A Mastery of Magic

Chapter 4: Cassandra

"You did it," I accused.

"Yes, I did. And I loved it."

"And you're going to tell me all about it when assembly's over!"

"I promise."

"Cassandra," Braeden called from the stairs to my right. "I need to talk to you."

"He keeps getting hotter and hotter every semester," Turq said. "Is he your favorite?"

"I make sure none of them think I have a favorite. It's not safe for them. He and Dash have a friendly competition going on." I pointed at Braeden. "You're late." I crossed my arms and frowned as if disappointed. "Where's everyone else?"

Braeden threw up his hands. "There's no time to stand here and explain." He waved at Turq.

"Hey, Braeden." She waved back and giggled.

"I need your help," Braeden insisted. "Come on. Now!"

"Assembly is getting ready to start." I looked toward the stage. "We need to hear the announcements."

"That's why you need to hurry. Now come on!" He was too persistent for me to be mad about him being late.

"Duty calls," I said to Turq. "It was nice to meet ya, Ling Xu." I joined Braeden on the steps. "What's going on?" I asked, and he grabbed my arm to usher me down the stairs. His insistence was pissing me off. Several students called my name, wanting to talk. I waved and continued with Braeden.

"It's Aurelius." He pointed at Aurelius standing at the stairs leading up to the stage. He was having a very animated conversation with Kyler, Dash, and Oliver. Both faculty and students were watching the scene unfold. Boys would always be boys. The semester was going to be a cluster-f**k.

"Hey, Cassandra," another student said as Braeden hurried me across the auditorium. I waved at the student and then turned to Braeden.

"What the hell is going on?"

Then I saw the guys trying to stop Aurelius from taking the stage. All hell broke loose across the assembly.

The roof and ceiling suddenly tore away, and students ducked and dodged and ran from falling debris. A large spotlight crashed between the faculty and the row of students behind them, and an eerie quiet fell over the entire room.

"We should get the hell out of here," a student said to another.

"You hear that?" Oliver closed his eyes. "I've heard the sound before but not that loud."

"Sounds like tap shoes on a dance floor," Kyler said, and we all looked at him.

"You took tap lessons?" Dash eyed Kyler suspiciously.

Kyler nodded. "Yes, I did, shithead." Kyler showed Dash a quick dance move, and Dash shook his head.

"There are things I'd rather not know about you." Dash moved around Kyler and stood by my side.

"Insects." Oliver opened his eyes and looked toward the roof. "We're screwed."

"The f**k is that?" I heard a student ask. Everyone pointed toward the opening in the roof. A few people screamed and started running toward the exit, but most stayed where they stood in awe of what they saw.

"That's something you don't see every day." Dash's joke fell flat. No one else said a word.

I watched a ten-foot praying mantis drop through the hole and stand upright, it's large mandibles clicking together. It scanned the auditorium, looking for prey.

Professor Rowling charged forward and hit the thing with a freezing spell. The insect froze in place. She then raised her hands and created a fireball. She held onto the sphere so long that it became a molten ball of lava. She blew a stream of cold air against it, and the thing instantly turned hard. She fired the ball at the frozen insect, and it shattered. Again, the room fell silent. It felt good to finally have a badass faculty member.

"Run!" someone screamed, and the room became a mass of human chaos.

"We have to stop them from trampling each other!" A hand wrapped around my arm and pulled me from the running students.

We climbed the stairs to the stage to get out of the way and to have a better view of the creatures entering the auditorium. Three large praying mantises dropped through the hole, their mandibles snapping at students trying to escape.

"Oh s**t!" Braeden said, and I looked up to see a dozen Sarchi dropping down. "I don't remember seeing an invitation to this party!"

"Offensive mode!" I yelled, and everyone prepared their spells.

Faculty stood their ground bombarding the creatures with spells. The spells bounced away with little or no effect.

"Where are you going?!" Professor Rowling yelled at three teachers who had decided to run for the exits.

Braeden and Dash fired spells at the Sarchi, knocking two of them to the ground. Kyler followed with a whirl of wind that brought down two spotlights hanging from the ceiling onto three of the creatures, killing them instantly.

"What the f**k is that?" I heard Dash yell, and the entire room stopped.

"It's a chimera," Oliver said. "A mythological creature."

"Doesn't look like a myth to me." Kyler eyed the thing, and for a moment I thought he might shift.

I looked up at the hole in the roof and saw the creature scanning the chaos below, its menacing heads causing the screams in the auditorium to grow. I'd heard rumors of the chimera but had never seen one in real life. I never wanted to see another.

"Any suggestions, brainiac?" Dash asked.

"Don't let any of the mouths bite you!"

"Thanks. Very helpful." Dash moved next to Kyler as we each took up an offensive position.

The creature, using its dragon wings, dropped to the floor. Though the creature had the body and head of a lion, it also had the head and wings of a dragon, the head of a goat, and a tail that ended with two snake heads. The lion roared, and the dragon singed the ceiling with a stream of fire. The goat snatched up a student, and the snake heads tore the student in half.

Dash and Kyler fearlessly cast spells at the creature, but the Sarchi began flanking us.

"What're they doing?" Kyler asked.

The Sarchi broke off from flanking us, two heading behind us and two remaining on each side. The giant praying mantis scaled the walls around us.

"s**t," Oliver said. "They've come with a strategy.

"They're f*****g insects!" Braeden yelled. "They aren't capable of a strategy!"

"That's because someone gave the fuckers a strategy!"

I glanced at Oliver, not because he cussed again but because there was something wrong with his voice. He looked at me and realized he'd been caught at something. I just didn't know what. He gave me an impish smile and turned away.

"This s**t's not working!" Fireball after fireball shot from Dash's hands.

"They aren't beating us on their own," I yelled. "Someone's helping them!"

One of the Sarchi managed to knock Braeden off his feet. I twirled on my heels and nailed the thing square in the face with a fireball. "I owe you one," Braeden said and took my hand when I offered to help him up.

"I'm running out of steam here!" Dash's fireballs were becoming smaller and even less effective.

Oliver continued his spells, but his face dripped with sweat. "We need help!"

The chimera seemed to be looking around for something and as soon as it laid eyes on me, the lion roared, and the three heads turned their attention in my direction. The other creatures were nothing more than a distraction for the guys. The chimera was there for me and only me. When I raised my hands to cast a spell, the monstrosity lunged.