Nothing But Necromancy (Macrow Necromancers Book 1)

by J A Campbell

  Mrs. Mathers led them down a hallway past several offices. People hunched behind desks with computers in front of them. Again, Elise was struck with how ordinary everything seemed. She wasn’t sure if she had expected everyone to run around wearing pointy hats and waving wands, but she could have been in almost any college she’d ever visited.

  After a few twists and turns, Mrs. Mathers ushered them into a room with a few comfortable looking chairs, a long table, and a large screen TV.

  “Have a seat. The video is about an hour. After that, I’ll answer your questions. If you need the restroom, it’s down the hall. The screen will pause if you leave the room. There’s water if you’re thirsty.” She gestured to a jug. “I’ll be back as soon as the video is over.”

  She turned and left the room leaving Elise and Harmony alone.

  Elise sank into one of the comfortable chairs and heaving a sigh of relief dropped the crutches on the floor next to her. As soon as Harmony sat alongside, the screen sprang to life. Maybe there was magic here after all. Maybe it was just hidden so mundane visitors wouldn’t notice unless they looked for it.

  “Welcome, students, to the JM Columbia School of Magic. It is an honor to have you among us. The school has a long history, starting in the 1800s. Originally located....” Both girls settled in to learn about their new home.

  For the first time in her life, Harmony liked school. Every single class was AP and none of them were taught by “Coach,” which was unavoidable in Texas even in the expensive private school she’d attended.

  She wasn’t always the smartest kid in the room. Her roomie seemed to fill in her knowledge gaps like the other half of a yin-yang symbol. Considering the only roommate she’d ever had prior was a clowder of a dozen rescued cats, Elise was fine—except for the fact that Harmony could see the girl quietly shaking her head at most of her choices, particularly wardrobe.

  Face it. Harmony knew from the get-go that she was poor Elise’s “cat.” She did her best, but her chaos spilled from her side of the room to Elise’s no matter what she did.

  Considering Elise was still mobility impaired, Harmony did her best to curb her normally disorderly tendencies. It wasn’t easy. Her mom sent her belongings in two huge trunks which filled the available floor space in their tiny aerie room. Luckily, Mrs. Mathers had found her space in one of the vacant schoolrooms to store and sort her belongings, or else neither of them could have moved around.

  When she’d fled, she thought she’d taken the necessary stuff, but there was her old teddy bear, her books, the sixties original Mondrian dress she’d found at the Junior league shop for a song, vinyl records of Hendrix, Charlie Parker, ‘Trane she’d picked up at a funky record shop on Sixth. Most kids had parents to store their stuff when they went away to school. While Elise was sympathetic to her plight after the initial shock, Harmony knew from the look in her eyes that her room at home would stay the way she left it so she could visit.

  It hurt, sometimes. As nice as Elise tried to be, Harmony had to be herself, as imperfect, unpoised and mannerless as that was. Luckily Ben introduced her to the craft dungeon early on.

  Okay, not a real dungeon with Torquemada and all the nifty apparatus, but a basement room in the science area where the costumers, jewelers, and other artificers spent their spare time. She’d started up her jewelry-making business in the evenings when her homework was done and surprisingly did better selling her amulets and other items than she had at the beach.

  She rose early each morning to comb the lake and had already found some fossils which conjured images of ancient sea creatures when she touched them. Granddaddy had found a woman who made glass beads in Oklahoma City and had sent her several as well. Surprisingly, many of her mom’s friends had connived her address and sent things, too: new music, photos, food she missed from Austin.

  She wasn’t as alone as she thought she would be.

  Several of the faculty even offered commissions for specific wire-wraps. That got her invited back to the dungeon, where she again met Mindy, who could sew just about anything from a photo or a stick drawing, along with Kevin, who was an expert stone-cutter, and a host of others who spent their spare time working on various projects. She was surprised to learn they had a co-op—one of the school’s grads ran a booth for them at Portland’s Saturday Market and at other independent artisan events.

  Harmony sat at the table working on perhaps the most complex wire wrap she’d ever done. Professor Flaherty, the headmaster of the upper-grade portion of the school, had personally requested she wrap a round cabochon of polished onyx as a pentagram in a Celtic knot pattern. The basic star was simple enough to create, but the weavings around it were tying her own hands into pretzels. Good thing one of the qualities of the stone was persistence and concentration.

  Conversation went on around her. It was the usual topics: what they were working on, how to get materials, and where to find customers.

  “That new girl is trouble….”

  Those words got her attention. Harmony paused, holding her finger on the wire to look at the speaker, Mindy, a cheerful blonde who never had a bad word to say about anyone.

  “Who are you talking about?” Harmony asked, ready to defend Elise.

  “Sylvia,” Mindy said. “She’s dark haired, has really dark eyes…you can’t tell the irises from the pupils….Nobody knows what her talent is, but she’s pretty good at causing trouble. She broke Eric and Andrea up.”

  “That’s cold,” Deborah, a Black girl with a knack for water, spoke up. “They’ve been together since….”

  “Since they came here as little kids,” Mindy said. “But he was dreaming about her and next thing you know, she’s snuck into his dorm room and it’s over.”

  Harmony shook her head and opted out of the rest of the gossip. Like her mom, she suspected she was cursed with some kind of genetic anomaly that precluded her from a long-term relationship. She’d had a handful of boyfriends, starting in kindergarten when Joel was her exclusive teeter-totter buddy. Then, one day she didn’t see him on the playground and teetered with another boy and Joel came up and got in a fight with him and called her a “cheater.”

  This definitely wasn’t the time to think about romance. The last time she got even near close…her finger moved and part of the wire undid itself. She stopped it and shook her head. Wasn’t even a safe subject to think about.

  A sigh escaped her lips when she finished the final twist, threaded the silver chain through the amulet, and applied a polishing cloth to the silver wire. She always loved finishing and sending her pieces to a new home, but this one was something special. The headmaster had drawn the design with wire weaving in mind. At least she’d see the stone occasionally when she passed the headmaster in the halls or wherever.

  Yes, passed him in the halls. She’d yet to land in the principal’s office or be awarded any kind of demerits for behavior she hadn’t done. Or for the few minor infractions she had deliberately committed—like sneaking away to the beach to see the sunset or to Portland for jewelry making supplies and books at Powell's. She was carefully attuned to the whispers after all these years, and she knew they thought she belonged to one of the best Houses. She was grateful for every courtesy shown her, but felt like a pretender.

  She was nobody. Her mom obviously didn’t want her and whoever her father was, he never had.

  “It’s done,” she announced to the room where the only sounds at current were the rustle of a pattern being pinned to fabric and knitting needles clattering.

  “That’s amazing,” Mindy straightened from the pattern lying out on the floor. “It’ll look great with his robes. You should show it to Professor Harkenrider before you take it to the headmaster, though.”

  Harmony nodded. She’d heard the name. He was the expert on Icon Magic, which was wands and any other physical item which assisted a mage with conducting spells. After the much-dreaded test, she’d know more about what kinds of classes she’d be taking: Icons, Spells, Defense,
Battling. She wondered when that would happen. Her fellow students dropped hints almost daily—trying to psyche her out. In all her life, though, nothing had been as bad as what she’d feared it to be—so she just stopped worrying about the exam.

  “I’m going to take it to the headmaster now,” Harmony said. It was dinnertime, so she knew she could find him in the staff dining room, off the student hall.

  One thing she loved about Oregon was autumn. The countryside was a glorious mix of gold and rust. Leaves crackled beneath her feet when they weren’t experiencing some “liquid sunshine.” The only thing close to fall in Austin was when the live oaks shed their leaves in March, which was pretty weird considering the blue bonnets and mountain laurels were usually about to indicate spring.

  Those longer summer days shaded to cooler evenings. Already, mist from the river filled the pines and the air smelled like rain. Harmony hurried along the pathway. None of her clothing was warm enough for an Oregon autumn. She’d planned a shopping trip in Portland to score a coat, some sweaters, and at least a good sturdy pair of boots the next weekend.

  Her stomach growled in appreciation as she entered the cafeteria, fragrant with a mix of what must be a hearty beef stew and apple pie. She hurried to the teacher’s portion of the dining hall.

  Sure enough the headmaster sat at the head of the table. Harmony paused at the threshold, waiting for acknowledgment before she barged in. At his nod, she came forward and presented him with the amulet, which she’d tucked into a bag of red silk quilted with silver threads she’d sewn for it.

  “This is exquisite.” Headmaster Westenra held up the amulet for the rest of the staff to exclaim over. Afterward, he pulled out his wallet and offered a twenty in addition to the price they’d agreed upon.

  “Thank you, Sir,” Harmony said and prepared to make a graceful exit. She was surprised when a gawky professor, bespectacled, with gray hair and a goatee followed her out.

  “Professor Harkenrider.” He provided his name as he drew alongside her as she was preparing to enter the buffet line. “I thought you might enjoy this. I found it in a little shop in Eugene the last time I was there. It reminded me of your eyes.”

  When he opened his hand, Harmony stared down at a crystal with points on both ends. It shaded from a dark amethyst to a paler gold citrine.

  Harmony ran her hands along the stone, surprised to see two such different gems in the same matrix. She almost refused the gift, realizing it was gem-quality and far too nice for a student, but when she opened her mouth, Harkenrider spoke.

  “Ametrine,” he said. “You will need this stone. The amethyst will help with visions and discerning the truth. Among other things, the citrine is a success stone. It could come in handy for your test tomorrow.”

  Harmony swallowed. The piece was obviously “spendy” as the Oregonians liked to say.

  “Professor, I can’t accept this,” she said with some regret. Hard truth was she was as bad as a crow about sparkling things and this piece would be exquisite on a silver chain with silver wire wrap.

  “Just say thank you.” He closed her fingers on the stone and looked down at her. “The stones speak to me and this one says it must belong to you.”

  Harmony nodded reflexively. She’d figure out a stone he liked and do a wire wrap for him later. “Thank you, Professor.”

  She stood for several minutes with her hand clasped around the ametrine and then walked upstairs to the aerie without having dinner. The test was tomorrow. Fellow students, even her professors, had warned her about it.

  She lay down on her bed without undressing or removing the coverlet, just kicking off her shoes. When Elise thumped up to bed, the girl gave her a concerned look.

  “You’re worried about the test?”

  Harmony tried to say no, but she nodded.

  “Mine’s tomorrow, too,” Elise said. “At least, we’ll know.”

  I already know, Harmony thought. She closed her eyes and thought she would not sleep. She finally drifted off and awakened to a stranger shaking her.

  Harmony screamed.

  “Harmony.” Elise’s familiar voice from the stranger’s face made her shrink away.

  “Who are you?” Harmony demanded—staring into a brown-haired, brown-eyed girl she’d never seen before. “What are you doing in my room?”

  Elise jumped back at her roommate’s exclamation. Who was she? “Um, it’s me. Elise.”

  Harmony stared at her. “But, you...don’t look like you.”

  Elise looked into the small mirror on the far side of the room and saw only the normal results. Long black hair, green eyes, slightly disheveled, wearing a frilly nightgown. “What? Yes, I do.”

  Sitting up, Harmony stared at her, frowning, almost squinting. After a moment, her violet eyes widened and she looked down at something she clutched in her hand. Carefully setting the object on the nightstand, she again looked at Elise and her eyes widened further.

  “Did you always have black hair and green eyes?”

  Elise frowned. “Of course.” Then she swallowed and thought back to the baby pictures. Pictures of her with brown hair and brown eyes. “Wait, no. My baby pictures. I always thought they were bad photography or something. I had brown hair and brown eyes. I remembered that just recently, but with the medication the doctor gave me….”

  “But now you don’t.”

  “No, I’ve looked like this since I was very young. Well,” Elise laughed. “A younger version of this, anyway.”

  “But your mom has dark hair and green eyes.”

  “Yeah. Weird.” She wasn’t yet ready to share that she was adopted. Suddenly that information seemed too personal, and something she should guard. Not many people knew.

  “You can’t, by any chance, alter your appearance, can you?” Harmony tilted her head and studied Elise.

  Shifting uncomfortably, Elise shrugged. “I have no idea. I don’t even know what’s up with the ghosts. I guess we learn that today.” She glanced at the small digital clock on her nightstand. “In three hours.”

  Harmony stared at Elise for another long moment before nodding. “Yes. We’ll know a lot in a few hours. I’m going to go shower.”

  “Yeah, me too.” Elise shivered, for the first time wondering if more was going on than the school had told them.

  Elise put it out of her mind. She needed to focus on the exam. There had been plenty of hints from other students and staff, but no one would tell her what the test consisted of. She wanted to study, to prepare, and when she’d voiced that objection to the secrecy, they’d told her not to worry.

  Soon, she’d get to learn magic. She was in a theory class right now, but the entrance exam would help the instructors place her in appropriate areas of study. Of course, she knew she could see ghosts, and that they could see her, but she didn’t know what it meant.

  As if sensing her thoughts, Callie appeared next to her and leaned against her leg. Ruffling the ghost dog’s ears made Elise feel a bit better and she gathered her things to head to the shower.

  Harmony stared at the dog for a moment, before doing the same. She almost seemed relieved to see Callie, though Elise wasn’t sure why.

  Elise hobbled out of the small room, grateful that she’d have her cast off in no time. In fact, she had a doctor’s appointment later today to assess her ankle. She was a little nervous about that, but nothing compared to the exam. Butterflies danced around in her stomach while she contemplated what was coming. If only she had been able to prepare. If only someone would tell her what was happening.

  Trying to shorten the complicated process of getting ready for the day with a cast on her leg, Elise hurried through her morning routine as quickly as she could.

  Harmony waited for her when she made it back to their room. She’d told her roommate several times that she didn’t have to wait, but Harmony always did and Elise appreciated the gesture.

  They made their way down the narrow staircase and out into the crisp air. A few students were o
ut on the lawn, headed to or from the dining hall. Several stopped and pointed at the noticeable pair. Elise was the only one on crutches in the entire school, so even though they now had school uniforms, they stood out.

  Hoping they pointed because they knew Elise and Harmony were about to take the test, and not because one of them had done something embarrassing, Elise thumped on toward the dining hall. At least the ghosts had mostly stayed away since she’d arrived at school.

  She was hungry, though her stomach churned with nerves and she wasn’t sure she’d actually be able to eat. Harmony, never one to turn down food, opened the door for Elise and got a tray for each of them, as was her custom.

  “What do you want?” Her roommate asked.

  Elise studied the offerings and settled for tea and oatmeal. It was the only thing she was sure wouldn’t turn her stomach.

  Harmony loaded her own plate and they went to the table. Sitting on the end, as normal, Elise and Harmony focused on their food. Elise didn’t feel like talking, and she had to work hard to keep her spoon moving toward her mouth.

  Someone gave her a sympathetic pat on the back as they walked behind her.

  Elise turned to see Joy, the girl who sat near them in their Magical Theory class, smiling down at them. Joy was a cheerful redhead with freckles and gray eyes. Her skill was air. She was learning to manipulate the weather.

  “Everything got better for me after the test,” Joy said in her soft voice. “I was terrified during the test when the Fire hit, but afterward I knew for certain I belonged with Air.”

  “Fire?” Elise’s eyes widened.

  “Yeah,” Joy shivered. “Every element touched me…from earth to fire…The fire still terrifies me…I haven’t learned to extinguish it magically yet, but I will.”

  “Fire.” Harmony frowned.

  “Hey,” Joy said. “I don’t think either one of you are going to have to deal with elements.”

  “No doubt it’ll be even stranger.” Harmony raised her glass in toast. “Thanks, Joy.”