Page 71 of Architecti
“Classes are stepping up today,” Professor Alistair Ironheart announces.Another professor stands at the front of the room with him, one I’ve seen hanging out with Lucy.
“Good morning, I am Professor Thalia Morrow,” she says.
She’s older than Ironheart, her hair is streaked with grey, though gracefully so.Her eyes are as mismatched as her hair, one blue and one golden.She has an ethereal quality to her as she glides across the room, though equally, she has an edge that screamsdo not fuck with me.
She continues.“Due to the acceleration in studies, we are doubling up.As Veil students, you should be spending this term studying the theory of both Veilwalking and Fabric Weaving.”
“We don’t want to weave fabric, though,” the same arrogant student who shouted out the morning of initiation says.He’s been obnoxious like this all term.
“What’s your name, boy?”Thalia asks.
“Hadrian Umbriel.”
She examines his face, her voice turning cold.“If you have no skills in Fabric Weaving, how do you expect to cut yourself a hole out of the underworld should you get in trouble?”
“Don’t plan on getting into trouble,” he scoffs.
Thalia’s eyes fill with enough malice that even her sunny gold irises turn icy.
“Well, Hadrian, seeing as you have so much confidence, you get to go first.”She turns to the class.“I want the Fabric Weaving students on the left, and the Veilwalkers on the right.Pair up.”
We all move fast.Thankfully, Aurelia partners with someone else.Hadrian is situated next to me, but I get left with a blonde girl who is honestly so wispy and frail-looking, I’m amazed she had the strength to make it through the Severance Rite, let alone the last term of gruelling lectures.
Alistair claps for silence.We oblige and Thalia continues.
“Doorstop students, you’re going straight into cutting.I want you to make a six-inch incision in the Veil fabric.Professors and Teaching Assistants, I need one with each pairing.The Doorstops will cut, and Detours, I want you to slide your hand into the Veil and back out again.”
The blonde girl I’m partnered with raises her hand.
“Yes?”Thalia says.
“How do we cut?”she asks.
Thalia grins, not sweetly.Her teeth are a little sharper than I expected.“You’ve not done cutting yet?”
Alistair pouts.“Arcadius insisted on a defence focus for the first term.Given the number of tears over the last few weeks, I am now inclined to agree with him.”
“Fine.You cut like this.”Thalia closes her eyes, raises her hands and dark ribbons peel off from the walls.
“Call the magic to you, eyes closed, hearts open.When you feel a tingle in your fingers, grab hold and tug.It will come.Fabric students, you’re predisposed to sensing the Veil.Hold your hands up and glide them through the air until you feel a hitch.A broken stitch, like when your heart skips a beat.That is where you cut.”
She demonstrates, her hands moving through the air.The Doorstops all gasp when her fingers halt suddenly.
I frown.
The blonde girl touches my arm and says, “We can see the fabric.And it’s Silvana.We partnered once last term for ashspawn defence, but you were exhausted that day, so I figured you wouldn’t remember.”
I shake her hand and whisper my name.“Apologies.I’m Midnight.”
Thalia brings an index finger and middle finger together, then does the same with her other hand.The undersides touch, and she makes a sharp sweeping motion.
There’s a series of oohs and gasps.I fidget on the spot, uncomfortable at not being able to see what they can.
“Think we’ve got a runt here,” Hadrian says, pointing at me.
“Go fuck yourself,” I snarl.
“Umbriel,” Thalia snaps, her top lip curls, and I swear she’ll seal his hand in the other side if he doesn’t watch it.“All yours…” she snarls and gestures at the tear.
