Page 19 of Spelling Disaster

This place is larger than anything Remi has told me about human high schools. Having never been to one of them or to a college myself, I can’t say for sure, but I’m going to need a map.

Officer Anthony chuckles at whatever expression he sees when he glances at me.

“It’s all a little new for you, isn’t it?” he asks, not unkindly.

I gulp, nod again, and say, “I’ve never been out of my small town.”

“We get a lot of that here.”

The student body is more diverse than I would have imagined for all of us being witches. The others are lost in their own little worlds, groups of two, three, four people walking the paths and laughing among themselves. All dressed the same.

Only a handful of them bother to look at me and my escort.

Officer Anthony calls my name and I have to peel my attention away from the campus. Several of the buildings are more than one story as well. How many students attend the academy? Hopefully someone will be able to answer these things for me once I’m registered.

“It’s right over here,” he assures me. “Not much further now, Miss Williams.”

He heads toward one of the low-level buildings at the end of the great lawn, with massive cathedral windows and a door that looks like it weighs about two thousand pounds. The handles on each of the doors are solid gold with curling ivy designs on the hammered edges.

“If you have any questions at all, feel free to reach out to me or one of my guys,” Officer Anthony says. He drops me off at those doors with a salute, handing me the suitcase handle. “We’re pretty friendly here. Welcome home.”

Home.

I’m holding my breath again. Something I don’t realize until the black dots are back in front of my eyes.

I’m not sure I’ll ever be home again but this is where I am for the moment, and Mom wants me to work hard. To study harder. I’ll make her proud and hopefully somewhere along the line, the coven will decide I’m really not to blame for the library.

A girl can hope.

Inside, I stop in front of the glass partition keeping the lobby separated from the offices to the left.

I knock against the glass to get the attention of the clerk and smile. She frowns at me, forcing me to reassess the smile. “Hello. I’m Yasmine Williams. I’m supposed to get registered today?”

“Yasmine, Yasmine…” the front desk clerk looks like a quintessential grandma figure with a white bun and dark horn-rimmed glasses over lined eyes. “Yes, you’re right on time. Your High Priest, Elijah, confirmed your status with us. We’re happy to have you. Here you go.”

She grabs a folder from the desk and holds it out to me. “You’ve got your housing assignment there. Of course, your list of courses are all laid out as well,” she continues. “I’m sure you’re eager to get started and catch up with your peers, but according to what we’ve heard, you’ll have no problems. Your High Priest described you as bright and inquisitive.”

Too fast.

It’s all happening too fast.

“You arrived late for the semester’s beginning but we’re hopeful you’ll have every opportunity to adjust,” she says and smiles, but it doesn’t look genuine.

I do my best to return it for real this time and fail miserably. Her eyes radiate a sort of soft sympathy and I wonder if she’s been made aware of my entire situation, not just the things Eli said to make her more inclined to accept me.

If she has any idea what the coven says I’ve done, will she take her smile back?

“Thank you,” I reply. “I appreciate your help.”

“You’ll find everything you need in the packet, okay sweetie?” she continues. “And if you have any other questions then please don’t hesitate to let me know. There is always someone behind the desk.” She reaches out of the small opening in the glass front and points to the door. “You see the building with the copper weathervane? It’s down the winding path a ways but the weathervane stands out. That’s where you’ll find your resident adviser, on the second floor in room 206. She’ll get you checked into your dorm with the others.”

Checked in.

Everything is in the packet.

My thoughts spiral and the rest of me is weighed down and ready to sink into the floor.

I thank her again, clutching the packet to my chest.

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