Page 27 of By the Moonbeam and the Mist
“Very nice.” The instructor returned her attention to the entire class. “Now, I’m sure you all remember me from last year. I am Mrs. Smetlar, and I am here to teach you about the Esholian biome—the flora and fauna of our island over the last few hundred years.”
She didn’t pace, but her eyes did—swinging this way and that as if to keep track of everyone all at once, a smile still stamped on her face.
“However, I would like to start off the year with a different piece of history that is crucial to our understanding of our jobs as Wild Whisperers of Eshol. And that is the topic of the Final Test… And the fraction of you who will be exiled in four years’ time.”
Rodhi’s jittering knee fell still. On the other side of Emelle, Dazmine jerked her head up, and nobody else dared breathe.
Mrs. Smetlar pretended not to notice the reaction, but I saw the way her eyes had stilled. The way her lips had pulled up even more.
“You see, when Dyonisia Reeve first founded the island and learned how to recycle the discarded faerie metal at the top of Bascite Mountain, there were no tests or exiles at all. There was simply the domed shield of protection, the monsters beyond it, and the Esholian pilgrims safe and sound within.”
Monsters beyond it—monsters as in Steeler. I pressed my fingernails into my palms to keep my hands from shaking as pain unspooled in my head. Rodhi glanced over at me, hisforehead creasing with questioning concern, and reached out with his leg to tap my foot with his. The message was obvious.
Calm down.
Easy for him to say. This was only the second or third timehe’dbeen calm in his life. But I dragged in a deep breath and willed my hands to uncurl.
Rodhi gave me a short nod and returned his attention to Mrs. Smetlar up front. Hesitantly, I followed his lead.
“—that kind of protection was vital,” Mrs. Smetlar was saying, “But then the first unworthy citizen was gifted with Wild Whispering.”
She waited for someone to make a sound, maybe a gasp of shock.
When nobody did, she said with a bit more impatience, “The new Wild Whisperer was given the simplest of jobs after her Branding: to protect the children of the settlement from predators while they played outside during the times their parents were busy.”
I could see where this was going, and I didn’t like it. Not one bit. Especially since it seemed like all those dead animal eyes were zeroing in on us. Watching our reactions to what came next.
“A leopard,” Mrs. Smetlar said, nodding up at the stuffed feline head above her, “stalked a few of those kids and waited until all the other villagers were gone. Until only the Wild Whisperer remained to guard them. And then it pounced. And the pathetic waste of life who wassupposedto be protecting them had no idea what to say or do to get the cat to stop its attack.”
I tried not to look at the leopard head, so similar to Jagaros’s.
“Afterward,” Mrs. Smetlar continued, “the parents were so angry that their own powers began to malfunction. Magic-made storms and plagues and infestations threatened to destroy theentire island… until Dyonisia Reeve came up with a brilliant solution to ensure that nobody would fail their magic or their fellow villagers again.”
The Esholian Institute. The Final Tests. Banishment.
For the first time in months, I let myself wish for my fathers. For the calm, calculating gaze Fabian would give Mrs. Smetlar at this news, and the exasperated, distrustful glare Don would throw her way. Although… perhaps they already knew. Perhaps Mr. Fenway would have told us the same thing if he were still alive—albeit without four walls of dead animals pressing in on us while he said it.
Mrs. Smetlar herself straightened her rod of a back even more.
“If it means maintaining the strength and prosperity Dyonisia Reeve has given this precious island, I shall be glad to watch the Good Council throw many more of you to sea after you fail your Final Tests.”
And finally, her smile gave way to a leer.
Mr. Conine’s double block of Predators & Prey came as a relief two hours later, when our whole class trudged to Building 3C.
Gileon had found Nuisance waiting for him outside on a low stone wall—thank the God of the Cosmos for that—so now he filled the beetle in on everything Mrs. Smetlar had said while we walked.
“Wren always used to complain about Mr. Fenway’s digestive issues,” Rodhi said mournfully, “but I bet she’s gonna wish for his stink back when she meetsthatvulture of a woman thisafternoon. If only I had the right kind of pan, I’d bake her into a pie and feed her to the—”
“I just hope Dazmine’s okay,” I interrupted before he could finish that horrible sentence. The last we needed was for a spider to report it back to Mrs. Smetlar… although I doubted a single living thing wanted to get within half a mile of that room surrounded by their own nightmares.
Rodhi, Emelle, and I glanced up toward Dazmine, who was walking ahead with her eyes glued to the stone walkway. I might not have cared for Jenia, but if it had beenEmellewho’d been exiled…
Imighthave thrown my knife at Mrs. Smetlar for what she’d said.
None of us said another word until we got to Mr. Conine, who was waiting for us right outside the classroom door, his sideburns and circle beard as bushy as ever. When the entire class had gathered around him, he clapped his leathery hands and rubbed his palms together.
“Welcome back, Wild Whisperers. I had a whole lesson planned on gibbons, but it turns out our friends in the Object Summoning sector need our help. Lots of bugs out this year. Which means lots of food for the mice. Which means… lots of snakes. Specifically black mambas.”
