[Network 01.0] Miss Mabel's School for Girls

by Katie Cross

  My thoughts returned to the Esbat, depressing me. The unknown expectations hung around like a lurking black storm. I tried to ignore it, but that just seemed to make the rain fall harder, threatening to down me. Some nights I woke from dreams of scrolls and ravens flying around my head. They attacked me, forming little paper cuts all over my hands, arms, and face. When I woke up, I thought I could feel blood and feathers on my cheek.

  “Bianca? Hello?”

  I jerked out of my reverie to find Camille waving her hand in front of my face.

  “Are you there?”

  “Sorry, what?”

  She motioned around us. The dining room had emptied. Only Camille, Leda, and I remained behind. I let out a long breath.

  “It’s almost time for class,” she said.

  I stood up, rubbing my face to stimulate some energy. I’d been awake for four hours already, studying with the window wide open so I wouldn’t fall back to sleep. Miss Mabel conversed with me in three different languages during lectures now, sometimes switching in the middle of a sentence. She held me accountable for any information she gave, whether I understood it or not. Which, most of the time, I didn’t.

  “Are you almost done with this mark yet?” Camille asked, studying me with a worried gaze. “You’re starting to look …”

  “Like death warmed over,” Leda said, pushing away from the table. I could tell her comment alleviated some of her annoyed gloom. Although I wanted to snap back, I didn’t have the energy to think up a proper retort. I let it slide.

  “I meant to say haggard,” Camille said.

  “Soon,” I replied with little conviction. “At least, I hope. The Esbat may come at any moment.”

  A blessing and a curse. I needed all the time I could get to study, but hated waiting. I found myself yearning for it to come and put me out of my misery.

  I walked with them as far as the first-year classroom, waved to Miss Bernadette, and then started up the spiral stairs to my own personal prison. A gloomy sky greeted me, echoing the sentiments in my chest.

  “I have good news,” Miss Mabel said, sailing into the classroom and taking me by surprise. “Tomorrow is the last day of your three weeks. It’s a lucky twist of fate, as I just received word that we have an Esbat meeting tomorrow night. Should all go according to plan, you could come take notes for me. I do hate carting those scrolls around. So cumbersome.”

  She wore a simple beige dress. It was the least elegant thing I’d ever seen her in, but with her hair down around her face, she had never looked more charming. It made breakfast feel like lead in my stomach.

  A letter with the Network seal flew onto my desk behind her. I pulled out a bit of parchment and unfolded it. A letter from the Education Committee, acknowledging my test and setting the rules. The High Priest’s signature filled the bottom: Briton Marx.

  “The written portion will start first thing in the morning,” Miss Mabel said, walking past the window that showed the gloomy sky. Raindrops plinked against the window pane and chased each other on their way down. “You’ll have four hours to complete it.”

  “And the application portion?”

  “That depends.”

  “On the written portion?”

  “Partially,” she said, and left it at that. Although I made it a point never to expect things to go as normal when working with Miss Mabel, part of me hoped for predictability, just this once. The letter didn’t give any more details. Miss Mabel’s lips turned down in dismay as she stared out at the weather.

  “Too bad about the rain,” she lamented. “I wanted to show you a few advanced camouflaging spells that are optional to the curriculum.”

  The last thing I needed was optional learning. I could barely keep my head above water. I sent out a silent, grateful call to the bleary weather. She circled around to face me.

  “Have you completed your summary on the historical impact of the Esbat today?”

  “Yes, Miss Mabel.”

  “Did you write a paper on non-verbal lie detectors in the ancient Dorcali language?”

  “Yes.”

  “Have you studied the format in which I will require you to take notes should you pass the test?”

  No, but that one would be easy to skim over tonight.

  “Briefly, Miss Mabel.”

  “Good. Take the day off to clear your head. Get some sleep. You look ghastly. Cramming won’t help you at this point. If you don’t know it already, it’s too late.”

  To my surprise, Miss Bernadette greeted me with her stunning smile the next morning at the Esbat final. Her close-cropped hair shone a reddish cocoa in the light. The calico cat sat on her lap, purring low in her chest as I neared.

  “Hello, Bianca.” Miss Bernadette smiled. “It’s good to see you again.”

  “Thank you, Miss Bernadette,” I said, blushing when I sounded too earnest. “I miss your class.”

  “I’m sure you’re surprised that I’m filling in for Miss Mabel. The High Priest doesn’t like the teacher who instructed the student to give the test for the Esbat in order to prevent partiality. He’s particularly careful when testing students for the Esbat mark.”

  Partiality, how absurd. I bit back the desire to laugh. Miss Mabel would burn off her eyebrows before she’d help me pass a test, but I couldn’t deny a measure of relief. Knowing Miss Mabel wouldn’t be around felt like loosening a corset. I could breathe again. My toes wiggled in my leather shoes, a blatant breach against the uniform that I didn’t bother to correct. Miss Scarlett would have noticed, but I doubt Miss Bernadette would mind. The need to feel a familiar comfort overruled my fear of censure.

  “Please,” she motioned to a solitary desk. “Have a seat.”

  A weighty scroll an inch thick landed on my desk with a thud. Miss Bernadette dropped a pencil next to it. I stared in disbelief. It looked like a textbook. Whoever wrote this must be witless, I thought. Surely this will take all day.

  “You have four hours to complete the exam. You are not allowed to leave the room. As soon as I say time is up, you must put your pencil down. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Miss Bernadette,” I said calmly, instead of screaming like a shrew and running from the room. “I understand.”

  “Then you may begin.”

  Because of the increasing difficulty Miss Mabel had imposed on my homework through the weeks, the test was not hard. It unsettled me to realize she’d done me a favor by her ruthless and demanding tactics. The facts didn’t lie. Miss Mabel was an excellent teacher. She was also a heartless witch, but at least she knew what she was doing.

  When Miss Bernadette called for me to put my pencil down, I still had a bundle of unanswered questions at the back. Terror threatened to overwhelm me. No! It can’t be time already! Would Miss Bernadette suspect the truth if I dropped candle wax on it, then claimed it had been an accident and demanded a retest?

  Of course she would. The pressure of the last three weeks had finally made me dotty, I realized. Like the crazy old woman that babbled to her onions Camille told me about. Miss Bernadette took my test with a smile but a firm resolve. If she read the fear in my eyes, she said nothing about it.

  “Good luck, Bianca.”

  Not knowing what to do next, I climbed the spiral stairs, numb, sat down on the edge of my bed, and waited. Thirteen years. Thirteen years attached to Miss Mabel with only death as my reprieve. I’d just brought a different curse upon myself tonight by not finishing the written final, one far more dangerous to me, and others, than the Inheritance curse.

  Miss Mabel’s curvy frame filled my doorway an hour later. I hadn’t moved. I looked to the doorway, startled by her sudden appearance.

  “You passed,” she said.

  I straightened up in shock.

  “What?” I asked. It came out more like an accusation than intended. “I mean, h-how is that–”

  “You leave for the Esbat meeting in thirty minutes. I’d grab my cloak if I were you; it’s chilly out there. Meet in the hallway
downstairs.”

  I came to my feet as she turned to leave.

  “Wait, Miss Mabel. What about the application portion of the test? I have to demonstrate the skills you taught me in order to attend the Esbat.”

  Her eyes sparkled with mischief.

  “I know. What better place to demonstrate your knowledge than during the Esbat?” She turned around to leave but stopped. “Oh, and Bianca? Take care not to make a single mistake on the next portion. You won’t have that luxury this time. One wrong move and, well, it’ll be a fun thirteen years.”

  She didn’t need to say it. The written test must have barely met the minimum standard, if that. Only my ability to do magic would save me now. I sank back to the bed with quivering knees.

  She was going to test me for the Esbat at the Esbat.

  Is this what drowning feels like? I thought, then banished the thought with a shake of my head. No, don’t think about it. Confidence.

  But my hands still trembled as I sat there, waiting.

  The Anteroom

  The gloom from yesterday’s storm hung in the air like an unwanted visitor. It never settled, always moving past the wet school in clouds of fog.

  “Miss Mabel has gone ahead of you,” Miss Bernadette explained as we walked outside together. “You’ll ride to the Esbat alone. She said to tell you she would meet you there.”

  An old man drifted out of the vapor on spindly legs, walking around a black carriage with large wheels and golden trim. A single fuzzy horse stood in front of it. The man’s white hair stuck out over his ears like banners, but the top of his head was bald. He nodded to Miss Bernadette, but kept his pale blue eyes averted.

  “Bianca, this is Augustus.”

  “Merry meet,” I said with a polite curtsy. He nodded but kept moving. She gave me a soft smile.

  “He’s not used to much formality. Good luck tonight, Bianca.”

  Somehow I smiled back, then climbed into the carriage. The door closed, and the horse started forward. I stared out for awhile, watching the stalks of bare trees and shadows where the fog did not move. But my mind strayed far from the haunted appearance of Letum Wood and into deep dungeons and castle walls that I did not know.

  We passed through three very small villages, comprised of cottages, pale torchlight, and dirt roads. Letum Wood towered high over them, a weathered canopy of leaves and twigs that blocked the gray sky. A few girls my age stood on the side of the dirt road, waiting for us to pass. I watched them with envy, and to make myself feel better, slipped my shoes and stockings off. Then I unbound my hair from the restrictive bun at the nape of my neck and settled in with a sigh for the duration of the ride.

  Chatham City, stationed within eyesight of the High Priestess’s Chatham Castle, was the largest city in the Network. Evening drew close by the time we sped through it. A man walked down the cobblestone street lighting torches, and women hurried by with woven baskets on their hips. Others wore elegant dresses, with silk bustles and skirts. Neither Grandmother nor Mama ever went as far as Chatham City, but I’d heard stories about it. The sprawling expanse seemed to never end, with thick air and brick buildings stacked so close together only the narrowest alleys remained. The air smelled like soot and burnt sugar.

  “Almost there,” Augustus called as we turned onto a long cobblestone road. Chatham Castle twinkled in the distance, set against the late blue sky. I pressed a hand to my stomach to quell the flutter of fear and watched the distance between me and my possible doom close.

  “Here we are.”

  I stepped out of the carriage when we rolled to a stop so Augustus wouldn’t have to work his way down.

  “It’s okay,” I called up to him. “You can stay up there.”

  The gatehouse to Chatham Castle was a dominating, intense presence. Turrets stabbed the night sky on either side of the ancient stone wall like giant spears. The double-door iron gate leading to the inner bailey housed several Guardians, the soldiers of the Central Network. Flames from wide, shallow bowls danced high, growing as tall as my body. The gray walls looked dull in their expansive light.

  Four Guardians stood on either side of the gate. Young men, it appeared, with somber faces. All of them stared at me.

  “Well,” Augustus nodded toward it with a jaunty cry. “Have at ‘er.”

  “Wait,” I stopped him as he lifted the reins, scanning the area, and glimpsing the unfriendly stare of the Guardians. “Where’s Miss Mabel?”

  He gave me an odd look.

  “She’s inside.”

  “What do you mean inside?” I asked, forcing my voice to remain even.

  “Don’t you know how to get in? Miss Mabel told me to bring you right to the gatehouse. Said you’d know what to do from here.”

  “She’s not coming for me?”

  “Course not!” he laughed, but his face fell into a perplexed expression. “Why would she? Don’t you know why you’re here?”

  “I guess I do,” I replied, trying to convince myself. I’d learned enough to know how to get into Chatham but never thought I’d have to do it on my own. Newcomers had to be escorted to the Esbat, which meant Miss Mabel waited inside for me, out of the chill.

  One would hope.

  “Better go then,” Augustus said, inclining his head toward the intimidating gate. “Those Guardians are eyeing you. They won’t let you stick around here for very long. Makes them nervous.” He clucked his tongue and started down the road, calling over his shoulder, “I’ll be at the pub in the meantime.”

  I balled my hands into fists at my side to contain my fury at Miss Mabel. “Yes,” I said under my breath, leaving a puff of fog in the air. The carriage pulled away, clattering on the cobblestones as it flew back down the drive. “Go while you can, before she ensnares you into one of her many traps and you never escape with your soul.”

  Miss Mabel had done this on purpose. Flaunting me before the Guardians meant they’d follow me into the trees when I pursued the hidden door that would let me into Chatham, catch me, and throw me in the dungeon for trespassing Her Highness’s grounds. If I had known Miss Mabel wouldn’t be waiting for me at the gatehouse, I would have left Augustus in Chatham City at his pub and trekked out on foot.

  No coincidence, I was sure.

  Augustus was too far away to call him back, and, at any rate, that wouldn’t do me any good. I hesitated, standing at the edge of the light flickering across the stones, unsure of my next step. One Guardian took a step forward, his hands folded in front of him, his eyes narrowed, assessing. His look said it all.

  Decide what you’re going to do, or we will decide for you.

  I swallowed, then spun on my heels and ran into Letum Wood like a frightened child. When I looked over my shoulder, two of the Guardians had disappeared. Soon enough they’d be hidden in the trees, waiting for the perfect opportunity to nab me. It wouldn’t take them long. My time to act was on a dying chain, disappearing one link at a time.

  There was only one way to avoid the dungeon right now, and I faced it with grim resolve. It involved magic that, technically, a first-year student shouldn’t know.

  Transportation.

  Miss Mabel couldn’t have known I was able to do it. The Network school system didn’t even offer it as an option because of the advanced nature of the magic involved. And in the hands of someone not confident enough in their ability to do it, it was dangerous. Fortunately I had enough confidence but not much time.

  If I transported, I may have to explain it to Miss Mabel. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t make it to the Esbat, and I’d owe thirteen years of my life to my mortal enemy. The sudden rustle of wind, as gentle as a breath, made every muscle in my back freeze. A slight crack to my right, close to the ground, made the decision for me.

  The Guardians had found me.

  I instantly dropped into a ball, flying through the incantation under my breath. I felt the tug of a hand close around my cloak, a guttural shout, and then I fell.

  The wind rushed my eyes, pressu
re bore down on my chest, and I stumbled forward, almost running into a brick wall.

  It worked. I stood on the far eastern side of Chatham Castle, where the trees and brush grew close and intimate, too thick and gnarled to make it through on foot by trespassers who thought they had the courage to try.

  My hand pressed against the wall of the castle to steady me. I tilted my head back and gazed up. The flying wall never ended, sending my vision into a dizzy whirl. The lightheaded feeling didn’t abate when I looked away.

  The Guardians were still watching me, I could feel it. They would have followed the impression of my magic the second I disappeared. Their talents for that were unmatched in all of Antebellum. Not even the Eastern Network trained their forces so well, and they were the richest of the Networks.

  I hoped that now that I was standing at this particular spot, the Guardians would give me some space. Transporting here could only mean that I came for the Esbat.

  All the same, I didn’t feel like pressing my luck. I pushed the dark hair out of my eyes and began to walk along the wall. A pressing drape of nettles and thorny bushes allowed only enough space to walk sideways without snagging my hair, which I did twice.

  The stones on the outer castle wall appeared to be perfect, especially when I stood this close, but they weren’t. My fingertips pressed into them as I moved past. Once the texture changed, becoming slightly gritty, I stopped. The subtle sandy veneer lasted for three full bricks across and twelve high.

  A skinny door.

  Gathering my courage, I repeated the ancient words that I’d memorized two weeks earlier. I’d been reciting the secret spells to myself every day in each of the three languages, just in case. The textured stones drifted back a few feet without a sound. I slipped inside and they closed behind me.

  I stood in a small room, barely wide enough to turn around in. Behind me the wall became a single smooth slab, with no evidence of a doorway. The chilly air hit my throat with a damp gust and I shivered. A pale green torch burned at the top of four stone steps, illuminating the only door. The emerald flame would never fade out unless the castle ceased to exist, an eternal companion to the sturdy walls.