Dark Is Her Nature

by Judith Berens

  “I guess I can’t be the center of attention all the time,” Kathleen griped and, walking swiftly to the table, waited for the other girls to sit down.

  Izzie sat next to Alison, smiling sweetly as she looked around the room. The whole place felt awkward; everyone searching for their places and finding their cliques. At the front of the hall was a stage with six round tables whose seats were filled with teachers. Izzie recognized a couple of them since she’d been there for several days. As her eyes slid from teacher to teacher she met Ms. Berens’ stare. The headmistress nodded and then stood, pulling out her wand and waving it high in the air.

  Orbs of light shot from the wand and spread out over the crowd. None of the upperclassmen seemed to notice since they were all used to the act, but the younger kids stared as the orbs reached their tables. The ball of energy danced around the table, creating a dish for each person. The glow of magic outlined Alison’s food perfectly and gave her enough information to know what she was eating. In the center of each table were a large bowl of salad, different dressings, a plate of steaming-hot rolls, and a chocolate cake. In front of each student was the main course of chicken breasts in a berry sauce, asparagus, and potatoes au gratin. Kathleen smiled and nodded in approval.

  “At least I know I’ll eat healthy while I’m here. I’ve heard if you aren’t careful you can gain a bunch of weight.”

  Emma looked down at her plate and at the chocolate cake, sighing as she stabbed a piece of asparagus. As she raised the vegetable to her mouth she paused; Peter and Ethan were pulling out the empty chairs. They looked a bit less grungy than they had earlier, although Peter still had a stick tangled in his hair. Ethan gave the girls a big grin.

  “Seats taken?”

  Alison didn’t even attempt to respond; they were partners in crime, since they knew about the egg. It seemed Kathleen felt the same way because all she did was scrunch her nose and shake her head. Ethan plopped into the chair next to her and looked at her food.

  “Looks yum.”

  “If you would have been on time you would have known that from the beginning.” Slowly Ethan turned around in his chair to find Ms. Berens standing over him with a raised eyebrow. “I’ll excuse you this time, but next time you feast on bread and salad.”

  “Thank you.” Peter grinned and stuck his wand in his pocket.

  Ms. Berens sighed, rolled her eyes, swiped her wand, making two more plates of food appear. Peter grabbed his fork and started shoveling food in. Kathleen grimaced and turned to the side.

  “Careful, you’ll get your dribble on my plate.”

  Ms. Berens chuckled. “Boys will be boys, I suppose.”

  Ethan elbowed Peter and shook his head. Peter wrinkled his forehead but sat up straight and slowed down slightly. Alison thought it was funny, but held her giggle back until Ms. Berens had gone back to her table. Everyone ate their dinners, their conversations growing louder as the comfort level grew. When they were done with the salad and main course, their plates disappeared and cake plates appeared. A silver spatula floated over the dessert, cutting slices and depositing one on each saucer.

  Alison laughed. Peter had chocolate icing smeared across his cheek. She turned to say something to Izzie, but the girl was staring across the room. She followed her gaze; the upperclassmen were quietly trying out different spells. The energy dissipated and reappeared each time a teacher looked over and then away.

  They quietly waved their wands under the tables and small frogs jumped from the ends and hopped toward the lowerclassmen’s tables. The boys laughed, trying to stomp the frogs, while the girls covered their mouths so as not to scream. A paper monkey swung wildly from the rafters above and Scarlett laughed as she moved her wand back and forth. The monkey stopped over a table of lowerclassmen and began to throw what looked like paper feces.

  Ms. Berens looked up when she heard the girls scream and saw them dodging the paper poop and covering their plates. She shook her head and stood up, sending a bolt of energy from her hands to catch the monkey, which slowly turned to ash. She shot an angry glance toward Scarlett, who just shrugged and high-fived one of the girls at the table. Scarlett wasn’t going to give up her persona just because she might land in detention. If anything, that would help her keep it.

  “I can’t wait to be an upperclassman.” Kathleen had watched in wonder and now passed her cake to Peter. Emma, her fork halfway to her mouth, stopped and sighed, putting it down on her plate and waving it away. The plate disappeared and a glass of water popped up in its place.

  “So you can be an asshole to the younger kids?” Alison took a bite of her cake and Kathleen’s energy sparked with just a tiny bit of red.

  “It’s a rite of passage, Alison. We all go through it and then deal it out. That’s how it works. No one will respect us if we can’t take a bit of harmless magic.”

  Ethan grimaced. “And what about harmful magic, like the two guys who chased us through the woods sending orbs at us? They could have seriously hurt someone.”

  “All part of the game.” Kathleen ignored Ethan’s glare. “We’ll go through it, our kids will go through it, and so on and so on.”

  Aya stared down at her plate as she listened to everyone talk and mumbled to herself, “Great. Hopefully my kids won’t be shy like me.”

  Kathleen looked at her with pity. “That will wear off. You just have to get comfortable with your surroundings, that’s all.”

  When everyone was done with their cake the teachers dismissed them. They had just enough time to get back to the dorms before curfew started and there was class the next day, so no one questioned going to bed. The girls changed into their pajamas and climbed under their covers, the beds instantly adjusting to whatever their comfort entailed. Alison was the last one to turn off her bedside lamp, leaving only the moonlight shining through the window to light the room. She stared out the window at the magical protection spells for the mansion swirling around the glass. The stars had their own energy; giant balls of gas and leftover magic from a long time before.

  “Psst,” a voice hissed behind her. Alison turned over in the bed to stare at Emma.

  “What’s up?”

  “Do you think classes will be hard?”

  “I honestly don’t know what to expect.” Alison could see the nerves in Emma’s energy. “But I am sure that whatever it is, you got it in the bag. You’re gifted, and this is all about learning. They wouldn’t just throw you to the wolves.”

  Emma lifted an eyebrow.

  “I guess I should have phrased that better.” Alison grimaced, thinking about the shifters. “You know what I mean.”

  “I know.” Alison could hear the giggle in her voice. “I always get nervous for no reason, but I hate it. I get so worked up I don’t notice how awesome a time I am having until after it’s over.”

  “I’ll be there with you, along with the rest of these girls. Just remember to breathe, and if you have questions don’t be afraid to ask.”

  “Thanks, Alison.”

  “No problem, girl. Just get some sleep.”

  Alison wasn’t sure where she had gotten the ability to give pep talks, but it had flowed out of her pretty easily. She had always been a sucker for someone in need, though, and Emma’s energy had looked like she was about to burst from anxiety. Alison laid there watching Emma until her energy calmed to a light blue, which told Alison that she was asleep. She turned back to the window and watched the swirls of energy from the stars to try to relax.

  Her life was so different now. It was still challenging to grasp. She missed her mom and wondered what she would have told her about her first day here at the school. She just wanted to be normal; to have normal parents and worry less, like Kathleen. But that wasn’t her life now and she was going to have to start getting used to it or she would never get into the swing of things.

  As Alison sat at the window, her thoughts slowly faded and she fell into a deep dreamless sleep. The next morning she woke before the alarm went off. Sh
e slowly opened her eyes to see beams of sunlight swirling in oranges and reds. Though she had fallen asleep nervous, she awoke with excitement bubbling inside of her—and it seemed she wasn’t the only one. Emma and Kathleen were already awake. Emma was sitting on the edge of her bed full of nervous energy as she stared down at the floor, while Kathleen was doing her makeup in the mirror.

  The smell of breakfast was already wafting through the halls and Alison slowly sat up, stretching her arms high over her head. Her stomach rumbled loudly and she chuckled, rubbing it with her hand. She pulled herself from the comfortable mattress and straightened the sheets and comforter. Kathleen looked at her in the mirror.

  “Use magic. Gets it perfect.” She flicked her wand over her shoulder and the sheets folded over and pulled tight and the comforter raced up without a bump or wrinkle.

  “I wish I could.”

  “Oh yeah. Sorry.” Kathleen flicked her wand and Alison’s bed was suddenly perfect. “There you go.”

  Alison giggled, grabbed her shower bag, and walked out of the room toward the bathrooms. None of the other girls were up yet, so she was able to shower and get back to the room before the others piled in. She put her bag down on the bed and slowly opened the top drawer, just making sure the egg was still in its place. It was still wrapped in her socks, energy whirling around it and the gold specks sparkling even brighter than before. She pushed in the drawer again and nabbed her bookbag to head off to breakfast.

  First day of your new life. You can do this.

  10

  Eleanor Hudson took a deep breath, listening to the chatter outside the classroom. The first day of class was always invigorating for her. There were fresh minds just waiting to be filled. She knew, even if they didn’t, that Basic Spells and History was one of the most important classes they would ever take. There were so many magical beings who were never taught the basics and the history behind it all. They were the ones who ended up with a Fixer pounding on their door, if not worse. Everything the students would learn from there on out would be based on her class, which made her proud.

  While Mrs. Hudson finished preparing for her first class the girls sat in the dining hall, enjoying omelets made specifically to their individual specification. Kathleen’s was spinach and so was Emma’s, though hers had started as an extra-cheese omelet. Aya ate a mushroom, pepper, and cheese one, and Izzie had scrambled eggs instead. Alison wasn’t sure if hers was an omelet or just scrambled, but it was the best breakfast she’d ever had.

  “I need to learn how to make food like this with magic.”

  Kathleen smiled. “This is how my mother cooks, so it tastes just like home.”

  With that, the plates disappeared and Peter groaned, still chewing a mouthful. The bell tolled over the speaker, letting them know it was time to get to class. The girls all walked together, skirting a group of upperclassmen who were torturing the younger kids as they passed. Once past them they got in line. A smiling Mrs. Hudson stood at the door handing each student a textbook, looking at each of them through her thick, black-rimmed glasses.

  “Good morning, Alison.”

  “Good morning, Mrs. Hudson.”

  “Here is your text.” She leaned in, tapping it with her wand. “You will find the words easy to read with your Braille reader.” She gave Alison a nudge and sent her into the room.

  The classroom was large and the ceiling, taller than it had appeared from outside, showed bright blue skies and two moons in the distance, just like Oriceran would look. Alison sat at a desk in the second row and Izzie took a seat on one side and Peter the other. Mrs. Hudson swished her wand to close the doors and made her way to the front. She stood there for a moment looking at all the fresh faces, confident in her favorite black power suit and heels. She clapped her hands to get the attention of the entire class.

  “Welcome to your first class at the School of Necessary Magic. I will be your instructor for Basic Spells and History. For those who haven’t yet met me, my name is Mrs. Hudson.”

  Eleanor waved her wand at the chalkboard and her name appeared in cursive.

  “I have just a few rules for the first day. One, no wands or magic will be needed; we will be diving into the history of Oriceran. Two, if you have a question please raise your hand. No question is a stupid question, and every one of you should remember that. Three, take notes, especially on the history part. There will be a test and a final exam.”

  As she spoke, her words appeared on the board behind her. Emma turned and glanced at Alison, giving her a reassuring pat. Mrs. Hudson put her wand in the inner pocket of her jacket.

  “Now open your texts to the first chapter. We’ll start with the Great Treaty.”

  The rustle of pages filled the classroom as each student quietly opened their book and flipped to the first chapter. There was an artist’s depiction of Oriceran on the first page, the Light Elf mansion high in the sky and green grasses flowing through the fields. Izzie blinked and the magic in the book swirled until it created the scene for her. She smiled and looked up at Mrs. Hudson, who nodded and looked away.

  “To my knowledge, all of you know at least something about Oriceran, and others of you have even been there. Today’s lesson goes back sixteen thousand years to a time where war raged on Oriceran. For centuries they looked for peace, but none could be found. Finally different creatures from across Oriceran came together to create one of the most important documents in their history, the Great Treaty. The Great Treaty set up rules and understandings that allowed the portals between Earth and Oriceran to open, but only during certain periods. The rest of the time travel between the worlds was forbidden without the express permission of the Council.”

  The students read along in the chapter, looking at different pictures and the rules spelled out by the treaty.

  “When the portal to Earth first opened many magical beings came to Earth and some humans went to Oriceran. When the portal was closing many of those beings decided to stay here, which is where most of you came from. The treaty has been in effect for sixteen thousand-plus years, but recently it has been threatened more than once. Can anyone tell me one instance?”

  She looked at several students who had their hands up.

  “Yes, Kathleen?”

  “When I visited last, I overheard my mother talking about some sort of artifact race.”

  “Yes,” Eleanor replied, tapping the table to her right. “Exactly. Magical beings generally live much longer than humans, and we have powers on Oriceran that aren’t as strong when we’re here. That is where the kemanas and the artifacts come into play. For this class we will be talking about artifacts. These trinkets, some completely random like spoons, sundials, lamps, or even clothing, are given stores of energy—magic, if you will. When a magical being needs a boost on Earth, they can basically use these artifacts to recharge. Now, before I get into the artifact race, it’s important to understand how all this got started.”

  Eleanor used her wand to erase the rules and turned back toward the class, clasping her hands in front of her.

  “There is a seer—a woman who can tell the future—and she has foretold that the next time the portal opens Oriceran will lose all its power and cease to exist. That means magical beings will have to migrate to this planet and set up shop here on Earth. The prophecy is not written in stone, but many are basing their futures on that prediction. Because of that, magic has started to become more visible to the people of Earth, giving them a chance to ease into lives next to magical beings. Some are scared and others curious, but where change comes, so do those looking to profit. That is where the race for artifacts comes into play.”

  Emma put her hand in the air and Eleanor nodded.

  “Don’t the Silver Griffins have a vault they store artifacts in?”

  “They do.” Mrs. Hudson smiled, nodding. “It used to be in Chicago, but that one was destroyed. The new location isn’t known and they don’t have all the artifacts, either. So many of them are hidden here on Earth, a
nd will be very difficult to find. The large corporations, both Oriceran and human-run, think that if they own powerful artifacts they will be able to stay in power once our worlds collide. So—as you can imagine, having been around humans a lot in your lives—they are doing whatever they can to collect artifacts. Yes, Aya?”

  “Aren’t most artifacts dangerous for humans?”

  “Good question, but the answer is a bit vague. It seems some humans are capable of using the artifacts to open portals to Oriceran, and others who pay no attention to the energy in these pieces end up a mist of flesh and bone.”

  “I don’t think it’s right that they take what isn’t theirs,” Ethan yelled.

  “And I would agree with you,” Eleanor responded. “Unfortunately, we brought them here—or created them here—and therefore they have as much say as we do. They experiment with artifacts to create a new version of this world. In short, yes, it is unfair, but we were the ones who enabled them.”

  Eleanor talked about the wars, the prophecy, and what they were doing to help prevent problems during the first part of the class.

  “We have been working with the government and some for-hire mercenaries to make the transition for everyone just a bit easier. Even our headmistress has someone on the inside, working diligently to keep order and pave our way to interact smoothly with the humans around us. It is the first time in our history on Earth that we are pushing to use magic around humans.”

  Alison listened carefully, shocked to find out that magical beings were on the verge of becoming one with the community around them. She was a bit skeptical though, having spent her fair share of time around humans and never seeing much more than greed and pride. She didn’t dislike them, but she knew they weren’t educated on magic and thus feared it. It was all about power, and with a power struggle usually comes an ugly battle.