4

After my words, the teachers stirred. And I asked my vorlaks to spread out not far from the camp and hide for now. The feeling of tension did not let me go even when all my students returned and began to prepare potions. Oddly enough, they were preparing the fifth year, and the junior years helped them with the preparation of potions. The guys were given the potion only after checking for quality. Each team received a credit.

- Well done, - I reservedly praised the girls - do not disperse from the camp, the named guests will be coming soon.

Fortunately, the potions had time to work on the guys before the bandits approached the camp. Moreover, as far as I can tell, they were two completely different groups. And they came from different directions. And when they saw each other, they were surprised. Unfortunately, this did not stop them from attacking us. This time I regretted that I had not agreed to take extra security with me.

- Nadezhda, please don't get in, - Ruslan, a teacher from Runit, told me.

- How do you imagine it, there are about fifty of them.

“We have five courses of martial magicians from two academies.

Everything would be fine, but there was one snag with one of the groups of bandits. When attacked with magic, they began to draw out magic. And I had to urgently recall students from them. And only Evgeny and I had hardened blades. Good for two. I gave one blade to one of the teachers, Eugene did the same, and the four of us took on the dark magicians. And the rest of the teachers and students are ordinary bandits. Moreover, the vorlaks helped them here and dealt with these bandits quickly enough.

- Do not use magic, - I reminded the men - otherwise you will die.

Those students who were "bitten" by dark magicians, my teachers have already provided assistance, and they will pull them out. True, they will lie down until the end of the practice, but they are alive.

For convenience, she fought with a sword and a meek pole at the same time. The remaining teachers restrained the students from climbing with their help, because they could not be defeated simply with a sword and a pole.

- Let's go, - I heard the command, and the bandits began to run away.

They didn't leave any of their own here.

- It's strange that they decided to run away, - Ruslan said - they could have taken us by numbers.

- I think they didn’t want to take risks or they were just checking us.

I went to the children to check that everyone was alive. My girls were a little scared, but they were all safe. The guys who suffered from the dark magicians were already resting. They looked pretty decent. I immediately contacted Maxim and told about what had happened, and an hour later security arrived, armed with hardened blades.

“Girls, remind me next time that I immediately take heavily armed guys with me,” I asked my teachers.

- Good. Only you promise that you will not say that this is our paranoia.

- Oh, well, I'll grumble a little, you'll survive. But we will be more whole.

According to the idea, with two dozen armed men, our practice should have been perfect. So it was, and we all unacceptably relaxed. Already when I was sending my children to the academies, we were attacked.

− Fly away! I shouted to the pilots, whose swallows were already fully equipped.

They complied, and at least most of the students were safe.

“Let's quickly climb the swallows,” I told the students. “Stop pretending to be frightened hares,” she said to her students, who were running across the clearing - lively for swallows!

She swore softly, feeling a strong pain in her right shoulder blade, and like a paralyzing poison spilled over her body. Not fatal, but soon I won't be able to move. I am glad at least that most of the students sent the rest do not interfere with the professional military climb into the transport. I was picked up by my two teachers Taliya and Nateya.

"Paralyzing," they both said.

− Uh-huh, with the addition of pairs.

The girls quickly began to get herbs and began to mix. I looked at the military who were defending themselves from the dark magician. It's somehow strange that all of them are a little more than them and they attack very aggressively and try to get through to me.

“Natea, don’t touch the arrow, I can feel how it draws out magic.

- Eugene! called Nateya.

Zhenya stopped fighting and ran up to us.

- Clear. I'll help now.

He ran into our swallow and came out with the glove that they grabbed the dark magician and looking at me said:

- Tell me when to get the arrow.

“Now, otherwise the loss of magic will be critical. Hurry up, do not stand on ceremony, - she already said sharply.

He yanked the arrow out and Thalia cast a spell to stop the bleeding. Nateya helped me drink the quickly prepared antidote. After that, Eugene picked me up in his arms and brought me into a swallow. Fortunately, by this time there were no more students on the street and their swallows scattered. Only Nateya and Talia did not fly away with the students to help me.

- Fly to the capital, - said the commander of our new guard - when you fly away, they will leave. They need you ma'am.

I just nodded and looked silently at Zhenya.

− Understood. I'll do it now. Good luck guys, - he said to the remaining military.

They still have their swallow and when they deal with the attackers, then return to the capital. While flying, Thalia and Nateya monitored my condition.

− How are you?

− Tolerable. The antidote works. True, magic was pulled out of me quite a lot and now it takes more than one day to recover. Zhenya, when we arrive, examine the arrow. I wonder where the energy went and if there are any other surprises.

- I will.

I couldn’t walk on my own, and when we landed, Zhenya picked me up in his arms and carried me out of the swallow. Maxim did not take me away from him, although I saw a desire to snatch me from the man's hands. In the bedroom, the healer examined me again, after listening to Nateya.

- Yes, you are right, you still need to rest for about a week. And several days of bed rest, due to severe weakness.

− How are the children? Maxim asked the girls.

- They weren't touched. We were attacked when most of the students were already wearing swallowtails. And the mistress ordered the rest to load and fly away.

- Maxim, contact Nikita, I'm curious, did the dark magician at least this time escape?

- No, - said Zhenya, before that he was sitting quietly in the corner of the room, so no one noticed him. “It’s very difficult to escape from there, even for him. And I'm very resourceful. So we have a few calm, relatively calm centuries. The arrow, by the way, was a surprise. She transferred energy somewhere. Most likely to the storage. But that's not what's curious, having brought the arrow here, we showed the dark magicians where Nadezhda had been taken. And this is bad news.

Maxim ran out of my bedroom and ran to give orders to increase security.

Why do you think they need me? Isn't it just to draw all the energy out of me?

- This is the most logical explanation, - Zhenya said thoughtfully examining the arrow. - Okay, I remember the weaving pattern. It's time to break their toy.

He took a flask of water from his bag and poured it over the arrow. She sparkled and broke into pieces.

“Wonderful water in this spring. By the way, maybe you can drink it. As far as I remember, it helps to recover.

- If you have it, that's great! the healer said.

Eugene poured the rest of the water into a glass and gave it to me. Even those half a glass made me feel so much better.

- I feel it is necessary to replenish the reserves of this water, otherwise you never know these psychos will come again.

Surprisingly and fortunately, the dark magicians did not come to the palace. And even Eugene almost without incident flew to the source for water. Luckily he took a guard with him. Because near the source they met the usual gang. Which the soldiers had to clean up on the spot. Upon arrival, Eugene gave me more water, and thanks to her, I recovered in a couple of days.

Fortunately, it's summer now and there is no need to conduct classes at the academy, I can afford to relax. Maxim insisted that I visit him. And I was glad to stay. Walking through the garden, I remembered my childhood as Nadezhda. And how I came here Dasha.

− What are you thinking about? Maxim asked, catching up with me in the garden.

- About many things. I remember my childhood and how I ran away from nannies.

We reached the path through which young guys go to study at the palace. She smiled at the boys passing by.

- I once also wanted to learn fighting, I was very persistent. My father decided to surrender herself and did not interfere much. And by and large, I just threw a few tantrums, and he decided that it was easier not to argue. Went along this road with my brother to study. She was the only girl in the group.

- This is when I was Dasha, - Maxim guessed, nodded.

“And then someone wanted to find a bride for themselves,” she said with a slight smile.

- I read in your diary that Eric simply didn't know how else to find you. He saw you then only as a child.

“Uh-huh, miraculously didn’t die under the hooves. He was a very persistent young man. Nice memories. It will be necessary to go to the temple and into the desert to the spark.

“Grandma, take security with you,” Maxim asked softly.

She nodded in agreement. I went to the temple, the next day taking one guard with me, so as not to attract much attention to myself. Maxim was alarmed when I did not come for breakfast. Immediately ran to Eugene.

- I probably went to the temple, - Zhenya said.

- Only something no one saw her leave and they don’t know that she took someone on guard.

“Your Majesty, you have a special bracelet on your arm if you put a drop of your blood on it and think of your beloved relative.” He will lead to her.

− Are you sure?

− Yes. You have no doubt that you are her blood relative. In any case, you are Nadezhda's grandson. Just a few times the prefix right to the grandmother.

Maxim nodded and somehow stupidly looked at his bracelet with the lunaris. Eugene carefully took his left hand and gently pierced his finger.

"It's okay to worry about her safety," he said as he dripped a drop of blood onto the lunaris. “Think about it and you can feel the direction of the movement.

“Oh, I didn’t just feel it, I saw it. Hope in the Temple Do you love her? Maxim suddenly asked.

Zhenya did not react to the question in any way, as if he had not heard him. Again he returned to the records, on which he displayed the structure of the arrow.

− Do you need my help?

- You won't go to her? She was going to spark afterwards.

Interest flickered across the man's face. Maxim tried to understand something else, what Evgeny feels for me.

- Why didn't you get married?

- There are reasons for that.

- Do not want to bury your wives and children?

− Yes. I see what Nadezhda is going through and that's enough for me. Maybe one day I will have a family. But most likely not here.

- You could be with Nadezhda together.

- This is a misalliance.

“Now her grandson rules.

Eugene only grinned, not intending to reveal all the secrets.

- I'll go to her, I want to see the spark live.