Page 61 of The Holy Academy of Witches

“Tell me Dorcas…” my mother said, turning her head, but maintaining eye contact with me, “have you found yourself a strong match yet?”

“A match, Headmistress?”

“Yes. Your caregivers were expressing the other day the need for you to do your duty and find someone to settle down with after you leave the Academy. To provide more young witches or warlocks to the community.”

“Oh…oh. Umm, yes Professor. His name is James. He is in his final year.”

“James… Delacy?” On Dorcas’ nod, she smiled with delight, “Wonderful, a fine choice.Yourcaregivers must be so proud.”

My nails bit into the palm of my hand as I squeezed them together in my lap. Gemma placed a cup of tea in front of my mother, not daring to look at me.

“Why are you here mother?” I asked. Perhaps this was her bizarre way of congratulating me, her unforgiving presence like a mosquito bite or a bullet hole through my skull.

“Can a mother not turn up when she wishes to see her daughter?” That cruel laugh pierced the silence once more. “Especially after that display of… well, I wouldn’t know what to call it.”

I squeezed tighter, counting backwards in Latin in my mind to distract myself.

“I would have thought cutting corners was beyond you,” She continued, “Embarrassing nonetheless… I had thought you had said you had practised… perhaps not.” She sipped her tea with a grimace, “I suppose I’ll take my leave, sitting in the presence of such disappointment is tiresome.” She placed the barely drunk cup down, and swept from the dormitory.

Gemma opened her mouth to speak… or cry, it could honestly be either, but I held my hand up and walked into my bedroom. I unclenched my hands, looking down as crescents of blood pooled in my palms. I stared, transfixed. My magic simmered under the surface, screaming to be released… or maybe it was anger. I vibrated with the need to do…something, anything. I hated her, I hated this place… I picked up the lamp which sat on my bedside table and threw it to the ground. The crystal base shattered into thousands of pieces.

I hated myself. I continued to throw and shred and rip apart the room, screams of anger tearing from my lips, until I stood panting in the middle of my destruction. I looked through my open doorway to see all three of my room mates staring, a mix of fear and pity on their faces. They flinched under my glare and ran into their rooms.

The absolute loneliness that echoed around my empty chest didn’t even register any more.

Thirty-Three

Sage

Climbing the stairs of our building, I knocked on Adeline’s Dorm. I heard a grunt before the door swung open.

“I’ve no energy for any of our usual activities, Sage.” Adeline said.

I looked into the empty dorm. No banners, not a soul, before looking back into her red eyes.

“You won.”

“Yes, I’m aware.”

“…But your friends, do they know?” I asked, still confused.

“My room mates are aware that I won the first trial, as is most of the student body so long as the school’s service is intact. What does this have to do with you being here?”

Tears pooled in my eyes unbidden as I imagined my parents at the end of each of Theo’s games. As I remembered the warmth and love around any and all of our successes. And then I did something I’d only done for one person outside my family. I let my guard down.

“Adeline, I know we don’t know each other very well. I know we’re not best friends or if we’ll ever be more than classmates. But for tonight, let’s just pretend.”

“Pretend?” She asked with a quirked brow.

“Yeah, just… pretend. No strings, just tonight, pretend that we’re friends.”

She looked around the empty room and then back at me. Exhaustion in every line, “How far would I have to walk for this game?”

With a smile I pointed back, “Grab your coat I know just the place.”

* * *

Walking down to the kitchens, I wore confidence like the designer clothes Adeline was currently swathed in.

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