Dark Is Her Nature

by Judith Berens

  The orb began to pulse faster and spat strands of white light that ran through the map of the school.

  “The School of Necessary Magic was built on top of a kemana.” Miss Grant continued. “This kemana in the ground beneath our feet keeps the steady flow of magic our school needs at full capacity. It enhances all the magic on this property, so you may feel a difference in your magic here versus off the school grounds. It is not as strong as going to Oriceran, but it is enough for what we are doing here. There are kemanas scattered all over the Earth, protected by underground cities.”

  The page in the textbook turned and Izzie looked down at a diagram of a kemana and underground city. There were shops, magical beings, and even places to live. To the right was a train station, but it too was underground. Miss Grant glanced at one of her papers as it lifted into the air and caught fire, quickly burning to a pile of ash that floated down onto the desk. She sighed and shook her head.

  “Another big move with magic.” She turned back to the class and pursed her lips. “Who here has ever ridden a train or subway?”

  Everyone in the class put their hands up.

  “Good, now who here has ever ridden the magical underground train?”

  Most of the hands went down, but Kathleen’s, Peter’s, and Ethan’s hands stayed up. Izzie raised her eyebrow, unsure if she had ever been on one, but she assumed most likely not.

  “Excellent. Now, for those of you who didn’t know, a magical railway system connects all the kemanas. This country has its own, and the others do as well. You can be sure that wherever there is a kemana, there is an entrance to its underground city somewhere. You can also be sure that where there is a cluster of Starbucks, there will be an entry to the railway platform for that area.”

  “Why Starbucks?”

  “Well, it wasn’t always Starbucks, of course, but as time has gone by we have found that there was a large enough diversity in clientele, and that they are always packed. Therefore, no one would notice people walking down the bathroom hall and disappearing into the magical wall. Most of the humans are oblivious anyway these days, too absorbed in coffee and technology to notice anything out of the ordinary.”

  Izzie put up her hand and Miss Grant nodded at her. “So anyone magical can just stand in a kemana and basically fill up?”

  “Yep.” Miss Grant giggled. “Like a magical gas station. Most of the time you will find a large number of magical folks in Earth communities near kemanas. We can feel their power, and because we don’t want to run out of magic we stay close. The one under the school is cloaked from outsiders, though. We don’t want this to be a Texaco for magical folks. All right, everyone stand up. We’re going to do an exercise.”

  Izzie and Alison glanced at each other and slowly rose from their seats. The whole class stood behind their chairs waiting for the instructor to say something. She pulled out her wand and smiled.

  “Do you feel anything?”

  “No,” Kathleen replied, looking around. Everyone else shook their heads.

  “Because the buzz is cloaked. Now hold one second.”

  Miss Grant raised her wand and began to whisper an enchantment. She was so quiet no one could actually make out what she was saying, but a beam of light moved across the floor of the classroom and stopped at the door.

  “All right, class, how about now?”

  “Whoa!” Some of the kids laughed excitedly.

  Izzie closed her eyes, feeling the buzz of energy below her. It surged up her body and through her chest and arms and she instantly felt renewed, more awake, and ready to continue her day as if she had just woken up from a long sleep. Her body tingled from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. Miss Grant raised the wand and whispered again, and this time the glow moved the opposite direction and the feeling of the increased energy ceased.

  “Pretty cool, huh?” Miss Grant put her wand away and motioned for everyone to have a seat. “Now I must go over the rules.”

  “Of course, always rules,” Ethan grumped.

  Miss Grant smirked. “No freshmen are allowed in the underground city without being escorted by an instructor and with the express permission of the headmistress. No students are allowed in the dark parts of town. They are extremely dangerous, and you have no business there. Okay, let’s open your books to page 145.”

  Alison flipped through her pages as some of the students behind her whispered to each other.

  “I heard that the dark city was where that dark witch Rhazdon hid for years.”

  “I heard that if you go to the dark city and you don’t have business, they will torture you and then send you topside with one or more limbs missing.”

  “My uncle works for the Silver Griffins in Chicago and he says that there are areas in the dark city where you can be thrown into the World in Between.”

  Izzie turned around and looked at the three boys. “What’s that?”

  “It’s the place between life and death. You can be there for centuries and only watch your loved ones from inside, never talking to them. There are dark creatures that hunt you. Our headmistress was there for like fourteen years, but her granddaughter broke her out, which until that point was unheard of.”

  “Sounds like a story to scare kids.” Izzie chuckled and rolled her eyes.

  Miss Grant slapped her hand on Izzie’s book, staring down at her with a serious face.

  “I can assure you, Izzie, that the World in Between is anything but a scary story. It is a real place, and we have lost many to its dark magic. Don’t forget that.”

  15

  Izzie walked down the corridor that led from the library to the dorms. She had spent the afternoon studying her textbooks, her mind weaving in and out of focus. There was a spark of excitement in the air, at least for the other students. Parents’ Weekend was in only two days and the place would be flooded again with magical proud moms and dads, coming to see what their kids had been learning. It was great for everyone else but left a knot in Izzie’s stomach.

  Izzie sighed and turned the corner into the common area of the lowerclass girls’ dorms. The room was loud and busy and there were girls all over the place. Some were studying, some hanging out talking and laughing, and others showed off their Parents’ Weekend attire. Everyone wanted to look their best, and it was an excuse to get out of their drab uniforms for a change. Izzie tried to ignore it and went to her room, but it was the same in there. Kathleen stood next to her mirror with a long yellow sundress perfectly draped over her figure. She smiled at herself, fluffing her hair and letting it fall gracefully over her shoulders.

  “Izzie, you’re back. We were just discussing what we would be wearing this weekend. What do you have stashed back there in the closet?”

  “Actually...” Izzie set her bag down on the bed and turned sheepishly toward Kathleen. “I was kind of hoping one of you had something that I could borrow.”

  Kathleen eyed her. “Everything I have would be too long on you. I’m a bit taller.”

  “I have something,” Emma called, rushing to her closet. “And I think it would fit your personality perfectly.”

  Emma searched through her closet and pulled out a long blue sundress with a silver edging along the bottom. Izzie smiled and took the dress quickly changing into it. She looked at the girls, who all smiled excitedly. The dress fit her perfectly, billowing at the top and cinching at the waist with elastic. The bottom touched the ground and the silver shimmered. Emma grabbed a pair of silver sandals, handing them to Izzie.

  “These will go perfectly.”

  “Thank you.”

  Izzie smiled and glanced at Alison, who was sitting on the edge of her bed. She looked sad, staring at the floor not participating at all with the other girls. Izzie remembered Alison telling her that her mother was dead. Izzie turned back to Emma.

  “This really is kind of you. I wouldn’t have anything to wear otherwise.”

  “No problem. It’s a bit big for me anyway, I’m built like my mother—ti
ny. My grandmother got that for me, and though I love it it’s still too big for me. You make it look like it’s supposed to.”

  Izzie smiled and Emma went back to her closet, trying to piece together her outfit for the weekend. She took the dress off and carefully hung it on the back of her closet door, setting the sandals inside on the shelf. She pulled her jeans and a t-shirt on and walked over to Alison’s bed, plopping down next to her.

  “What do you say we take a walk? It’s beautiful outside.”

  “Sure.” Alison half-smiled.

  Izzie looked at the other girls, but they were too busy to notice. Izzie and Alison headed out through the droves of girls all laughing and talking excitedly. They went out the front doors of the mansion and headed through the pasture, waving at the caretaker as they took the path to the woods. Alison didn’t say anything at first, just focused on putting distance between herself and all the talk and excitement of the upcoming weekend.

  The sun shone brightly on them, the rays of light seeping down through the canopy of the forest. The air had cooled a bit, but it was still warm enough to walk around without a jacket. Fall would hit them soon, and then the more trying holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Alison didn’t even want to think about it; she just wanted to relax. When they reached the stream, they picked a nice piece of moss and took a seat.

  Izzie leaned back on her hands, tilting her head up toward the light. Her energy moved and changed. Alison could tell there was something on her mind since her energy was slightly off, but she wanted to give her the chance to bring it up first, if at all. She knew first-hand how hard it was to talk about things like that. The girls sat quietly, watching the different types of birds fly around and listening to the trickling of the stream. After a half hour Izzie sat up, pulled her knees to her chest, and rested her chin on them.

  “I don’t remember a lot about being a kid.” She stared into the distance and Alison sat up, twisting a twig in her fingers and just listening. “My memories of the orphanage are almost like a movie playing in my head; there’s no real emotion behind them. There was a school there, and humans, but I was the only one with a magical background. They didn’t tell me, though, so I can remember strange things happening and me thinking I was going crazy.”

  “Did they tell you anything about your parents?”

  “Not that I can remember. Sometimes it feels like I never had any; like I was just made out of thin air. There isn’t a single memory of them.”

  As Izzie sat there thinking about her past, Alison could see strange orange and black streaks twisting through her energy. Anytime a new memory—which Alison saw as yellow—popped into her energy the orange and black would swirl around it, almost as if it were choking it. She had never seen something like that before and wasn’t quite sure what was going on.

  “I just keep thinking that maybe they are out there somewhere looking for me. Or maybe they had to give me up and they are on Oriceran waiting for the portal to open.”

  Alison smiled gently. “Maybe. For me there is already closure: my mother is dead.”

  “I’m sorry.” Izzie looked at her with embarrassment. “I never meant to make you feel bad.”

  “You didn’t. I’ve gotten used to it, to a certain extent. And I have Brownstone and Shay, who are wonderful. I just don’t want everyone knowing, you know? It’s too dark of a past to explain to people and think that they would take it with grace. I don’t need a thousand and one questions.”

  “I feel you there. Only you and the staff know where I came from. I won some sort of scholarship and now I am the ward of the headmistress.”

  “She seems nice, though.”

  “Ms. Berens? Oh, yeah, she’s cool. Doesn’t take any crap from anyone, but she is really nice.”

  Alison gave her a crooked smile. “But she’s not your mother.”

  Izzie nodded, touching the top of a mushroom. “Exactly, and I have so many questions but no one to answer them. It’s incredibly frustrating.”

  “I completely understand,” Alison replied, nodding. “You want to know everything about yourself, like where you came from, but there is only so much information.”

  “Yep.”

  The girls both got quiet and stared at the stream, their minds wandering through thoughts of their parents. Alison shook her head, knowing it wasn’t the time or place to relive those memories. Her mother was gone—who cared about her father!—and now she had to make her own way in the world. But then she remembered James and Shay again and cheered back up. How could she have forgotten them for a second? She was not alone.

  “Alison? Thanks for being my friend.”

  “We are kind of two peas in a pod. How about we head back and go to the dining hall? I’ve heard you can drop in all afternoon and get ice cream sundaes.”

  “I love ice cream, like obsessively love ice cream.” Izzie laughed, her energy almost back to normal.

  The two girls stood up and turned to head back toward the school. Izzie looked into the dark of the forest, shaking her head.

  “What’s up?” Alison frowned.

  “I don’t know what it is, but I constantly feel like I have forgotten something. It just won’t come out.”

  “I hate when that happens,” Alison commiserated.

  Izzie’s energy spiked again, then calmed as she looked at Alison and shrugged.

  “I guess if it’s that important my mind will release it eventually.”

  “Yep, and even if it doesn’t, your history doesn’t define your life. It’s the future that you make.”

  “That sounds like a greeting card.” Izzie laughed.

  “I know, right?” Alison chuckled and took Izzie’s hand and pulled her back through the woods.

  When they reached the mansion, they skirted quickly past Scarlett and a group of upperclassmen who had gathered and were casting magic in a circle. That was the last thing either of them needed—a run in with a group of asshole older kids. They moved through the crowded hall to the dining area, walking in to find it almost completely empty. It looked as if not many knew about the ice cream yet.

  They sat down at their normal table and two bowls of plain vanilla ice cream appeared in front of them. One by one more containers appeared as well, bearing everything the girls could think of to garnish a sundae. Izzie smiled and grabbed a dish of chocolate-covered something or other.

  “What is that?” Alison tilted her head in question.

  “Chocolate-covered espresso beans.” Izzie smiled. “I’m not sure where I had them before, but I know they are awesome in ice cream.”

  “Interesting, but I think I’ll stick to caramel, fudge, and sprinkles.”

  The girls built themselves giant sundaes, smiling as a bowl of whipped cream appeared in the center. They both put a huge dollop on top of their creations, then sat back to enjoy the cool, quiet dining area. They felt almost as if they had discovered a secret.

  “Enjoying your sundaes?” The headmistress winked and grabbed a handful of the chocolate-covered espresso beans. “Mmmm, I love these. Good choices, ladies. And do me a favor? Keep the ice cream social a secret.”

  She winked again and walked back out of the cafeteria, leaving Izzie and Alison staring at each other.

  “Did she do this for us?”

  Izzie shrugged and took another bite, concerned only with how delicious her ice cream was. “Maybe, but that’s even better for us. I told you she was cool.”

  “I would have to agree.” Alison laughed, taking another bite of hers.

  Still, deep in her chest, she could feel the sadness. She still missed her mom.

  16

  The school was almost bursting at the seams. There were parents and kids all over the place. The freshmen talked loudly through the halls, showing their parents all around the mansion and introducing them to their different teachers. The headmistress had lifted the ban on magic outside the classrooms to give the kids a chance to show their parents what they had learned so far that yea
r. The ban was pretty much useless anyway since everyone used magic on the school grounds, but she hoped it would settle some of the kids down a bit. She didn’t need to take up her time reversing spells gone wrong or fixing accidents as in years past.

  Ms. Berens walked quickly down the hallway, smiling at passing parents, and stopping every now and then for an introduction. She was trying to get over to the girls’ dorms to visit Izzie, who would be feeling very lonely right about now. She knew Alison had invited her to hang out with her and Mr. Brownstone and Shay Carson, but Izzie had declined. It would have just rubbed in the fact that even though her mother was dead, Alison still had people who cared about her and Izzie didn’t.

  Izzie was lying on her bed in the blue dress reading a book when the headmistress knocked, then hurried into the room and shut the door.

  Ms. Berens said kindly, “Izzie, come on—you can follow me around for a bit, and help the discombobulated parents. There is always someone who gets lost in the East Wing.”

  “It might have something to do with the maze.” Izzie giggled.

  “Precisely why they don’t need to go there.”

  Izzie put on her silver sandals and they left the room. She walked behind the headmistress, smiling shyly at the parents passing by. She really didn’t have any tasks to do or anything to keep her busy except walk—or sometimes run—to catch up with Ms. Berens. But she was definitely learning how to smile even when she didn’t want to, and how to deal with the craziness of running a magic school.

  Ms. Berens started moving again and Izzie raced to catch up, stopping again as a group of older kids and their parents approached.

  “Ah, my upperclassman! Where are you headed?”