Page 16 of Forbidden Magic
Miss Eillis beams at the praise and motions to the big area we’re in. “This section is for the students.” She points to the patch of bushes, trees and vegetables surrounded by a gold thread. “This one, however, is off-limits. These plants have been nurtured for decades to become the purest and most potent ingredients in the three realms. You need a permit to access them, and the High-Council is very strict on who gets to use them. Don’t poach, or you’ll be expelled faster than a gnome can flip you off.”
Lydia and I nod in understanding, and her eyes wander to the closest tree where red, plump, triangular fruits shine in the sunlight. “What are those?”
“That one is a bloody thorn bush, named after its thorn-shaped fruits.”
I graze the crimson flesh, my mouth watering at the sweet nectar scent lingering in the air.
“They look delicious, but they’re actually wretched. They’re used in antidotes and emetics.” She points to a taller tree bursting with small berries. “These are edible. They’re poppy currant buns. They’ll help you relax before a stressful exam, but eat too much, and you’ll sleep the day away.”
Miss Eillis points out a few other plants, explaining their uses and properties.
Lydia is fascinated. I struggle to keep up.
After digging out the last of the gnomes, we gather in the kitchen and prepare some tea. Miss Eillis even gets a cake from the fridge. “Now, I’m not supposed to feed the students, but you deserve a treat for helping me.
She serves us each a piece.
“Summer Hall is always in bloom, then?” I ask, sipping on the cup of chamomile goodness.
“We do have seasonal changes, otherwise we wouldn’t get a harvest, but it’s a mild fall and a short, milder winter. That’s why they plan to send more and more mortals here.” She averts her gaze.
I grit my teeth together. “Because they think we’re weak?”
With a sheepish grin, she says, “Blane and Bailey would hibernate if they slept anywhere else on campus, so it’s not strictly against you girls.”
We chat for a bit, going over the basics of the Academy, both faculty and students, and I get the sense that Miss Eillis is a bit of an outsider herself. Maybe they didn’t stick us here because of the warm weather. Maybe it’s because the other supervisors gave the undesirables to her.
She combs her hair and braids it as we chat. Once again, the strands undulate to a non-existent breeze. I still don’t know what she is, but it’s rude to ask.
She rises to her feet. “I’ll leave you girls to it. Why don’t you show Jules your beautiful tarot deck, Lydia?”
I raise my cup in the air. “Thanks, Miss Eillis. I had a great time.”
When I’m sure she’s out of earshot, I lean toward my roommate. “What is she?”
“No idea. She’s powerful, though. I can feel her energy.”
I make a mental list of every supernatural creature working at the Academy, but Miss Eillis doesn’t fit into any category.
Lydia pries a wooden box from her bag and slides open the top. She shuffles the cards expertly. “Are you up for a reading? I could use the practice.”
Witches know better than to laugh at a tarot deck, especially when a seer offers you a reading.
Ignorance is bliss, as they say, but I can’t help but nod.
Lydia fans her deck across the table, the gesture easy and without thought. She retrieves a card and lays it straight in front of her.
A gorgeous woman with her arms stretched out is standing at the edge of a precipice. A white toga is draped around her curves, and doves spin a red thread around her chest as she gazes into the unknown.
I lean closer. “The Fool.”
Lydia smiles. “Yes.”
“Wow, I’ve never seen this deck before.”
“It was my grandmother’s. She painted all the images herself,” Lydia says proudly. “A symbol for new beginnings and adventures, pleasure, passion, thoughtless and rash.”
Shivers lance up my back, and I wiggle my shoulders, my mouth dry.
