Page 36 of The Holy Academy of Witches

“You just called me Sage.”

“Yes, it’s your name.”

“But you never call me it….”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Right…” I walked to the piano bench, “if we’re done with the book for now it’s time to begin your lesson.” I patted the seat beside me.

Sage just stared at me, still in shock, clutching the directory.

“Come on Saffron, we haven’t got all night.”

Sage

Tiptoeing into the dorm, I held my breath as I reached for my doorknob when a slight cough made me whirl around. Amelia was walking towards me, dressed warmly, two thermus’ in hand.

“Come on Williams, we’re going for a walk. Here, take this.” I took the thermus, my mouth watering from the intoxicating scent of whatever was inside.

Amelia took the path toward the greenhouses, her pace steady, and strong. As I caught up, she began talking.

“I know you’ve had some kind of spat with Melody. She won’t tell me what it’s about, which is odd. But whatever it is, I haven’t seen her this angry in years.” Amelia met my eyes, a question in her own.

“I’m sorry she’s upset.” I said carefully, encouraging my mental thorns to grow thicker, preparing for an attack.

Amelia sighed, opening a side door to a much smaller greenhouse before gesturing me inside as she turned on the hanging lights.

It was a riot of colour, one wall dedicated to wildflowers, the second to various fruits, a third held equipment, and the last filled with all sorts of herbs: Mint, balm, henbane, hemlock, and my namesake, Sage.

Amelia had shed her coat and donned a mud-stained apron.

“This is my greenhouse, I’ve been growing these plants since my first year. They are all precious to me.” She began pulling weeds, gesturing for me to sit near the flowers.

“They’re beautiful,” I said as I gently lowered myself.

“Melody picked one of the smaller blooms. I had thought them silly, decorative flowers but she taught me which ones were edible and the medicinal properties of each,” Amelia gestured to the rest of the plants, “Everything here has a purpose,” Her eyes met mine, “Including us.” My eyes teared up at that.

“I know you don’t necessarily trust me Sage, but well… something tells me that I should trust you. So, I’ll give you a truth for a truth. I won’t even count the ones I’ve already told you. What do you say?”

“Depends on the truth.” I hedged. This was already getting ahead of me, I wasn’t as used to juggling truths, only hoarding them. Here though, they were the currency of choice. Self destructing paper aeroplanes delivering times and terms were as common as the grey flagstones that blurred beneath our feet.

“Very well, of equal measure. I promise the truth I’m about to tell is something that may very well wreck me, should it get out.” Her eyes were grave.

“Why would you offer that?” I asked.

“Would you prefer that truth? Surely you know better, they say you’re a very quick study.” She smiled softly when I kept silent, “very well I’ll tell you both, in exchange of knowing what the quarrel is about. None of which will leave this room… agreed?”

She’d been kind, and having an ally in the dorm would help me keep my sanity… And I already knew she could keep a secret.

Amelia nodded at my silent acceptance, taking a breath before pulling up her sleeves and gesturing at a tattoo of a hanging skeleton.

“This is the emblem of the gang my father leads. He raised me well, with love and a thirst for the open road. My mother died several years ago, but before she died… she sealed my magic.”

I looked up in surprise. It was a last resort. Painful to undo, crippling if left for too long. My parents had apparently considered it when my visions first began to emerge and the truth of my gift had revealed itself to them. But they had decided against the seal because of the risks. Instead they’d lied, cloaking us by dampening our magic, travelling around anytime we slipped, and forcing meditation and other basic magical maintenance as a quirky family tradition.

“She never told my mortal father that she was a witch and in her last moments she realised that if she was gone, no one would know how to help me grow into my magic, so she sealed it. I was sixteen when I found out I was a witch. Melody found me. She helped me through the unsealing, kept me alive and sane… and… well, I owe her everything. After all these years, she’s never acted so irrationally, so filled with anger. I owe it to her to try and help with this.” I felt myself nodding. “That’s all common knowledge though, that’s just thewhyI said I would tell you. You see the real secret is that in every moment since, I have fallen deeper and deeper in love with Melody. She has been my light in every dark place and I have sworn that I would be the light in hers… but… she doesn’t know.”

With no possible words to react to her secret, I opened the thermus, taking a sip before rolling up my sleeve. I banished the concealment charm. Amelia, to her credit, gave a calm nod. I chugged more of the delicious soup before continuing.

“I almost drowned that night. You know the night… a boy jumped in and saved me, he’s the only reason I’m not dead. Melody saw the mark on Friday and lost it… I can’t have people knowing, and I can’t tell you why… but Melody flew into a fit, threatened to expose me if I didn’t give her a name. So I hexed her to ensure it didn’t get out.”

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