by Martha Carr
“You’re a bonehead.”
“Yeah, a smart bonehead.”
Raven laughed just as she noticed the dark robes of Headmaster Flynn coming out from behind the stage, nuzzling the wolf’s head. She tapped Henry hard on the shoulder and pointed, turning to make her way quickly back to her seat.
Headmaster Flynn walked to the center of the stage, and the crowd hushed, even as Henry and his friends made their way to the back rows. Soon, just the creaking of chairs could be heard as the headmaster paced in front of the room, his black robe sweeping the floor.
“Good morning, everyone. Welcome back. Is everyone excited about tonight’s festival?” The murmuring returned, and he held up a hand, silencing them.
He stopped pacing and squared his shoulders with his audience, folding his hands in front of his body. “This morning, I want to discuss one of the most important pieces of your training as wizards. The new students must be wondering what a wolf is doing up here.” Flynn stepped aside and curled his finger, and the wolf stood, walked to his side, sat, and stared at the crowd.
A murmur rippled through the audience. Jenny gasped and clapped her hands together. “I know what he is,” she whispered, leaning into Raven. “My sister is a junior, and she’s told me all about this. He does this presentation every year.”
“Students, meet Rider, my familiar. Rider and I have been together for decades and have a very well-established connection. He even assists me in executing spells.”
An upperclassman behind them raised his hand, waiting for a nod from Flynn before speaking. “Has he been in battle with you?”
The headmaster smiled. “Indeed, he has. One of the most important aspects of our relationship is our ability to communicate during the chaos of battle. Observe.”
Headmaster Flynn pointed to the opposite side of the stage, and Rider trotted over to the left, turning around and eagerly facing the headmaster. “Now, pay attention. As an example, I will have Rider howl.” He gestured to the animal and said, “Speak!”
The wolf tilted his head up and released a loud, haunting howl. Murphy and Raven laughed, leaning forward, and Raven could hear Henry cheering loudly from the back.
“Not bad, right? He howled loudly with a still-healthy set of lungs, despite his advanced age. But this howl would only get you so far on the battlefield. In fact, if he were to howl like this while we were under siege, it would draw unwanted attention. As a familiar, though, he holds a little something extra inside him.”
The headmaster nodded to the wolf. “Loquere!” The older students covered their ears in anticipation.
This time, Rider tilted his head up and released a deafening bellow. Raven clamped her hands over her ears, wrinkling her forehead. When the howl was over, she felt a painful ringing in her ears and looked at Murphy, who had her eyes pressed shut.
The headmaster waved his arm in the air, spreading out his fingers and snapped, “Sana!” The ringing stopped, and several students moaned in relief.
Jenny let out a gasp as Raven grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“This is a small example of what a familiar can do,” Flynn explained. “It’s imperative that each of you have a spiritual familiar that can work with you at your side throughout your time here at Fowler Academy and beyond. Familiars will provide you with more power and additional abilities. I hope you have chosen wisely. They will be by your side for years to come.”
A girl with long jet-black hair who sat on the other end of the aisle stood, her hands on her hips.
“That’s Bella Chase,” whispered Murphy, shaking her head. “She comes from a wealthy family in town. You don’t want to get on her bad side, which is tough because I haven’t found the good one yet.”
“If we can put together spells that can accomplish just about anything, what does a familiar add?” Bella stared down the headmaster calmly. “I have a hard time believing an animal can offer any more power to my magic.”
She’s fearless, thought Raven, watching her with a sense of admiration mixed with competition.
The headmaster smirked and narrowed his gaze at the girl. “An excellent question. Every semester, I get at least one student who asks this. As you’ve already learned on day one, there’s a limit to everyone’s powers. Spellcasting abilities only go so far, especially when you’re new to it. The more spells you cast in a short amount of time without recovery, the better your chances are of becoming spent. It is our goal that all of you develop the self-awareness necessary to keep that from happening.”
Raven noticed he was looking at Bella the same way he had looked at her the other day. She glanced at Bella, who didn’t take her eyes off the headmaster. The girls sitting around her were all hanging on her every word.
The headmaster reached down and rubbed the top of Rider’s head, arching an eyebrow. “When you conduct magic with a familiar, your power can go a lot farther. The familiar draws on its own power to assist you. You’re able to cast more spells in a shorter period with reduced risk of becoming spent. As you can imagine, this is very useful when you are in battle.”
Or to heal a wound. Raven moved her shoulder around, feeling how easily it could move. Like the bolt was never there.
Headmaster Flynn nodded to the back of the stage and the wolf retreated, waiting patiently by the wing. “Is there anything else?”
Bella hesitated but sat, glancing at Raven and locking eyes with her for a moment. Raved stared back at the deep green eyes, not sure what to do. Bella narrowed her gaze and leaned over, whispering something to the girl next to her, who glanced at Raven and whispered something back.
“Well, she knows you now,” said Murphy, sitting back in her chair. “And I don’t think you found the good side either.”
The headmaster turned without another word and walked to the back, disappearing into the shadows, Rider at his heels. The students looked around at each other, a murmur rising as a tall older mage came down the aisle and stopped at the front of the stage. Her hair was short and curled around her face. She looked friendly except for her lips, which were pressed together in a thin line, waiting for silence.
“Many of you have already met me in spell classes. You can address me as Professor Ridley. Each of you should have a familiar with a unique connection to you. Everyone has one, and it was likely closer to you than you realized. The sooner you can bring your familiar to class, the better. You should develop that relationship as soon as possible. If you do not have one yet, you must by the time one month is up, or you must wait a year and reapply.”
Bella stood again, drawing the attention of the entire hall. “I have my familiar with me. Can I call him in here?”
Professor Ridley arched an eyebrow and clasped her hands in front of her. “Come, my dear. And you are?” Her tone was a cross between curiosity and annoyance.
The girl walked down the aisle and hopped up onto the stage. “Bella Chase.” She turned to face the class. The girl was stunning, with bright green eyes and pouty lips. Many of the boys in the class sat a little straighter to get a better look at her.
To Raven’s annoyance, so did Henry. She could see him sitting quietly, his mouth open.
“Miss Chase, you have your familiar at school ahead of the festival? You are a first-year, are you not?”
“Yes, ma’am.” She rubbed her palms together. “We’ve been together for over a year now and know each other well.”
“Go ahead. The bell rings soon.”
Bella closed her eyes and lifted her hands in the air.
At the top of the Main Hall was a line of wide dormer windows offering airflow to keep classes comfortable inside.
“Look! Look!” Jenny pointed to the windows at the sight of something soaring through the air, taking shape as it got closer.
A firedrake flew through the window, its wings spread out to four feet in length.
“That’s a flying lizard,” whispered Murphy.
&nb
sp; Raven laughed with her hand over her mouth but watched in amazement as the firedrake dipped and landed at Bella’s side with as much precision as Rider.
“This is Wesley, my firedrake.” The class oohed and ahhed at the creature, whose head came to the top of Bella’s knees. “We haven’t done a lot yet, but we have been able to do this one. Wesley, ignis!”
The firedrake shot up into the air and reared back, unleashing a stream of flame that filled the upper space of the hall just below the ribs. The class roared approval, applauding at the show.
Wesley dove back down again to a waiting Bella, who stood smiling patiently. The professor looked pleasantly surprised and smiled as well, applauding with the other students.
“Very well done, Miss Chase! You’re ahead of the class and demonstrated excellent initiative.”
The competitive nature in Raven was sparked. Impulsively, she stood and yelled, “I have a familiar, too!”
Murphy looked at her and whispered. “Is yours here?”
The professor turned her attention to Raven. “Oh, really. It’s Miss Alby, correct? Another first year? What a lot of promise we have in our newest students.” The professor looked to the back row and scowled. Raven looked back and saw Henry sliding down in his seat. “What type of familiar do you have?” asked Professor Ridley.
Shit. What type of familiar do I have? Raven scanned her brain for possibilities. One came to mind, and she blurted it out. “A dragon.”
Chapter Twelve
The crowd erupted in laughter. Raven regretted saying it, but now that she did, she wasn’t going to go back on her word.
Bella remained on stage, shaking her head with a cocked eyebrow, the firedrake by her side.
Professor Ridley calmly raised her hand. “Students, settle! Miss Alby, a dragon cannot be a familiar. You will need to choose something else.”
“Why not?”
“Dragons are under the purview of dragon trainers. If you belong to the lineage of the dragon trainers, then that’s where your work will focus. You are from a long line of mages.” She tapped the reasons off on her fingers. “Dragons are large, unwieldy creatures that are difficult to train. A mage in training has never been allowed to work with a dragon. It goes against tradition.”
The professor threw up her hands. “The closest animal to a dragon that you could bring here would be a firedrake, as Miss Chase has so aptly demonstrated here.”
Bella crossed her arms, staring back at Raven with a self-satisfied grin at the corners of her mouth. Raven stared back at her, not flinching.
“But I have a special…”
“The answer is no, Miss Alby. Now, there’s the bell. Everyone, head to your classes.” She was already on to something else.
Raven headed to the door with Murphy and Jenny on either side.
“Dragon trainer, huh?” An older boy with a shock of red hair sneered.
“Ignore him.” Murphy lifted her chin and elbowed her way past a cluster of boys laughing and pointing. “We’re here to learn the impossible, right?”
Raven made her way outside to begin the walk to the farthest wing. She found Henry waiting for her near the tall boxwoods, his friends already gone on ahead.
His face was flushed, and he was pacing, breaking little twigs off the boxwoods. “Are you insane? A dragon? Where did you come up with a stupid idea like that? Come on, we need to get to class.”
“I just… William said…”
“Who cares what William said? He doesn’t know the first thing about sorcery.” Henry stopped walking and turned to her. “You bring a dragon in here, and you’re basically committing suicide, both socially and legit, burn up like a dropped marshmallow at a campfire. Nobody’s going to let you train a dragon in the first place, and, if they do, the dragon will kill you and probably others, and that will be the end of your story.”
“Don’t see why you’re so worked up about it.”
“Everyone in this place knows you’re my best friend. I’ve been getting ribbed all morning. Gerry wants to know if I picked a wolverine! Who would pick a wolverine?” He marched a pace ahead, his hands deep in his pockets.
Raven did her best to change the subject. “What are you bringing as your familiar?”
Henry stopped and waited for her, taking in a deep breath. “I’ve chosen a toad. It speaks to me.” Henry was back to grinning and growing more excited.
“A toad?”
“Hey, it’s a really big toad. It’s better than getting us all killed with some fire-breathing monster that can’t even fit in the Main Hall!”
“Oh, please!” Raven pointed back at the hall. “That girl just filled the place with fire, and everyone clapped. Wasn’t even that much fire…”
Bella walked up behind them. “That’s because I have control over my familiar.” She spoke in a cool, even voice, “I wouldn’t dare perform a spell with him if we weren’t already training. He listens to me. Good luck getting a dragon to even talk to you. He’ll probably eat you before you can teach him to follow you.”
“My dragon will fly circles around your firedrake, Bella. Plus, he’ll make ten times the fire that yours can. He’s bigger, stronger, faster…”
“Your imaginary dragon.” Bella giggled. “You are very creative, I’ll give you that, Raven Alby. It’ll never work,” she said, walking away.
“Oh yeah? Why not?”
She turned back, her hand on her hip, her dark eyes flashing. “Because dragons will never be allowed for a mage. Find something else and better do it quick, Raven.”
Anger burned inside Raven. “I’m going to find a way to get that dragon here.”
Henry shook his head. “You’re absolutely crazy. I don’t know what you’re doing.”
Raven didn’t know what she was doing, either. On the walk to class, her mind was preoccupied with the very public commitment she had made in front of everyone. How am I supposed to get a dragon into class? And train him?
That evening, the campus lit up with colored spotlights hanging from the buildings, bathing the courtyards in gold and silver light. Large decorative torches dotted the perimeter of the area, and music floated from one end of the main courtyard to the other.
Headmaster Flynn stood at the old iron gates that were original to the Fowler Castle, smiling at the students coming out of the classrooms. “Welcome, everyone, to this year’s Harvest Festival!” Rider paced at his side.
Raven came down the steps of the Main Hall, marveling at the crowd that was wandering around the campus. “Feels like everyone in town is here.”
Henry stopped at one of the tables and picked up a glass, taking a sip of the ginger beer. “I’m not surprised. My dad says the festival has always been like this, a big celebration of the school. It’s a way for Fowler to relax after the long summer and hard work from the harvest. You’ve never been to one of these?”
She shook her head. “Not that I can remember. My parents may have when I was younger, but my grandfather wouldn’t go, no chance. He’s town-averse.”
Henry polished off his drink, looking around. “He’s not here tonight? His granddaughter is announcing her intended familiar. You’d think he’d be here to support you.”
“It’s not that he doesn’t support me. He just focuses on the ranch. Always work to be done there.”
“Hey, speaking of familiars, who are you going to announce?”
“No one was talking about familiars.”
“I’ve been having this chat in my head for a couple of minutes now. It counts.”
Raven ignored him, stopping at a table selling small daggers. “You can never have too many.” She picked one that fit in the palm of her hand, a grin on her face.
“Good choice. Well balanced,” said a hunched old man behind the display.
Raven put it down, running her finger over the edge of the blade. “I may be back.”
Henry pulled her away, muttering, “Don’t you think it’s weird that weapons are a part of our curriculum?”<
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“Would you rather graduate not knowing how to defend yourself? Who’s gonna teach you? Your brother, Norman? I saw him wound himself with a pitchfork.”
“Hey, those things are sharp!”
“He was trying to use it like a spear and was aiming it at you.”
“And he missed and hit himself. Quit avoiding the topic. Come on, who are you going to name as your familiar? You can’t say dragon again, especially in front of the whole town.”
Raven stared at Murphy a few feet away. She was beaming while her father held her close, gesturing with a glass of red wine that sloshed around in its cup but never spilled over the edge.
His pearly white teeth shined from underneath a dark, bushy mustache as he bragged about his little girl to another couple. “My daughter has so much power in her little fingertips, and I can’t wait until she can show it off! And I happen to know she has connected with a strong familiar, too!”
Murphy rolled her eyes with fake humility and elbowed him in the ribs. “Not until I announce it, Dad.”
Raven let out a sigh. “These people would laugh me right out of town, wouldn’t they?”
Henry placed his hand on his stomach and craned his neck, peering over the tops of the heads surrounding him. “I need some food fast. Last thing I need is to pass out on stage in front of the town.”
“Better do it now. We’re going to start lining up soon.”
He groaned in frustration, pursing his lips. “Half the people here are holding plates. Where are they getting the food from?” His eyes rested on a plate of dark red sausage the man behind him was holding. A garlicky aroma wafted up from the plate, and Henry inhaled deeply while his mouth watered.
He tapped the man on the shoulder. “Excuse me, sorry to interrupt. What do you have there?” He pointed to the man’s plate.
“Green pickle sausage. It’s good. You ever have it?”
“Mmmmm. Yes, sir, I have. I’m from these parts, born and raised. Never seen it like that. Is it good?” He swallowed hard as the man pulled his plate closer to his chest. Henry wiped his chin. “Sorry about that. Involuntary. My mom says it’s hereditary.”