by Rain Oxford
“So my vision was true.”
“Our visions are always true. That doesn’t mean they’re reliable. The future is determined by choices. Nothing is set in stone until it’s done. It could have been a warning. Was it a dream?”
“No.”
While the ring was a tool of magic, it had no magic itself. Vincent taught me to train my mind to only see a vision when I was wearing it. If I was conscious, I was good at keeping visions at bay when I wasn’t wearing the ring. Unfortunately, visions sometimes slipped through while I was asleep.
“I was attacked at work and lashed out, so last night, I tried to see if I killed the attackers. I didn’t.”
“So, instead of being distressed because you were attacked, you were distressed that you might hurt someone.”
“Of course.”
“Don’t tell your mother you were attacked. It would worry her.”
“I know.”
That night, before falling asleep, I came up with a plan.
* * *
Saturday, August 6
Saturday was a nice, quiet day. Aside from taking the kittens to the pet store, we cooked, chatted, and watched a movie. This day was long overdue. Between the years when my mother’s mental health was damaged and my guilt over my friendship with Astrid, we weren’t close.
It was also amusing to see a powerful wizard ride in the back of my mother’s red Toyota Yaris.
After dinner, my mother fell asleep on the couch next to Vincent while we watched a movie. I was in the chair with my feet on the arm of the couch. “Mom?” I asked gently. She didn’t respond, so I knew she was really asleep. “Vincent, I want you to bind my magic.”
“Please tell me you’re joking,” he said. “Magical bindings are a serious matter.”
“I don’t want to accidentally hurt anyone.”
“You think being powerless won’t hurt people? You protect people.”
“I don’t want to be powerless. I just… I feel like I’m losing who I am. I control people without a thought. I’ve been getting more and more powerful and I can’t keep up with it. I don’t want to lose anything more of myself. Just dampen my power until I can control it.”
He considered it for a moment before nodding. “That, I can agree with. I’m glad you’re not asking for me to take your power away completely or permanently.”
“I’m not an idiot. I can help people with it, but not if I can’t control it.”
“The problem with powerful magic is that if it exceeds your ability to control it, it starts leaking. I will create a binding that will only block your mind control abilities and can be removed in an emergency. I will also arrange for Logan to teach you to master the element of spirit.”
The fifth element was the one I really didn’t understand. It was the one element I didn’t have training in. “How will that help me with control?”
“The spirit, soul, aether, akasha, life force, whatever you want to call it, is your being. It is what makes you who you are.”
“It’s what Dothra feeds on.”
“It’s what controls magic. Your spirit controls magic, so understanding how the spirit works will help you control your power.”
“I really didn’t want Hunt to know I’m having trouble.”
“Would you rather become like John?”
“No. Okay. I will do what I have to. When can you have the binding ready?”
“A couple of weeks. I do need some of your blood, though.”
“It’s safe, right?”
“I’ve done it before and I’ve never failed. It has no negative side effects, unless you become reliant on it. Since you’re using it while learning to control your magic, that won’t be a problem for you.”
“Sounds good. I appreciate your help.”
“You’re welcome. Until then, be careful of your emotional state.”
In the morning, after saying goodbye to my mother and Vincent, I left to go to the school.
Chapter 2
Sunday, August 7
I parked my car in the spot with my name on it. There was another parking lot for parents and visitors. It was actually strange not to see a creepy old castle. Instead, there were five creepy, old, massive houses. One of them was surrounded by the other four. The campus was enclosed by a forest and mountains. The parking lots were at the bottom of a hill with some tree cover. The road to the school itself wound through the forest.
A black car pulled up behind me and Darwin hopped out of the back before it could come to a full stop. He was five-five, twenty-three years old, and slender, with light, shaggy blond hair and deep blue eyes. “I’m here! I’ve been preparing to work cases with you this summer. I watched Arnold Schwarzenegger movies all week. I’m ready.”
“You’re here to teach math, not solve cases.”
“Oh, please. There are going to be so many cases you’ll have to hire more help.”
“That would suck.” I spotted Remington at the door of one of the houses and we joined her. She was a gorgeous woman in her mid-twenties with a shapely, athletic figure, long, chestnut-brown hair, and striking green eyes.
“I’m glad you decided to take the job,” she said.
“It’s not like you would have taken no for an answer.”
“I didn’t plan on it.”
“I guess I can give it a chance.”
“I’m excited to teach kids that everything they’ve ever learned about math was wrong,” Darwin said.
“First, I’ll get you settled in your room. We’ll have dinner at seven and a meeting at eight. Children are not allowed to attend, but since Henry hasn’t arrived yet, that doesn’t apply to you.” She led us to the house in the middle. “This building, nicknamed the Center, is where the staff stay. Teachers don’t have offices like the professors at Quintessence, but you get your own classroom, so your students can meet you in there. Devon, you’ll have an office.”
“What are my duties?” I asked. “I don’t have to deal with discipline, do I?”
“Expulsion has to go through you or me, but teachers deal with normal discipline themselves. They do have to notify you when they discipline students and why, though. They will turn in a small slip. Just check over them to make sure they’re reasonable. If a particular student is being a problem for a lot of teachers, or can’t get along with one teacher, you might need to take action. You will have to substitute for a teacher sometimes. Most often, they’ll be able to cover for each other, but we don’t let the important classes get cancelled and sometimes, strange shit happens. You’ll both get a staff handbook.”
“Good fuel for fire,” Darwin commented.
She rolled her eyes. “You have to read it.”
“What exactly will I be teaching?” Darwin asked.
“Math and advanced math for students fourteen to seventeen. We were hoping you would also lead the foreign language clubs and/or the advanced math and science clubs. There is always a high demand for German. You can basically start any club, but you have to have a certain number of students to get funding.”
“I don’t remember clubs when I was a student here,” Darwin said.
“I’ve made quite a few changes in the last couple of months.” She pointed to another house. “The North is where the youngest students stay. It’s for ages five to nine. Most of them are orphans, or children of staff. There are a few special cases, like with Jason and Jameson.”
“Because although they’re not orphans, their human mother can’t handle them,” I surmised.
“Right. Special circumstances. We try to keep them in a home-like environment as much as possible.” She pointed to one of the mansions. “The South is the school building for students ten to thirteen. Don’t worry about either of them. I have two other people in charge of those students who answer to me. You’re only responsible for helping me with the older students.”
“I take it that’s the East and the West?” I asked, pointing to the respective buildings.
“Yes. T
he East is the school building for the older kids. That’s where your office and mine will be. The students have classes in there from fourteen to seventeen years old. Of course, there is some wiggle room for when a student’s birthday falls in the middle of the school year. Darwin, you won’t have to deal with the younger students, either. Henry will have to, but I’ll discuss that with him.”
“That’s a relief,” I said.
“Last year, there was only one deputy headmaster for all students, who answered to my father. Since I’m taking over, I thought it would make more sense to break up the duty. Now there is Yuun, Murphy, and you, and each of you only answer to me. There is also Dani Halstead, who is my assistant as well as the school’s accountant and messenger. If you have trouble finding a student or need to get a message out, you can talk to her.”
“How does the eating situation work?” Darwin asked. “We don’t have lunch duty or something, right? Because I don’t babysit.”
“There are dining rooms in the houses. The young students eat, sleep, and learn in the North. All students aged ten and up sleep and eat in the West. They have lunch, breakfast, and dinner at a specific time, and there are staff members who watch them during those times. You have access to food within a time range, much like you did at the university. During off hours, you have to get or make your own food or drinks.”
“So, the dorms are co-ed?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“How do you prevent teenagers from being teenagers?”
“I’ll show you.” She turned to me. “Kiss me.”
“I don’t think this is the place,” I said. She rolled her eyes and kissed me. Instantly, an electrical current erupted between us, shocking us both. I stepped back automatically, but there was nothing to see. “What the hell was that?”
“That was my father’s ward. It shocks anyone who is touching intimately.”
“That sounds effective.”
“It would be much more effective if it worked against fighting. Unfortunately, my father hasn’t been able to successfully stop acts of aggression without it also zapping anyone who gets upset or bleeds. Thus, that’s the responsibility of teachers and staff.”
“What about vampires?”
“There are none here yet. It’s in the plan, but right now, we’re not ready for them. We have throwbacks here, so the rules are stricter. There’s no fighting, for one thing. You should never need to go to the houses. You can also get an assistant if you want. Any of the students are allowed to volunteer and you can select one of them.”
“What about kids getting hurt in magic or shifter classes?” I asked. At Quintessence, if a student got hurt, he shook it off or was dragged to the infirmary after class.
“The goal of this school is not to teach kids to fight and do cool magic tricks. Wizards don’t normally have trouble controlling their powers, but magic does react to emotions. All of the students need to learn to fully control their magic and/or shifting abilities.”
“That doesn’t have the same ring to it,” Darwin said. “No wonder I was bored most of the time.”
“They learn how to function in the human and paranormal societies. We teach magic and knowledge that is actually useful to survival, and a lot of that is weaved into other classes. They also learn the history of humans and paranormals, because that’s important. It provides a safe, supportive place to grow.”
“So we don’t get any Carries.”
“Any what?”
“You know, Stephen King.”
“Oh. Yes. We don’t like to compare our students to fantasy characters, but yes, that’s exactly why these schools were created. All teachers and students are responsible for teaching students to control themselves, but there are counselors and staff members like Henry who the students can go to for extra help. Some of them might look to you for guidance. Also, we’ll have clubs for potions, divination, and the like. If you want to form any clubs, you’re welcome to it. There is a form, which has to be approved by you or me and Dani.”
She led us into the Center. The door opened to a grand living room with hardwood floors, brick walls, and old red and black Victorian-style furniture. On the far side of the room was a set of glass French doors leading to a dining room. It was lit by a candle chandelier and gas sconces. To the right was a fancy fireplace with a painting of a castle over it. It wasn’t lit, since the weather didn’t call for fire. To the left of the door was a massive, winding, marble staircase with patterned carpet and an iron rail.
“In addition to bedrooms and bathrooms, there are two family rooms, two dining rooms, a kitchen, and a utility room in the Center,” Remy said.
“What castle is that?” I asked, pointing to the painting.
“My grandfather’s.”
“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I can’t really picture your father as a child, but if I could, it would probably be in a creepy old castle.”
“Actually, that’s my mother’s father’s castle. My father has never talked to me about his father, but he respected my mother’s father a lot.”
As Remy led us up the stairs, I asked, “How did your parents end up together?”
“My father moved to the United States in his twenties, I believe, but he went back a lot. My maternal grandfather wasn’t a wizard. My maternal grandmother was poisoned. There were at least five more attempts on her life before my grandfather was finally advised to get help from my father. He helped them and fell in love with my mother, and she moved here with him. I don’t know much more than that. My father loved my mother so much that it was hard for him to tell me anything.”
The hallways were similar in style to the living room; excessively elegant, dimly lit, and a bit creepy.
We reached a door and stopped. There was a brass plate centered on the door with Darwin’s name engraved on it. Remington pulled out a key and handed it to him. “What is this?” he asked.
“What’s the point in locking the door if any wizard can unlock it with magic?” I asked.
“The teachers here keep student reports and class information in their rooms, so it’s imperative that students can’t get to them. All locks are magically warded. Make sure you always lock your door, whether you’re in or out of your room. Magic won’t work on the locks. You are responsible for keeping people out of your room.”
“How am I supposed to get in when there’s no doormat to keep the key under?” Darwin asked. “I need a number-code lock. I’ll accept a voice or retinal lock, but not a fingerprint lock because I might take up guitar and that would develop---”
“Darwin, enough,” Remy interrupted. “There are lanyards in my office that are for shifter specifically. They stretch and contract to stay around your neck and have a rubber cap to prevent the metal from bothering your fur.”
“Yeah, but the chance of me remembering to put it on is even slimmer than the chance of me remembering to lock the door.”
“Devon, your room is here,” she said, gesturing to the door across from his. “Can you make sure Darwin locks his door?”
Darwin’s father was a wolf shifter alpha and his mother was a forest fae. Neither of them ever considered living alone, so they never bothered to teach their son to be independent. He didn’t even clean his own room at home, and his mother had to remind him to eat. To him, if it wasn’t on a computer, it wasn’t meant to be private. “Not all the time, but I’ll check when I come and go.”
“Thank you.” She handed me a key and I used it to unlock my door. “If you need any extra candles, toiletries, or cleaning supplies, you can get them in the utility room or have Dani get them for you.”
The room was sixteen-by-sixteen, much larger than my old room at Quintessence. The walls were stone, the floors were rich, red wood, and the ceiling was wooden with beams. There was a fluffy antique-patterned rug on the floor beside the bed. The king-sized canopy bed against the north wall was made of solid wood with a royal blue canopy, curtains, and bedclothes. There was a cherry-wood nightstand
on either side of the bed and a gas lamp above the nightstands. On the left nightstand was a battery-powered alarm clock. At the foot of the bed was a wooden chest. To the left of the bed was a fancy wardrobe. Beside the door on the south wall was a work desk with a gas lamp. On the east wall was a large window with wooden blinds and dark blue blackout drapes.
Several black robes were folded neatly on my bed. It was a tradition with wizards to wear robes in the company of other paranormals. It started as a way to show they weren’t human, like uniforms. Wizards were expected to wear fancy ones on special occasions, usually made of vibrantly colored satin velvet, but in the schools, it was almost always black wool.
“This is nice,” I said.
“You sure?” Darwin asked. “I can paint your walls pink if you want.”
“Get out of my room.”
He laughed and left.
“I’ll let you get settled,” Remy said. “You can do whatever you want to your room, just put it back this way if you ever retire. Dinner is at seven. I’ll see you at the conference at eight.”
“How do I find it?”
“Follow other staff members. I’ll give you a tour of the East after the conference.”
* * *
The dining room was large, but not as large as the one at Quintessence. There were five round, reclaimed wood, five-foot-wide tables, each set with napkins, salt, and pepper. On the north wall was a wall-to-wall bay window. The room had tan walls with cream crown molding. I quickly spotted Darwin and Henry. To my surprise, I also saw Addison and Amelia sitting with them. In front of the window was a table with drinks, stacked glasses, and a wooden rack of coffee mugs.
On the kitchen door was a sign reminding teachers and staff not to do magic in the kitchen. I went in. It looked modern compared to the rest of the house, even going so far as to have an industrial fridge and freezer. In addition to those, it had stoves, ovens, cabinets, pantries, two massive sinks, and a large quartz island. Numerous plates, trays, and bowls of food were set out on the island. There was also a wooden table next to the door with clean bowls, plates, and silverware.