Page 26 of Elmwood Inclusive Magic Academy
“Well maybe you don’t get her,” the shifter sits up on her bed, looking at me intently. She frowns, “Your mom is a powerful witch, and she just wants what’s best for you. This world is complicated and dangerous-”
She’s interrupted by one of the wolf shifters barging into our room. I jump, and my potions book skitters to the floor.
“You said you were going to come back and join the hunt,” they say, eying me with distrust.And I thought high school was cliquey.
“I’m coming,” Rae says, getting up from the bed.
Without another word, she disappears into the dark hallway.
THE WAR OF THE FINAL FIRE
Maggie
I’m in a weird mood on Friday evening, and I almost sleep right through our Magical History class. Orion makes a game of noticing whenever I drift off and poking me sharply in the ribs. I don’t think he realizes how pointed his mermaid fingers are, but it’s effective at keeping me awake.
“What do we have next?” I moan.
“Ooh!” Hallie squeals with delight, making even the mermaids wince. “It’s Vampiric Arts, with my Creator.”
“Oh, great, do we need to get dinner first?” I ask the mermaids.
They share an odd look between them.
“Um, we’ll just go back to the lake,” Persephone says.
“You don’t have Vampiric Arts?”
“Uh, no,” Persephone confirms. They all whisk away down the hallway, toward the castle doors.
“Was that weird?” I ask Hallie, as we collect our things.
She sighs, like she’s deciding whether to get into it.
“Well…I don’t think the mermaids like vampires, really.”
I frown, completely thrown off by this information. “What, really?”
“Yeah. I mean, haven’t you noticed how they’re all kind of…I duno…testy around me? I think they just hang out with me because they like you.”
I seriously doubt they enjoy my company, but I don’t correct her. We walk together to the dining hall, so that I can get a bite to eat before next class.
“Wait, but that’s so sucky!” I protest.How did I not notice that?
“That’s how magical politics is sometimes,” Hallie shrugs.
“The magical world is so ridiculous,” I complain, shaking my head. “Everyone is so biased and cliquey…”
“Well, it’s not like the normal world is much better,” Hallie pointedly fingers a lock of her perfectly coiled hair.
“Right,” I say, reddening. “You’re right, I’m sorry.”
She smiles at my bright cheeks. “But I’m excited about Vampiric Arts!”
We enter the dining hall and I heap a generous amount of beef ramen into a large bowl. The noodles are always perfectly cooked, no matter how long they’ve been sitting on the back table. My favourite thing about Elmwood Academy is definitely the food.
“You know, no offense to Professor Vyas, or your mom, but I’ve also noticed that our classes are very witch-biased,” Hallie continues, as I slurp on my ramen. “Almost all of the courses are taught by witches, and they tend to operate from a very witch-centric paradigm.”
I think about it, and I can’t say she’s wrong. Up until now, all of our teachers have been witches.
