Page 43 of Demon of Dreams

No, it was better to keep that to myself. For now, at least.

Our third class was called Haven Selection and Application, which meant even less to me than the rest of our classes.

“It meets in the library?” I asked as Ash and Felix pulled me into a thickly carpeted, book-lined room with gothic stonework and pointed stained-glass windows.

“The first library,” Felix said, smiling happily. He seemed to glow at the sight of all the books.

“Which is on the second floor,” Ash put in. “Not to be confused with the second library, which is on the third floor.” He laughed when he saw me blink. “There are three in total, and none of them make any sense.”

The library was more than one room, actually, or maybe just one very long, very twisty one. Row upon row of bookcases filled the space, and I think we turned about seventeen corners before we made it to the very back room, where the rest of our classmates stood around a few large tables.

Sean and his friends were there again. Lucky me. At least they stood across the circle from me this time. I’d worried I would develop a permanent hunch in my shoulders from the feel of his eyes on my back during lunch.

“Do we have all our classes with them?” I asked quietly.

Ash looked confused, and I tilted my head in Sean’s direction.

“Unfortunately.” He rolled his eyes. “The freshman class is divided into two groups, Moon and Tree, for the two parts of Vesperwood’s seal. We’re in Tree, and Sean has the audacity to be in it as well.”

“Just try to ignore him,” Felix said.

Easier said than done, if you asked me, but I would try.

“So whatisa haven, and why do we need to apply to one?” I asked Ash. “You mentioned it last night too. Does it have something to do with all the H-words you guys keep using?”

“Yeah,” Ash said, at the same time that Felix said, “The alliteration is only important on a surface level, it’s the deeper meaning that—”

But he was cut off by a professor who came down the aisle of bookcases to join our class.

“Good afternoon, everyone,” he said, his voice welcoming. He wore an argyle sweater in navy, cream, and green, with a loose thread at the collar. Everything about him, even the smile he gave our class, felt worn-in but comfortable, like a shabby armchair perfect for curling up in.

His eyes fell on me and I felt unreasonably warmed by his smile, though that might just have been because hedidn’tmake me introduce myself to our group for a third time. Instead, he introduced himself as Professor Romero, mostly for my benefit, I thought, and then explained what we were supposed to be doing that afternoon.

“As you know, at the end of this semester, you will each apply to one of our eight havens for membership. The goal of this class is to prepare you to do that.”

He raised a hand and said the word, “Hex.” An image appeared in the air, ruby-bright, of two crossed wands, with three stars surrounding them.

He waved his hand and spoke again. “Hunt.” A new image appeared, next to the first. This one shone in sleek obsidian, an axe crossed with an arrow.

A third wave and the word, “Heal,” as a picture of a chalice with a tear drop suspended above it appeared, glimmering in amethyst.

‘Hearth’ created the image of a hand with a flame above the palm, worked in amber. ‘Harvest’ drew a picture of a stag’s horns twined with roses in jade green. ‘History’ produced an open book, crossed with a quill pen in deep sapphire. ‘Harmony’ generated a set of perfectly balanced scales, a dove on one side, a dagger on the other, in a sparkling citrine.

The images hung in the air, suspended by nothing but magic, and my heart lurched. I ached to touch them, to know them, to understand each symbol. I recognized the first two as the symbols Felix had warned me about, but I was still curious.

Then I frowned. Romero had said there were eight havens, but there were only seven symbols in the air. Where was the eighth? Why hadn’t he drawn it?

“Your individual courses introduce you to each of the havens in turn,” Professor Romero said, pulling my gaze back to him. “You’ll learn the basic principles of spellcasting within each concentration.Thiscourse is designed for you to examine in depth the havens which interest you most. To research and explore the opportunities for scholarship and careers within each. And to meet and discuss your interests with professors from each haven.”

He smiled. “You’ll probably be pleased to hear that this course won’t have midterms or a final exam.” He paused as a laugh rolled through the crowd, with one girl giving a small, “Woo-hoo!” Then he continued.

“That doesnotmean, however, that you won’t have to work. Remember that your haven application is just that—an application. The haven is under no obligation to accept everyone who applies. And students who aren’t accepted into a haven at the end of this semester are required to repeat their first year of studies, or to leave the university.”

That quieted the crowd quickly. I swallowed. Havens were more important than I’d thought.

“So, I hope you will all use your time in this course to ensure that doesn’t happen to you. Our goal at Vesperwood is to make sure that you are a good fit for the haven you choose, and that your haven is a good fit for you. Professors from each haven will provide lectures, and you will complete weekly research assignments, narrowing down your selection as the months progress.”

Rekha raised her hand, and Professor Romero nodded at her.

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