After six minutes, which felt much longer, the door opened and Dr. Green walked in. He gave me a look that made me shrink in my chair. Like I'd done something terribly wrong.
He settled into the chair next to me, which surprised me. He hadn't been in attendance for my last several meetings. Why today?
Officer Malone waddled over to the chair, setting a briefcase on the desk before settling into Dr. Green's usual place.
"I hear some of your magic has returned," he said without preamble.
"Um, yes," I said, risking a glance at Dr. Green.
He was staring straight ahead, not looking at me.
"Dr. Green says you're working with an instructor after classes to bring it up to full strength. How are those sessions going?" he asked as he opened his briefcase.
"Good," I said.
"Good?"
"Yes, it's basically just extra class time, you know?" I said.
"Sure," Officer Malone said. He scribbled something on a notepad. "And at this time, are you planning to attempt the practice trials?"
I glanced at Dr. Green again, hoping for some support here. Something was obviously going on, but I wasn't getting it. He didn't look at me, so I turned back to my parole officer and tried to get a read on him.
His face was flushed as usual and he was breathing through his mouth, his sharp yellow teeth clearly visible. I still had no idea what he was. All I wanted was for him to stay as far away from me as possible.
"If my professors think I can safely participate, I'll join my classmates," I said. "Honestly, it's up to them."
"Good. You've learned your place, it seems," he said.
I gripped the armrests of the chair, squeezing them to prevent myself from saying something I'd regret. The sooner I got through this meeting, the sooner he'd be gone. And I'd have another whole week before I had to put up with him again.
"And your extracurricular activities?" he asked.
I lifted an eyebrow. Here came the part where he tried to find out about my personal life. It was so creepy. Why the hell did he care what a twenty-one-year-old girl was doing or who she was doing it with?
"Same as last week," I said. "I rarely do anything other than schoolwork."
"Ms. Winters is a model student, as I told you before," Dr. Green said.
"We received reports that she's recently been spending time with the Obscura twins and time in the demon dorm," he said, keeping his beady eyes on me.
I nearly choked in surprise. "You're spying on me?"
"I told you, we are keeping a very close eye on you," he said. "If you so much as use one ounce of time magic, we'll know."
"I told you that I'm not doing anything wrong. Is it illegal for me to have friends?" I asked.
"It's not illegal but it is suspicious considering the attack on campus resulting in a dead guard and a possible intruder in the demon dorm the same time you were there," he said.
My mouth dropped open in surprise. "Are you accusing me of something?"
"Should I be?" he asked.
"As I told you before," Dr. Green said. "Raven is not a suspect in that attack."
"That's not for you to decide," Officer Malone said.
"I was with a friend during that incident," I said. "I wasn't prowling around outside."
"What were you doing with your friend?" he asked.
I swear his breathing quickened. It was like he already knew and wanted me to say it out loud. Pervert. "I don't think that's any of your business."
"As I told you before, we have witnesses who place her nowhere near the incident," Dr. Green said.
"I've heard stories like this before," Officer Malone said. "Don't think that you're above the law just because the Obscura family is paying your tuition."
"I don't think that," I said.
"You're on strike two, Ms. Winters," he said.
"What?" I scoffed. "That isn't even fair. I didn't do anything wrong."
"That's my decision. As far as I'm concerned, your alibi lines up too nicely. You even think about time magic and I'll get you locked up for not just illegal magic but for murder as well."
"Wait a minute," I said. "I had nothing to do with all of that. You can't do that."
"I can and I will," he said. "Do you want to test me?"
I opened my mouth to object but wasn't sure what to say. Somehow this had gone from a typical meeting to me being accused of murdering a guard. It didn't even make sense. Why would he jump to that? Especially since we'd met since it happened? Why bring it up now?
I closed my mouth and clenched my teeth. Something must have happened. Something shifted, someone somewhere wanted to hurt me or get me in trouble for something. I didn't get it, but I had to hope Dr. Green had my back.
"Any other questions, Ms. Winters?" Officer Malone asked.
"No," I said, the word coming out more defiant than I meant.
"Good. Now play the game like you should and everyone will be fine," he said.
My brow furrowed. I had no idea what he was talking about, but I stayed in my seat as he walked out the door. I wasn't about to leave this office till Dr. Green gave me an explanation.
As soon as the door closed, I turned to see Dr. Green walking back toward me.
"What the hell was that?" I asked.
He frowned. "Careful, Ms. Winters, I am still the dean."
I blew out a frustrated breath. "Fine. What just happened in here?"
"Apparently, someone isn't happy that you're cozying up with the Obscuras."
"So they want to pin a murder on me?" I asked. "That's insane."
He shook his head. "I think it means our thief has infiltrated the justice system."
"What do you mean?" I asked, my heart suddenly pounding against my ribcage.
"If you get kicked out of here, it's easy for you to disappear. But with the Obscura family watching over you, they'd have to make it look legit. Someone is calling the shots and they want you out of here. You better keep your nose clean. I'm doing the best I can but there are certain things I can't save you from," he said.
"If she's impersonating someone high up, can't they just catch her? I mean, doesn't anyone notice?" I asked.
"She's got decades worth of stolen magic. Including the magic from both of your parents. I'm pretty sure she's capable of convincing anyone of anything at this point," he said.
I looked back to the office door. "Do you think that was her?"
"Officer Malone?" he asked.
I nodded, feeling the blood drain from my face as I turned back to Dr. Green.
"It's possible, but I have a feeling she's replaced someone higher up. He's always been a weasel, willing to do whatever they tell him. He wouldn't need much convincing to do someone else's dirty work."
"So what do I do?" I asked.
"Stay in the castle, keep working on your magic and don't do anything stupid. They have no reason to arrest you if you do what you're supposed to do," he said.
26
Raven
Nervously, I entered the classroom. Somehow, I had to tell Professor Halifax that I couldn't risk using my time magic. Not now that I knew the thief was monitoring me so closely.
Her classroom was lit only by the emergency light. Empty and desolate. It was creepy as hell in the dark. "Professor?"
I heard some noises from the back of the room and there was a stripe of light on the floor coming from a closet door. "Professor, is that you?"
The door opened and Professor Halifax stepped out, a huge bundle of black fabric in her arms. "I'm here."
"Professor, I can't do this," I said before I lost my nerve. "My parole officer threatened me today and they're watching me more than I realized."
"Which is exactly why you have to be able to control your magic," she said. "If you let it slip, you're screwed."
That was true. But how was I supposed to practice it if the use of it set off something they could track? Officer Malone seemed confident that he could trace even the smallest time magic. "I don't want
to go to jail."
"That's why we're doing this," she said with a sigh. "I always thought you were one of my smarter students."
"Wow, thanks for that," I said. "Look, I get why this is important, but they said they can track it."
"I suppose, in theory, they could." She set the bundle of fabric down on her desk. "Though, I haven't met anyone who could track magic from a distance in the last century. They'd have to actually be in the room where the spell was cast to trace it. And they'd have to be there within twelve hours of the casting."
"Really?" I asked.
She nodded. "Like I said, it's possible, but if they had people with that skill working for them, they wouldn't need to send people like your Mr. Malone to make threats. They could just sit back and monitor you from a distance."
Her words didn't make me feel more confident about messing with time magic. But I knew there was probably more of a risk of me screwing up big, possibly in front of people if I didn't learn to control it. Last time I'd used it, I was in a life or death situation. The time before it felt like a life or death situation.
What was to stop someone from pushing me too far just to see if they could get a rise from me? Or worse, what if I got scared during the practice trials?
Professor Halifax smoothed out the fabric on her desk so it draped over it like a tablecloth. It was black and looked soft. Velvet maybe. My brow furrowed as I watched her tugging on it to even the sides. I wasn't sure what it had to do with our lesson, but I had a feeling she had a reason for it.
"Okay," I said. "Just enough to learn how to keep me from using it accidentally. Nothing more."
"Of course," she said. "I wouldn't dream of teaching you how to actually use your time magic. That would be illegal. Teaching you how to contain it, however, is my duty as your instructor. I'm morally obligated, right?"
"Uh, sure," I said.
"Over here," she said as she placed her palms flat on the velvet fabric. "Like this."
I walked over to the desk and set my hands down on top of the fabric, copying her. My hands tingled instantly from contact. It felt similar to the way my own magic felt, but this wasn't mine. It was different. "What is this?"
"It's my last connection to Faerie," she said. "It's woven with fae magic and will make our session easier to complete."
"How is that even possible?" I asked.
"The magic there far surpasses what is possible here," she said. "Compared to the Fae realm, this place is stuck in the stone ages when magic is concerned."
"You must miss it terribly." I was guessing it was like us going to a place where cell phones and television didn't exist. Not that I had time or use for those things here, but I did miss them.
"Let's just focus on the magic," she said.
"Alright," I said. "What do you want me to do?"
"You're going to attempt to call your time magic, but I can't have you slowing the time around us or risking a time bubble," she said.
"A time bubble?" I repeated.
"That's a lesson for another time," she said.
"So if I'm not slowing time, what am I going to do?"
"You're going to create a tear," she said. "A portion of a portal."
"I thought portals were crazy dangerous for people who don't know what they're doing," I said.
"We've been through this," she said. "Your magic is basically a portal key. Besides, you have me to help. I wouldn't ask you try it alone."
"I have no idea how to open a tear," I said.
"Close your eyes and concentrate on the magic you feel in the room. My magic will be amplified by the fabric. I'm going to guide you for this first time."
I closed my eyes and focused on the tingling in my hands. As I did, it intensified until it was nearly a burning sensation that didn't cause pain. It was an odd feeling, uncomfortable, but tolerable. Was that from the fabric or was that Professor Halifax's magic? "I feel something."
"Good, concentrate on connecting to that feeling. You need to be able to channel it through your veins. Pull it into your own magic, weave them together."
I took a deep breath and focused on the unfamiliar magic, urging it to come into me. Slowly, I felt it seeping up my arms, toward my chest. My own magic flickered like a pilot light deep in my belly.
Then I felt something else. Another magic that I didn't recognize. It felt like it was pulling me toward it, somewhere beyond the black cloth my hands were on.
"Don't fight it," Professor Halifax said. "Embrace it."
I steadied myself, leaning into the new magic, letting it mingle with mine the way I had with the twins. But this felt cold and dark and foreign. It wasn't familiar and welcoming the way the magic meld had been.
"That's your time magic coming to the surface," she said. "Feel that? You have to harness it, control it. Don't lose focus."
I held the magic, following the other magic's lead, urging it downward into the cloth.
Suddenly a bright light split the fabric and I could see what could only be described as a tear. It opened in the fabric, a blue light around the seams. Inside was a black void. Nothingness staring back at me.
It was cold and terrifying, sending a rush of ice through my veins.
Gasping, I let go of the magic and in a burst of energy, I was thrown from the table. I landed on my ass nearby, panting and sweaty.
"What was that?" I asked.
"You created a tear," she said. "You held your magic and channeled it successfully. Without stopping time, I might add."
"So what does this mean? How does this help me?' I asked.
"That feeling you had when it called to you, how was it?" She asked.
"Uncomfortable," I said. "Dark and unwelcome."
"Interesting." She walked over to me and offered her hand.
I took it and pushed myself off the ground with her help. Her hand was like ice. As cold as the magic that had run through me. "When you felt that, though, instead of panicking, you embraced it. You controlled it. You didn't succumb to fear."
She walked back to the black fabric and started to fold it up. "Next time you feel the time magic threatening to rise, you embrace it and command it until you can send it away."
I nodded, the exercise finally making sense. It wasn't about opening the portal, it was about control. "I can do that."
"Good. We'll keep working on it, but in the meantime, remember if you feel it coming, embrace it, don't fight it."
27
Raven
The next two weeks were a blur of learning how to use my magic and fitting in sessions with Professor Halifax.
I was getting stronger. Keeping up with the twins during class and holding on to my time magic for longer when I practiced with the portal tear.
Even my meeting with my parole officer couldn't bring me down. I was feeling like I finally had some control over how things were going in my own life.
The only downside was sneaking around with Luka and Ben. Since I couldn't leave the school to go to the demon dorms, and I didn't want to bring Luka to my room - where I shared a wall with Ben - the two of us had been creative in our meetings.
The library was our usual meeting place, but we'd even ducked into a few classrooms from time to time.
Ben on the other hand, was completely different. With him, it was late night sneaking around because he was so worried one of the other shifters would see us.
In fact, he'd been so worried about it, the two of us hadn't seen each other in days.
And I was getting antsy.
I mean, it wasn't like I wasn't getting action, but every time I walked past him in the common room or saw him in class, my sex drive went into high gear. I needed him. Bad.
There had to be a better way.
As I was leaving the office from another round of threats by my parole officer, I stopped at the secretary's desk.
She looked over her reading glasses at me. "Yes?"
"Is there any way I could get a new keycard for my room?" I asked.
She pursed her lips. "What happened to your old key card?"
"I thought it was in my backpack, but I must have left it in my room this morning."
She scowled at me. It was as if no student had ever left their key card in their room before.
Finally, after what felt like minutes of silence, she pushed herself away from her desk on her wheeled desk chair and opened a file cabinet behind her. After a moment of digging through the drawer, she rolled back to her desk, a card in hand.
She lifted the card to me. "Don't lose it."
"I won't, thank you," I said.
Her lips were still puckered as if she'd eaten something sour when I took the card from her hand. I wasn't sure why she worked here. She certainly seemed to hate people. Then again, I supposed working at a school could do that to you. Maybe she'd been a people person when she started here and was stuck here.
I shuddered and silently vowed to cross teaching or customer service off my list of post academy occupations. All day interacting with people was enough to leave anyone jaded and angry.
Quickly, I shoved the card in the pocket of my black pants and left the office before anyone could say anything else to me.
I didn't actually lose my card. In fact, it was safely tucked away in my backpack. And I had a sneaky suspicion she knew that. But I had a plan.
Beelining it to class, I hurried to get to my seat before the rest of the students settled. This was my only class with Ben and if I played my cards right, I could get this to him without drawing attention.
He entered with another shifter, the two of them chatting as they came through the door. He glanced toward me, his eyes lingering on mine a second longer than they should have before he looked away.
My chest hurt every time he did that. I knew we had to keep everything a secret. At least until we figured something else out, but it was wearing on me.
He took his seat and I kept my gaze forward, not wanting to draw attention to myself. It took all my willpower to keep from looking back at him.
Finally, Professor Hurd walked into the room, carrying a stack of blue exam books.
I bit down on the inside of my cheek as I braced for what I was about to do. I still wasn't great at magic, but I was pretty sure I could cause a distraction.
Academy of the Elites: Broken Magic Page 12