Page 24 of Blood Witch

My magic buzzed and hummed, and I huddled down, hoping like hell the black clothing I wore was enough to mute the runes I knew were glowing on my skin. I could feel them burning across my wrists and on my neck and chest. It did not hurt, but it was there.

Even scarier, I felt my power move around the room, prodding the magical stores of the students, checking for weaknesses. I could see their inherited or gained magical reserves plainly. It was like in a video game. That was how I saw their magic cache displayed. Like the health stat of a player sitting at the top of the screen. If I focused, I saw little pill-shaped vials floating in the ether next to each of my classmates.

“Mabe, just breathe,” Enid said, reaching between us and taking my hand.

I gasped. Overwhelmed as a rush of energy flowed into me. Enid’s shocked gaze met mine, and I knew without meaning to she was feeding me from her own magical stores.

“Stop. No, Please stop,” I murmured, hating myself and pulling my hand away just before she collapsed.

Others were staring now, and I heard them whisper and saw them pointing. I stood up, while a witch I didn’t know kneeled down by Enid and offered my roommate a bottle of water.

“What’s going on back there?” Stolbright called out.

“Looks like Mabe Marlow and that other witch in the back were having some kind of magic off! That’s cheating, right Miss Stolbright?”

I heard some wizard tattling, even if it was wrong. I turned to see who it was and cringed. Fuck, it was Dram. That motherfucker just had it out for me.

“I’m okay, really. Mabe was trying to help me. I, um, I passed out. Skipped lunch today,” Enid mumbled, standing up and coming to my defense.

Before I could run out of there, the headmistress and Miss Stolbright were both flanking us. Enid was mumbling through some half-assed excuse how she’d grown lightheaded from not eating and that I tried helping her, but static electricity gave her a shock and she fainted. I stood there, nodding like an idiot.

What else could I do?

“This is ridiculous. I want both your tablets now. If either of you is cheating, you will be expelled—” Miss Stolbright snapped.

“Actually, Leanna, I handle all expulsions. Now, I believe these two young witches when they say Enid here was not feeling well. Mabe, I want you to take Enid down to the infirmary. The two of you may complete your exams in my office after she gets checked out.”

“But I am in charge of all undeclared—” Stolbright started, but clearly Headmistress Armstrong had enough of her.

“Leanna, if you read your new contract, I think you will find the Council has employed you as the Director of Undeclared Witches and Wizards, and your job description is such that you are to act in an advisory capacity to help these men and women find where they belong in such a way as to benefit our society. No more. No less.”

“Yes, but, I think we both agree if a student is caught cheating, they should be expelled,” Stolbright growled.

“We weren’t cheating,” Enid began.

Stolbright moved forward aggressively, and I moved between her and Enid. I still had those sunglasses on, but I wondered if they were enough to quell the rising fury inside of me. Everything I looked at was red, but I didn’t care about being found out just then.

I was too angry at this witch and her condescension to think about myself. Enid wrapped her hand around my elbow and pulled me back, but I wasn’t going anywhere. Before either I or Stolbright could say a word, the headmistress raised her hand, silencing all.

“Ladies, that is quite enough,” she said evenly. “Iam still head of the Council, Leanna. And I alone run Westwood Academy despite your best efforts. Now, you two go on, off to the infirmary, then to my office.”

Enid pulled me once more, and this time I went without hesitation. She’d been messaging Arlo, and he was ready with a blood bag for me and some aspirin for Enid when we got there. Guilt and remorse at having attacked my friend’s cache of magic filled me, but what was done was done.

“Sorry about that,” I mumbled, not as hungry as I was since I accidentally fed on her magic.

“You didn’t do it on purpose. And I’m fine now,” she replied, forgiving me though I didn’t deserve it.

When I closed my eyes, I still saw purple and pink and white sparkles filling me with light and energy and I could still taste cotton candy and bubblegum on my lips. That happened sometimes when I sorta stole from someone. With Jade, it was all earthy spices like cinnamon and heart fruit, like apples and pears.

Enid was different. She had no affiliation with any covens, having only just discovered her magical aptitude. Still, she had such a bubbly personality. It was hardly a surprise to me that her magic was unicorn flavored. I smiled, making a mental note to tell her that after my euphoric state passed. Belly full, thirst sated, I needed a moment or two to allow myself to catch up with the feeling of not being ravenous.

Fuck.

Sometimes I felt like a newborn. Not cute and fresh. What I meant was I felt like a hungry newborn. The ones who were too young to know reason and logic. Too inexperienced to pace themselves.

Have you ever seen a hungry baby?

They wailed and beat their little fists and cried themselves sick. Scary stuff, for sure. But when they ate, oh, that was even scarier. That tiny little mouth latching on to a nipple, sucking and sucking until they ate themselves into a food coma. Then they smiled, passed gas, and slept. Little things just passed right on out from eating.

---