Page 85 of Self Studies

I laughed uncomfortably, and Derek beamed up at me with something like awe on his face. Before I could say anything awkward, the teacher pulled the class's attention back to the front, and we took our seats again.

By lunch, a strange combination of happiness and uneasiness made my footsteps uneven. My stomach rumbled, but I wasn’t ready to face the cafeteria.

I found myself walking toward the library.

“Skipping lunch today?” Alice asked.

I nodded, double-checking I’d grabbed all the books for my second class of the day with Magus Terra, not excited to hold buckets again. The too-kind librarian slipped a bag of carrot sticks into my pocket. I thanked her with a head bob, and found my favorite spot to dig into the reading.

It was way more than I could do during lunch. Once again, butterflies began to beat their wings. My next class was with my peers who could use magic. Panic from my memory of the fear multiplier made my heart beat frantically.

There was only one thing I had control over. Where I sat. I gathered my things, checked out my books, and raced to Illusions and Puzzles super early. The room was empty, and I claimed a seat in the back left corner where I could see everyone and only had a single desk on my right.

I kept my nose buried in a book while students filled in. They grumbled and shuffled around as my new seat displaced people's habits to sit in the same seats. In the end, the skinny mage who stuck a fear multiplier in me got stuck with a desk in the center of the room.

He turned and gave me a slimy smile, wiggling his fingers at me. The man at the desk next to him grabbed his hand.

“Alrick, think about this,” the man said lowly.

The name tugged at my memory, but having a name for my tormentor didn’t change anything. Alrick shook his fellow student’s grip off and gave me a final look before turning to the front. Moments later, my chair began to heat anyway.

“Aphrodite!” Magus Terra boomed the moment the guttural bell blasted twice.

With less enthusiasm this time, I stood up. “Recite the ten aspects of a creative person.”

I blinked. “Ah.”

Across the room, Mercedes snorted, and her shoulder began shaking with laughter. “Right, like that’s going to happen.”

“I see you’ve not done the reading for this class either,” Magus Terra boomed, drowning out Mercedes’ comment. “Empty buckets in the hall, now.” He pointed at my bookbag. “Bring your things.”

I clenched my fists, popping up from my too-hot chair. The students around me snickered.

As I passed Magus Terra, he took my bookbag and placed it behind his desk.

He turned to the class, his face turning red and scowling. “Not one of you lasted more than ten minutes on your Aptitudes,” he said accusingly.

I picked up the buckets.

“Today’s going to focus on solving mazes under pressure,” he continued in a calmer tone. A list of names appeared behind him. “Partner up. One of you will create a maze and hold it in your mind, while the other finds the exit without touching its edges. Control. We must have control.”

The door closed behind me, and my churning stomach calmed. Magus Terra forced me out of class, saving me from dealing with my tormentor. It also kept my peers from knowing I had no barriers. I couldn’t have participated even if I wanted to, even without my new clasps.

His actions protected me. Although the buckets still weighed on my arms, maybe Professor Garnet’s constant insistence on trusting the program was something I could do.

* * *

The foul fumes bubbling out of my cauldron filled the air around my table in the alchemy lab. I waved my hand in front of my nose, trying to dissipate the combination of rotting veg and menthol. It didn’t help.

I glanced longingly at Saffron who’s very unsmelly runes were currently being critiqued by Alchemist Blickenstaff.

“She has you making potions during runes class?” Tanwyn asked.

I turned as the heavily tattooed Natural Mage smoothly slid up to my table. A few runes I’d not noticed before kissed his temples and disappeared into his immaculate dark brown hair. Nurse Norah dropping his name to intimidate my advisor sprang into my memory, but this didn’t feel like the right time to bring that up.

“These take a while,” I said, gesturing to the potion. “My guess, I’ll be working on the same runes you are soon.”

Tanwyn smiled. “You already know a lot about potions. These are for mental fortification?”

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