Page 31 of Elmwood Inclusive Magic Academy
“Um…see you back at the room then!” I stutter.
A minute passes as I watch her. Her silver-gray fur glows in the moonlight. Then I’m startled out of my reverie by a sing-song voice from the lake.
“Ooh, she’s cute!”
Persephone is lying across the bank, her human half propped up on two elbows, her mermaid tail swishing back and forth out of the indigo water.
I stammer. “She’s not…I mean, I guess, yes, but…”
“You really like to play it dangerous, huh? The wolf shifter from the exiled Arundel pack…” Persephone’s eyes turn towards the moon, romantically. “Very Romeo-and-Juliet…”
“You don’t know what Romeo and Juliet are.”
“Well, I think I understood it from context!” Persephone shrieks. “I pay attention to references!”
“Ok, ok.”
“Percy, leave Maggie and her girlfriend alone,” Gwen lectures, seriously, popping their head out from underneath a lily pad. “They have a hard enough time as it is.”
I drop my broomstick, flustered. “I…she’s not my girlfriend! She just…we’re roommates, and she rescued me from the woods this one time…”
“Oh wow, youreallylike her,” Persephone grins widely. “I don’t blame you, shifters are hot! I sort of like that dolphin shifter…”
“Absolutelynot,” Gwen squeals. “Persephone, they’re so obnoxious!”
“I know, it’s sort of adorable though, right?”
“Ugh…if you date that dolphin shifter, I’m going to tell our parents, and they will 100% disown you.” Gwen shakes their head and disappears back into the murky water.
“Gwen! No, wait!” Persephone follows after them, splashing freezing lake water across the clearing as she goes.
I look back toward the other end of the clearing, but the wolf pack has disappeared. I can’t be developing feelings for the wolf shifter, right? Even if I was, there’s no way that would work. She’s so…I don’t know,collected. Self-assured. I’m a witch who can barely make a candle burn.
And I’m not planning on staying here, not for any longer than I can help, anyway.
The vampires have gone, so I head back to the castle alone.
WE'VE BOTH GOT TO HUNT
Maggie
The weekend goes by like a lazy summer nap. I settle into a routine of staying up well past midnight and sleeping until mid-afternoon. We don’t have too much homework yet, although Hallie somehow manages to always be studying. Luckily, she’s rubbing off on me, and I finish my Herbs and Potions assignment in time for Monday’s class.
At the end of class, Professor Cortes collects our papers, looking disapprovingly at Hallie’s. I notice that the dolphin shifter from last class is absent.
“You know,” I say to Hallie after class, as we file out. “I think you’re right, some of the witches are definitely biased against shifters and vampires.”
“Of course I’m right, but thank you for the validation.”
“Do you think she got that dolphin shifter kicked out of class?”
“Oh, absolutely. And I heard,” Hallie bows her head, with the delight of a gossiping aunt. “That she was expelled from teaching at Twin Torches Academy, and this was the only gig she could get.”
“No way!” I snort. “That explains a lot.”
“Hey, do you want to study? I’d like to get on top of next week’s assignment.”
“Sure! We can study in my room, if you like.”
