Page 93 of The Holy Academy of Witches

I won’t be able to sleep again tonight xx

Teddy: That’s fine, we can just talk the rest of the night xx

Adeline: No, you need to sleep xx

Teddy: Let me worry about that xx

Forty-Nine

Sage

Taking flight after flight of stairs, I waited till I made it to a layer of the cake-like library that had no other students in sight. Walking deeper into the shelves, I pulled out The Bible. It was a long shot that it would still work as a directory, but I sure as hell wasn’t about to ask a Librarian where to find a book on star bound life debts. Everything I’d found so far was surface level, old wives tales type things. I needed the specifics, why the mark burned, how to read it, survivors accounts if possible. Crossing my legs into a meditative stance I flipped past the burned inscription. Deciding closing my eyes would be too risky, I let my hand rest on the pages, thinking of what I needed. A book, or scroll, anything that would tell me more about dealing with my life debt.

The pages remained blank. I sent a text to Cillian on the new phone my parents had been ecstatic to send, asking if he’d had any luck with his research. No response came through, and he didn’t have his ‘read’ receipts turned on… of course not. It wouldn’t surprise me if he gave me a burner phone number rather than the one he carried around.

Deciding I’d be getting no help from his end, I fed the book a sliver of magic. It drank greedily, my hand felt fused to the book. Panic closed in around me until a vision swallowed me whole. I fell into its inky depths, pops of green and grey interspersed with tendrils of gold until my feet hit solid ground.

The familiar maze of books surrounded me, but now the outer walls held grids of scrolls as well. But there was something else off about the perspective. As I puzzled over it I felt my feet move me toward the scrolls. The scroll I reached for had no obvious markings, the entire thing a faded yellow but my heart sped and my breathing hitched as I pushed it into an inner lining of my cloak. Cloak? Unable to look anywhere this memory didn’t, I fell into the experience. We strode confidently down each flight of stairs, nodding at the librarians with a smile and I realised, exiting the doors, that this body was definitely half a foot shorter than I was. So this was how normal people saw things. We didn’t admire the ornate doors or buildings so I only got a peripheral glance of the Academy in its prime. Witches and warlocks chatted animatedly, some casting spells that shone with a brilliance that seemed beyond anything I’d seen before, though perhaps the memory was simply inaccurate.

We strode toward the dorms and I held my breath as they entered my dorm building. Letting out a sigh of disappointment when they walked up the stairs into… Adeline’s dorm. They pried out a loose floorboard before storing the scroll hastily. When a pounding knock filled the room, we sealed the floorboard with a whispered chant. It closed just before the door burst open. Two wizards rushed through the door, detaining us with charmed ropes. After we were thoroughly bound, an older warlock with slicked-back grey hair spoke from the doorway:

“Well Mr. Frum… I tried to warn you, sticking your nose where it ought not belong will only ever land you in trouble.”

“Let me guess… you’re the trouble?” We scoffed, spitting to hide the rapid thumping of our heart. We knew this might happen. We’d taken precautions. It would be worth it. The visions had said it was the only way.

“I’m afraid I have no use for a seer, but my dear friend is so hoping to be elected and is willing to pay handsomely. They did say they’d treat you and your mother kindly so long as you cooperate.”

I let the fight leave me. Willed each muscle to spell defeat. Because as long as they thought my greatest fear was captivity they’d never find the secrets I’d hidden. And so long as those never fell into their hands… Well, maybe we’d avoid the worst of the visions that plagued us.

My telephone ringing closed the vision with a snap and I felt even more disoriented than I’d been in the vision. It took three tries of reaching for the new phone before my long fingers closed around it.

“Can we talk?” Cillian’s cool voice came through, it took me a minute to comprehend that he was asking if I was in a place to talk freely.

“A bit preoccupied at the moment actually.” I clutched my head, squeezing my eyes closed against the swaying world.

“Are you drunk?” Cillian sounded disturbed by the thought.

“Why, do you need rescuing at the moment?” I tried to slur deliberately this time.

“No, but I’d hate to see the life I saved end out of over indulgence.” He spoke coolly, as if he remembered I was just his get out of jail free card.

“Lucky for you I don’t get drunk in the middle of a school day then.” I tried to stand and felt my legs wobble. Grabbing a shelf, I supported my weight until my legs felt less likely to collapse.

“Sage, it’s nearly dusk. Are you sure you aren’t drunk?” Why did he never take my word for anything? I’d been so transparent with him I felt sick about it. As if he could see every part of me and still found me lacking.

“Cut to the chase Cillian, my time is limited.” I all but growled.

“I found something. When can we meet?” He bit out.

“Tomorrow evening. I’m booked for the rest of the night. Send me a message with the location.” I hung up before hurrying down the tower’s endless stairs.

I was about to collapse. I needed food and sleep. After that, I’d need to ensure no one had come across me while I was glowing. I hadn’t set a ward, hadn’t thought it was possible to have a vision from touching an object, or if those visions would affect my body similarly. Best case scenario it would look like I’d fallen asleep trying to read a bible. Worst case scenario… I’d be following in the footsteps of the seer I’d just met. A seer that somehow knew how to navigate the endless sea of visions.

Walking through the ornate library doors I wasn’t surprised to see the grounds in full swing. Most preferred to cast and brew under the stars. I only recognized one of those milling around, they went by Alex I thought. With a grown out pixie, dark eye makeup, a loose shirt, and thick grey and black striped wool leggings beneath the requisite skirt they looked like the love child of Dr. Seuss and Tim Burton. They were stirring their cauldron alone, reading within the lime smoke that screamed radioactivity. Mindlessly they twirled a finger that controlled the silver ladle. Oblivious or indifferent to the witches around them.

Wishing I could feel the same, I cast a repulsion charm to deal with anyone who might intend to approach me. After seeing several witches pulse red, I cast a hex detection. I didn’t have enough reserves to actively unravel or fight anything that stuck so I’d need to stay firmly defensive till I could rest. When my charm found a series of pits and an enchanted noose in the trees I decided that whoever made the rules for this competition could choke on a bone shard. My phone screen lit up, as if trying to get me caught.

Crane-boy: Tree road, 9pm. Try not to be followed.

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