“Exactly, very good.” He eyed me a few seconds longer before moving on, and I sighed in relief. “Now, the First Communion was not just any group of witches, mind you—they were the first group of witches. Before then, despite what your mortal history might tell you, magic had been reserved entirely for men—for warlocks. The warlocks at the time had refused an alliance with the Hollow Well, saying they did not wish to get involved with their war. A group of women, the First Communion, had been secretly practicing magic and went to the Hollow Well offering aid.” He turned back to Amelie. “And, Miss Amelie, what did the magic world learn about sorcery from these battles?”
I noted a few of the guys—obviously warlocks—slumped down in their desks.
Amelie beamed. “Women are nearly ten times more capable at controlling magic than men.”
Professor Fredwin nodded. “Yes, sorry, fellas, but it’s a right of biology. Witches were able to cast larger, greater, more powerful spells that the Shadowguard Dragons simply did not see coming.”
“Why?” I asked without thinking, but Professor Fredwin smiled encouragingly.
“It is believed, women have a better understanding of their emotions, subconsciously, and power comes from emotions. You’ll learn more about it in your spellcasting class, but that’s the easy version.”
I jotted a brief note down about it, and he moved on.
“Once the Shadowguards were defeated, what group was formed? Jared?”
“The Council,” Jared said proudly. “Which is still in existence.”
I raised my hand this time as I asked, “What is the Council?”
Alana piped up. “Wow, you don’t even know what the Council is?”
“Miss Shannen,” Professor Fredwin scolded, and she clamped her mouth shut. “You know the deal, all questions are welcome here. Now, how about you be polite and answer Everest’s question.”
She turned to me and smiled, but her eyes promised she’d get me back later, somehow. “It’s our government. It’s made up of both witches and dragons, and they rule over the mystical world. After the war, they decided the best way to keep peace and to keep mortals safe was to keep them in the dark about the mystical world. Performing magic in front of mortals became illegal. As did shapeshifting. And, they started the Hunters of Shadowguards.”
“Hunters of Shadowguards?” I questioned.
“Think of it as a police force,” Jared said. “They still exist today as well. In fact, that’s what I want to do when I graduate. They enforce the laws of The Council, and most importantly, they work to exterminate the remaining Shadowguard Dragons who have been in hiding since the war.”
Professor Fredwin looked at me, and I could tell he knew I had a question. “Yes, Everest?”
I remembered Jared’s warning about being careful what I said, but exterminating an entire clan after all these years sounded harsh and hypocritical. The Shadowguard tried to wipe out the other clan and slaughtered innocents to do it, and now the Hollow Well and others were doing the exact same to them? What happened to being better than your enemy?
“Why are you still hunting Shadowguard Dragons?” I asked.
“Have you not been paying attention?” Alana asked, and Professor Fredwin shot another warning look her way.
“War crimes,” one of the warlocks said. “The Shadowguard Dragons slaughtered people at rapid rates during the war. They tortured prisoners. They used mortals as shields. That’s why they’re hunted.”
“But what does that have to do with Shadowguard Dragons now? They weren’t there for the war, right?” I interrupted.
“Well, no,” Alana said from the back of the room. “But, they are still from the enemy clan.”
“But, have they done anything to deserve extermination since the war that was what, over seven hundred years ago? I know their ancestors did, but what does that have to do with them?” For thinking they were so much different than mortals, they sure acted the same and let history repeat itself without realizing it.
The classroom fell silent.
Professor Fredwin smiled in my direction. “That is an excellent question, Everest. I suppose you can write it off as politics,” he explained, but he seemed almost sad at his own words.
“That’s awful,” I said, and saw Jared slumping down in his seat from the corner of my eye. I had probably insulted him, but I could not get past this one. “What do you people do when you catch a Shadowguard Dragon?”
None of the students spoke, but Professor Fredwin did. “The Council has them executed.”
“For what?” I asked horrified. “For existing? For looking different?”
“The Shadowguards still commit crimes today, Everest,” Jared said softly, looking down.
Professor Fredwin held up his hand to stop me from saying anything else, and I shut my mouth reluctantly. “Okay, I think we need to move past politics. Let’s discuss the First Communion a bit more. That is a very interesting topic.”
I glanced at Jared again, wanting to apologize; I there was no way I was going to let this go forever. For the moment I would, but later, I’d get more answers. Since we were back to discussing the First Communion, I wondered at the necklace Edgar had given me, knowing it had to be important and was suddenly worried about what priceless artifact I wore around my neck.
I raised my hand, and I heard someone in the back of the room moan. Whatever, I didn’t care at this point.
“Yes, Everest?” Professor Fredwin asked, and I had to admit, he looked as if he enjoyed having me in class, stirring up things.
“What was the importance of jewelry to the First Communion?” I asked.
Professor Fredwin looked at me like it was a rather peculiar question. “How do you mean?”
I hesitated, but pulled out my necklace that had been tucked into my shirt all morning. Some of the kids shifted around, trying to see what I held, and I decided I might as well take it off, so they could see it better and all get a good laugh when it turned out to be nothing.
“Well, when my uncle told me about the First Communion, he gave me this.” I held the necklace in question up for Professor Fredwin to see.
His red eyes widened, and I heard a few gasps from the back of the room.
“What?” I questioned.
“Everest, where did you get that?” he asked me, slowly walking closer as the others in the room leaned in closer, a few getting out of their seats to see it.
“My uncle,” I replied, uncertain. “Why?”
“Who is your uncle?” Amelie asked, staring at me like this was the first time she was seeing me.
“Edgar Somerset. What’s going on? I thought it was just an antique.”
“Wait, are you Mahlia Somerset’s daughter?” Alana piped up from the back room, and a look of annoyance and awe passed over her face.
I glanced back to tell her to mind her own damned business, but I saw that half the class had gotten out of their seats now, and were staring at me more than the necklace, and it jolted me a bit.
“What’s it to you?” I pulled my necklace in closer. “How do you know my mom’s name? And why does it matter who she was? What does this necklace even mean?”
“Everest,” Amelie said, “your mom is a direct Descendant of the First Communion. That’s her necklace you’re wearing. You’re a First Communion Descendant.”
I swallowed a few times as I stared at the necklace, flashes of my dreams coming back to me now and starting to make sense.
“Oh,” I managed to whisper, “is that all?”
I went from being the mortal-raised freak to a Descendant.
This day was just getting better and better.
And it wasn’t even lunch yet.
Chapter Three
Everest
Jared snagged me away from a bothersome crowd during lunch, and I made sure to thank him profusely, leaving behind a curious crowd of onlookers. Suddenly, I wasn’t just the weird mortal-raised girl in the school; I was this Descendant, whatever the h
ell that was even supposed to mean.
Everyone in the school was talking about me, and wanting to be my best buddy. It was annoying—especially with the way Alana was attempting to make nice, like she hadn’t looked down her nose at me only a few moments before. I certainly didn’t care for it. We walked down a hallway together, but I could tell by the intent look on his face, he was taking me somewhere special, not just an escape.
“Where are we going?” I finally asked when we circled back through the main lobby and turned down another corridor I couldn’t remember what it held.
“Look,” he said, pointing and finally pulled me to a gentle stop. “I’m surprised you didn’t catch it when I gave you a tour.”
I wasn’t sure what he was talking about until I finally turned my gaze to see several portraits behind the glass and one of them was of my mom.
She was younger, and she looked happy with that sly smile on her face. I stepped closer, basically pressing my nose to the glass as I studied that carefree face I’d forgotten what it looked like. There were several other portraits next to hers, all women.
“What is this?” I asked quietly, holding my palm to the glass as if somehow that would get me closer to the mom I never got to know.
“It’s a big deal when a Descendant attends the school,” Jared said. “Your mom was the last one, so she’s kind of famous around here.” He lowered his head a bit. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?” I questioned, not sure if he meant about everyone knowing who I am now, or not realizing this was my mom.
“About your mom,” he said. “There’s been rumors and after what happened… parents talk is all, and I’m sure it wasn’t easy, dealing with all of that while you were growing up.”
I nodded slowly, but then stopped. “What rumors?”
Something about the weird look in his eyes told me this was not sympathy about my mom being a raging alcoholic.
He shifted on his feet and seemed extremely uncomfortable all of a sudden. I’d been trying to figure out a way to apologize for upsetting him during our last class, clearing stepping right into a situation I knew nothing about, but now as he continued to look anywhere but me, I didn’t care about him being upset. I wanted to know what he thought he knew about my life.
“Jared, just tell me, please? I think I’ve dealt with enough blindsided hits today.”
“About her going off the deep end after… after what she went through,” he murmured.
I ground my teeth as my frustration grew. What had Mom gone through? Nothing he was saying made sense, but I was suddenly embarrassed to admit I didn’t know anything about her. Nothing. I didn’t ask anything else, just continued to look at her portrait.
“Look, I know it might be a bit rougher now for you, since everyone knows about your mom,” Jared pushed on, sounding worried, “but I hope you know you’ve at least got friends here who liked you before we knew who you really were.”
I smiled as I backed away from the glass case. “Thanks, that means a lot actually.”
“And if you ever want to talk about her, I wouldn’t mind listening.”
I tried to smile and failed. “That’s, uh, that’s alright,” I snapped, and sucked in a breath. “Sorry, it’s a touchy subject.”
“No, I get it,” he assured me with a smile.
We stood there in the corridor for another few minutes, and despite the annoyance growing at Edgar for being a terrible uncle and not preparing me for this crap, and learning that Mom was some hot shot Descendant, I was comfortable around Jared. He was easy to get along with and talk to. Not that I was in any way looking for a relationship, but it was nice to know I had at least one friend. Well, hopefully two. Amelie had been helpful so far, and fun.
As long as she didn’t start pestering me about Mom, we’d be great.
After another few moments, I turned to him and puffed out my cheeks.
He smiled as his brow furrowed, making him even more handsome than he already was.
Friend or no friend, I sensed Jared was going to be trouble at some point.
“What?” he asked with a light laugh.
“I guess I owe you an apology, too.”
His frown deepened. “For what?” he asked slowly. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
I cringed as I asked, “Did I embarrass you talking about the Hunters of Shadowguards?”
It was his turn to puff out his cheeks, and he shrugged as he paced away a few steps, then back again. “They’re good people. It’s considered to be an honorable career, but for someone who doesn’t understand the history and what’s been happening for the past few hundred years, I can see how it might seem a bit… archaic.”
I tilted my head back and forth. “Archaic or brutal, but yeah, this is all just odd to me still I guess. There’s a whole history to this world that I didn’t even know existed. That’s crazy.”
“Really, Everest, it’s not a big deal,” he sighed. “I’ll admit I might’ve been a bit more defensive than was necessary.”
“Still, I should be more cautious about what I say,” I told him. “I don’t know what this world is about, you know? I don’t know what Shadowguard Dragons are like. It’s not like I ever met one, so I shouldn’t judge them, or how they’re dealt with.”
Though if I wanted to be really honest, I didn’t think there was anything they could do that would make me think their descendants should still be hunted down like rabid animals to this day, simply for the crimes of their ancestors.
“Pray that you don’t, they’re not good dragons. They have never been,” he muttered, and his tone turned bitter. It didn’t take much to know he had a strong connection to these dragons, a more recent one. “They’re murderers and thieves. I hope you don’t think less of me because I want to be a Hunter, but they’re like the underbelly of the dragon world. Nothing they do is good.”
“I don’t,” I promised him. “I just need to brush up on my history, I guess.”
“You’ll get there, don’t worry.”
We started to walk away, and I glanced once more at my mom’s face.
“I suppose I should warn you that there’s another picture of your mom in the library. But, you’ll see that later when you take your Lessons for Mortal-Raised since it meets there.”
I fumbled in my bag for my schedule to see who taught that, and grinned. “I see I have Professor Fredwin for that again. He’s a good teacher, so I guess having him twice a day is not the worst thing.”
“Yeah, he’s probably one of the best professors here,” Jared agreed. “There’s a few others that aren’t terrible.”
We chatted for a bit more as he walked me to my next lesson.
By the end of the day, everyone knew I was Mahlia Somerset’s daughter, and for once people were acting like this was not a bad thing, though I wasn’t sure what I liked less; looks of annoyance at a mortal-raised being here, or the looks of sympathy for whatever it was Mom had gone through.
My last class of the day, Lessons for Mortal-Raised, met in a beautiful library that I only ever dreamed of seeing.
The ceiling was domed in the center with skylights filling the space with bright, natural light. Tall shelves upon shelves stretched back as far as I could see in every direction, wooden beams along the walls and the ceiling gave it an older feel, as well as the tapestries hanging between more arched windows.
A second-floor balcony with even more books ran the entire perimeter of the room. That in itself would’ve been enough to make me take pause.
Add to that the little Emerald Petite Dragons fluttering around, pulling books off high shelves for people, and I was reminded quite quickly of where I actually was and how magical this part of my life had become.
I wasn’t sure where to go, so I took a moment to explore. As Jared had warned me, I saw a painting of my mother, but this one was much larger and displayed on a wall with several other students honored in this way—all First Communion Descendants as designated by the gold lettering on th
e wall above them all.
I wondered if I would get a painting strung up in the library one day, and wasn’t sure I liked having my face immortalized like that. I was still working on figuring out what this all meant for me, for being… me.
A little nagging voice started in the back of my mind that this new part of me was going to overshadow who I already was, and the old Everest Somerset would disappear. Poof, just like magic.
“Ah. Miss Somerset,” Professor Fredwin’s voice came from behind, and I spun around to greet him. He joined me at the wall, staring up at the portraits. “I see you’ve found your mother.”
“Yes, here and in the other corridor. Jared showed me.”
“She is a very important person.”
I shrugged. “I think you mean was. Apparently, everyone knows that she’s not exactly… herself these days,” I said, unsure what else to call it.
I wanted to outright ask what he knew about her, too, but then he turned and motioned to another part of the library.
“Shall we get the lesson started then?”
I nodded, and with one final glance at my mother’s more stoic, smiling face here, I followed him through some more rows of shelves and found a few small tables set along a windowed wall, the stained glass beautiful and intricate, showing what I assumed to be scenes from their history. My history.
There were a few other students scattered around, talking quietly while they looked over books and notes.
It didn’t take long before I realized I was the one and only student in this class, since no other students came over to join us, and Professor Fredwin was already sitting down, motioning for me to do the same. No wonder it met in the library.
“So, I guess you guys really don’t get a lot of mortal-raised students, huh? How did you wind up getting the short end of the stick having to teach this class?”
Professor Fredwin laughed as he leaned forward and said in a hushed tone, “I volunteered.”
I could not help but whisper back. “Why?”
“Because I too was mortal-raised.” His voice was in the lowest of whispers.
I sat back, no longer whispering quite as intently but being quiet since we were in a library. “The plot thickens.”
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