Coven Academy Warlock: Year 1 (Rise of the VVitch) by David Sung

Author:David Sung [Sung, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-11-10T00:00:00+00:00

Ifound a bench and collapsed onto it, staring at the ceiling. It was adorned with murals of past competitions, scenes of triumph and camaraderie. One showed a young sorcerer holding up a kinship amulet, his familiar and him celebrating as one. Another depicted a witch riding her phoenix, the two of them wreathed in flames of victory. I wondered which of these murals would be updated with this year’s moments. Probably none. Who had time for painting in this modern age?

I closed my eyes and let my thoughts wander. The Wyrmling was asleep, I could tell, its tiny consciousness dreaming of who-knows-what. I envied it. Sleep was the last thing I could hope for right now.

Time blurred. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been sitting when I heard footsteps echo down the hall. I opened my eyes and sat up, craning my neck to see who it was. A tall figure rounded the corner, and my heart sank.

Damien.

He walked with the unhurried stride of someone who owned the place, which, considering his family’s influence, wasn’t far from the truth. He stopped in front of me, hands in his pockets, and regarded me with those cold, calculating eyes.

“Nice job out there,” Damien said, though there was no trace of admiration in his tone. “I didn’t think you’d make it past Valorie.”

I stayed seated, too tired and sore to play whatever game he was starting. “What do you want, Damien?”

He shrugged. “Just came to see how the potential champion is holding up.”

I laughed, but it hurt too much to continue. “Champion? You’re still the favorite. Besides, we both know you’re not here to wish me luck.”

“True,” he said, and for a moment I thought he might actually leave. Instead, he sat on the bench across from me, leaning back and stretching out like a contented cat. “I’m here to make you an offer.”

This piqued my interest, though I couldn’t imagine what he thought he could offer me. “I’m listening.”

“You and I both know that the finals are going to be brutal. Your Wyrmling is cute, but it’s not cut out for this kind of competition.” He paused, letting his words sink in. “Withdraw, and I’ll make sure Fetches have a place at Bothwen. A real place. You’ll get a scholarship, access to all the resources you need. Your family won’t have to worry about a thing.”

I stared at him, trying to process the absurdity of what he was saying. Withdraw? After all we’d been through? And trust him to make good on his promises? “Why would you do that?”

He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Because I understand power, Tyler. And more importantly, I understand optics. Imagine the headlines: ‘Warlock Defeats Historic Fetch in Hard-Fought Finals.’ It sounds a lot better than ‘MacNewton Crushes Underdog.’”

“So this is about your image,” I said, starting to get it. “You want to look like a gracious victor instead of a tyrant.”

“Something like that,” he said, still smiling that cold, lifeless smile. “It’s a win-win. You get to keep your dignity, and I get… a better narrative.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.