I think I was starting to get used to the whole 'haunted tower' thing.

Vivian Hearth, on the other hand, wasn't.

She was sitting down at the table across from where I stood with my mug of tea. I sipped it while she was going over the report the Curse Breaker had given her.

The simplest explanation was that my curse was devouring my mana as my body produced it. The side effect of this was that my body wasn't used to the presence of mana, hence the pain. Additionally, the presence of other mana was seen as an attack by my body. This was the cause of my headaches and was the reason most spells didn't affect me the way they were supposed to.

Technically this was just the Curse Breaker's theory but it made sense to me. And it wasn't like I had a better explanation.

"And at your age the body starts to produce magic exponentially faster. We suspect this will also have affects on the curse."

"So it's just going to get worse like I thought."

"It's a curse. They don't go away on their own. Unfortunately. The one who did this knew exactly what they were doing."

"Any hint as to who that might be?"

"Nothing new on that front. With your parents' permission I've sent the color to some experts to see if it matches any known member of the Mists of Hecate. I'll keep them and you informed when I get a response back. I highly recommend keeping those parts quiet for now though."

"Are you worried about the wrong people finding out about it? Who would that even be?" I asked before taking another sip of tea.

"We are working with a lot of unknowns here, and that group earned its negative reputation through force and bloodshed. If at all possible, I'd rather you avoid talking about them to anyone."

Wonderful. "All the more reason I need to get rid of this thing."

She nodded. "I'll work up a proper plan and we can get started this Saturday if you wish."

"The sooner the better," I told her.

"Then I'll take my leave and let you get back to your friends."

She didn't get far. Only a few steps when a loud knocking came from somewhere in the room.

Once, pause, three times, long pause, then twice.

She froze in place and looked around while the knocking repeated two more times.

I just sat and drank my tea calmly. Strange knocking was relatively tame after yesterday's statue thing.

Moving statues, apparitions, invisible knocking, doors opening by themselves, we here at Dragon Tower have it all.

After a few more moments of being still Vivian Hearth finally left.

"Are you ever going to not be full of surprises? I kind of hope not." I looked up and glanced around as I spoke to the tower.

I waited for a few moments to see if the tower was going to respond in some way. If this was Pixie Tower, I might have looked crazy. But considering the others had mentioned the statue talking to them it didn't seem that crazy.

"Nothing? Fine. You only talk when you want. Got it."

(*********)

"So who's winning?" I asked as I returned to the others.

"Russel just called Sixty Swords, and it's Celica's turn," Jarec said.

"I'm calling Dubium on that by the way," Celica announced.

Everyone placed their cards on the table.

Russel had the Ten of Swords and the Page of Swords.

Fethris had the Five of Swords, the Six of Swords, and the Two of Swords.

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Celica had the Ace of Swords, the Three of Swords, and the Queen of Swords.

It was close.

"Fifty-eight?" I asked while looking at Jarec.

Russel swore under his breath.

Celica cackled, "Finally, some redemption for my last showing."

Jarec dealt her and Fethris fresh hands after giving the cards a shuffle.

"Oh here's a thought, losers have to answer one question honestly," Celica suggested with a grin that I did not trust in the slightest.

Oh no.

"Asked by the overall winner I assume?" I asked.

Maybe in a different context the smile on her face wouldn't fill me with dread. But this was not it.

"Fethris I'm counting on you please win," I pleaded.

"Our dear representative has such faith in you," Celica teased.

More like desperation.

Unfortunately, either way Fethris lost very quickly.

"Four Pentacles short buddy," I complained.

Noooo….

"Sweet victory," Celica leaned back as she looked at us three unfortunate souls. "Russel, I heard a rumor you were chatting up some Basilisk girl. What's that about?"

And there it was.

Please don't ask me about crushes. Please.

Russel sighed, "How do you even know about-"

"I have sources. Now talk."

"I went to Creek Academy with her and we used to date. We don't anymore," He shrugged.

Really glad no one I used to go to school with would ever come here.

Celica hummed, "Okay. Now you two."

The dread filling my stomach started to multiply like rats.

I needed a way to deflect. I really had my doubts she'd take 'not interested' as an answer.

"Last time I asked about types you both gave non-committal answers. I want real ones."

Yeah that's about what I was expecting.

Okay. Umm…

"I…uh…." Fethris was about as eloquent as I was thinking.

Crap!

"My type is triple-layered chocolate cake with strawberry jam filling and chocolate buttercream frosting."

That will have to do.

Celica blinked at me. "What?"

I had no idea either.

"Can I borrow that answer?" Fethris leaned over to ask.

Jarec was laughing.

Not the worst outcome.

I can make this work.

Russel's head which had tilted in confusion after whatever that was that came out of my mouth, suddenly straightened and he looked at the door. "You guys hear that?"

"Hear what?" I asked softly.

Jarec stopped laughing and the room went pin drop quiet.

There was a noise. Some kind of rattling and banging. It sounded like someone banging on a locked door.

Where was it coming from?

Slowly and wordlessly I left the room.

The sound got louder.

The attic.

The hatch upstairs in the ceiling between mine and Fethris' rooms.

"Do one of you want to go check that out?"

The ten-foot-tall ceiling was out of the range of even Celica. Who I was pretty sure was around six feet tall, and the tallest of us Dragons.

Unless of course someone used the ladder that could only be summoned from the runes in the floor.

Meaning someone else can be the brave volunteer this time.

The hatch was still rattling.

"Who wants to go check that out?" I asked the others. "Any of you?"

"I thought it was locked," Fethris commented.

"And Dragon Tower was also very locked. Yet look where we are," I responded.

"Touché," Russel crossed his arms and looked up. "In that case why doesn't our expert at opening locked doors do it?"

"I can't get up there. Runes."

Curses were terribly inconvenient at the worst of times.

"If I get you the ladder will you try the hatch?"

Fine. "If there's anything living up there you will owe me cake."

"We'll have a party," Fethris teased.

"I hate all of you," I muttered as Celica and Jarec joined where Fethris was leaning against the couch and Russel and I went up to where the attic hatch was violently shaking and being pounded on by some force.

Whatever was locked inside was very determined to get out.

Russel placed his open right palm over the runes and an orange ladder that looked like it was made of rocks grew quickly out of the ground and attached to the ceiling.

"If I die, I'm haunting all of you." I announced as I slowly climbed upwards.

I placed my hand on the still shaking piece of dark wood.

I pushed on it to see it catch on something. I pushed harder with both hands.

I heard a loud snapping sound and then the hatch opened with a loud thud as it landed on the other side.

I lifted myself up and into the attic.

And it was completely empty.

"I feel lied to!" I shouted to the others. "There's nothing up here!"

Well…nothing that could have been making that noise.

The attic was empty.

The wood used for this room was lighter, a pale grey floor a low ceiling that made the room triangle shaped.

The thing about magic towers, the inside didn't have to match the outside.

The space was small and led to a window that was my height. It was facing towards the front of the school. The tops of the roof and other towers were a sight to behold. Behind all of that I could see the ocean off into the far distance.

I didn't know it was that close.

"No spiders or ghosts this time?" Russel called out from below.

"It's a little dusty, but it's safe," I called back.

"Damn, that's kind of a letdown after our séance."

"Maybe hold the next one up here?" I offered as Russel joined me in the attic.

"Maybe," He nodded. "Gods, you can see forever from up here."

How high up were we?

Then the scrapping sound of the statue moving echoed in the room as the ground beneath us shook.

Both of us had looked away from the window in the commotion.

When we looked back the statue was looking back at us. Right side up this time and with one eye glowing orange and the other glowing pink.

There was a rumble all around us.

It felt like purring to me.

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