Glass Magic REWRITTEN

Chapter 40

            "It's not that she didn't know," I hummed, my hands fiddling with the lock he had given me, one of the few remaining in front of me rather than to my side. His class was the first I had shown up to in the last few days. He, shockingly, was there- and seemed equally surprised to see me. At my voice, I saw him look away from my hands and to my face- curious as to what I meant. "Miss H,"

        He blinked, my clarification not enough of one, only for it to dawn on him. Opening his grinning mouth he immediately snapped it shut, a second realization falling upon him. I had heard, that was easy to guess, but how? They had a barrier making it where even if I was outside I wouldn't have heard, but that was a tight space with just enough people, professionals, that I wouldn't go unnoticed. But I did.

       The click of the lock had me looking up at him silently. He held his mouth and chin with one hand, looking me over slowly, carefully, while holding his elbow with the other. I was better than he thought I would be without someone to teach me. With the way he was looking at me, I was even someone he thought dangerous. Looking at the peeling wall behind him, I returned my gaze with a smile, tilting my head and closing my eyes.

         "It's not that she didn't know," I repeated, looking back to the locks on the table, "I've told her, of both the students and professors, how I'm treated, how they don't listen, but, well, she wouldn't work here if she was any different?" I mumbled the last part, my mouth twisting with distaste as a pin ignored my attempts and fell back down. His hand silently moved my hand ever so slightly, removing pressure from my turning tool and leaving it to stay up at my next attempt.

        "I can't say I hate her though," I didn't pause in continuing merely glancing at him- at the help, "She's still my favorite teacher, she's not even a little bit unpredictable, so I guess that's nice," I took a breath, swallowing as I tried not to falter at what I was to say next, "She's also the only other glass mage around and her mana control is something I really do admire, and she does make attempts to look out for me," I said honestly, the turning tool doing as it should while the lock gave way and the latch popped up.

          "... Does she, now?" He carefully took a seat next to me while I gave a soft nod, sliding another lock into my hands, this one a doorknob lock with no door, just a small piece of wood that held it together. Glancing at him again, a small shake of the head finding my neck, I did just what he wanted and continued.

         "I'd rather it was for my benefit but I'm not going to be picky, she likes the idea of me, the hope I could bring is my guess. She does not like, however-" the lock popped quicker than the rest, a small jolt in my shoulders as he raised a brow- "the practicality of my existence." I pressed, refusing to acknowledge it, he gave a soft hum, sliding another lock across the slanted table. Taking it, I paused in what I was saying to rotate the lock, looking over it as my brows pulled together. It was heavy. But it was small.

        "The concept... but not the materialization?" The question in my voice was not at the fact it said, placing the small piece of metal at the bottom of the lock, I began regardless of the difference in weight, "I think she's pretty indifferent to me, the fact that she went on the attack was interesting though, but I doubt it was because she meant it in a bad way? Aervin is a prick so she was probably just saying that he couldn't disregard glass mages in such a fashion and I was the proof," I raised a brow as it gave, a small frown on my lips, setting it with the rest I looked at him, having finished the locks.

        "Are you not being optimistic?" He asked, looking over the locks as I slowly rolled the pick I found to be my favorite between my fingers. I stared at him and his choice of question, the thin tool being flicked between my fingers faster before I roughly slammed it into the table. Out of all of them, that was not the one I wanted to hear.

         "... That's definitely a possibility, however, in a place like this, with what you know I go through daily, I have chosen to think that she, my favorite of the professors, may not actually hate me, now I believe I've completed today's work," I pushed my chair back as I stood, pressing my hands into the small table and made a heavy-footed exit.

          "They are teaching you with the intention to forcefully change your class," He stated, making me pause, my hand tightening around the doorknob at the confidence in his voice and brow twitching at the statement itself. Looking over my shoulder I found him flicking one of the picks in his hand far better than I had- my eyes narrowing at the fact. "They think they could make you better by stripping you of what you are,"

          "... Maybe they're right." I didn't fight it, it was a fact I had already gathered from the extra attention I received in my physical classes. Even if they wanted to pay attention to me because I was a health risk to be there so often throughout the entire class would not make sense. If they were deliberately sabotaging my movements and habits? Well...

         "Maybe, but, they summoned me, meaning, the choice has either been canceled or suspended. They're deciding if they want to make you better," His calculating gaze meeting mine while he flicked his wrist- sending the tool flying right at me, no, right into the door frame next to me. Narrowing his eyes as I didn't even bother to flinch. My focus on the words that left my throat to tighten. Make you better. "Because you, the little glass mage they expected to drop out within a week, have given them the best thing the seven kingdoms have had in the war in a very long while,"

          "It wasn't given-" The look of delight on his face made me scowl, turning to face him properly, my arms quickly crossing over my chest. "I didn't give them anything. They demanded the recipe, I refused, and they settled for not expelling me if I sold it to them exclusively,"

          "Sold, huh?" His eyes sparkled, a glare carving into my face at being used for his information gathering. "It makes sense to keep the master behind the potion a secret, but a student? A child?" My gaze wavered at that one, looking anywhere but at him for a long moment. This was a mistake after all.

         "You, a fifteen-year-old, made a dragon of magic, a beast willing to even swallow its master, and potions that are in high demand in war. It's not shocking that they put such a thing on hold. For you to be forced into a new class you truly could become a weapon they wouldn't be able to control,"

        "I'm not-" my voice was rough but just as quickly cut off.

         "You are, you most certainly are, all of you little leads are. The war class, especially the front-fighting war class like you, are nothing but weapons. Rather than arguing the fact later, accept it now, before you become a weapon with no choice in who wields you. That's just how it is,"

         "Can't it be different?" I whispered, grabbing at my uniform on my elbows. The uniform that had been weighing more and more on my shoulders as the days passed. "Can't it be changed? I'm a person. A living breathing person." And everyone seemed to forget it.

          "Some things are better left unchanged," He gently took hold of my shoulder, his grip tightening for a moment before offering a comforting rub. My shoulders didn't even shake as I took a long breath and straightened my back, knocking the comforting hand away. I wasn't going to cry over it, not now.

         Turning I didn't say anything, just threw the door open and walk out. He wasn't any different. He didn't defend me to defend me. He defended me because he was a rogue and he saw one that could be better than him. I thought maybe, maybe, I would have a decent teacher for once, once. But no. I had gotten my hopes up. Again.

       Bumping into someone I stumbled but an arm wrapped around me, catching me. Looking up I found a dark freckled face. One that glanced behind me with a raised brow, "... What's up?" He asked carefully, gently putting his hand behind my back and continuing my retreat without so much as a second's delay.

        "Just risking my life again, no big deal," I sighed, rubbing my temple, leaving him to glance over his shoulder again.

         "And why do you keep risking your life? To prove a point?" Glancing up at him a smile found my face unconsciously.

       "Of course, what else am I supposed to do?"