The light tink of silverware hitting glass echoed through the dining hall. The conversations petered out and most eyes found their way up to the Headmistress who stood with a smile. There was an excited hum of magic from the teacher's table. Dyani raised a curious eyebrow at Britt who just grinned back at her.

  "I would like your attention, please!" Etara called out. "I have an announcement to make. As some of you are aware, we have a big even coming up within the next two weeks."

  She paused for dramatic flare and Dyani rolled her eyes. The Headmistress raised her arms and smiled.

  "The Qualifiers are around the corner!"

  Clapping and whistles came from the student body, some of them elbowing friends. Etara motioned for quiet and the excitement quelled only enough for her to be heard.

  "Make sure that you are prepared if you wish to compete in the Tournament."

  The students returned back to their previous chatter as well as some gushing over the Qualifiers. Dyani sighed and wondered if she should take part in the competition or if she should just focus on other things at the moment. Stuck in her head, she missed the questions aimed at her. It was an elbow to her ribs from Mari that brought her out of it.

  "What?"

  "You haven't paid attention at all to what we were saying, were you?"

  Dyani shook her head and apologized. "I was thinking about the Qualifiers."

  "That's what we were asking you about. Want to tell us what you were thinking?"

  "I was not sure if I should join or if I should study more." Dyani admitted.

  "I think that you should focus on your studies.”

  There were murmurs of agreement from the rest. It was Caleb that spoke up, “I actually think that you should compete.”

  The group, including Dyani, stared at him in confusion. Jorge slapped him on the back of his head which made Caleb protest.

  “Look, all I am saying is that I think Dyani should compete. One, it would really show her where she needs the improvement. Two, it would serve as a reminder that even though she is behind, you can still catch up with hard work. And finally, in my opinion, Dyani could use the practical practice in a setting where you can’t think but react.”

  “What are you, a seer?” Jorge quipped.

  Caleb huffed and crossed his arms.

  “I agree with that. It’s sound reasoning.” Kavan chimed in. Caleb waved an arm with while giving a loud ‘ha’. As if it would have proven his point further. They ignored him.

  “I would not even know what to study for or what it is that I could offer against my opponents.”

  “Then we better get to the library and get you books. You’ll need to practice constantly over the next few weeks.”

  Dyani groaned and set her head on the table. More homework, more studying, and of course she could not forget her Master Degree thesis. It was never ending at this point.

  “You’ll never make it, so why bother?”

  Dyani could have groaned at the nasally voice of Kira. If things could be worse, that girl would appear like a bad wart. She tried to ignore her, she really did. It never worked. The snot nosed bitch was someone that grated on her nerves.

  “Did you guys hear something?”

  “Real mature,” Kira snarked. “You’re not good enough to be here and I highly doubt you’ll be able to make it into the Qualifiers.”

  “Aw shucks,” Dyani cooed. “I didn’t know you cared enough to come all the way over here to warn me about getting hurt.”

  Kira’s nose scrunched and she lifted her chin.

  “I would never care whether you got hurt or not. I figured I would tell you now before you bothered wasting your time.”

  “You do care though, Kira. Admit it. You like me.”

  “You’re a freak. You don’t belong here. Why would I care about you?”

  Dyani snorted, “Well you obviously do care. You can’t seem to find more creative insults and you go out of your way to antagonize me. On some level, you care.”

  Those surrounding them snickered or outright laughed. Kira huffed and got bright red.

  “Listen here. You will never belong in our world. We don’t want a freak like you to be among our community. You are a dangerous risk. The government should have put you down the moment they learned that you had survived.”

  There was an outcry but that was swallowed underneath the wave of magic that poured out in a torrent of fire. Dyani had stood and faced the girl. Kira screamed as she was engulfed in flames. Many students scrambled away from the scene, allowing for the teachers to intervene. Water poured over the girl, revealing a horrendous sight. Dyani was glowing with magic but she was breathing hard and gasping for breath. Cracks moved like spider webs over the stone flooring.

  Each time that the fire would be put out, the magic around them put pressure onto those close enough to feel it. Kavan, Mari, and Britt stood with their hands on Dyani’s back while she screamed out in pain. Magic flowed from the woman on the floor into the three before dispersing. Professor Bertani joined them in grounding the magic through her.

  “What happened?”

  Kira was sobbing out nonsensical words but it was one of her lackeys that pointed a shaking finger at Dyani.

  “She attacked Kira.”

  Kavan snarled at her words, turning to the Headmistress while continuing to absorb the excess magic through her.

  “Within her right. Kira essentially told her that she should have been put down like a rabid animal the moment the government learned that she had survived the ritual. I don’t think that she had conscious motive to attack her. Magic lashed out without her being able to ground it.”

  They grunted as another waved surged from Dyani and through them. The temperature rose but there was not a fire.

  “She is like a child who needs control. Britt, you have done it your way but it is not negotiable. This display has caused harm to another student and there will be repercussions. Take them both to the healing ward.”

  Professor Bertani stood back and gave the Headmistress a calculating stare.

  “I do hope that you plan on punishing Miss Starling as well. Her comment could be considered as a threat to her life. You know for a fact that Miss Dyani’s magic lashing out was as a measure of protection.”

  Etara’s expression went cold and Professor Bertani internally sighed. The girl would not get punished and Dyani would be taking the blame. Even with the logic, the Headmistress favored those who were considered political pieces. If they had wealth or power or both, she would allow them to get away with much more than any other.

  The group moved away once the two students were cleared and the room went back to normal. Dyani’s friends gathered up her belongings and handed them over to Britt. The man thanked them before heading off to meet with the Healer.

  When Dyani woke, it was not the sight that she wanted to see. Her wrists were trapped to her side and her ankles received the same treatment. There was not hesitation before her magic lashed out. The fire returned with fury and Dyani screamed as the memories of that night overtook everything she knew. The smell of blood filled her nose and Dyani turned her head to let the bile out of her stomach. She screamed and cried out for help while thrashing. Magic lashed out once more, targeting those that were around her in perceived threat. Distantly, her ears picked up a furious voice.

  "Are you idiots? Did none of you read about the circumstance that brought her into this world? No? Of course not! You're a bunch of slobbering dunces. Move out of my way."

  There was a scuffle before heavy bodies hit the floor. A few cries of shock and yelps were heard before a soothing wave of magic reached out for her.

  "Dyani? You're okay. You are safe."

  Her magic wanted to lash out but this was one that felt familiar. It wasn't that perverted male that held her down to that cold stone. Screams continued to echo around her as she faded back into the memories. Britt's magic was the only reason to hold on to the real world and it had been cut off just as he called out to her. Hands gripped tight against her body and it was enough that Dyani's world plunge into panic and pain.

  The glamour around her broke with another surge of the wild magic. There was no stopping either of them. Runes glowed with power and those holding her cried out in pain as the magic burned their hands. It pushed them away and across the room. They slumped to the cold ground of the Healing ward in unconsciousness.

  "Let me go. I am the only chance you have at calming her!" Britt's voice chopped through the darkened panic.

  "Britt, please. Please help me."

  "See? Let me go you assholes. Would you like to be the reason this half of the school crumbled under uncontrolled Chaos magic?"

  There were grumbles before Britt's magic washed over her. Breathing came easier and the screams began to fade. Dyani pulled and tugged at the manacles that trapped her. Much like before, she tried slamming her hands down to break them, giving her leeway to slip out. Britt's magic was gentle as it took ahold of her hands just before she could break them. There was a breath of panic before his physical hands replaced magic. His voice was soft in her ear.

  "Dyani. I am here and you are safe. You are no longer at that site. That man is gone and you are here with me. I'm going to untie you, okay? Trust me."

  She wanted to do just that but there was a part of her that lived within that memory. The one that trusted no man to rescue her. She had only herself to free herself from the agony and fear. Hands smoothed over hers and gripped before his magic snapped through the leather strips with ease. His hands released the straps around her ankles and before she could curl up, he pulled her into an embrace.

  "I am here. Come back, Dyani. You are safe. I have you and nothing will harm you."

  "Sir, you need to step back."

  "If you come closer, I will not hold back. I am the only thing that makes her feel remotely safe enough to come out of these memories. Back the fuck up. Now."

  "You heard him. Back up now."

  A female voice penetrated Dyani's disorientation. The soothing rocking in combination of the strong embrace was enough for her magic to receded into a semi-content state. Dyani's head rested against his chest, tucked under his chin. Her vision was slightly blurry as she opened her eyes. The room was bright and a fair few amount of figures were gathered in the room.

  "You're safe." Britt soothed before she could panic. His fingers trailed over her hair, which had come undone from the braids. Dyani winced as a small knot was pulled. Britt muttered and apology and she felt his magic weave through her hair as it reconstructed her braids. Dyani felt the tears in her eyes at the kind gesture as well as the knowledge that she felt safe enough with him to allow him to touch her hair let alone braid it.

  The sat like that for some time while the group spoke in low murmurs. Dyani took in a deep breath when her magic settled completely and she was able to ground herself. It was a small blessing that the Headmistress was nowhere to be seen. Instead, it was a very intimidating woman that stood near. She appeared much older than both her and Britt but still young compared to most of her Professors. The scowl on her face made Dyani nervous but at least it was not aimed in her direction. Instead, it was pointed at a group of men and woman that cowered nearby. Dyani wondered if those were the idiots that Britt had been insulting.

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  Slipping from Britt's lap, Dyani settled down in the bed that told her she was in the Healing ward.

  "What's going on?"

  The woman turned from her scowling to face Dyani. If Dyani was not coming down from a severe panic inducing incident, her mind would have blanked at the beautiful woman. From behind she was pretty, but seeing her fully was a different story.

  "I want to apologize to you, Miss Dyani. They were supposed to make sure that you were secured and safe. I did not realize that they would take that as strapping you down so that others were safe. You have my sincerest apologies."

  "Thank you, though I am still confused as to what is going on and why this happened in the first place."

  The woman conjured a chair up in front of the bed, sitting down with one leg crossed over the other. Dyani's eyes automatically traced the long legs before she shifted her gaze away. In doing so, she missed the look of amusement from the woman and slight surprise from Britt.

  "My name is Delainey Cavasoz. I'm the Head of the Magical Research Division of the United Magical America."

  Dyani just stared at her, wondering when the woman would explain the reason for the visit. It got uncomfortable in the silence before Delainey shifted and spoke up.

  "I was called in when Headmistress Sommers reported that there was a student with an uncontrolled magic burst. I had not realized when I sent my team that it was you and their incompetence in helping provide a safe environment for all involved."

  Dyani growled low and her magic stirred, "The only reason that it went out of control was because I perceived another student as a threat to my life. My magic reacted before I could stop it."

  Delainey could not hide the surprise at the new information before she scowled at the small notebook she had brought out. In it, she had been noting some things down.

  "I was not aware of this being the case. Just there was a dangerous amount of magic that was uncontrolled."

  Britt sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Of course Etara would have neglected to mention this to the group. If so, they would have avoided a lot of the mishap in general. An uncontrolled burst was different from a life threatened burst. It seemed that Delainey came to the same conclusion.

  "Well then, I believe that I may have to speak to a few people in regards to this new information I was not aware of."

  She stood and dusted off her skirt. Delainey smiled at Dyani with a bit more gentle expression, "Please take care of yourself. I know that there is a lot happening around you and you are still getting used to our world. I've heard of the results from earlier this summer and the reports about your Chaotic magic. Would I be able to return in a little bit to speak with you more about things?"

  Dyani nodded and looked to Britt from the corner of her eye. She didn't want to ask but she was hoping that the man would stay for said conversation. Delainey noticed and nodded to the man, "You can have him stay. Anyone that you feel comfortable with is permitted to be there for the conversation. I want you to know that this is not a punishment or reprimand. I would like to work with you on the control of your magic."

  There was a visible reaction of relief at that. Dyani sighed and gave the Division Head a thankful smile. Britt picked up her hand and gave it a squeeze before standing as well.

  "If you do not mind," His voice held a strained tone to it, "I would appreciate it if I could join you in this meeting. I need to speak with Etara."

  Delainey gave him a bright smile and Dyani felt her heart clench. The odd part was that she was not sure if that was aimed at the woman smiling at Britt or if she wished that she was the one on the receiving end. There was confusion all around and not just from the traumatic reliving of her memories. Dyani appreciated people in general, so it was a tad confusing for her to have feelings of jealousy over both Delainey and Britt. Her head hurt and Dyani let out a groan.

  "Here, dear. Why don't you take this and then lay down. You need the rest."

  The Healer was always the one that knew when she needed something and right now, Dyani was incredibly thankful for that. She took a large swig of the potion and the gentle calm that came with the pain relief washed over her. Dyani yawned and waved off the two that looked at her in worry. Although, she felt a bit warm that Delainey was one of those. Damn hormones in these inappropriate times. This is what happens when she spend too much time around hormonal teenagers with insatiable libidos.

  When Dyani woke for the second time, it was to a warm blanket covering her and a low conversation nearby. Her headache was gone, which was a blessing, and she felt calmer than she had since the Samhain ritual. Sitting up, Dyani rubbed at her eyes. The conversation came to a stop and she looked over to see that Delainey and Britt were keeping her company. A blush dusted her cheeks and Dyani internally cursed that she was still catching feelings.

  "How are you feeling?" Delainey stood up with Britt following. They each took a side of her bed where they sat at her feet. Being under the scrutiny of these two was both flustering and heart warming. Dyani smoothed down her hair, even if it was pulled back in her normal braids, and sighed.

  "Much better. I feel calmer now."

  Delainey gave her that same smile that Britt had and Dyani melted. Britt smirked and Dyani tried to subtly kick him from under her blanket. It was not as effective and he let out a low chuckle of amusement.

  "That's good to hear. I do want to let you know that I was informed a bit more about your situation beyond what was in the records."

  Britt scratched at his neck and looked a bit sheepish. "I apologize, Dyani. She needed to know a few things that the record or those were informed of."

  Dyani wanted to be mad but she knew that Britt only told the woman because there was something that required it.

  "What were you told?"

  Delainey placed a hand on Dyani's shin, "Not as much as you think. I know what ritual it was and the condition that you were found in. Britt informed me about those things since they were not a part of the records regarding the incident. In fact, I believe that there are only a few that know the exact ritual used."

  There was no pity or sympathy from the woman, which made Dyani more comfortable with her knowing. Either of those just made Dyani angry. Instead, the woman seemed more interested in helping her rather than sympathizing.

  "If you are willing, I would like to take a look at your runic arrays if you are comfortable with being examined."

  "Runic arrays? I thought I was examined already. That's what I was told earlier this summer."

  Britt scowled, "Not the way that Delainey would be. Those were government lackeys that only wanted to take note of them and the after effects. They were not actually studying their arrays or how those arrays are compared to what the ritual should have been."

  Dyani frowned and crossed her arms over her stomach. There was a moment of tense silence while she thought.

  "On one condition."

  Delainey raised an eyebrow. Even Britt seemed interested in her answer.

  "I want to know more about this ritual and how it works. How the runes carved into my body affect my magic and things around me."

  Nervous expressions were exchanged between Britt and Delainey. It was Britt that went to explain but Dyani huffed.

  "Let me guess, it's forbidden to know."

  "Actually, it's not so much forbidden as restricted." Delainey explained. "But I don't see why I cannot teach you some about it."

  Dyani perked up, having expected the answer 'no'. Her smile was large as she nodded her head.

  "Then I agree. So long as you teach me about the ritual and the runes, I wouldn't mind you studying them. It may help me understand my magic a bit better."

  Both Delainey and Britt seemed pleased with the deal. Dyani took a deep breath and stretched her body before trying to get out of the bed. Delainey moved to help her stand. Dyani blushed lightly and thanked the woman. It during that moment that Dyani caught a whiff of amber and another scent that had her wanting to lean closer. It was a perfume but one that she was not familiar with. Britt shook his head over the woman's shoulder, causing Dyani to narrow her eyes at the man's teasing. A rude gesture behind Delainey's back had him barking out a laugh. The three of them stood next to the bed with Dyani in plain white pants and shirt.

  "Could you help me Britt? I can't take down the glamours still."

  "Of course. I need to teach you how to raise them and how to take them down. Let me show you."

  Delainey coughed nervously, "Could I ask another favor from you, Dyani?"

  "Depends on what it is?"

  "Would you be willing to strip down a bit so that I can see how the runes react to your use of magic? If not, I can work with what you're wearing now."

  Dyani looked down at the basic clothing and then giggled. It was a nervous habit but it was better than her becoming too flustered. She'd prefer to giggle in embarrassment than to be unable to talk in fear of rambling. Dyani peeked over at Britt to find that his eyes had traveled down her body and snapped away when he'd noticed that she noticed it. Delainey covered her mouth that Dyani knew was to hide a smile. With a shrug, Dyani waved her hand down her body, transfiguring the clothing into a two piece. It covered her important bits while still leaving much to the imagination. It was intentional, she had planned that, but it had the desired effects.

  Britt's was easier to see as he sucked in a sharp breath and stared at her. It didn't help that she was angled away from him, giving him a clear view of her back. Delainey was a bit harder to spot, but the change in her eyes and the slight shift of feet clued Dyani into the fact that the woman had looked. Magic rippled across her skin as Britt released the glamor. The runic array that crisscrossed her skin was visible to the room. The space was surrounded with a curtain so that the rest of the room could not see them. The sight must have not been something that Delainey expected as she stood there gaping at Dyani. There was a brief moment that Dyani wanted to pose with a 'ta-da!' but she suppressed that.

  Delainey reached out, "May I?"

  Dyani nodded and held out an arm for the woman to examine. Soft fingers traced over the patterns of each rune and the small lines that connected them.

  "I have never seen something like this. At least, not so intricate in how they are woven together. Whoever did this knew their stuff."

  "Blood Magic, you mean."

  Britt's hand clamped over her mouth. Delainey had paled and stepped back, her head darting to stare at the place where the curtain pulled apart. For a few minutes, they stood there waiting for any sound. Britt released her and stepped away.

  "Dyani," he warned.

  "Yeah, I know. Sorry." She sighed and rubbed one hand up the other arm. Shifting from foot to foot, Dyani was suddenly aware of the chill that was normal for the healing ward. A quick thought and magic warmed up the small space around her.

  "I think it's time to put up the wards to help with the privacy," Delainey stated. Taking the hint, Britt brought up her favorite one. Dyani wanted to purr as the comforting blanket draped over her bare skin. This was better than normal as her skin was the affected area and not her clothing. A noise must have escaped because Britt turned a bright red while Delainey giggled.

  "Interesting. So your runic arrays make your skin sensitive or is it the magic?"

  Dyani hummed, "I don't really think about it when it happens. Usually it just affects me. Granted I did notice that this time the sensation was intenser than normal. I figure that it is because they are directly impacted rather than covered with clothing."

  Britt cleared his throat and the two women turned their attention to him, "I think I'll step out for a bit. Would you like me to grab some dinner for you two?"

  Both of them gave the go ahead to grab them food and watched as he left post-haste. When the wards snapped back into place, Dyani couldn't hold back the deep laughter that crept up. Bent over, Dyani wheezed as she let out guffaws that would have put many to shame. It took a moment for Delainey to join her but the joy was infectious. They stopped after some time with Dyani holding her side due to a stitch.

  "I'm sorry. I couldn't help it."

  The woman flapped a hand with a chuckle, "Don't even worry about it. That was funny."

  Dyani sat down on the bed and stretched out her body. The stitch eased and it felt much better sitting than standing there. Dyani looked up to see that Delainey had gone silent and there was a light pink to her neck. Eyes were averted and adamantly focused on the small notebook that was being leafed through. With an eyeroll, she sat up and kicked her legs back and forth.

  "What was it that you were needing to study?"

  Delainey pulled a chair closer and showed the girl her small notebook. Well manicured nails tapped against the notebook, which Dyani was surprised to find that it moved around. It wasn't so much a notebook but a collection of papers bound together and shrunk down for easy carry.

  "You see these?"

  The diagram that was being pointed at was small but Dyani could see a body that was covered with small markings. Dyani nodded and the dark haired woman continued.

  "These are how this ritual was supposed to be done. It maps out the markings and their positions as well as what purpose each holds. When it comes to Blood Magic, there are specific methods that are done to achieve specific results. One rune on the same body part could yield a different result depending upon its position as well as its correlation to the cluster around it. That's why it is so dangerous. You have to know the runes, their positions, their correlations, and then the direct result of each of those together or separate."

  Dyani's mouth was open. It was more indepth than she had given it credit. When it had been mentioned before, it seemed as if it was just the use of runes on the body, not the relation of what they are and how they were placed. This was more complex and in a way, it interested Dyani even more. A magic system that was that complex required discipline. Instead o scaring her away from it, Delainey had ignited an interest in the subject.

  "I can show you a bit more," Delainey offered. Dyani looked at her and knew that this was more than her offering to show more about the runes, but to teach her more about the subject in general.

  "I'd love that."

  Dyani shared a smile. That would occupy them for the next few hours. When Britt returned, it was to Dyani taking down copious amounts of notes and Delainey was teaching about a basic runic scheme. They paused when they noticed that they had company. Britt was avoiding looking at her still but at least it was because she was still dressed in the two piece. Giving him a break, Dyani undid the transfiguration on the clothing. His shoulders relaxed a bit and his gaze was heated when he met hers. Dyani's breath hitched and this time it was her that looked away first. Delainey watched with amusement but couldn't blame the girl for getting embarrassed. That look he had given her was one that would have made her shiver.

  Britt set down two take out bowls. It was some form of Chinese food. Dyani grinned and dived into the dish with relish. She moaned around the first bite with her chopsticks. Delainey had struggled with the unique utensils.

  "Oh, Goddess Bless you Britt. I have been wanting this for months."

  He joined them with their dinner and listened to the two converse about the application of runes in a way that Blood Magic did. How they would work within a runic circle then performed versus being placed in an array on the body that served the same purpose. It was more in-depth than what he would have been able to do and was pleased to be on the learning side of magic for a bit. Dyani was writing as fast as should while stuffing her face. This was the magic that she wanted to learn. Not the pansy stuff that the school was forcing down her throat. While she knew the purpose of getting the foundation, it was too slow for her at times and that was why she struggled. When you go back to the basic, even with something that was new to you, it can be harder because of being used to thinking with more complex ideas. That was what Dyani struggled with at this point in time.

  The Blood Magic was not only easier but it came at an easier understanding. Something about the magic and its function made sense to her. This was what Dyani was working towards. She wanted to reach the stage where she could finish this basic education and work towards the more complex forms. Sensing that thought, Britt placed a hand on her arm.

  "You will get there. I know it doesn't seem like it but you have a lot of time to get to that point."

  Dyani grit her teeth, "I know that. Logically, I do. But also think of how frustrating it is being treated like a teenager that learns at a slower pace. That is why I am still working on my Master's Degree, because they make it so easy and so slow to learn. I am working on the end part of the tenth-level work. While stuck in classes that I've passed that information a few months ago."

  Delainey and Britt gave her startled expressions, which she relished in for a brief second. Shaking her head, Dyani just continued eating the delicious food.