Page 16 of Shadow Weaver
I sighed. “Yeah, I’m lying. I mean, I don’t have anything better to do than to come and hang with the entitled, egomaniacal gang.”
“How?” heavy bangs asked. “That would mean you’re from a—”
“A weaver family.” The voice was low, feminine, and cultured.
A tall woman with silver hair and violet eyes materialized at the front of the room. Madam Latrou, no doubt. She smoothed down the front of her cream tunic, and then her gaze fell to the desk on the ground.
“We do not throw furniture in this class, Miss Justice,” she said in a cultured, clipped tone.
“What? That wasn’t—”
“Pick it up.”
“Seriously?”
She fixed those eerie eyes on me. “If you are to be in my class, then you will obey my commands without question.”
Fiona smirked. “You better pick up that desk, Justice.”
Bitch. Just a couple of hours. I’d be out of there soon. I grabbed the desk and hauled it back to my seat.
“Good,” Latrou said, turning her attention to the rest of the room. “Miss Justice is an … anomaly. She carries both weaver and shadow cadet genes, and in her case, they are both active.”
Once again, a collective gasp filled the room.
Dramatic much?
Latrou held up her hand. “It is our duty to ensure that all weavers are trained in the use of their magic, in their manipulation of the threads that make up the great weave of power that lies like a safety net over our world. One misinformed weaver can damage the weave, can cause corrosion and fraying of the threads. One abuser can taint magic for everyone.”
There were murmurs of agreement.
“So, that said, we must educate Miss Justice in the proper use of her ability.”
“And what might that be?” Kash asked, leaning back in his seat.
“An ancient ability called shadow casting, an ability specific to the Payne bloodline.”
Fiona sucked in a sharp breath. “What?” Her wide eyes took me in. “You’re a Payne?”
I shrugged. “Hello, cuz.” I winked at her, and her face drained of color. This was almost better than punching her in the face.
“Wait … what?” She looked confused. Sick.
Call me Carter, Payne had said. And being in his company felt easy. Natural. Weird, huh? He’d told me he didn’t want to keep my heritage a secret, that he was done with lies and it was out now. On the table for everyone to see.
“Carter’s my biological father.” I shrugged. “I guess that makes us family.”
Fiona’s lips thinned, and she opened her mouth to speak, probably to deliver some nasty barb, but Latrou cut her off with a clap of her hands.
“Shadow casting is rare. It’s dangerous, and it’s one-way open channel magic. Therefore, I will need my most promising student to help guide Miss Justice.” Her gaze fell on Fiona. “Miss Payne. You will be mentoring Miss Justice today.”
Fiona’s mouth fell open, and then she snapped it closed and nodded curtly.
“Miss Justice, there is much you need to learn about the weave and its origins, and Miss Raj is our resident expert on the history of magic. She’ll be your mentor for the administration aspect of these classes.”
I scanned the room. Who was Miss Raj? The heavy bangs girl was beaming at me. She gave me a little wave.
Okay. That was Miss Raj.
