Emotionless (The Emotionless Book 1) Page 6

  Not just Ordinary-Humans.

  “Why did you use your rune, Eileen?”

  “Yasmine cut my hair with scissors. I then went on the defensive,” I replied truthfully.

  “Oh… oh, your hair is shorter. I hardly noticed,” Miss Adams snorted a laugh.

  Even knowing Miss Adams was not the best therapist in the world, and a smoker, also, and messy and unorganised weak mage, she had to have signed a confidentiality form to keep what I have said to herself – unless it was life-threatening. Haven’t been in that situation yet, thankfully.

  “Today is the day, as well,” I murmured. Miss Adams immediately knew and had a grave look on her face and nodded in agreement. “In a fair few hours, five years ago, I dishonoured my family. Sent us into exile, basically. No one wants us. I doubt I will ever be nominated to be part of the Organisation. One of the other Highborn families will be accepted after I graduate.”

  “Right. Your mother is still in charge,” Miss Adams mused. “And if you don’t graduate from Mage Academy, you won’t be our next ruler. They would have to pick someone else.” I nodded as she spoke. “How old are you now?”

  “Sixteen,” I answered.

  “Two years,” she mused. “And then we will have a different ruler, aside from your family. That could be bad.” I nodded again. “We could have that incident like sixty years ago, with Victor Malloy. Your grandfather was a hero and saved us from what could have been the end of mages.”

  I remember learning that at the mage school and from my parents. Grandfather was always too modest to gloat over his own achievements. My mother, however, spoke highly of everything that my grandfather had done. I knew she done it because she wanted me to be exactly like him. Mother gained being the ruler of mages at Organisation because of grandfather, not because of any academic achievements. He up and left suddenly. By default, she gained the position until the new heir comes of age and is approved by the members of the Organisation. Not just Mother. However, I doubt that would be happening. I brought dishonour. No one would nominate me, especially if I do not attend and complete Mage Academy. A new family will take over Organisation, which means new rules and a further rise of a power that could decay and destroy us all. Just like Victor Malloy.

  Victor Malloy was too powerful for his own good. He deemed every Lowborn to be tainted blood and wanted Lowborns to be wiped out for mingling our species with Ordinary-Humans. Obviously, mages didn’t take too kindly of his words and tried to rebel, which turned into a slaughter. My grandfather was the one to stop Victor from purging the world. He defeated Victor Malloy and his minions and claimed the throne at Organisation. The Frost family is still the most substantial Highborn family, but also, we are now the least likely to gain a dominant position. Some would even say we are lower than Lowborn mages. Everyone despises my family and me because I decided to survive instead of dying.

  “What do you feel when you remember that night, Eileen? Fear? Hate? What was it that you felt when you summoned your Guardian?”

  “Pain,” I admitted.

  When I summoned my Guardian, there was a surge of pain. Pain from the curse that was brought upon me. The pain spread. Unimaginable suffering that hurt more than any tattoo that inked its way onto my skin. But then, through the pain, there was something else. Something not natural.

  “Warmth,” I murmured. Miss Adams leant forward in her seat, interested in what I said. “Warmth that burned like ice. Doesn’t make sense, but that is what I felt.”

  “Interesting,” she mused. “You never told me that before. Would the warmth that you spoke about be from the Guardian you summoned?”

  Down at my hand, I touched the cotton glove and felt the groove of a crystal etched into my skin. That night I summoned a Guardian. Since then, they refuse to come whenever I call. To the point that I often believe that my Guardian is dead. But if it were killed, the crystal on my skin would have fallen off by now. My Guardian just doesn’t want to show itself, which was aggravating.

  “Perhaps.”

  “Was it a dragon that you tried to summon?” I nodded in agreement. “But the mages that were there that night only noticed one dragon. You stated time and time again that once you were cursed, you fainted. Maybe the Guardian you summoned was something else.”

  “I suppose. If that is the case, what did I summon?” I asked.

  Miss Adams shrugged. “Only time will tell, that is if that Guardian of yours ever wants to reveal itself again. However, what you summoned killed a Highborn and a potent mage and made the dragon that was summoned by the Highborn mage flee.” She pointed down at my hand that I rubbed. “I wouldn’t want to meet your Guardian if it frightens dragons and kills a Highborn mage that was destined to win with ease.”

  “Did you want Timothy to win?” I asked casually. She raised her brows, surprised that I would ask her any questions. Usually, I answer and have never really asked. “Answer, please.”

  “Look. I didn’t really care. I am not that involved with mages and their death games they want to play. However, that other mage won by default. He did nothing to accomplish such a win, and his wish was denied.” Miss Adams sighed and sat back in her seat and shook her head. “I think if his wish were worth it, your family wouldn’t be that hated as you are now. However, it is known never to interfere in A Mages War.”

  “I am aware of the rules. I’d still do what I have done back then now if it happened again. I enjoy life. I will not stand there and let someone kill me just because they were apart of A Mages War. I’d defend myself. Anyone who stands there and does nothing and accepts death was undeserving of life.”

  “Even –” She glanced down at the paper and with a polished look, glared back at me. “Even Mr Umar?”

  “Even Mr Umar,” I agreed. “Timothy killed Mr Umar’s Guardian right before his eyes, and he did nothing. If that were me…” I trailed off.

  “If that were you?” Miss Adams persisted.

  What would I do if that were me?

  If Hopper had fallen and turned into nothing but a spark of glittery white dust within my hands, I don’t know what kind of mage I would have become. To have someone cherish, take care of me and be around so much that they would be considered family just… just fall apart right before my eyes. I doubt having a conversation with the murderer would have happened.

  “I’d show that Highborn mage what the heir of the Frost family is capable of.”

  “But it’s just a Guardian.” Annoyed at her words, I looked away. “Their sole existence is to protect their mage. That is all.”

  “Okay,” I murmured.

  I know now that no matter what I say, I couldn’t convince her that Guardians are so much more than meat sacks. Doubt most mages look at their Guardians and consider them a friend or family. To them, they are creatures. Nothing more.

  “Well, let’s talk about your parents. Where are they?”

  “Absent,” I replied blankly. “Can I go now?”

  The Bunny Is Evil.

  A very distinctive, loud, dramatic noise alerted me when I opened the door to my home. I turned right, leaving the entrance to the house and in the kitchen, there was a heap of mess. I turned the dial that was beside me, and the knife stabbed into the wooden board. Carefully entering the kitchen, at the counter, underneath where the knife was, there was a holographic list of ingredients that needed to be cut up: Zucchini, tomatoes and carrots. In the bowl beside the chopping board, there were only zucchini and carrots. No wonder the knife was distressed. It had the task of dicing whatever my brother selected from the list on the fridge. I guess the knife couldn’t find carrots and then went a little haywire.

  Inside the fridge, I opened the tray that the vegetables are usually stored in and saw nothing but an empty bag of carrots. Closing the fridge, on the outside, I touched the list and scrolled down until I reached carrots. Double tapping the carrot button, a red, centimetre thick line drew along. It changed colour as it loaded: red, dark orange, orange, yellow, light gr
een, dark green. When it finished, ‘Done,’ flashed and I opened the fridge and took out the bag of carrots. I placed the bag of carrots on the bench, went to the entrance of the kitchen, tapped the dial and the knife went back to work once again.

  Suddenly tired, there was nothing more that I wanted to do than to rest after that therapy session with Miss Adams. I went to go past the living room and towards the rainbow stairs when something moved on the white sofa. If their ear hadn’t switched, I would have thought that it was nothing more than a fluffy cushion. Immediately, I paused and took everything in. There was chewed carrots on the plate, atop of the glass coffee table. On the other side of the coffee table was a fluffy animal. One ear was pricked up and on alert while the other flopped down and bent. A white furry bunny sat up, alert and looked at me expectantly.

  How adorable.

  On the other side of the coffee table, I sat on the chair, tucked my legs up and wrapped my arms around them. I sat like that, unable to speak nor have a conversation with the bunny for nearly an hour. I did not dare to move out of the room and out of the sight of the rabbit.

  The bunny was now evil.

  He sat there, and those red orbs of eyes stared at me intently. Every part of that rabbit was cool, calm and collected. A passive stare on his face. Not even a twinkle of a nose or a twitch of a whisker. But then the rabbit’s entire demeanour changed and both ears pricked up, and he was on high alert at the sudden noise that came from the front door.

  I had my back facing the door, and so I couldn’t see the looks on their faces when they notice the evil bunny. Nixon squealed – his voice is the one higher-pitched – clearly the most excited to see Hopper in our house and intruding into our privacy.

  A blurred flash dived to my left, over the coffee table and towards the bunny. Arms reached out, and I knew he wanted nothing more but to embrace and hold the bunny, but instead, he flopped pathetically on the couch. The rabbit hopped up, flicked his hind legs and smacked Nixon on the back of the head, the bunny then hopped away. Hopper may be fast, but Donte and Nixon are tactical. Nixon was always the distraction in their outrageous plans while Donte was the mastermind. Donte was there and ready for Hopper. He snatched the rabbit up and raised him high up in the air. The bunny morphed, and Donte yelped and fell back. There was now a human adult on my brother’s stomach. He stared daggers at Donte who was now sprawled on the carpet, defeated. It was an odd sight to see a grown man sitting on my brother.

  Hopper came at a remarkable time, marked as the anniversary of what happened at Mage Academy five years ago. It was suspicious of his arrival, considering we all assume that he was trailing after our parents. That is what a Guardian usually does. They follow the one that summoned it. However, I can agree that Hopper’s situation was somewhat different. Instead of having a carer when we were younger, Hopper cared for us until Silas was ready to take triplets on. I believe the reason Hopper denied a carer or for my father to summon another Guardian was of jealousy alone. Hopper doesn’t like to be outshined. He worked ten times as more laborious instead. But now, Hopper being back means something has come up. By the look on his face – up off the ground and brushing at his butler suit – it wasn’t something that we were going to agree upon quickly.

  “Hopper!” Donte and Nixon exclaimed.

  By the look on Hopper’s face, he still doesn’t like that nickname. He tries his hardest to mask his hate for it, and I suppose that is why Donte and Nixon still persist in calling him that. Tormenting him is what they love doing best – and annoying Silas.

  Silas and I were the only ones that weren’t exactly happy to see Hopper here. Silas’s eyes narrowed suspiciously of the bunny. Nothing good comes from the bunny. The bunny is evil.

  “Masters and Mistress,” Hopper spoke clearly. He smoothed his gelled, grey hair back into place after it was messed up from the scuffle. “Would you like to sit down and have a bite to eat while I talk?”

  “Nope,” Donte and Nixon declined as they walked outside of the living room. “We are going up to our room. We have a list of potions to make.”

  “Masters –”

  “By Hopper!” They raced out of the room before Hopper could object.

  “Hopper, the boys just got out of school. Lectures or a speech right after wouldn’t appeal to them. I am sure… I am half sure that they would listen to you at dinner. Do you have time?”

  “Plenty,” he agreed and then went to walk out of the living room when I murmured his name. “My Mistress, quiet as ever. What would you like?”

  “I’m hungry. Can you please get dragon eggs?” He smiled warmly at me, but before he could answer, I whispered, “Thank you,” and looked back down at the glass coffee table.

  “My Master, I will be back around seven for dinner,” Hopper announced.

  Hopper must have morphed into a rabbit because I heard the soft pouncing paws as he hopped away. I could only assume he jumped down the rabbit hole.

  “You’re cruel, Eileen,” Silas chuckled, sighed and then shook his head. “Your brothers have been selling love potions at school. The number of teenagers that expect it would work on me is worrisome.”

  “They think you’re handsome. You should take it as a compliment,” I murmured.

  “I wouldn’t say handsome,” Silas replied blushing.

  He then cleared his throat and then marched towards the exit. “I need to prepare for whatever those brothers of yours are doing.”

  I find it quite entertaining that he signals himself out. He tries to detach himself from being related to Donte and Nixon.

  I sat there for a moment longer in silence and stared at the coffee table. The thick, smooth texture before me gave me an idea. I tapped the glass with my fingernail, and it made a soft, delicate sound. I wonder how much trouble I would be in if I placed a rune on the table.

  There was only one way to find out.

  Putting the J symbol in the centre of the glass coffee table, I envisioned the accuracy of the jump, agility and flexibility I would need to place on a rune. My fingers swirled around the table and flicked up and encased the rune in an activation circle. Finished with the rune, it lit up a vibrant blue colour. I then grabbed the mat that had the bowl of carrots on it and dragged it over so that it covered the rune I created.

  “Deactivate, jump,” I spoke softly and the glowing pulse of magic faded.

  Satisfied, I decided to go up into my room before someone deems it suspicious that I was still in the living room alone. Upstairs, I heard the strange, dramatic evil laughter of Donte in their room across from mine – Donte’s laughter was lower in pitch than Nixon’s.

  In the middle of the hallway, I took a glimpse inside of the crack in their door. They were spellcasting and always remind me of warlocks whenever they create a potion. They lived in a darkened lava lamp-lit room and cloaked their room in an assortment of coloured smoke that simmered out of their pot. From what I could see, Donte jumped back and forth and laughed wickedly. Nixon was nowhere to be seen.

  Weight dropped on my shoulders. I stepped forward, surprised at the heaviness of Nixon, who landed on me. He raised a small potion bottle up to my lips and my throat tightened at the distinctive smell of butterfly dust.

  “Drink this,” Nixon demanded.

  It was a trap. Donte peered out through the crack in their door, a wicked grin plastered across his face. They plan to use me as a Guineapig because Hopper left to get me dragon eggs. They’re sneaky and always keep me on my toes.

  Dark pink liquid sloshed upwards and didn’t smell as good as it looked. It was undoubtedly a love potion and a strong one. They must have dabbled further in the books that were in the library. I knew exactly what this potion was, considering I spend most of my time in there. It was an ‘Obedience Love Potion.’ When the drink is consumed, the Ordinary-Human or mage has to do whatever the last person they have seen tells them to do. Right now, I looked directly at Donte. If I resist, they will use force to gain the knowledge they needed.


  Slumping my shoulders, I stared at the liquid and felt the distress climb up my veins. The pure white essence of magic pulsed up my arms, consuming my entire body.

  “Defence level one, activate.”

  “Shit!”

  Nixon jumped off my back with a lot of help of a dominant shield that resembled a thin layer of clear glass that circled around me protectively. It pushes anything that is a threat away from me, and that was Nixon. He’s lucky I didn’t activate level two. Last time I did that, the stone knight hurled Donte and Nixon out of the house and stood to watch for hours, refusing them entry.

  “You were too slow again, idiot!” Donte complained.

  Nixon sat there with pink liquid on the corner of his mouth and splashed across his shirt. Brown eyes dilated once he looked up at me. Nixon suddenly scrambled into a kneeled position, wrapped one arm around his chest while his other hand reached out to mine. Within the altercation, some of the liquid must have entered his mouth. Now he seemed devoted to me.

  “Oh! Look how awesome it is working!” Donte swooned. He took out his phone and grinned. “Tell him to do something.”

  “How long does it last?” I asked.

  Nixon looked up at me with that puppy dog look in his eyes. It was uncomfortable.

  “The book said around an hour, I think,” Donte replied, shrugging. “Go on, Eileen, make him do something.”

  “Make me as many peanut butter sandwiches that you can within an hour,” I said in a small, dull drone of a voice.

  “As my lover sister commands!” He bellowed and then raced down the stairs.

  “You are so mean. He’s going to swell up so bad. I have to record this and put them on Magtube!”

  From around the corner, I watched him race down the stairs when Silas was coming up. He had a confused look on his face when he noticed Donte cackling away. Not wanting to be lectured for making Nixon go downstairs and cause himself an allergic reaction, I quickly went into my room.