Page 51 of Monster's Baby

“Ew!”

The child’s protests faded as the door closed behind them, leaving me alone in the room.

I went back into the bedroom and tried the spell to find my ring again, with the same results.

“Unless I accidentally swallowed it, this isn’t working,” I grumbled, grabbing my school things for the day.I reached for my grimoire before I remembered that it too was missing.“Fuck.”

I felt so bereft without my grimoire.It had all my spells and notes.I’d have to write my lessons on regular paper and then transfer them once I found it.

* * *

I metup with my friends in the mess, and told them about my missing things.

Clarissa looked worried.“Do you think there’s a thief in Blackthorn?”she asked.

“That’s what Grandfather says,” I told her.“I think we should start by letting the headmistress know, and she can make a list of who stayed behind from the opening ceremonies.We were some of the first people who arrived back, so anyone who was present after I left is a suspect.”

“What a mess,” Una said, shaking her head.

“Grandfather is going to come up with a plan,” I told them.“We’ll see him at tonight’s event.”

“I hope it works,” Bruce muttered, squeezing Clarissa’s hand.

“Me too.”

Professor Dunlop handed out papers when we entered the classroom after breakfast.“You are each going to try building a reversal spell today, and then under my supervision, you will perform it.”

I raised my eyebrows.We didn’t usually test our spells out on a human being.

The professor grimaced at me.“If you don’t think I’m capable of protecting your professor from a spell gone awry, you don’t know me very well.”

Tense sporadic laughter filtered through the room.

“Each of you has a paper with the beginning blocks of what might potentially be the curse.Get to work!”he barked.

He led the tiny professor to the blackboard and gave him some chalk.“See if you can remember anything from your time as a teacher,” he encouraged.

I looked away from the small professor scribbling on the chalkboard.It was obvious his mental acuity had not returned yet.I sighed, concerned for him, and focused on my paper.

The curse components I had were fairly basic.I figured the professors had given us a variety of combinations.The more tests, the better.

I settled into figuring out the counter-curse for my set problem.It was tedious, and I understood even more why we had been given the task.Having a class deal with this would be much faster than the professors doing each one by hand.

I double checked my math before raising my hand and calling Professor Dunlop over.“I think I’ve got mine solved,” I told him.

He raised his eyebrows.“Youthink?”

I swallowed hard.“Yes, sir.”

He held out his hand for my paper, and I handed it over.I had explained my reasoning for each component as well as the quantities.

“Very well.You may proceed to the store cupboard to retrieve your components.”

I sighed, relieved.

Most spells were fairly simple, and didn’t need components, but counter-curses and some of the more complex spells especially, required extra boosts or power from external sources.

I gathered the salt, nettle, and lavender, but frowned, stymied, when I couldn’t find the silver.

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