to Callum, “Were you paying attention to what Kitty said? Cal? Cal…?”

Callum looked up, his eyes red with tears, “Does it really matter? Does any of this really matter?”

Stryg didn’t care much for the dance, but he remembered how worried Plum had been about the whole affair two years ago. “I think it mattered to Kitty.”

“Whatever she wanted I can find out later,” Callum sniffed and rubbed his eyes.

“I think you might want to talk to her about it now?”

Callum sighed angrily, “Really? What was so important that she wanted to tell me? Hm?”

Stryg hesitated. Feli had seemed to really care about the way the Winter Ball question had to be asked. “I think it’s best if you hear it from her.”

“I’ll talk to her later, okay? Is there anything else Gian told you? About the day I was born?”

Stryg shrugged, Callum would speak with her later, it’d be fine he supposed. “Yeah, there were a few more details I left out…”