“Then…” I began hesitantly. “I guess we’ll just have to make today count?”
She nodded decisively. “Yes, we will make today count,” she agreed.
Chapter 19: Classmates
My mom left early in the morning just like she said. She claimed that the fons’radix had been active again later in the afternoon, using up a ridiculous amount of magic, but she was committed to at least giving our family the one day, explaining that the elves would have contacted her via the ring if it was an emergency.
We all woke up before the sun rose to wish her goodbye, watching her use the ring’s teleportation magic to instantly reach the elven capital. It was a one-way spell though. She couldn’t just magically return out of thin air. There had to be a teleportation anchor – an established location – for her to travel to.
It had taken her two days of travel to reach town, with her leaving as soon as my pendant broke, only to arrive in the evening two days later. Yet, now she was traveling even further away than she had been, in the blink of an eye, using this unique magic.
A shadowy void appeared when she activated it, allowing her to step through and disappear from our sight. Just like that, she was there and then she was gone, the black portal disappearing soon after.
My mom left before the sun rose because it would already be morning for the elves, with them apparently being almost two hours ahead of us since they were so far in the east. It was strange to think that the sun had already risen there, even though it was still at least an hour away from rising here.
Before she left, she reminded my dad to just leave town if the people here decided to cause trouble. Suppressing the memories of everyone wasn’t feasible, due to the exorbitant amount of time it would require for her to use that magic on so many people, so she hadn’t bothered trying that option. Instead, we would just see how it played out, leaving if needed.
My mom also reminded me to avoid using any kinds of magical attacks if there were people around, in order to avoid collateral damage. She added that she was impressed I had so much control already, partially thanks to my syncing with Jasmyn, but that it would be better for me to run away than fight while I was untrained.
It was sad to see her go, especially knowing it might be a while before I saw her again, and yet I didn’t break down and start crying like I thought I might. I supposed it was because I had grown up thinking she only visited once a year at most. So knowing I might not see her for several months sucked, but it wasn’t as bad as what I had believed most of my life due to my mother’s memory enchantment.
Plus, I knew I’d be able to see my dad and Jasmyn every day, so I wouldn’t be lonely. Especially not with my best friend around. Especially not with her living with me.
Jasmyn and I went back to my room afterwards, but neither of us could get back to sleep, so we just talked softly instead. Granted, it wasn’t like we needed to be quiet. My dad certainly didn’t go back to sleep, instead staying outside for a while before coming in to cook breakfast.
Mr. Burrows came by later that day to talk to both me and my dad.
Jasmyn hid in my room while we spoke with him in the kitchen. I was, of course, in my human form even though the head of the Guard didn’t seem bothered by my other appearance. It felt like an automatic reflex though, to shift when another human was around.
But I definitely felt muted after having been in my demon form for almost two days straight – yesterday and most of today. My dulled senses were uncomfortable to say the least.
Mr. Burrows explained that too many families were concerned after discovering our secret, and that it would be best if I continued my studies at home for the time being.
“However,” he clarified, speaking more to my dad than me. “The principal, Wayne Harmon, has agreed to meet you two in town to walk her to school every day in order to find out what they will be studying and what the homework will be. That way she can stay on top of her studies, and–”
I cut him off. “Seriously?!” I exclaimed. “Why even bother making the trip there if I’m just going to have to come straight home?”
He shifted in his chair to focus on me, his expression gentle. “Because I don’t think it’s right for them to keep you out of school entirely – I want you to be able to go back one day. And having you show up every day – having everyone see you every day – is an important step to making that happen.”
I looked at my dad, who had his chin resting on his intertwined fingers, his elbows on the table. He spoke up in response to my glance.
“I don’t think it’s a bad idea,” he agreed. “I certainly don’t want you to fall behind. And you can use this time to also go back over some of the basics,” he added with a wink.
I stared at him for a moment, assuming he was referring to my desire to teach Jasmyn. There was no way they would ever let her go to school, so I could use the opportunity now to cover as much information as possible. And then, if I ever did get to attend class again, I could keep her caught up with me by teaching our lessons in the evenings, though I imagined it would be another year at least before she could follow what I was studying. Maybe longer. But it wasn’t like there were a ton of other things to do in the evening anyway. And, as long as I was by her side, I was confident I would enjoy whatever we were doing, even if it was schoolwork.
I sighed, crossing my arms over my chest as I leaned back in my seat. “Fine,” I agreed.
“Just–” Mr. Burrows began, before immediately shutting his mouth, like he was afraid to speak.
I sighed again. “Just what?”
He spoke hesitantly. “Just…please don’t hurt anyone if they do or say something harsh.”
I scoffed. “Why would I start now?” I asked seriously. “They’ve been mean to me basically all my life.”
His brow furrowed as he glanced at my dad, who just shrugged before speaking up. “I guess her classmates have been bullying her at school, thanks to the rumors about her mother.” He then met my gaze, seeming a little annoyed for once as he made his next statement. “I wasn’t aware it was so bad until recently…” He looked at the head of the Guard again. “But she’s gone through a lot without hurting anyone, including being slapped by her teacher for something the other students did.”
Mr. Burrows nodded in acknowledgement. “And I’m very sorry for that,” he apologized to me directly. “Your principal has assured me that nothing like that will happen again, and if it does, the consequences for your teacher will be severe. She’s already on leave, with Mrs. Boone taking over her class for now.”
“Then, who’s teaching her class?” I asked in surprise.
“Your principal is,” he explained. “The older students have essays they will be working on for the next few days, so they’ll be told to use the first half hour of class to focus on that while the principal is walking you a few streets away from the school.” He paused, glancing at my dad again. “The teacher next door will be checking in on them too, just to make sure everyone’s actually doing their work.”
I scoffed internally, doubting my dad cared what was happening with the other class. I didn’t bother asking about why Mr. Harmon would only be walking me partway to and from school. I knew it wasn’t for my sake. If anything, it was for the students. The adults were probably smart enough not to bother me, whereas the students were more unpredictable, being more immature. It was obvious no one was worried about me getting hurt. They were worried about me hurting someone else if they didn’t make the idiot go away.
Once I had agreed and Mr. Burrows elaborated on the details, he then began talking to my dad about the reconstruction plans for the destroyed homes, since he was a carpenter after all and would be helping out with the rebuilding. However, my dad noticed that I was ready to be done, considering the conversation didn’t involve me anymore, so he asked Mr. Burrows if they could talk on the porch instead.
I silently thanked him with an appreciative look, and he winked at me in return. He understood that I
couldn’t just sneak into my room and risk our company seeing Jasmyn. Especially not when the door to my room was so close to the kitchen entrance.
I knew Jasmyn was excited about me staying home with her during the week, but she didn’t let it show. She was far too worried about me, feeling like she had messed up my life even though deep down she knew none of this was her fault.
She didn’t tell me any of that though.
Instead, I just somehow knew, and when I reassured her that she hadn’t messed up my life, instead making it better, and that I was looking forward to spending time with her too, she looked like she had seen a ghost.
Because it was like I had read her mind.
It didn’t take long until we realized that wasn’t far off from what was going on. Apparently, syncing our magic did a lot more than we initially believed. It was like our thoughts were slightly synced too. I certainly couldn’t hear words coming from her head, but I was beginning to pick up the general tone of her thoughts, anticipating what she wanted but was too afraid to ask. Like when she wanted to touch my snowy tattoo earlier, but was too embarrassed to say it.
She seemed mortified by that realization, her face bright red when we finally figured it all out. But I felt like it was a good thing, so I could help her learn how to be more confident about her decisions. I wasn’t going to be overly pushy, but if she knew I was aware of what was on her mind, then hopefully it would help her voice her thoughts.
And there was one thing in particular she had been wanting since she moved in, but had been afraid to ask.
She was in a house full of books all day, but couldn’t read any of them!
We had a few books that contained stories, so I promised that I would start reading to her every day, in addition to teaching her how to read. She was visibly ashamed because she felt like it would be an extra burden on me, but I was more than happy to do it. And honestly, I told her I wished she had asked sooner.
The next day my dad walked me halfway to school like normal, except he went a little further to meet up with Mr. Harmon. I was bringing my brown leather pack in order to take my books home, since they usually stayed in my desk at school. I had it slung over my shoulder, the single strap running across my chest while the bag rested against the opposite hip. It was weightless now, but I knew it would be really heavy for my human body once I got all my books stuffed inside.
The entire trip wouldn’t have been so bad were it not for the fact that Kain showed up at our house early in the morning to walk me to school too.
I had to admit I appreciated the fact that he didn’t try too hard to talk to me, especially when I made it clear I wasn’t interested in socializing, but I still didn’t like feeling as if everyone was babying me. I mean, having my dad take care of me was one thing, but I didn’t need Kain, Mr. Harmon, and Mr. Burrows treating me like a princess too, even if I was technically one.
Kain ended up talking with my dad most of the way, but then we were left standing there awkwardly in the street when my dad began socializing with Mr. Harmon. I kept my arms crossed, looking away and he thankfully took the hint.
My dad then asked if I wanted him to walk me to school as well, but I declined. I felt like the more people came, the more embarrassing this was going to be. Plus, I knew he needed to get to work himself. He hesitated, before reaching out to give my hand a squeeze and then took off down the street the way we had come. He probably wouldn’t have given me a choice if he was worried about me getting hurt, but we both knew that wouldn’t happen.
Mr. Harmon awkwardly greeted me, considering he hadn’t done so previously, and then began walking with stiff legs towards school. If anything, I think he appreciated having Kain there more than I did. However, once the school came in sight, I ended up being thankful they were both walking with me.
Kain reached up and rested his hand on my shoulder when we saw all the people clustered around the entrance of the school. And for once, I didn’t shrug it off. I wasn’t sure if they were all parents, here to make sure their kids were safe, or if they were just people who knew I was going to be showing up and wanted to catch a glimpse of the mysterious devil-girl.
Knowing that I was going to have all their eyes on me made my heart drop, a pang of anxiety filling my chest.
Without even thinking, I snagged Mr. Harmon’s hand like I would have grabbed my dad’s. I knew he had three daughters who were all older, so part of me hoped his dad-instincts would remind him of what it was like to have a girl my age. He looked down at me in shock, before tightening his grip when he saw my panicked expression.
The stiffness in his legs disappeared instantly, and his shoulder’s straightened, a renewed determination in his eyes.
And so we reached the throng of people like that, the crowd separating as we walked through, with Mr. Harmon holding my hand while Kain had his on my shoulder. No one said anything at all, not even a whisper, and my anxiety only escalated. I almost would have preferred them yelling out ‘devil’ instead of this. Their complete silence was worse.
I was relieved when we made it inside the building, only to discover it was silent within the school too, as if no one was here. But there were people here. Plenty of them. I saw a handful of empty seats as we passed doorways, but the majority of students were in attendance.
Every classroom we passed, every single student was silent, craning their necks to see into the hallway when they heard Mr. Harmon’s heavier footsteps. It was unnerving. I’d been in these halls for years and not once had it been this silent. I started to try to think of reasons why they would be so quiet, like maybe the teachers had threatened them with punishments if they even so much as whispered. I knew that had to be it. I couldn’t think of any other reason that made sense.
When we reached my classroom, Mrs. Boone stayed at her desk but gave me a reassuring smile, along with a simple greeting. She then gestured towards my desk in the row closest to the wall, where my books were stacked neatly, along with a note on top.
“I’ve got everything ready for you,” she said politely, not making any motion to get up to bring them to me.
I just stared at my desk like it was a world away, my anxiety preventing me from crossing the short distance to grab them myself. My gaze then swept over my peers, all of their eyes on me like I was on display for them to see.
And then my gaze caught a familiar one – a pair of green eyes, watching me with a reserved expression.
The moment I met Kaylee’s gaze, I felt like someone had stabbed me in the heart with a knife, reminding me of all the pain associated with her betrayal, along with the fact that I knew she’d never want to be friends now after what she had witnessed.
My eyes began to sting as I looked away and began rushing towards my desk to gather my books, ignoring it when a few of my peers squirmed in their seats like they instinctively wanted to run away. I stuffed my books in my bag as fast as I could, ready to escape this stupid hell.
However, just as I turned around, there was an abrupt commotion, along with Mrs. Boone yelling out someone’s name in a harsh tone.
“Kaylee!” she snapped.
I had already taken a step towards the door, stopping in my tracks when I saw that Kaylee was blocking my path now, her expression one I didn’t fully understand. I didn’t want to talk to her though. I didn’t want to hear what she might say. I averted my gaze and continued walking towards the side with the intention of going right past her.
She stepped in front of me again.
I looked up at her in shock. “What?!” I snapped, trying to sound angry instead of on the verge of tears. I wasn’t sure I was convincing though, with my vision becoming so blurry.
She didn’t respond.
Instead, she lunged for me and threw her arms around my shoulders, enveloping me in her embrace. I sucked in a sharp breath as she pressed her lips up to my ear, whispering with a hoarse voice, speaking just two words.
“Thank you.”
My composure broke, and I star
ted sobbing, wrapping my arms around her waist. She tightened her grip on me, my shoulder becoming soaked with her tears.
Kaylee held onto me for several minutes before Mrs. Boone said her name again more gently, prompting her to pull away and wipe her eyes. I did the same, embarrassed by the mess on my face, but also glad that Kaylee was being nice to me for once. And thankful that it seemed sincere.
I sniffled as I tried to get the tears off my face, heading towards Mr. Harmon without saying goodbye to avoid my classmates seeing more of my crying than what they already had. Kain was still waiting in the hallway too, and even began following us down the hall before Mr. Harmon told him to go to class.
I had another spike of annoyance when he refused, feeling like he was babying me again.
“I’ll be fine,” I retorted firmly, only to feel bad about my tone. Because I had appreciated him being with me when we walked in. I quickly looked at him more meaningfully, before he got the chance to think I was ungrateful. “Thank you,” I whispered.
His eyes widened in surprise at the sudden shift in my demeanor, before he nodded, hesitantly turning around to go to class like he’d been told.
Mr. Harmon then grabbed my hand again, and walked me out of the building, keeping me close to his side as we made our way through the throng of people.
Just like before, no one said a word.
Chapter 20: Family
“Oh!” Jasmyn said cheerfully, staring at her name spelled out next to mine on the sheet of paper. “That’s what you meant when you said you wanted to spell it like yours.”
“Yep!” I replied. “Do you like it?”
She nodded eagerly, picking up the page from the kitchen table as she ran her finger over our names. The end of her bright blue tail lifted off the floor repeatedly in a rhythmic pattern, which I was beginning to suspect was a sign she was sincerely happy. It was sort of like a dog wagging its tail, except much more slowly, or maybe it was more like a person bouncing their foot while sitting.
Magicbound to a Snake Girl Page 25
