Page 23 of Class Studies
“Is that an electric socket?” Tanwyn asked, shifting uncomfortably.
My gut wrenched. Tanwyn had taken over his hometown to save it from technology hybrids like me.
“It is.” Officer Keres grunted. “The knowledge of its existence doesn’t leave this room. Aphrodite will make sure of it.” He flexed his back. “It’s all part of our new trust circle, as I’m calling it.”
I blinked at him. “You told me my magic is black.” I held out my hands. “It’s illegal.”
Officer Keres shrugged. “Magic on its own is not good or bad. It’s a tool to be used by those who decide what’s illegal and not.”
My eyes widened, and I momentarily forgot about my situation. “What’s the point of all of this? The Aptitudes, this entire place, is designed to teach mages the difference between right and wrong—and you can just change what’s legal and not because it benefits you?”
Red crept up Officer Keres’ neck. He stepped forward, scowling at me.
Ashe released my shirt and rested a hand on my knee. “That was shitty wording, sir. The MA doesn’t decide anything. We enforce rules to keep everyone safe.” He turned to me. “Kitten, it’s not that simple.”
I didn’t look at Ashe. Anger burned in my gut, making me want to flinch away from his warm hand and too honest words.
“It doesn’t matter how ‘not simple’ something is,” I hissed. “We don’t even know what the right thing to do here is in the first place, and now they’re changing it.”
Officer Keres studied Ashe’s hand on my knee and took a deep breath. “Neither of your opinions were asked for or needed.”
I ground my teeth together in frustration.
Officer Keres stepped back and jabbed a finger into the air. “Sometimes we label things as bad because we don’t understand them or only see the danger.” His gaze bore into me. “What they really need is understanding, and that’s why I’m here, to guide us both to a better understanding.”
He pointed at each of the mages around me. “If you don’t seal these mages’ lips, using an isolated command we’ll come up with as a team, the knowledge of your socket will become common. You’re the only mage here, maybe the only one globally, who functions normally with technology inside you.”
I glanced at Professor Garnet. He bit his lips together and wouldn’t meet my gaze.
“Bits of your DNA are pure magic.” Officer Keres leaned toward me, looking for a response.
I threw my hands up in the air. “Then, I’m at least part Natural Mage. They have magic in their DNA, right? What does this have to do with anything?”
Officer Keres furrowed his eyebrows. “They don’t have pure magic in their DNA.” He grunted. “We couldn’t find any genetic matches because we’ve never seen anything like it.”
I brought my hands together in front of me and rubbed them. Great, I was unique in another way I didn’t understand.
The mages around me leaned forward, cocking their eyebrows with attentive gazes.
Officer Keres took a deep breath. “You were attacked for your dragon scales? Yes?” He waited for me to nod before continuing. “Unlike your scales, you don’t need to be alive for someone to take apart your tech. Your dead body will sell for billions on the black market because of your socket and unique DNA. How many of your peers would look past that?”
The blood drained out of my face as his puzzling words fit into place. Having pure magic in my DNA was one of a kind, and my tech was unique. He’d pointed it out so everyone in the room knew and could use the information against me. My magic was the only thing guaranteeing my secrets stayed in the Sphérique.
I looked around the room, slowly coming to terms with what he’d done.
Professor Garnet and Beryl I trusted with my secrets. But Ashe split his allegiance between me and the MA. Saffron wanted me, but he also needed to fix whatever contract he’d broken with Howel’s Moving Transports. Tanwyn, as wonderful as he was, now knew I had the same Tech in me which destroyed his life. Finally, my gaze came to rest on Ghalen. The wild card.
He’d been friendly. More than friendly at first, though not so much since Ashe came into my life. The red-rimmed mage had made it clear no matter how powerful I was; he wasn’t interested in having other men in his life. But that didn’t mean he lost interest in my power. Ram’s single-minded need to add me to his collection sent a chill down my back. There will always be another Ram.
My breaths came out in little gasps, and I clutched my hand to my chest.
Why was Officer Keres doing this to me? I’d never once feared Ghalen before, and I didn’t want to now.
The MA Officer turned to Beryl. “I’m surprised she’s even still here. Unless you didn’t know about her socket.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “You lied about everything, Beryl. Not a true word has come out of your mouth since I arrived.”
Beryl’s jaw ticked, but no witty comeback or joke came out of his mouth.
Officer Keres stood before Beryl and looked down his nose. “So much lying.” He focused on nothing before returning his attention to me. “You have one chance, Aphrodite, to come clean and start gaining my trust. Who started all of this by overloading your cuffs?”