Page 53 of The Holy Academy of Witches

Teddy: Numpty?! Wtf does that mean??

Should I be insulted?!

Teddy: Like numpty Dumpty??

Adeline: Hahaha, umm Numpty just means lovely person.

Also, it’s HUMPTY Dumpty! x

I smirked as I slipped my phone into my skirt pocket. See how long it took him to find out what a numpty really is. I shook my head, ‘numpty Dumpty’… honestly.

“There you are! I’ve made you avocado on toast!” Dorcas declared with a flourish as she laid the plate on the table.

“The only thing I hate more than avocado, Dorcas, is fake flattery. What do you want?”

“Wow, okay. I was just trying to be nice but whatever! Forget it!” Dorcas stood up from the table, plate in hand, and scraped it off into the bin.

I folded my arms and levelled her with a look which told her quite plainly to drop the bullshit. She sighed, throwing her arms in the air. “I just wanted to talk to you about what that American girl’s strengths might be… but maybe you just need a reminder of who your actual friends are, Adeline!”

My phone vibrated in my pocket. Ignoring Dorcas, I pulled it out, clicking on the message.

Teddy: I asked my room-mate what numpty means! It means idiot!

I laughed quietly. Dorcas was right, perhaps I did need to think about who my real friends were. She stormed out of the room at my laugh, slamming the door to our dormitory.

* * *

“Close the door,” My mother instructed as I entered her office. Shutting the door softly, I turned to face her. She assessed me across her desk, the large windows and space between us doing nothing to lessen the claustrophobic feeling creeping over my bones. I straightened up under her gaze, adjusting my skirt. Her eyes followed the action, “don’t fuss with your clothing, you’ll cause creases.” I didn’t allow even a flicker of annoyance to cross my face. She studied me. Her green eyes, so alike my own, roamed my face. Not in adoration or even with a mothers concern. Her eyes were piercing and unforgiving. Scrupulously searching and documenting any flaw. The darker skin under my eyes from many a sleepless night. Noted. The paleness of my complexion from spending so many hours inside, studying or researching… a disappointment.

I cleared my throat, “What can I do for you mother?”

She raised a well-groomed eyebrow at my tone, “Professor Hershaw states you were attending the spa between classes?”

“I was actually visiting the pool next door but yes… I saw her. Why?”

“I would have thought your time would be better spent carrying out academic duties or better yet, undertaking your tutelage of the Williams girl?”

“I was exercising. Part of my training for the Run trials.”

“I hardly think swimming and standing around texting your friends is going to aid in your spell work ability… What does your father always tell you Adeline?”

I filed away the comment about ‘texting my friends’ to examine later. “A worthy opponent beats their enemy with cunning not fists, ” I stated robotically.

“Hmm.” My mother slid backwards, her chair gliding along the floor as she pushed upwards. Stalking to a filing cabinet on the far wall, she summoned a slim folder into her hands, “How is Miss Williams progression? Do her abilities match the wildly inflamed description her mother gave?” So it was Sage’s file she held in her hand. A shiny red nail scraping down the front page.

“She is rather gifted, yes.”

“Interesting choice of words… Pray tell, what is she sogiftedin?”

My brows furrowed, “her academic talent? I assessed her base level for all subjects and considering her limited prior knowledge, she’s meeting the Academy’s expected standard for her age in most areas, except Rituals. Though she has already shown a marked improvement since I began tutoring her, just in the last month.”

“I see.” Something like disappointment crossed my mothers face, as though unsatisfied with my response. “Are there any specific areas she seems to flourish in?”

I opened my mouth to answer but closed it, altering my original answer, “Not particularly. She has a very good balance, her intellect and work ethic are quite impressive considering she’d only been practising for a year before entering….”

My mother nodded, placing the folder in its original place, “I have spoken with your teachers regarding your own abilities.”

We stared at one another, was she going to volunteer the information or was she expecting me to ask, show eagerness for her approval? I fought a sigh, “…And?”

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