Izzie and Emma walked by and looked in the window. “I finally get what they mean about watching paint dry. That would be more entertaining.”
Emma giggled as they entered the auditorium.
Izzie and Emma took a seat in the third row, trying to ignore Claire’s angry stares. Lucy Fowler stood on the stage going through stacks of papers, dressed in a hand-knitted vest with the words Theatre Is the Heart of the Soul embroidered lopsided on the back. Her crazy red hair was down and sticking out all over the place, smashed down on top by a bright red beret. She passed down handouts with sidebars for the different roles, and they handed them back row by row until they reached Izzie and Emma.
Izzie looked back at the last row of seats and Horace smiled, giving her a thumbs-up. She returned a nervous smile and turned back around. Professor Fowler took in a dramatic deep breath. She put her hands out to each side and swished her wild hair around.
“Theatre… It is the essence of humanity, and we here at the School of Necessary Magic have a knack for the theatrics of it all. Combining raw talent and a little bit of magic, we put on shows you will be proud of. Now, raise your hand if you are auditioning for the coveted role of Dorothy.”
Only Claire and Izzie’s hands went up. Claire looked back at the hushed murmur, surprised to see Izzie’s raised hand. She’d thought she made sure that no one but her auditioned, but she wasn’t worried. She had been in every play since her sophomore year. Professor Fowler ignored the tension in the seats and took her place at the table at the side of the stage.
Izzie and Emma watched as several people with varying skill levels got up and sang, danced, and read lines in strange voices to try to land the parts they were auditioning for. Some of them were good. Others made everyone want to crawl under their seats. None of the freshmen were allowed to audition for the main roles, since they’d only been added when it was realized there weren’t enough signups to fill the parts. They were given the roles of flying monkeys, which eased Izzie’s mind because she really didn’t want to be cast as one.
“Claire, you’re next,” Professor Fowler announced.
Claire cleared her throat and climbed up on the stage, holding her hands in front of her. She read through the part in an exaggerated and overly-dramatic manner, then bowed to the applause of her friends in the front row. At the end, she sang Over the Rainbow. Everyone plastered on a smile, even though her voice cracked and shimmied through the whole thing.
“Holy lord, she sounds like a dying cat,” Emma whispered, sinking down in her chair.
“Thank you, Claire.” Professor Fowler smiled forcefully. “You may take your seat. Izzie, you’re next.”
Izzie took a deep breath and nodded at Emma, who smiled and patted her on the leg. She walked up to the stage, ignoring the whispers from the front row, and took her place center stage. As she began the crowd quieted, watching her put everything she had into the part. She was a very believable Dorothy, and even Emma was impressed. Professor Fowler ran her through an extra few lines, pissing Claire off no end.
When she was done, the music started, cueing her to sing Over the Rainbow. Emma held her breath, hoping she was at least better than Claire. As soon as Izzie’s soft, flowing voice hit her ears, she sighed in relief. Professor Fowler clutched her clipboard to her chest, listening intently to every note. Claire leaned over, talking loudly to her friends.
“Too bad she’s an orphan. Even if she did get the part, no one would be there to watch her.”
The girls laughed. Izzie tried her best to ignore her, but she started to get angry. “Look, she knows she is wasting her time. She doesn’t even look like Dorothy. More like a scarecrow.”
Izzie closed her eyes and continued to sing, not realizing her magic was building inside her. Horace sat forward in his seat when he noticed the bright glow that moved up from her feet and gathered at her chest. The more Claire picked at her, the brighter the light got, until you could barely see her on the stage. Emma covered her eyes, knowing it was bad. Horace jumped up and ran for the stage. When he reached the edge he reached up to ground her, but it was too late. She belted out the last note and her magic exploded, sending a surge of energy outward to whomp everyone in its path.
The students were forced back against the backs of their chairs and Horace was knocked from his feet and down the aisle. Emma covered her mouth and ran for the stage. Slowly Izzie opened her eyes, already knowing what had happened. She’d felt the pressure in her chest, but by that point it was too late. All she had heard was Claire’s shrill laughter, which fed her emotions, which fueled her magic. It was like the darkness in Claire pulled at the light inside her, something she had never felt before.
She looked around as everyone sat there staring wide-eyed at her, then jumped down and raced to Horace’s side. She bent down with a sad look on her face, and he groaned as he sat up and patted her on the shoulder.
“That was a powerful song there.” He chuckled.
“Sorry.”
9
Between study hall and the next class, Izzie snuck away from the others to have a moment to herself. She was still shaken that she’d blasted the entire auditorium with a surge of energy she hadn’t seen coming until it was too late. She’d worked all summer get her magic under control, and thought she had. Instead, she had allowed a girl to get to her with cruel words, then bam—she knocked her friend to the ground. She was just glad she’d let it go when she had, or she might have blown the whole room up.
She walked over to the door that led out to the small garden at the side of the school. As she reached for the door her hand grazed another and she pulled back, looking up to see Luke. He was startled, obviously caught up in his own thoughts.
“Oh, sorry. I’ll just...” He turned to walk away, but Izzie grabbed his hand.
Go bold or go home, Izzie told herself before she swung open the garden door and pulled Luke in. They were the only two out there, and Luke looked almost shy, standing there with her. She jumped in straight away.
“You didn’t scare me at all. I mean,” she hesitated, “as a wolf. I don’t look down on you because you’re a wolf. People think I’m a hidden toombie, after all.” She wrinkled her nose, trying to get him to smile. “Everyone is afraid I’m going to go off at any moment, and it doesn’t help that I blasted the auditorium with energy at my audition. Half the kids were terrified, and the others impressed.”
“I heard about that.” He chuckled. “I’m sorry it happened. Emma said Claire was saying some really nasty things, and she was about to zap her when you pretty much took care of it.”
“I’m not a toombie. I’m just not in full control of my magic, that’s all.” She sighed, sitting down on one of the stone benches.
Luke’s face sank, having not meant to offend her. “That’s not what I meant. I just meant, well, she deserved it, and nobody got hurt, so it’s okay. I think I know by now that you don’t have a dark spot in your whole body.”
“Thanks.” Izzie chuckled. “And I know that shifters are part of our community and that you are pretty awesome at it. I was surprised to see you, that’s all. If I looked scared, that wasn’t what I was feeling. I just didn’t expect to see a wolf come out of the bushes, or me be able to touch your fur, which I have to add is super-soft. I don’t know why I expected differently, but it was awesome.”
“It’s the Pantene,” he joked.
They both laughed and looked down at their feet. Luke sighed and rubbed his hand through his hair.
“It’s weird. Like I’m this wolf, and I have learned how to control that most of the time. I mean, that’s the first thing they taught me. But I feel like I’m constantly learning new things about my power, like telepathy with other wolves, or super strength. Those things just keep like being sprung on me. I feel like I’m on the f—”
“The fringe?” Izzie laughed. “Yeah, I totally get that. The thing is, There’s no one I can talk to except Alison. I don’t know who my parents were. The only thing I
’ve ever been told is I am a Light Elf, but until I got here, I didn’t even know what that meant. I don’t even know if I’m a normal elf. All the elves I know describe their magic in a totally different way than mine is, and it just keeps getting stronger.”
“That has to be tough, not having your own people to talk to. I never thought you were a toombie, but I’ve seen your magic in action, and you seem a lot stronger than a normal Light Elf. But then again, I don’t know a lot about it, or even know what that feels like.”
Footsteps caught Izzie’s and Luke’s attention. Claire and her posse walked through the garden toward the doors. She looked at Izzie and paused for a moment before giving her a nod of respect. Izzie was taken completely off-guard, not having expected that reaction. She glanced at Luke, who looked just as shocked, and watched as Claire flung open the door, barking orders at her group.
“Ice cream, stat, and damn it, can you not put the gummy bears on there this time like complete morons? They turn into little rocks.”
Izzie shook her head and rubbed her temples, feeling like she had fallen into some sort of alternate universe. She couldn’t figure out which way was up anymore. First, Claire wanted to take her out, and now that she had blasted her with a raging beam of energy, she gave her a nod of respect. She was starting to think she had no idea how the whole social construct of magical beings really worked.
“That was weird.” Luke chuckled.
“Uh, yeah. I mean, I’ll take it over being made fun of or beat up, but now my head is completely screwed up.”
“She does have a point. Gummy bears turn into little cement blocks when you put them on ice cream.”
“I know, right? Who does that? Marshmallows too. You think it’s going to be delicious, but they get hard and chewy and stick in your teeth.”
“Hot fudge, sprinkles, maybe caramel, and I’m good.”
“Don’t forget whipped cream,” Izzie pointed out.
They chuckled for a moment. Luke stretched his arms up over his head. “The truth is, I slip out sometimes to run with a local pack that my family set me up with. We have to be really careful not to be seen by the local humans, and even the magical community around here doesn’t like it too much. They aren’t shifter people, I can tell, but then again, who is? Not to mention that the dark families are always looking for us. They are constantly trying to hurt us, or at least mess with us. In wolf form we can fight back pretty well, but if they catch a newbie or someone changing back… Well, we don’t have a chance against magic.”
“Are there wolves out here? Like, not shifters, but wolves from the wild?”
“No, not that I know of, which is why we have to make sure not to be seen by humans. That would create an entirely different set of problems, and it’s dangerous. Humans tend to pull out shotguns when wolves are around, and even as shifters we don’t fare well under fire.”
“No, I suppose none of us really do when it comes to being shot at. Thanks for talking to me about it, though. I was worried you would think I was upset since I know how others talk about shifters. But I wasn’t. I thought it was really cool.”
Luke smiled and bumped her with his shoulder. “You should see us when it’s a full moon. It’s wild out there.”
“I bet.” Izzie chuckled.
Just then the bell rang inside, and they both got up and pulled on their bookbags. They were headed to the same class, but Izzie wished they had more time to talk. She was glad they got to talk at all, though, since she’d started to think Luke was going to spend the rest of the semester dodging her.
Luke held the door open for Izzie and stepped faster to catch up with her. They walked in comfortable silence down the hall, watching as Ethan bolted from the other direction to try to beat the tardy bell. Izzie laughed and stepped to the side of the door, letting Ethan run through huffing and puffing. Luke shook his head and rolled his eyes as he walked in behind them. They took seats next to each other at the back of the class, smiled shyly, and pulled out their books.
It felt good to both of them talk to someone who understood what they were going through, maybe not on a specific basis, but definitely in a roundabout way. Izzie had Alison, but Luke really didn’t have anyone. The older shifters ignored him, and most of the other kids in class already had their packs. He remembered that night and wasn’t sure if he should even have stepped out of the bushes, but with Izzie’s reaction and now verbal confirmation, he was really glad he had.
“Ahhh, channeling energy,” Max Regency said, stepping down off his step stool. “It is the essence of every kind of magic out there, including those shifters who walk in the shadows of the magical community. People think that channeling is only for those who can do magic, like elves and witches, but surprisingly, it is for all magical beings. In this class, I am going to teach you how to use that energy to empower whatever talent you have inside you.”
Emma laughed as the short Max lifted his arms in the air with gusto. He was an interesting gnome; serious most days, with an obvious love of teaching. “These are tools you will all use over and over.” He stepped back up on the stool and put out his hands.
“Now, I would like the shifters in the back, the wands to the right, and the pointy ears to the left.”
Everyone scurried to their spots. Those with double heritage in wizardry and elves just picked the side with most of their friends. For a moment Alison wasn’t sure where she should go, but considering she performed her magic more like an elf, she headed over with Izzie. They all laughed and huddled together, waiting for further instructions.
“You can channel energy in two ways, really. By holding hands and concentrating, or by combining your magic streams. For elves, it usually works better if you hold hands, touch wands, or just mix the stream, and shifters....”
He clapped his hands and laughed.
“Shifters, this is my favorite. By pressing your forehead once against that of another shifter who is outside your pack in your human form, you form a bond of sorts. You will be able to communicate easier telepathically, and if you stand together touching fingertips, you will be able to track others. Of course, you can already do this in wolf form, but this is without any kind of change.”
Immediately the shifters huddled together, talking excitedly. The elves lined up facing the left wall, where several balloons hung. The witches and wizards did the same. They were supposed to pick a partner and combine their energy to lift a balloon as high as they could. Normally this would be simple, but since it was their first time channeling with a partner many people struggled to combine the energies and lift at the same time.
Alison grabbed Izzie’s hand and looked at her soul. “You ready?”
“Always. Let’s show ‘em what we got.”
The girls closed their eyes and latched hands tightly. It took them no time at all. As soon as the first drop of energy swirled between their clasped hands, the balloon shot to the ceiling and burst. They opened their eyes as Max walked over.
“Well, it looks like you two have more than a connection.” He chuckled.
10
One of the main courses taught from the second year on, the very foundation of the School of Necessary Magic, was Integration with Normals. This was a class that every semester included different outings with the non-magicals. It started small during the sophomore year and grew over the remaining two years of the student’s high school career. The magical parents and teachers weren’t all that fond of the class, claiming it taught the kids to hide who they really were, but those who lived, functioned, and mixed with the normals knew that it was essential to maintaining the rules set forth by the governing bodies.
Although many knew about magic, and the world of Oriceran, It was considered inappropriate to use magic in front of the non-magical.
This class was very important, and a cornerstone for graduation from the school. It had been the main mission of the founders and backers of the school, the United States Government. Almost all magical schools around
the world, seeing the benefits of the education, had adopted the courses in one way or another, and Mara Berens was in charge of it. It was far too important to be left to anyone else.
That morning Mara paced her office, trying to remember every last detail of the day’s plans. It was to be a simple day, but that didn’t make her any less nervous about it. Over her years as headmistress she’d only had one bad moment during these lessons, but it had been necessary to save the humans involved and had not reflected on the student’s ability to mix in. Dark families had arrived at a time when light magic was battling for control over the dark. It still haunted her every time she thought about it. With the chaos in town and the arrival of the dark wizards, she’d thought about canceling it altogether, but her superiors wouldn’t hear of it. They’d told her it was even more essential now, and that her duty was to make sure the students grew to be happy, healthy, and law-abiding magical citizens.
Mara was a bit irritated by that, but she hid it behind a happy face and carried out her duties. If an outing were to happen, she would make sure it was safe, short, and to the point. She grabbed her purse and headed to the auditorium where the sophomores quietly waited for her. As she entered the whispers settled and she stood on the stage to address them.
“Sophomores, thank you for your quiet attention today. This is an exciting day. We will be practicing integrations with normals. As you know, this is an extremely important event and will count highly toward your graduation in three years. Even if you pass every class with flying colors, you will be held back until you pass this one. Now, I have arranged a very simple mixer for your first attempt. We will be meeting with other kids your age from a nearby private school, Charlottesville Preparatory. The meet and greet will take place at one of the small restaurants in town for lunch. You may not give away that you know magic. Now, on the surface, it sounds easy, but you have to consider what these kids will ask you. Everyone is curious about this school, and they might want to know what classes you take. I have instructed Mr. Rigby to hand out little sheets to everyone with the lists of normals’ version of sophomore class schedules. If someone asks you, those are the classes you are taking. And please try to memorize it since it looks a bit suspicious if you have to read it off a paper to them.”
Wary Is Her Love_An Urban Fantasy Action Adventure Page 6
