Page 19 of Elmwood Inclusive Magic Academy
“When do we get to learn Astronomy?” Persephone sighs, looking out the window romantically. “These first-year classes are boring, let’s get to the good stuff.”
“Definitely fickle,” Gwen says, seriously, consulting the textbook against Persephone’s palm. “And nine marriages? That seems about right-”
“Give me that,” Persephone snatches the book out of their hands. “Mermaids don’t get married.”
“Maybe it means ‘life partner’,” Orion speculates. “Rather than a literal ‘marriage’...”
“Our parents have had many, many partners,” Gwen clarifies for me, soberly. “We’re the twelfth liter of our mother.”
“You’re all the same age?” I ask, looking at the three of them.
“We were quite a handful, we’re told,” Orion beams.
“Ahem.” I jump, and turn to find Professor Tuile standing right behind me. She narrows her eyes. “I would advise focusing on your studies, especially to make up for your tardiness.”
“Sorry, we were just-”
“Mmm-hmm,” she hums. Her large, dragonfly familiar lands on the table in front of me and beats its jeweled wings, unimpressed.
“She’s got a long life line,” says Orion, eagerly, showing the professor my palm. “And her heart line splits off so…so she’ll change her mind a lot, and she’ll…um…take up a new hobby and she’ll…buy a lot of real estate? That can’t be right.” He drops my hand to consult the textbook, his dark blue eyebrows furrowing.
The professor is staring at me in an unnerving, direct manner. Is she still upset about my lateness? I try not to meet her gaze, but she suddenly takes me by the shoulders, looking deeply into my eyes.
She squints. “Odd. I can’t get a reading off of you.”
The room goes quiet and I can sense the other students looking. Great, more attention. This is just what I was hoping to avoid.
She closes her eyes and takes in a slow, long breath. I can feel a strange squeezing sensation that can’t be attributed to her hands on my shoulders. Since I’ve started at Elmwood Academy, my witch senses are heightening more and more, and I intuitively know that she’s trying to discern something. It’sdeeply uncomfortable, and worsened by the fact that everyone in the class is staring at us right now.
“Hm,” Professor Tuile opens her eyes, her pink-lipsticked mouth twisted in dissatisfaction. She looks at me as though I’m stubbornly withholding some important information. Then she hums in realization. “You’re Lydia Craft and Astrid Hall’s daughter, aren’t you?”
“And Millie’s,” I confirm. “Yeah, they’re my moms.”
“Ah, well,” she sighs. “I suppose that would make sense. Very unusual, you see, for me. I’ve been practicing divination for hundreds of years, and bypassing protective spells is my specialty. I’m not able to see even the faintest trace of your aura. A bit suspicious of her, of course, to make it so complete. Would have been smarter to add something deceptive, so you don’t suspect anything’s missing.”
“Smarter for-?”
“Here, take this.” In an elaborate gesture, she pulls a tarot deck out from her pocket, quickly shuffles the cards, and fans them out. “Just pull one, from anywhere.”
I hope this will assuage her curiosity. If Astrid put some sort of protective spell on me, I’m very annoyed. I don’t like this sort of attention and I didn’t ask her to protect me. It’s so typical for her to be overbearing like this. What could I possibly have to hide?
I sigh and pull out a card. To my shock, it immediately turns to dust and vaporizes in the air.
There’s an audible gasp from around the room. Professor Tuile’s eyes widen and she gapes at me.
“Oh my gosh - I’m so sorry!” I splutter, still holding out my hand, with ashes on my fingertips. “I didn’t mean to do that!”
“I’ve never-” Professor Tuile harrumphes, putting the rest of the deck back into some pocket on the inside of her robes. I’m in for it now. “Well, that does it! Out of my class, immediately. Iwon’t have any disrespect here. Buthow…no,it doesn’t matter, get out!”
I’m completely shocked. “But I wasn’t-”
“Out!”
I feel a tiny scratch on my ankle, Pan beckoning me to leave. I grab my Book of Shadows and head for the door.
JUST RAE
Rae
