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Nocturnal Academy 5: Mage Against the Machine
Nocturnal Academy 5: Mage Against the Machine
Nocturnal Academy 5: Mage Against the Machine
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Nocturnal Academy 5: Mage Against the Machine

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Alice Dibble returns to the Nocturnal Academy for her second year to find that the ghost Baron Falkenstein has been made Vice Principal. He has all sorts of nasty plans lined up the school, which he believes is suffering such a bad reputation because of a serious decline in discipline.

A new boy named Harley joins the Academy. He was told he was an earth elemental, but he doesn’t feel any connection with the Earth at all. A genius and a misfit who was home-schooled until recently, he has no people skills and immediately rubs Professor Abbacus – and half his classmates – up the wrong way. Only Alice dares to become his friend.

Alice hopes her year 8 will be slightly less eventful than her year 7, but almost immediately things start to go wrong. Her brand new computer has sticky keys, other kids are starting to call her “unlucky Alice” and Baron Falkenstein catches her in the corridor after hours and puts her on detention cleaning fungus off dungeon walls.

Then she discovers something dark and evil hiding deep in the bowels of the school.

Alice, Harley and Professor Abbacus must journey into an entirely different realm to face this new danger, a collusion of threats from both outside the school and within. The entire Nocturnal Academy itself is at risk, and if these beings succeed in their vile plan, the entire school will be wiped off the face of the Earth.

Also available:
Nocturnal Academy
Nocturnal Academy 2 - Teacher's Pet
Nocturnal Academy 3 - Immaterial Girl
Nocturnal Academy 4 - The Supernatural Circus
Nocturnal Academy 6 - The Da Vinci Codex
Nocturnal Academy 7 - School of Thought
Nocturnal Academy 8 - The Lonely House
Nocturnal Academy 9 - Mirror Mirror

LanguageEnglish
Release dateMay 11, 2012
ISBN9781476231426
Nocturnal Academy 5: Mage Against the Machine
Author

Ethan Somerville

Ethan Somerville is a prolific Australian author with over 20 books published, and many more to come. These novels cover many different genres, including romance, historical, children's and young adult fiction. However Ethan's favourite genres have always been science fiction and fantasy. Ethan has also collaborated with other Australian authors and artists, including Max Kenny, Emma Daniels, Anthony Newton, Colin Forest, Tanya Nicholls and Carter Rydyr.

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    Nocturnal Academy 5 - Ethan Somerville

    Nocturnal Academy #5

    Mage against the Machine

    By

    Ethan Somerville

    SMASHWORDS EDITION

    * * * *

    PUBLISHED BY:

    Storm Publishing on Smashwords

    Nocturnal Academy 5

    Copyright © 2011/2016 by Ethan Somerville

    www.stormpublishing.net

    Smashwords Edition License Notes

    This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

    * * * *

    Chapter 1

    Alice Dibble examined the computer she had just been given and her first thought was; thank goodness I’ve received a new one this year!

    Last year, her notepad had been old and cracked, with half the letters worn off its buttons. This model was shiny and new – well, as new as Nocturnal Academy computers got. Even the very latest models looked like they had been put together during the nineteenth century sometime, with chunky, old fashioned typewriter keys, iron hinges and lots of brass rivets holding everything together. Some even had wood panelling on the outside.

    This was because the Science Master, Professor Abbacus, had designed all the computers himself in his own peculiar style. He was something of a traditionalist.

    Alice opened her computer and the screen winked on. At the top was written; Welcome to Year 8, Alice Dibble.

    Look they’ve finally gotten my name right! Alice exclaimed out loud to no-one in particular.

    What’s that? asked Jamie Bell, who happened to be seated at the next desk.

    Last year the name on my computer was Alice Dribble, she told him in a low voice. Why do you think everyone, including all the teachers, kept calling me that?

    Jamie snorted. He was a tall, skinny boy with unruly light brown hair and a very pointy face. He looked like a rodent, which was appropriate, since he was actually a wererat. Last year, Alice, Toby and Carla had helped him to reunite with his father from the Magick Earth, and he was now their friend.

    Up the front of the classroom, science teacher Mr Coleman was ticking off names as he handed out the rest of the computers. Unlike the previous year, when everyone had met in the main lecture hall, this year the students had been divided up into five separate roll call classes based on their surnames. Alice recognised most of the students in her particular group. These included James Adamson, Jing Bing Ai, Cassandra Braga, Jamie Bell and Ke Ming Chen. She had had to share scullery duty with these five the previous year.

    However, there was one tall, black-haired boy seated up the front that she did not recognise, and she realised he was a new student.

    Harley Erdman? Mr Coleman called.

    The tall boy raised an arm.

    Ah, so you’re the new boy in this form. Mr Coleman gave a welcoming smile. He was a big, heavyset man with dark skin and a friendly attitude. Alice had had him for one term the previous year, when everyone had thought Professor Abbacus was trying to kill her. A fellow earth-spirit, am I right?

    Yes sir.

    What’s your stone-aspect?

    Um … I don’t know, sir – I’ve only just learned I am an earth spirit! The boy gave an embarrassed laugh. I just hope it isn’t pumice. He giggled, thinking that he’d made a funny joke. However Mr Coleman did not look amused. Probably because he actually knew a few pumice-aspected Earth elementals.

    Well, there’ll be plenty of time to discover your aspect later. Mr Coleman handed him a computer. If you’d like some help, you can come and see me at any time.

    Alright sir – thank you. Harley opened his computer and bent his head over it.

    Very good. Kelly Every? Mr Coleman called.

    Yes sir, growled Kelly, a big werewolf girl with frizzy blonde hair.

    While the roll-call continued, Alice examined her computer, making sure all the programs were working properly. She opened up the journal to start her first entry for year 8. She wanted to record everything that had happened during the summer, especially all her adventures at the bizarre Supernatural Circus.

    Alice tucked her long black bangs behind her ears and started to type; During the holidays, but she only got as far as the ‘h’ in holidays when the key stuck and filled her screen with ‘hs’. She hit several other keys, but the hs continued.

    Alice whacked the machine on her table in a temper.

    Is there a problem, Dibble? Mr Coleman asked.

    Alice checked her screen. Fortunately the ‘hs’ had stopped. My h-key got stuck, sir.

    "That’s odd. That’s a brand new computer, one of the very last that Professor Abbacus reconfigured.

    Er, it seems to be okay now, sir.

    Good, but please don’t bang your machine on your desk like that again. They may be more robust than normal day-dweller terminals, but they can still be damaged. Especially by supernaturals who don’t know their own strength.

    Yes sir, sorry.

    Mr Coleman continued to go through the roll, and Alice resumed her typing. This time she managed to continue her journal entry without any more problems, and she soon forgot all about the stuck key.

    When Mr Coleman finished the roll, he went through the students’ time-tables with them, making sure everyone’s subject-lists were correct. Then the bell for second period went, and Alice filed out with the others for Double Maths before recess.

    What a way to start the new year, she thought. Double Maths! Ugh!

    This year the classes had all been divided into streams. Alice, who had made dux of her form in year 7, had been put in the highest class, run by the Maths Mistress herself, Professor Subrette. She was a very strict fire-elemental who liked everyone to be on time and sitting quietly in their seats when she arrived. Some supernaturals liked to disguise their aspects so they could better mingle with day-dwellers, but Professor Subrette kept no secrets. She had bright yellow hair that stood straight up from her head and flashing eyes of the same colour. Her skin was a light golden brown like she had spent all summer down at the beach. She darted around her room as quick as a flame, and missed nothing. Everyone thought she was going to set something on fire, but she had far too much control for that.

    Alice was joined by the werecat Carla Hightower and Jamie Bell, both of whom were quite good at maths, and the new boy Harley. Alice could tell Carla was itching to ask about Harley, but she never got the chance.

    Eager for everyone to get into some serious school-work, Professor Subrette immediately set everyone thirty quadratic equations to finish!

    Alice’s head was already sore by the time recess arrived. She wandered out into the main quadrangle in a daze. Above, a crescent moon shone down from a clear, cloudless sky and a gentle breeze made for a pleasant early February night. She found a seat near Toby and Carla, but they were already deep in a very serious-sounding conversation about their classes.

    She wanted to join in, but was no longer sure how to interact with them. During the summer Toby and Carla had become girlfriend and boyfriend. The easy friendship Alice had enjoyed with the pair was gone. She could talk to Toby on his own and to Carla on her own, but when all three were together, she felt like the odd one out.

    Alice took a bite from her huge green apple and scanned the playground. She noticed something that surprised her – the tall, spindly form of Professor Florana on playground duty. He was surrounded by a whole new group of year 7 tree-spirits, all badgering him with excited questions. He was showing them how he could change his arms into branches and back again.

    So, he didn’t leave after all! she exclaimed, hoping to draw Toby and Carla into a new topic.

    She didn’t get an answer, and when she turned around to nudge one of them, she saw that they were holding hands and staring dreamily into each-other’s eyes.

    Alice quickly looked away, blushing in embarrassment. She noticed Milly and Nancy sitting a few seats away and practically ran over to them.

    Hi guys! She flopped down beside them.

    Milly looked a lot like Alice. She was the same height and build, with the same pale skin. But Milly’s long straight hair was white blonde instead of black, and she wore a fringe. She also had a pointy nose and the most unusual yellow eyes, like a cat’s, while Alice’s were a dark midnight blue.

    Still, both looked like the vampires they were supposed to be; tall and skinny with fair skin, brooding oval faces and long straight hair.

    But the girl on the other side of Milly didn’t look like a vampire at all. Nancy Gordon may have had fair skin, but it was liberally dotted with freckles. She was short and stocky with bushy brown hair that she wore in two bunches on the top of her head. In her human form, she was remarkably short-sighted and had to wear thick glasses. Two other vampire girls in their form, Amala Poudel and Delilah Rowe, teased her mercilessly.

    But Nancy always proclaimed very loudly and clearly that she didn’t care about her appearance. She may have been a nearsighted klutz at her old school, but here she was a supernatural, one of the few chosen to help defend the Earth against the evil influence of the Immaterium.

    What’s up, Alice? asked Milly. You certainly ran over here pretty quickly!

    I don’t feel comfortable sitting with those two at the moment. She jerked a thumb over one shoulder at Tony and Carla, who had moved even closer to each other.

    Milly stared. So did Nancy. Their jaws dropped in amazement.

    "When did that happen?" gasped Nancy.

    Over the summer.

    "I always knew Carla had a huge crush on Toby, but I actually thought Toby liked you, Alice!" Milly declared with a laugh.

    Alice reddened again. She had thought exactly the same thing. But Toby’s focus had probably shifted after she’d started going around with Andre. She wasn’t sure if she if she wanted Toby as a boyfriend, but knowing that he’d liked her had been nice.

    Toby leaned forward and gave Carla a kiss on the cheek.

    At least they’re not fighting like cats and dogs! giggled Nancy.

    So what did you two do over the summer? Alice asked quickly, hoping to change the subject.

    Milly pulled a face and launched into a long description of her holidays – or lack thereof. Her year 7 marks may have been boosted by her trip to the Magick Earth, but her parents still hadn’t thought they were high enough. They had hired a tutor who had kept her busy for the entire six-week break with revision, assignments, reading and special projects.

    Oh, you poor thing! both Alice and Nancy said together.

    And I thought my summer was boring because I had to help my folks at their shop! Nancy added. So what did you do, Alice?

    I went to the circus!

    That sounds like fun!

    Alice laughed. Fun, yeah. Hahaha. She told Milly and Nancy all about the Supernatural Circus, and how she’d had to run to the Nocturnal Academy for help to rescue first Toby, then Carla and Professor Longenfang from the clutches of the evil Ringmaster Darmin Gallis!

    The bell rang, cutting off her story.

    Holy cow, Alice – you’ve got to tell us the rest at lunch time! Milly cried.

    English followed recess, and each student in Alice’s class was assigned a very large novel based on their aspect. Because daydwellers loved supernaturals, there were plenty of vampire, werewolf and other fantasy books to choose from. The trouble was, they were all huge. Alice didn’t mind fat books, but other kids around her groaned.

    Don’t be such babies, informed their English teacher, Professor Florana himself. You’re all bright kids, and out there in the big wide world, you’ll face far greater foes than a three-hundred page book!

    Alice was dying to ask the Professor why he’d decided to stay, but like Professor Subrette, he wanted everyone to get to work right away. For the first lesson they were allowed to start reading their books. Alice thought about seeing him at the end of the period, but decided against it. He was a teacher after all, and very likely to tell her to mind her own business!

    English was followed by an elective that Alice had chosen because she thought it would be easy. It wasn’t. The Mad Artists elective had a history component that involved reading an enormous text book and writing essays. Several students who had picked art because they wanted to make pinch-pots and finger-paint were severely disappointed.

    One of these was Sebastian Grizzer Munrow, a very large werebear who had made Toby’s life difficult during the previous year. Another was Sebastian’s best friend, an Earth Elemental named Ali Malouk. The well-built wereshark Lucinda Little also looked like she had gotten in way over her head.

    Mr Pham, a mysterious being known as an astral elemental, folded his arms and glared disdainfully down his long, pointy nose at all the moaners. None of you students actually read the Mad Artists subject description, did you?

    I did, Alice muttered under her breath.

    Mr Pham was met with a lot of blank stares.

    Too bad. It’s too late to change electives, so now you’re stuck here with me. He clapped his long, thin hands. Now, the first of the mad artists we’re going to study is the most famous – Vincent Van Gogh, who was actually able to see into the Astral Plane and the Immaterium.

    By the time lunch time rolled around, Alice was even more exhausted and felt like she hadn’t been away at all. Year 7 may have been hard, but year 8 was shaping up to be even more intense. She flopped onto an aluminium seat beside Milly and Nancy and mopped her hair out of her eyes. I’m glad we work at night. I don’t want to know how hot the day was.

    I heard it got up to forty.

    Phew!

    How about telling us the rest of your circus story? Nancy asked, her grey eyes wide behind her owlish glasses.

    Okay. Alice managed to finish the tale. She told Milly and Nancy most of it, how she and Professor Abbacus had gone back to the circus to track down Longenfang, Toby and Carla, but were chased by weres and forced to escape through an enchanted mirror maze into the Immaterium. Alice told her friends all about their run through that grey, featureless realm. Because Professor Abbacus had rendered her fearless, she was able to punch demons in the nose without blinking. They made it back to the Nocturnal Academy, and returned to the Supernatural Circus the following night with reinforcements in the form of Professor Florana and a veritable army of trees. After a savage battle between the Academy’s trees and the circus’ weres, the Ringmaster Darmin Gallis was defeated.

    Alice only left out a couple of parts. Professor Abbacus didn’t want anyone to know that he had worked for a circus during the nineteenth century – or that he was actually undead.

    That was why Professor Florana wanted to leave the Academy. Being a tree spirit, he refused to work with dead people.

    But Professor Abbacus wasn’t the only dead teacher at the Nocturnal Academy. The ghost Baron Jurgen Falkenstein wanted to step back into the position he had occupied when alive – the vice principal’s job. Alice was really looking forward to tonight’s first dinner, when Madam Nocturna would make her opening announcements for the New Year.

    Milly clapped both hands to her cheeks. "Alice, that was an incredible story! I can’t believe all that happened to you during the summer. I wish my break had been as exciting!"

    Come on Milly – you got to go to the Magick Earth last year! Nancy retorted.

    So? I spent most of it locked up in the basement of the Hyde Park Barracks!

    Hey Alice, why aren’t you sitting with us? asked a deep voice.

    Alice looked up to see Toby and Carla standing over them. She reddened. I was sitting with you at recess, but then you started making goo-goo eyes at each other, so I thought I’d better leave you alone. She hadn’t tried to sound abrupt, but it had still come out too quickly for her liking.

    Oh! It was Toby’s turn to blush. Sorry Alice – we didn’t even realise what we were doing.

    "Sorry if we made you

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