by Devyn Jayse
What my classmates didn't know was that I also saw a murder because of the charmstone around my neck. Secrets had been revealed to us but I had also started hiding some from the others. I couldn't let them know what I had seen and learned, but I could use their help to find out more.
Four
"Magic exists in every creature, whether you're aware of it it or not. Even you humans have a spark of magic in your core." Guillen paused as his eyes took in all of us gathered in the classroom.
Beatriz, Pol, Quentin and I had agreed the previous day that we were going out after class. I didn't know about them but it had been a long day for me and the anticipation of leaving was almost killing me. I couldn't wait to get out of the Dragon Research and Authority Center.
"One last thing before we end the class. We need volunteers to scrub the cobblestones in preparation for the shifter gathering."
Voices murmured through the class as the others repeated the words, shifter gathering. Leire's arm shot in the air. I exchanged a surprised look with Beatriz. Leire didn't strike me as the type that would voluntarily clean after people. She would much rather be the one that made the mess.
"Yes?" Guillen said.
"Vanessa has been saying she'd love to give back to the Center for all the opportunities you've given us. I'm sure she'd love to volunteer."
My jaw dropped. Did she just volunteer me?
Beatriz bit her lip. Even Pol and Quentin glanced at me from their seats. Quentin frowned at the look on my face. Pol raised an eyebrow and I shook my head.
"Vanessa doesn't mind, does she?" Leire's eyes cut into me. The smile on her lips didn't quite hide the malice in her eyes.
"Actually..." I started.
"I would prefer each volunteer put forward their own name," Guillen interrupted, talking to Leire. "I am glad you feel this way and will add your name to the list since I am sure you too would like to give back to the Center for all the opportunities you've been afforded."
Leire opened her mouth.
Guillen smiled, showing off his very sharp teeth.
Leire shut her mouth and slumped in her seat, defeated.
Guillen looked around the class. "I'm happy that Leire has chosen to be a good example. I'm going to put a paper on the desk. Sign up on your way out." He dismissed us.
I pushed back my chair as I got to my feet.
"Do you want me to talk to her?" Quentin said, from behind me.
I craned my neck around to look at him. "You'd do that?"
A crease appeared on his brow. "Of course. I'd do anything for you."
I rocked on my heels at the emotion behind his words. A flush rose to his face and he dropped his eyes to the ground as his words echoed in the silence.
A surge of warmth rose in my chest. I felt my lips turn up in a smile. "Thank you."
His eyes met mine. They seemed to search my face for something and from the answering smile that appeared on his face it seemed he found what he was looking for. "You're welcome."
Pol cleared his throat noisily. "So what are you going to do about her?"
I turned away from them and watched Leire's back. She was made her way out of the classroom. My voice could have frozen water as I replied, "I'll take care of her myself."
Beatriz appeared by my side. She looked at us, practically bouncing on her heels. "Come on, forget Leire and her drama. Let's get out of here and go to Magic Runes."
Five
We left the Dragon Research and Authority Center eager to visit Magic Runes. All of us were in high spirits. The weather was crisp with a few clouds on the horizon. The smell of leaves was in the air. I took a deep breath.
"Do you guys want to play a game?" Pol teased.
"What game?" I asked.
"Human or supe?" he replied.
Beatriz raised her eyebrows. "A guessing game?"
"Yes, let's see who's best at identifying who's a human or a supe."
I bit my lip.
"What?" Pol asked, noting my indecision.
"Do you think we should be playing around with the charmstones?" I asked tentatively.
"Consider it part of our training. We need to learn how to spot these creatures. What if one day they took these away?" He glanced down at his charmstone and back at me. "Wouldn't you want to be able to spot them without it?"
"I don't think you'll figure it out that easily." I didn't say what was on my mind: that I was one of the supernaturals, a witch, and that even the dragon shifters hadn't been able to see it. Aisha had told me that they hadn't noticed me because my magic was locked and hadn't manifested itself yet. She hadn't been able to let me know why or even how to unlock it. It's the reason I wanted to talk to somebody so badly. I wanted to figure it out.
Any knowledge I gained would be helpful. I couldn't let my classmates know, but maybe if I turned it into a game, they would help me with information and help me figure it out unknowingly.
"Okay, who wants to go first?" Quentin asked.
Beatriz shrugged. "I will."
She slipped off her ring and put it in her pocket.
The three of us glanced at each other. "So how does this work?" she asked.
"Let's just point out a person and ask her," Pol suggested.
"Okay," I said.
We were walking along Via Laietana and spotted a thin creature with pointed ears. I couldn't tell if he was an elf or fae. Although we'd been exposed to the magical world for weeks now, we still hadn't figured out all the different subspecies of supernaturals. The dragons were self-involved and mainly discussed themselves. Not that they told us much about them anyway. Well, they told us the boring parts but not the interesting bits we wanted to know.
"The man in the green shirt," Pol told Beatriz.
She squinted. I wondered what she saw without the help of the charmstone. I saw a slim man with pointed ears and his features had an unearthly glow. His high cheekbones with delicate features showcased his supernaturalness. We knew that Beatriz probably just saw a man in a green shirt.
"Human," Beatriz said.
"Put on your charmstone." Pol laughed.
She slipped it on her finger and groaned.
"What did he look like to you?" Pol tilted his head.
"He just looked like a regular guy."
"Who wants to go next?" Quentin asked.
We kept walking. There weren't that many supernaturals to point out. "How about we play this game at a coffeeshop and we can point at the people that pass by us?" I suggested. I glanced around. "I don't think the dragons would be happy if they knew we were walking around and discussing charmstones so loudly."
"Guillen did it," Pol pointed out.
"I'm guessing Guillen has different privileges than we do," Quentin said. "Vanessa's right."
Pol shrugged. "Whatever."
We turned the corner and found ourselves on the street where Magic Runes was. Beatriz pushed at the door but it didn't budge. Quentin pointed at the note on the door. "Can't you see the note?"
The note said, "Away for some time." The storeowner, Carmen, had signed it and left her phone number. We glanced at each other. "What do you want to do now?" I asked.
"We can still play the game," Pol suggested.
"Let's go find somewhere to sit." Quentin looked around us.
Six
We wandered through the streets. We passed an ice cream shop and Pol made us stop so he could have some. We continued navigating the inner streets of El Born, passing by graffitied walls and tapas bars.
"How about that place?" I pointed. "But I guess the game would be guess which supernatural is which kind."
A sign over the restaurant identified it as Miguel's. It was simple. A couple of supernaturals lingered outside chatting. We walked past them and into the restaurant. The place was bursting with supernaturals. I saw the astonishment that I felt reflected on the faces of my friends. This was the first time we had seen so many different kinds of supernaturals at once. The guys were awed. Someone bumped into
me. I turned around but didn't see anyone. A tug on my pant leg made me look down. "Are you just going to stand there blocking our path? Some of us need a drink," said the angry gnome at my knees. He had a white beard and a red baseball cap.
I stammered an apology and moved to the side. Pol, Quentin, and Beatriz gaped at the gnome as he shoved past me and hurried to the bar. We watched in wonder as he clambered on a specialized seat and waved at the bartender.
"Where do you want to sit?" Pol asked.
"Over there," I pointed at an empty table.
We walked over and sat down. I looked at the bar and the bartender behind it. He looked like a kind man, but his strong arms reminded me that he could tear apart anyone in the room. I watched as he chatted with the many people sitting at his bar. He had a ready smile on his face. I spotted what looked like a brooding vampire in the corner. Around us I identified a few shifters. I guessed what they were because they reminded me of the shifters at the Center. There were a few men in capes who I supposed were wizards. I couldn't keep up with all the different types of supernaturals.
"Shall we all take ours off?" Quentin felt his charmstone.
"Seems like there's no point. They're all supernatural," I said.
"We could guess what each one is," he replied.
"Wait," Beatriz warned us.
"What?" we replied in unison.
"If we take them off, they'll know we're human. Didn't the dragon shifters say that?" she said.
We gave each other uneasy looks. "Maybe we should keep them on display," Quentin said upon second thought.
A waitress appeared at my elbow. I glanced up at her. She smacked her gum and handed us four menus. "Hi, I'm Greta. I'll be your waitress. I heard what you were saying. You probably shouldn't be talking so loud." Greta smacked her gum again. "Shifters can hear really well, so if you want to gossip about them, this probably wouldn't be the place to do it. And you're right, you should keep your charmstones on."
I gaped at her. The others looked just as stunned as I was.
"I suggest you enjoy the meal and play whatever game you're playing somewhere else where shifters won't overhear you. Probably someplace that's loud," she continued.
"Do you recommend a place?" Pol asked her. The rest of us gave him shocked looks. Beatriz even slapped his arm for his audacity.
A lopsided grin appeared on Greta's face. "I like you."
Pol ducked his head.
Her face assumed a thoughtful expression as she mulled over his question. "Maybe the vampire lounge would be your best bet. There's a place called Shades. It's in Eixample. If you really want to see different types of supes, you should go there."
"They'd let us in?" Beatriz asked.
Greta shrugged. "I'm not sure, but it can't hurt to try. Your charmstones should make it okay. I'll be right back. Figure out what you want to eat."
"So it looks like we know what we're going to be doing tomorrow night," Pol grinned.
"I guess so," I said.
"We're going to a vampire lounge," Beatriz said, a thrilled note in her voice.
I couldn't believe this was my life.
Seven
"Do you think we'll see any trolls or goblins? The gnome we saw at Miguel's was cute, wasn't he? Or do you think we'll see some weird creatures? Do you think there are banshees?" Beatriz hadn't stopped asking questions since our waitress at the restaurant suggested we go to the vampire lounge.
"Will you stop?" I covered my ears. I laughed and uncovered them once I saw her expression. "Do you want to go tonight?"
Beatriz had the grace to look embarrassed. "Sorry, I'm just so excited." Her eyes lit up. "Do you think it's going to be full of vampires?"
"It is a vampire lounge," Quentin said.
We were sitting in the courtyard of the Center watching a challenge. We were in Enemy Combat and Self-Defense class. Ever since last night, Beatriz hasn't been able to stop speculating about what kind of creatures we were likely to run into, and to be fair I was excited at the prospect of learning more of this world as well.
"What would you do if a vampire asked to suck your neck?" Pol teased her.
Her eyes widened. "No, they wouldn't."
"Would you let him?" he insisted.
She gulped. A flush rose to her cheeks.
"Stop teasing her," I scolded him. He laughed and Quentin joined in.
"Would you let a vampire suck on your neck?" I arched an eyebrow.
"If he was attractive, why not? I'll try anything once," Pol replied, laughing.
I shook my head. "You wouldn't."
"Just try me." He gave me a saucy smirk.
"We'll find out I guess," I said.
Beatriz watched our exchange. "What would your top three sightings be?"
"I'd love it if I could see a minotaur," Pol admitted.
Quentin raised his eyebrows. "That would be interesting."
I let my gaze travel around the courtyard. Our two classmates Iris and Jordi had just completed their challenge. They shook hands and withdrew. The next challengers, Franco and Oliver, stepped up to the ring. I continued looking around us and my eyes fell on Leire. She was talking to Elena and Kevin, her haughty expression indicating that she was lecturing them on one thing or another. As if feeling my eyes on her, she turned to me and we glared at each other. I didn't look away. Her expression darkened. She briefly glanced at the ring. This was the same place I had fought her before. I don't know what had come over me and I still had no memory of what had taken place, but I had beaten her badly enough to put her in the infirmary. It wasn't like I was her favorite person to start with, but that day had changed our dynamic for the worse. From the hatred in her eyes as she stared me down, I knew she considered me her enemy. I didn't care. I didn't like bullies and beating her had kept her away from me for the past few weeks.
"Vanessa, who's that looking at you?" Beatriz nudged me with her elbow.
I tore my gaze from Leire and turned to Beatriz. She nodded toward someone standing in the distance.
A young teen stood next to a tall, muscular shifter. The teen gave me a cheery wave when I looked at him. I waved back with a smile of my own. "Who is he?" Beatriz hissed.
"That's Christopher," I replied.
"Which one? The hottie?"
I glanced at the man who was standing by Christopher.
"That's the Enforcer," I whispered, fully aware that the shifters could hear me if they focused.
"The Enforcer?" she squeaked so loudly that I winced. They wouldn't be able to miss that.
Pol leaned in. "You know the Enforcer?"
Even Quentin looked impressed.
"I know Christopher," I said weakly. I didn't tell them that I'd spoken to the Enforcer too. My face flushed as I remembered my literal run-in with the giant shifter after my fight with Leire.
"Who's Christopher?" asked Quentin.
"He's the reason I'm in the program."
I watched as Christopher and Enforcer continued to talk. My friends turned to me, and Quentin asked, "What do you mean he's the reason you're in the program?"
"When I first applied I was rejected," I confessed. "I came back the next day and saw Christopher being bullied or what looked like it at the time. I stepped in and he took me to Guillen. He told him to enroll me."
Quentin frowned. "That's strange."
"I know, tell me about it. He told Guillen I was his knight."
"What does that mean?" Pol asked.
I shook my head. "I have no idea. All I know is that I was immediately admitted into the program even though they rejected me the previous day. Christopher made it happen."
Beatriz looked thoughtful. "There are only twelve rooms."
"What?" Quentin looked confused.
"Twelve rooms in our wing." She looked at me like I should know what she meant. I stared at her, bewildered.
"There was a thirteenth participant. The guy Guillen kicked out. Leire's friend." Beatriz fidgeted as realization washed over her. "That's w
hy she hates you. She thinks you took her friend's spot."
My shoulders slumped. "I guess so."
"But how would she know it was Vanessa who took it?" Pol asked with a frown.
Beatriz twisted a strand of hair around her finger. "I don't know. But it makes sense, doesn't it?"
He shrugged. "Only if she knew that Vanessa was a last-minute add-on."
We all stared at the teenager standing with the Enforcer. Pol whistled softly.
"What?" we asked him.
"He looks really young."
"Yeah," I agreed.
"So why do you think they listened to him?" Pol's voice dropped to a low whisper.
I shrugged and shook my head. "Don't know. I wondered the same thing. He obviously has some sort of power or standing within the dragon shifter ranks."
"Obviously." Beatriz stared at Christopher as if she would find out the answer that way. "He must be important and be older than he looks."
"How old do you think he is?" Pol narrowed his eyes, studying Christopher.
I shrugged again. "I have no idea."
"Hush, he's coming over." Beatriz elbowed me.
I glanced back toward Christopher and saw that she was right. It was only a moment before he was standing in front of me. "Hi, Vanessa."
"Hi." I gave him another short wave, feeling stupid as soon as I did it.
"Who are your friends?" Christopher smiled at each of them.
"This is Beatriz, Pol, and Quentin." They all said hi. "Guys, this is Christopher."
"How's the class?" Christopher spared a glance for the challenge occurring behind him.
"It's alright," I said. The truth was we were too busy gossiping about him to pay attention to what was going on in the class.
He settled down besides me, surprising me. He leaned back on his elbows, his crossed legs stretched out in front of him. His eyes watched the challenge in the ring. "Are you guys enjoying the training?"