63: The Power of Audiomancy
As the Ruby-Topaz class sat awaiting the arrival of Ms Shimomura – unnaturally late for her lesson – Kat felt a chill at the glazed look of adoration in the eyes of her childhood friends. A glossy photograph of the insidious Adonis sat on the desk in front of Phoenie and Andromeda, teeth gleaming, jade eyes shifting as if watching their every move. Kat wanted to snatch it up and burn it before the man’s corruptive will reached out and tormented her. Yet her friends were oblivious, brainwashed, mesmerised.
“This is getting way beyond creepy,” groaned Theseus, face buried in his arms as he slouched across the desk next to Kat, “I ain’t ever seen either of you hung up over a guy like this before. Hell, I don’t think I’ve ever seen either of you hung up over a guy, period!”
“You’re just jealous of Mr Adonis’s charms,” sniped Phoenie.
Theseus glanced up. “The hell I am, you girls’re just bloody brainwashed!”
“Says the boy whose girlfriend is part of a cult,”
Kat tightened her grip on Kit and silently prayed, but for once Theseus didn’t lose his cool at Phoenie’s scornful put-down of Amanda.
“Any other day you’d be getting hell for that,” he said, “But I know you ain’t yourself, so I’ll let it slide,”
Andromeda glanced at the photo, then at Theseus. “I don’t understand how Mr Adonis could have brainwashed anybody,” she said.
“Man, Annie, I’d have thought you’d be the first person getting bad vibes from all this,” said Theseus, “Don’t it jolt any of those psychologist nerves of yours or whatever?”
“Do you know what it takes to brainwash one person, let alone a whole crowd of people? More than a dance lesson and a music concert, I can tell you,”
“Well maybe it’s ’cause he ain’t using your methods,” retorted Theseus, “Can’t you tell he’s got you under some kind of spell or something?”
Phoenie’s squawking laughter silenced the rest of the class and focused their attention on the four friends. “As if Theseus Armstrong is suggesting we’ve been brainwashed by magic!” Her eyes narrowed, the brief outburst of hysteria overpowered by scorn directed at the lounging Theseus. “Are you mocking me, Armstrong?”
“Whatever, lady, whatever,” Theseus groaned, and buried his head under his arms.
“There must be something that’s got you so obsessed, Phoe,” said Kat, hoping to relieve Theseus of Phoenie’s overpowering glare.
“You mean you didn’t see it at the concert?” asked Andromeda.
Kat shrugged. “It wasn’t really my kind of music, really…”
“Well it wasn’t mine either,” snapped Phoenie, “But it’s the man, not the music. He touched me. He…he said something to me…”
“Like what?” asked Theseus.
“Nothing a brute like you would understand, but if you really must know…”
The doors to the classroom swung open, followed by a cheerful “Hello!” from a flustered Ms Shimomura, putting a stop to any revelations Phoenie might have had. The Music teacher swung her briefcase onto her desk, then stepped to the front of the classroom and bowed.
“I am very sorry for my late arrival,” she said, “We may now begin the lesson,”
She held the bow for a moment longer, then straightened up and smiled. Ms Shimomura had the same rounded features and almond-shaped eyes as her daughter, but her dark hair was long and straight as opposed to Kaori’s short, spiky style. A blue gem sparkled on the side of her nose, a solitary reminder of her free-spirited youth as a Raven. Now she was head of Ruby House, tutor to Ruby Third and one of Mr Payne’s command staff. Moving to sit on the stool she kept at the front of the class – Kat had never seen her sit behind her desk – it was hard to believe this short, smiling woman with rosy cheeks was one of the most important and influential figures in the whole Academy.
“I wanted to ask the class if you had any suggestions for today’s lesson,” she said, “Is there perhaps anything you would like to learn today?”
