A Class of Conjuring
Chapter 17 — Cassandra

Not having your magical powers but surrounded by witches and warlocks was like standing alone, nude in the middle of a full sports arena. I was the outcast. The girl who could help no one, not even herself. The expectation I would somehow screw up had certainly been met. The attack came out of nowhere, and none of us were prepared. Still, I would be blamed. My life was like that, and I'd learned to accept it.

When we arrived back on campus, I was sent directly to Headmaster Eliphas' office. On the way there, I had a lot to consider, mostly concerning my powers and my relationship with the four guys. All the worrying I had done about how they would react was for naught. At least everyone but Braeden, because we had yet to talk. The others had assured me he was onboard with the way things were falling into place. But I sensed Kyler wasn't so sure Braeden would be as accepting as the others. Maybe because Braeden and I were lifelong friends. Maybe I shouldn't have been thinking about Braeden in such a way.

I entered the admin building and found it eerily quiet. The dark wood walls were ominous, the dark floors like walking on the deck of an old pirate ship. The lights were dimmed. The inside looked much different than the outside. For whatever reason, it looked starkly different than my first day on campus. It was as if Edius was sucking the life out of the Enchanted Academy. I needed my powers back and needed to confront the archmage.

I entered Headmaster Eliphas' suite to replace his assistant sitting at her desk. She was a much older woman, probably in her seventies. Her hair was up in a bun, a pencil stuck through the center to keep it in place, and she wore a black dress. Her lipstick was also black. Her face changed from delight to fear. My reputation had entered long before I did. "Aurelius told me to come see the headmaster," I said. I tried to avoid eye contact as her dark beady eyes gave me the chills. "I'm sorry, he's out," she said and glanced at my hands. I wasn't sure if it were out of fear or curiosity. I was either the destructive witch or the witch who had her powers stolen. "Please close the door on your way out." She returned her gaze to her paperwork, and I just stood there, waiting.

I placed my hands on my hips and took a step closer to the desk. "Where am I supposed to go?"

She flipped through a stack of papers on her desk and then put her glasses on. "Here it is. You're to report to your field mission instructor." She sat the piece of paper aside and returned to her computer, ignoring me and my glare. Her people skills needed some work.

"Thank you," I said and left the office, leaving the door ajar. Outside, as I made my way to the classroom building, I noticed a stillness to the air, like something bad was looming over the campus. Though I'd lost my magical powers I had not lost my intuition. Someone needed to stop both Challis and Edius before the campus completely fell apart.

I watched the other students as they passed, most of them ignoring me, a few whisperings about my lack of power. None seemed to be worried about the gloom and doom hanging over every building. You didn't have to have special powers to sense the impending doom. Not every student knew I'd been labeled the chosen one. They mostly thought of me as the witch who couldn't. I was okay with that because when I did, I would be able to say I told you so. By not believing in me, they were actually taking some of the pressure off.

Outside, the sky barked a clap of thunder and gray, puffy clouds were strolling in from the west. A slight chill sent gooseflesh racing across my skin. Yeah, things were about to get real.

I entered the classroom building and found my field missions teacher sitting in his office, listening to music with his eyes closed, his lips moving as he whispered to the tune buzzing in his headphones. He reached back and tightened his ponytail but never opened his eyes. Students joked he had been teleported to the academy from the 1960s.

"Can I help you?" he asked loudly when he finally opened his eyes. I glanced around the room at the four shelves full of old vinyl records. The album jacket on his desk showed a large tongue. An old record player sat on the table next to his desk, a record spinning beneath a needle.

"I don't know," I said. "I was told to come here."

"You have your powers back?" I could tell he was ready for me to leave so he could return to his music. I guessed he was part of Aurelius' frustrations with the academy.

I shook my head.

"We'll have to wait for Headmaster Eliphas to return," he said. "You need your magic and elements in order to participate in class." He returned the headphones to his ears and closed his eyes.

I knocked on his desk and, frustrated, he removed his headphones again. "Where am I supposed to go?" People like him were reason the academy was under attack in the first place. They were complacent and didn't believe a real danger existed. It would take the loss of his powers for him to wake up and see what was happening.

He looked at his watch. "Did you talk to Headmaster Eliphas?"

He was lucky I'd lost my powers. "He's out. I was told to come here!"

"Okay. Hexes and Potions," he said and slipped on his headphones.

I left the office aggravated and needing my powers back. I hated being the odd one out. The other students who lost their powers had left campus and returned home. I wasn't about to do that. Someone had to stop the madness. I found the halls empty as most classes were already in session. I was late again, but not by my own doing.

"Come join us," Ruby said when I entered the class. "It's good to see you." She stood and gave me a hug which felt amazingly good. I needed that human contact.

I took a seat next to Ruby and looked around the room. Students whispered and looked at me. I then noticed the look on Ruby's face. "What's wrong?" I asked Ruby. "Nothing. I'm just worried about you. We all are."

"I know," I said. "Me too. I need to replace a spell or potion to alter the witch's curse." I put my elbows on the table and rested my chin on my hands. "I can't help but have a sense the entire campus is heading toward a darkness none of us have ever seen before. I also feel like it's because of me."

Ruby sat up straight and nodded. "It's not because of you. We were just talking about that. We can even see it on the instructors' faces. Braden said he overheard two of the servants talking. They have their doubts Headmaster Eliphas can protect us from whatever is going on. We have to get your powers back."

"Hey," a boy said and plopped down in the seat next to me. "You're the one, aren't you?" I nodded. "I might have something to help." He reached into his backpack and retrieved a thick book, dropping it on the table. Second in class only to Oliver, the kid knew how to drum up a hex or potion better than anyone else, though I didn't know his name or anything about him.

"And you are?" I asked. His thick red hair sat close to his scalp and a billion little freckles covered his face. He looked about ten years old but guessed him to be at least seventeen. He wasn't much taller than the table.

The boy scrunched up his face as if offended by my question. "I'm the Master of Spells."

"Of course, you are," I said. I looked at the others and shrugged.

"He'll grow on you," Ruby said and scooted closer to the boy.

Braeden and Kyler joined us, taking the last two chairs at the table. Kyler winked at me, and I returned the gesture. I hadn't told him yet that I heard the conversation between him and Oliver last night. I also hadn't told him how much I enjoyed his fingers combing through my hair. I understood I needed to be careful with Kyler. Unlike the other guys, even Dash who kept things buried inside, Kyler kept most things about his life hidden. I did feel a little better about our relationship since he invited me into the woods with him.

"Check for a lava potion," Braeden said to the boy. "It's supposed to strengthen fireballs. Maybe it'll kickstart her powers." He helped the guy flip pages, both intent on helping me. Braeden glanced up at me. We desperately needed to talk. Kyler spoke to two other students, telling them about his shapeshifting abilities. I'd seen him change only once, during the battle with the Sarchi. The fact he was a shapeshifter opened up a whole new set of questions in our relationship. If and when things turned sexual, how different would it be with Kyler because of his shapeshifting abilities?

The boy stopped at a spell and tapped his finger on the page. "This right here," he said. "I bet my life on it." He dragged his finger along the list of ingredients and then shrugged. "Easy enough."

Braeden turned the book toward us but shoved pit away when screams outside shook the room. The gloom and doom I felt had finally arrived.

The entire class scrambled to the windows looking out over the courtyard. "It's Challis," I said.

"Who's the old guy with her?" Braeden asked.

"I know him," Ruby said and raised the window, making the screams and yells for help louder. "But from where?" She stared at the man in terror, shaking her head. She looked at me and then back at the man. "I'm sure I know him." The students outside tried to enter buildings, but Challis quickly swooped in front of them, sending them scurrying in another direction. She screamed and cackled, enjoying every second of her horrific behavior. The man floated effortlessly in the air, watching us, a smirk on his face, his beady eyes on me. He had an expectation in his eyes. It wasn't a challenge. He was mocking me, letting me know someday soon we would be meeting to discuss my demise. I nodded at the man, letting him know I understood, but I also made sure by the look on my face I had no intentions in letting him win whatever game he was playing.

"Is anyone going to help them?" one of the students in the class asked. She didn't make a move toward the door. "They'll lose their powers out there. They don't stand a chance."

The teacher ushered us away from the windows and closed the window Ruby had opened. His phone rang and he talked quickly, the other person on the line barking orders. He ended the call and then ordered us back to our tables, ensuring us the teachers were handling the situation, a fact I knew to be bullshit. They weren't handling it. They were running scared, afraid they may lose their powers as well. He told us to remain in our seats, and then he left the room, closing the door behind us. The door lock clicked, and I looked at Braeden and Kyler.

"We can't let them terrorize the campus," I said. "We need to do something." I returned to the window and saw Challis and the old man still tormenting the group of students. The teachers were nowhere to be seen.

"Cassandra," Braeden said. "Grab your stuff and let's go." He cast a spell at the door, and the handle dropped to the floor. The door then squealed open.

Kyler followed us out and when I looked back, I found Ruby and her group following as well. A couple of students, understandably scared, called after us, telling us to stay in the classroom. We, of course, ignored them. I'd been brought to the academy for a reason, and that reason waited outside the building. My destiny had come to taunt me.

"Everyone watch your ass out there," Braeden said as we raced down the stairs. "We'll do all we can to protect you," he then said to me.

It crushed my soul to know I couldn't help, but I entered the fray anyway.