9 An invitation

I awoke feeling pain rippling down my right side. Three strangers stood over me with hands stretched over me casting healing spells. From the corner of my eye I spotted Orlo and Charlotte. At once, Orlo gestured them away and approached the side of the bed.

"Arabella can you hear me?"

"Yes", I murmured.

"You're lucky to be alive", he sighed, "I've never seen anything like that before"

"How do you feel Bella?" asked Charlotte.

"I can't move my hand", my voice trembled.

"The healers will be back in soon", Charlotte replied softly, "Do you remember what happened?"

"I was trying to cast the spell. But it wasn't working. I kept trying and trying", I explained holding back tears, "Then the staff got white hot and I let go, and it..it just blew up"

"Young lady", Orlo interjected, "You poured so much mana into that staff, you broke the enchantment. That is why it exploded"

I shook my head, "No, it wasn't working! Nothing happened"

"Were you trying to show off to your peers? Why did you do that?"

"I didn't! I wasn't trying to..."

"Enough. I will send the healers in. We will discuss this further", Orlo led Charlotte out and the healers came back in. I fell into a painful, restless slumber.

When I next awoke, I was alone and back in my room. I sat up in bed. My skin felt tender but less painful. I held up my hand to examine it. From my elbow upwards the skin was scarred. I slowly felt up the back of my shoulder. The skin felt rough and jagged. I rose quickly to the mirror above my desk. I could see from my neck to my right elbow the skin had been burnt and scarred. I lay back in my bed and closed my eyes.

The moment came back to me all at once. I could feel the white hot staff in my hand. An energy washed over me. It was like nothing I had ever felt before. It was like being outside of my own body and inside it at the same time. The energy wrapped around me. It was indescribable. I awoke suddenly as if from a nightmare. The room was dark and I swatted around, half delirious. Light. If only there was some light. I reached with my hand outstretched.

A flicker of light ignited from my outstretched finger tips. I hardly knew what was happening. Then it hit me. Magic, this was magic. Only I hadn't cast the spell, I just thought about the light and it appeared. The strange energy stirred again. It was a weightless feeling. It was utterly euphoric.

The next morning when I woke up. Last night felt like a strange dream. I felt nauseous and tired. A light knock rapped at my door.

I opened up and a healer stood waiting. I recognised her from the previous day. She sat with me and cast the healing spell on my arm once more. The jagged scarring began to fade a little. She told me she would be back again.I thanked her and waved her off. After that, I didn't really know what to do with myself. I felt too embarrassed to go back to class. I didn't want to face Orlo. So I stayed there in my room. Looking out the window at the passing students, I started to think about Lucian. I wondered what he was doing.

Charlotte came to visit that evening with food. I couldn't help but feel I had become a burden to her.

"I'm sorry", I said.

"For what, Bella?"

"I just keep doing everything wrong", I hid my face in my palms. I felt Charlotte's hand on my shoulder.

"You didn't do anything wrong"

"Why can't I be like everyone else? Why is it always me?"

"Stop it now, Bella! Listen to me. YOU did nothing wrong"

I nodded and brushed away my tears quickly with my hand.

"You need to get a hold of yourself before Orlo comes"

"Wait. Orlo is coming here?"

"I'm afraid so. I tried to explain. I told him about before with the divine stone but that just made him more insistent. He's probably on the way now"

Charlotte was right. I had barely finished eating when Orlo burst through the door.

"Ah! You're up. Good. Charlotte, please leave us", he demanded.

Charlotte flashed an annoyed glance before taking my hand and squeezing it gently. Orlo sat down promptly across from me.

"Let's go over yesterday again"

I sighed and recounted the day's events. Orlo stared at me intensely before producing a divine stone.

"Charlotte told me what happened before. I want you to do it again. This time do it without the ring. Just focus your mana"

I reluctantly held the stone in my hand and began to focus my mana. As before the stone didn't shine. Instead the clear setting seemed to grow dimer and dimer. Finally, in my hand I held a pure black stone.

Orlo stared at the stone with a grim expression.

"What does it mean?'

"It means you were born without magic", He said gravely.

"What? No how can that be? Everyone is born with mana. I can feel it. I know it's there"

"Listen to me. If you had not been using a magical item, if you had been casting a true spell, that spell would have taken your life", He put a hand on my shoulder, "It just wasn't meant to be. The best thing for you is to transfer to a different major"

I was stunned to silence. I didn't leave my room again for a week. The healers came and went. The feeling in my arm returned and much of the scarring faded. I returned back to my old habit. I pushed down everything I was feeling inside. I changed my major to history and began classes. I tried to forget about the whole thing but something didn't feel right.

I kept remembering that day. The staff in my hand and the energy washing over me. It was the ultimate feeling of both chaos and power at the same time.

I had been coasting through the lessons, hardly paying attention. I met up again with the sisters Drew and Azella. Most of the people in the arts department knew who I was by then. I wasn't Bella anymore. I was the Duchess' daughter. Hardly anyone dared to speak to me and I preferred it that way. I spent more and more time alone. I kept thinking about that day.

Finally one night alone in my bed I decided to try to light the room again. I focused my mana and imagined the light. The room instantly lit up. It felt thrilling. Every night I did it again and again. Eventually, I started to wonder what else I could do.

I began to take out books on magic from the library. I would study small spells and practice them in my room at night. Just little things. Light spells and illusion spells. The days seemed to be more bearable when I knew I could look forward to my night time adventures.

It was getting hotter and hotter as we reached the peak of summer. I decided to try my hand at an ice spell. I filled a bowl with water and set it on my desk. I had studied the spell in detail. I rehearsed the incantation in my mind and began to focus my mana. I thrust out my hand and the water jolted from the bowl. I expected a splash to follow. But the water solidified and the bowl tumbled off the desk. It was ice.

I felt elated. I did it! It was all me. I danced around the room, feeling exhilarated. In the height of my excitement, I had a flash of another idea. I quickly donned my cape and boots. I rushed across the courtyard to the college fountain. I scanned around hastily to see if anyone was around. I focused on the water and repeated the procedure. As I put my hand out, the water from the fountain burst out to form a fall of translucent ice. A thrilled gasp escaped my lips as I stood back and marvelled at my work.

It was the last week of the college term when I next saw Charlotte. She looked tired and thinner than when I last saw her. She had been away at the excavation site for over a month.

"I feel exhausted,'' Charlotte told me, "We've been fighting for the proper study of that site for the last year. And...then they just took it. The school can't stop them. It's an imperial college. They say it's about security but I know it's really about money."

She sounded bitter and sad. I tried to comfort her but I sensed she wasn't telling me everything. I decided not to push anymore and the conversation turned to events over the break.

"I saw Lucian in the capitol. He told me to give you this", Charlotte handed me a black card.

It was an invitation to Lucian ball. It was the last and most anticipated ball of the season.

" This will be your first time?" asked Charlotte.

"I'm not quite sure what to expect"

"It's a masquerade. People from all walks of life are invited. They get to pretend to be someone else for the night"

"Who do you pretend to be? I can't imagine you as anyone but yourself" I chuckled.

Charlotte laughed, "I suppose I get to pretend I'm one of you blue bloods for the nights", she grinned, "I ought to dress the part. We'll need to shop for dresses".

Charlotte and I left the college to shop for our dresses. As we stood outside one of the dress shops, I noticed the haughty figure of Patrica, Duchess of Welton. She had her slender hand wrapped around a gentleman's arm. Her blond hair sparkling in the sun. She was beautiful and elegant. I could see why she was so admired. I felt a tinge of jealousy.

Then as the gentleman's head turned I recognised a familiar face. Lucian smiled charmingly and the two made their way into a carriage. I hardly noticed Charlotte appear by my side.

"I suppose that's everything then. Shall we get a bite to eat?" she chimed.

"Do you know Patricia of Welton?" I asked abruptly.

Charlotte's eyes didn't meet mine, "Personally, i've never met her. I've only seen her from afar".

"Are her and Lucian friends?"

"Bella, you are curious sometimes. It's been all the talk for months. I even heard about it when I was away. It's typical Lucian. He knows everybody. I don't think half the things the tabloids say is true."

"What do they say?"

"Oh, you know, the usual...a love affair"

"He's in love with Patricia?"

"No! Of course not"

"Then why.."

"...because Lucian doesn't fall in love. I've been his friend a long time, I still haven't figured out exactly what his game is but I know for certain it's not like that"

"How can you know for certain? Did he tell you?"

"Bella. Don't get wrapped up in this. Lucian is not someone you get seriously involved with, trust me on this. I'm telling you as his friend and yours, drop it"

Her tone implied finality on the matter. We parted and I went back to the college. Mirelle came to get me the next morning. I packed up my things and we left for the break. My father owned a townhouse in the capital. We stayed there for the rest of the season. I spent the time continuing as I had done in the college, practicing magic at night.

The success of my practice made me feel more confident. Soon I could cast spells from all the schools of magic. It was still only small spells like healing or minor illusion but I felt great. I was the happiest I had ever been. Everything else seemed less important. I would buy books and read all day. I was so consumed by it, I was shocked when Mirelle told me Lucian's ball was only a day away.