Page 2 of Baneful Magick

‘Just open the blasted thing’, he intoned dryly, making me smile.

I rolled my eyes as I grabbed the envelope from my pocket and turned it over between my fingers. My full name was there on the thick, cream-colored paper, and right above it was the conservatory’s name. Greywood Conservatory for the Arcane.

Greywood was notorious in the supernatural world. Unlike all the other universities that were exclusive, Greywood taught all types of supes. Its students practiced baneful magick. Not much was known about the conservatory, specifics of the institution were shrouded in mystery, but only deadly supes were given a spot.

Part of me wanted to open it and see the contents, but another part of me knew I wanted my moms to be there with me.

“Isla!” Speak of the devil, or one of them.

Glancing up, I saw Mom standing at the back door, waving me inside. Her long dark auburn hair was hanging loose around her pale face, and she was dressed for her night shift at Onyx Security.

Gripping the paper tightly, I hurried out of the garden, taking a few seconds to secure the lock on the gate before running over to her.

“What’s in your hand, little bat?” she asked fondly as she stepped aside so I could wash my hands in the nearby utility sink. No need to accidentally hurt people by transferring poison, an incident that had only happened once. One time was enough. I’d never live it down if it happened again.

“An invitation of enrollment,” I told her, nodding at the paper I had placed on the shelf by my head. “To Greywood.”

“The conservatory?” Mom asked in shock, blinking a few times before calling out for Ma. She somehow seemed to get paler, a feat for a vampire, to be sure, but it was happening before my eyes.

A hint of concern hit me when she didn’t grab the paper to see it for herself. Instead, we stood silently as Ma rushed through the house to join us.

“What’s wrong?! Where’s the fire?” She glanced around, trying to figure out what had made her wife so upset.

“No fire, love,” Mom replied with a half-smile, though worry was still bright in her dark green eyes. “Isla just got an acceptance letter from Greywood.”

Ma didn’t react right away. Instead, she stood there staring at Mom, then me, then the inconspicuous envelope causing this strong reaction. My curiosity was morphing into anxiety thanks to the tense silence building around us.

Ma’s ebony skin was highlighted by the kitchen lights that filtered through the open doorway. My brothers and sisters ran around, yelling wildly, untouched by the bubble of silence surrounding my mothers and me.

Ma finally spoke first. “How did you get the envelope?”

I slowly dried my hands off, my gaze bouncing back and forth from Mom to Ma. It seemed important to gauge their reactions as I spoke. “A man came into the garden and gave it to me. I think he was fae of some kind, but I’m not sure what kind. No idea who he was; I’d never seen him before in my life. He handed this over.”

‘No doubt if you did, you would have remembered him,’Cassius chimed in.

‘Shut up. I can’t concentrate on my moms with your commentary.’

“What did he look like?” Mom asked sharply, taking a deep breath when Ma shot her a hard glare. I bit my lip, unsurewhy she was acting this way. It wasn’t likeI’dapproachedhim.. “Sorry. I just… I need some air.”

Mom turned around and yanked open the door to the garden. It slammed against the wall. A nearby picture fell to the floor as the door shut behind her, and I flinched at the sound of the shattering glass.

Ma sighed, then, clicking her tongue, she reached out, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “Come along, Isla. She’ll be okay. Mom just has… history with Greywood.”

“History?” I asked, gingerly taking the envelope and letting Ma steer me inside.

She shooed my brothers and sisters out of the kitchen with the promise of a pizza-and-movie night if they behaved. The resulting screams of excitement were deafening, but luckily, they rushed out of the kitchen, leaving us alone.

My moms were saints to put up with us, and I had no idea how they managed. Both worked long hours and had demanding jobs, but they had fostered and later adopted seven children.

None of us were blood related. Our moms had taken in orphans, determined to give us the family unit we needed. Most of us were different supes, and to say that required a balancing act was the understatement of the century. With a fae, witch, two wolves, and the baby siren who had just been adopted a few months ago, my moms had their hands full. I was the second oldest in our home since my brother Demir had already moved out and had a full-time job.

Ma turned around, pushing a stray curl out of her face. Her expression was expectant, and I knew she was patiently waiting for me to start asking questions about Mom’s strong reaction.Thank goodness because I want answers.

“History?” I repeated, sitting down at the table. Ma moved about the kitchen, getting glasses and making tea. She neverused magic to make the tea, said it ruined the calming experience it gave her and messed with the flavor.

She hummed, looking back at me with calm in her dark brown eyes. “A story best left to her, bats. Go ahead and open it.”

My childhood obsession with bats had earned me that nickname from them both, something I huffed about but secretly loved. Continuing with our routine, I delivered the exaggerated moan and eye roll as I opened the envelope to read the letter inside.

---