Page 70 of The Holy Academy of Witches

“Why? Does that surprise you?”

“Well, yeah a little. I guess I would have said Fall. Or winter, maybe because you look so good in those colours.”

“Black is the uniform Sage, you do know that right?”

“Right… but like, do you really wear like… pastels?” I screwed up my face trying to imagine her in baby pink. It hurt my head.

“No, not usually. But I like spring best. You?”

“I like Summer.”

“Why?”

“Did I surprise you?”

“Not in the slightest, but I would like to know why.”

“It’s when I feel the most free. The most alive.”

“What makes you feel alive?” Wow, she was a lot better at asking questions than I was.

“Climbing. Rock Climbing mainly, but any type of exploring is great. We always go backpacking for a month as a family. Usually as part of my parents work, but they find the most amazing things. They have a knack for adventuring, my parents I mean.”

“Do you love them?”

“Oh yes, very much. My whole family is amazing honestly, I just… sometimes, I… it’s hard to explain.” I gave up, deciding that what I would say,neededto say, far exceeded our level of friendship.

We continued down the path without further conversation, my being too nervous of saying the wrong thing again getting in the way. The shadows lengthened, mingling until the moonlight cast a marbled and muted light.

Running into Adeline’s still form, I realised we must have arrived. A worn statue of a woman looked down, her aged face hooded, one hand on a swollen belly. Drawing closer I felt the spark and bite of the old protection spells I recognised from the crumbling parts of campus. Probably the only reason the statue was recognizable at all, with it being out in the elements.

“It’s Elizabeth, pregnant with the Baptist,” Adeline breathed.

“How do you know?”

“It says so on the pedestal.”

Looking around the pregnant belly I saw the faint scratchings of words into stone. “Oh, good catch.”

“Yes, well, it helps being of normal height.”

I snorted, “Please, both of us are shy of normal by a few inches.”

“Take out The Bible please.”

“Yes, your shortliness.” I teased, passing her the book and thereby the riddle.

“The shroud could be referring to her wimple. And the full moonisknown for fertility… yes, I think this is definitely the place.”

“Okay, so… full moon, next week. Meet here. But is there anything else? Something we’re meant to bring? Some ritual or am I overthinking it?”

Adeline passed the book back to me, scratching at her wrist while deep in thought, “I’ll just bring my supply closet, that should have anything the book demands. Until then I say we pause our digging.”

I opened my mouth to object when she held out her hand.

“Both of us need to focus on our schoolwork for now. We’ll still study every night so if something else comes up we can go from there.”

I stuck out my hand instinctively, anticipating my brother’s usual demand for promises.

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