Chapter 9: Walls

  The hardest part about returning to classes the next day was pretending to care. Every class was in full review mode, and the students were divided into two camps: those who had to study their asses off and scramble for last minute changes to their deck, and those who were ready to go and hated having to wait until the end of the week to get it over with.

  Ambrose was the latter. It was hard to pay attention to discussions between different kinds of utility cards and how they affected the tradecraft economy, or the use of summons to repopulate ecosystems. He supposed some of the things were fascinating, but he could’ve spent his days either training for the duels or plotting his heist.

  Time became a rubber band, stretching out tortuously through half the day, and snapping back during his brief windows of freedom. He managed to scrounge together some of his spare cards and traded a few favors with a fourth year about to graduate, including use of his [Contract] utility card to broker deals between classmates. People were desperate to ace their finals, and take some of the few graduating slots each year.

  Unlike all the other students, Ambrose considered this heist a daring way to prove to Vanderborn that he was competent and resourceful, and a perfect agent for whatever work he had for him after graduation. This heist was his final exam.

  Besides, he was going to win the dueling tournament, which would've gotten him the Wildcard anyway. He was just getting his prize early, and using it to prove why he deserved it. Fortune favored the bold.

  Or so he hoped.

  One of the most dangerous advantages the headmaster had given him had been an artifact for help with his finals.

  If Ambrose had been worried at all about the duels, he might have had a special weapon crafted to take up one of his remaining two card slots. One day, he would get a weapon that suited his strengths, but for now his spells and dextrous dodging kept him out of harm’s way. At the moment, a utility artifact was exactly what he needed.

  It was easier to slip a desperate student a rare primal card in exchange for a rare [Skeleton Key] card.

  [Skeleton Key: A magical, dubiously legal artifact used to open doors and break security wards. You have 8 uses left.]

  Ambrose knew he was gambling, but with the collapse of his family’s assets impending, what did he really have to lose?

  “A pleasure doing business with you, Hoffman,” Ambrose said, admiring the card before accepting it into his second deck. He had two remaining slots in his noncombat deck now, and he had a feeling he would need at least one more before he was ready.

  “What’re you talking about?” the fourth year scoffed. “You were never here.”

  “Attaboy.”

  Ambrose left the hot, noisy workshop behind, and enjoyed a casual stroll across the campus for a few minutes. By unspoken agreement, neither he nor the few other people skipping class acknowledged each other. He sat on a bench overlooking the lake beside the enormous campus building, half school and half fortress.

  Technically, he was supposed to be in the Pit, watching a recording of the previous year’s students and how they fought. It had, unfortunately, been the perfect time to pick up the key with no one noticing. The class was halfway over by now, so there was no point in showing up. It was nice to have succeeded, and he took a moment to pat himself on the back.

  “You know, I was wondering where you’d gone,” a smooth, confident voice said. “I found myself missing our usual verbal fencing matches.”

  Ambrose looked over his shoulder to see Raeva standing behind him, arms crossed over her chest. She wore a leather top that criss-crossed her abdomen and left her midriff exposed. He tried not to let his eyes linger too long and instead met her gaze and smirked. “I knew that constant aggression was just you fighting your feelings for me.”

  Raeva gagged and wretched for a second before laughing. She sat down beside him, not quite touching him, but watching him very carefully.

  After a couple of seconds of feeling like a bug being studied, Ambrose said, “Are you entranced by my good looks, or do you have something on your mind? You’re starting to weird me out.”

  She threw an arm around his shoulder and pulled him close. His hair stood on end when her lips stopped just short of his ear. “Jessica told me what you did.”

  Ambrose shivered and pulled away with a curse. “Dammit! That asshole promised me.”

  “She was up at ass o’clock this morning practicing. We sparred and I asked, and she also made me promise not to tell anyone.” Raeva’s smile was borderline predatory.

  “So, how many people have you told so far?” Ambrose sighed.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “None. I like this being a secret. It’s weird. But mostly, it makes me wonder. What’s your angle? I have to know why you did it.”

  This was not how he wanted to spend his afternoon. Any scrutiny could bite him in the ass later. He had at least two cover stories to explain cutting class, but nothing for this. He thought quickly, and landed on something Vanderborn said to him.

  “It’s an investment. She’s grateful to me and will owe me a huge favor later on. With interest. Why else would I help her?” He looked back out to the lake, willing his face to not turn red. Usually, lying came as easily to him as breathing.

  Raeva’s intense attention continued for another few seconds before she turned and looked out as well. A duck landed on the lake and paddled around in circles. She sighed, and said, “I guess that makes the most sense. Maybe I’m an idiot for continuing to hope there’s a decent human being underneath the smug prick we all see.”

  “Is that why you think you’re an idiot?” he said automatically. “I could name a few other reasons, but that’s a new one. Why on earth would you think I am anything else but me? I thought I made my disdain for all of you clear.”

  She laughed and shook her head. The beads in her braids clacked together pleasantly. “The problem is, I know about your family’s troubles.”

  Ambrose groaned and covered his face. “You and everyone else. What’s your point?”

  “You don’t have the money to spare to do that, and a favor big enough to warrant that isn’t one Jessica will be comfortable doing. I know you’re too busy checking me out to pay attention to her, so it isn’t because you have feelings for her. Everyone knows Vanderborn is disappointed with her, so you’re not trying to curry favor either.”

  The sun was warm, but his face was even warmer. “What does it matter? What if I told you I don’t expect to live past this summer, and so I am giving my wealth away to my only friend? Would you believe that?”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Is that the story you’re going with?”

  “No, it’s a lie. But anything I tell you could be a lie. You’ll never know. You’ve made it clear you dislike me as much as anyone else, so what makes you think you’re entitled to know my reason for anything?”

  Raeva took a deep breath, fighting with herself. “I want to know if you’re worth helping. You’re a jerk and I enjoy our spars, but I need to know, underneath it all, if you’re anything more. My…my father is in talks with yours about selling us the estate. As a way of assimilating into the great houses better.”

  Ambrose was used to holding in his emotions, but this was a punch to the gut. The ship was sinking faster than he thought, and so did his heart. “Oh, so you’re here to humiliate me, then. You and your family will displace mine, and the fall will be complete. You’re here to gloat about it. Fine. Go on.”

  Her face warped into confusion, and then anger. “I already said I want to help you, you idiot. Despite all our disagreements, you’re one of the only people who challenges me when we fight. I’d hate to see you have to pull out of the school. So, I can talk to my father and we can pay for -- “

  He stood up. “I don’t need your pity,” he hissed.

  “It’s not pity!” she protested. “You’re a friend! Sort of. I don’t want to see your future crash and sink without you being the idiot behind the wheel and responsible for it. If you have to lose everything, I want to be the one to take it from you in a fair fight.”

  His throat tightened. The more she tried to show him kindness, the worse his revulsion. He was a powerful, cunning wizard. If he accepted help, that would put him in her obligation. She’d be able to lord it over him for the rest of their days. Ambrose was no one’s pet.

  “I already have my own deal,” he said coldly. “The rest of my family might be doomed, but I’m not. When I win the top spot in the finals, I’m getting a full ride. I will earn my place, and not rely on your condescending ‘concern’. I’ll take my tuition off of your defeat and make my own way.”

  Raeva bared her teeth and stood as well. She was only a few inches shorter than him, but she was in much better shape, and not shy about dealing out strategic violence. “It’s not pity, you stubborn jackass. But if that’s how you want to do it, then fine. I’ll see you on the dueling grounds.”

  It took a couple of minutes after she left for Ambrose to get control of his breathing. He immediately regretted letting his anger slip, but there was nothing to be done now but steady himself. His thoughts raced and repeated, lingering in his mind.

  What was with people lately? Jessica leaned on him, and that was fine, but Luthor had tried to reach out as well. Did everyone know about his impending misfortune? It was almost funny, but if he had to deal with one more attempt to be nice and console him about his family’s fall, he was going to puke.

  He trudged his way back to his apartment just as classes let out for the day. His classmates saw his murderous expression and gave a wide berth. It was actually nice, seeing the fear in their eyes. It reminded Ambrose that even if his world was falling apart, he was still strong. He might not have needed his final year to be effective, but it would affect his reputation, and from that, his job prospects.

  Upon returning to his home, he paused and looked up. He could see the floating garden from there, and it was absurdly high up. Long shot though it was, Ambrose was confident. He had his [Skeleton Key], and [Spider’s Ascent]. Maybe it was time to try it out.

  Ambrose went around the alley between his building and the one behind it. It stank of trash and neglect, but it was far from prying eyes. He took a deep breath and put his hands against the wood, feeling the chipped paint in incredible detail. Before he could wonder how it worked, he placed a leg against the wall and crawled up the side of it.

  He didn’t know what he expected, but the sense of gravity shifting with him wasn’t it. By all accounts, it should’ve taken more strength and endurance to carry his weight up, but it was as easy as walking. Ambrose quickly made it to the top and pulled himself onto the steepled roof, straddling it.

  It didn’t take any mana, and was easy to use. But would it stand up to the long climb? Ambrose looked again at the garden, and pictured himself skittering up the side of the school, all the way to the top. Jessica had warned him of the wards and the plants, and he was starting to believe he could do it.

  But if he fell, he would leave a hell of a mess behind. There was one more card he needed, but he only had three days to get it, and very little resources left.

  The garden had never looked closer or further away than it did at that moment. People passed underneath his feet, and some pointed at him, but Ambrose ignored them and stared at his target.

  Soon.