A Class of Conjuring
Chapter 3 — Cassandra

The tube led beneath the river that fed the pristine waters surrounding the Enchanted Academy. All along the way we could see creatures swimming playfully, eating plants and having not a worry in the world. They were unlike any sea creatures I'd seen before. They watched us with intrigue, understanding what we were and how different we were from them. Some swam alongside the tube, waving with fins as we waved with hands.

I knew such a world existed but had never been allowed near the river or on the tube as both were exclusively for those heading to and from the Enchanted Academy. I'd dreamed of coming here. Though, as I said to Guildmaster Ren, I wasn't sure how successful I would be. Even as a child I dreamt of this very place, my parents promising someday it would happen. I never believed them. I still didn't, because I couldn't believe I was good enough to graduate from a place with such prestige.

Before I even stepped foot on the dock leading to the bridge crossing over to the academy, I felt a kinship with all around me, like it was the place I belonged above all other places. The buildings before me were nothing short of incredible, the sun's reflection off the buildings warming to the skin.

"All ten structures are made of crystal created from the waters surrounding the academy," Braeden said. "Most of the buildings have taken hundreds of years to build."

"I had no idea it was so large," I said, feeling humbled.

"The two buildings to the left are dorms. The one next to it is the gathering place and cafeteria." He pointed at the center building. "That's the administration building. You'll want to stay out of there. The other buildings are for instruction, and one houses the apartments for the instructors. On the far backside is the arena where we'll train and where games are played in front of the student body."

"How do you know all this?" I moved to the bridge with Braeden, him holding my hand, me feeling more at ease than I'd ever felt before. Suddenly everything I thought impossible seemed possible.

"I have a friend who found it on the dark web," he said.

"That's impossible. The Internet was outlawed years ago."

"You keep believing that." Braeden smiled. "Outlawed but not shut down."

"I think this is the place, Braeden. Where I was meant to be." I turned to him. "Do you feel the power?"

Braeden held my hand. "I feel it as well. Like everything that has happened in our lives has led us to this moment. This is where the best witches and warlocks learn the trade. They learn to master the skills they were born with." He nodded at the bridge. "When we cross, our lives will change forever."

"Then let's change our lives," I said, and we started forward, crossing the bridge and then suddenly stopping. Braeden dropped my hand and stepped away. "Cass, your hands."

I raised my hands, the left blue, the right fiery red. "My powers," I said. I moved my hands together and started to create a fireball.

"Whoa," Braeden said and lowered my hands. "Not yet. Let's at least get inside and take the tour and get orientation out of the way."

I shook my head, though I thought he did it more out of fear I might destroy something. "I believe in me, Braeden. I have no doubts in my ability."

We approached the main entrance, and the two stained glass doors opened. Part of me reconsidered going forward. What if I failed? What if I became a liability to the academy the way I'd become a liability to the guild?

"Names please." The man appeared from the shadows. He may have been three feet tall. Maybe. His glasses hung on a large crooked nose that sat between two old, weary eyes. Long, gray eyebrows hung over the old eyes. He pulled a slate of glass from his pocket and tapped a button on the screen. The screen glowed, and the man rubbed his chin. He eyed us suspiciously and maybe with a bit of fear.

"Um, Braeden Lebeaux," Braeden said.

"Cassandra Clarke," I followed.

The man stared at me as if he were seeing a monster. He then tapped several buttons on the screen and suddenly two printouts slid from the top of the screen, leaving me in awe. "Your orientation schedule and your tentative class schedule. Please step ahead to the yellow line. Your tour will begin shortly." His lip trembled when he looked up at me again.

"Hexes and Potions 101, Magical Defense Spells 101, and Field and Mission training," I said.

"I've got the first and last one with you," Braeden said, smiling. He was always smiling, always upbeat about everything. I guess he had to be if he were going to deal with all my baggage.

We moved forward, and I took a glance back at the old man. Walking backward, he disappeared into the darkness as if he never existed, though I would never forget his reaction to me. My reputation had arrived well before I did. Though the outside of the building had been made of crystal, the inside reminded me of the dark wood in the old pictures I saw of libraries that once existed. Along the walls were pictures of famous witches and warlocks most of whom I'd heard of, some I assumed were long gone.

We stopped at the yellow line, and then the line moved forward. Braeden and I shared a glance and then stepped forward, the toes of our shoes touching the line. The yellow line moved again, but we did not. The line moved back but again danced forward. Then our ears were drawn to the laughing behind us.

"William Dashell Bancroft. My friends, that means you," he said to me and tapped me on the shoulder. "Call me Dash." He squeezed between Braeden and I. "You'll learn to either hate me or love me."

"I'm thinking hate," I replied. He was much taller than either of us, his blond hair pulled back tightly into a ponytail. His emerald eyes were ice cold and lonely. A tattoo adorned his left bicep, a picture of two older people inside a fireball. He wore black but not the way Braeden wore black. William, who was not my friend yet, wore black because he was trouble.

He swirled his finger, and the yellow line moved again.

"I'm not amused," I said, and he frowned.

Still standing between Braeden and I, he put an arm around my shoulders and then Braeden's. "A couple of newbies," he said. He nodded at the two young men with him. "That's Kyler Bowen and Oliver Morris." He dropped his arm from Braeden's shoulders and turned to me, the emerald specs in his eyes moving in a circular motion and forming a swirl in his pupils. "And you are?"

"Cassandra Clarke," I said but offered no more. I saw no need for everyone to get their panties in a wad. They would replace out soon enough.

"Oliver," Oliver Morris said and stepped forward. He was the shortest of the three but had odd, handsome features, like he was better than his looks. "Hmm." He held my other hand. "You are five-foot-two or 62 inches. Or 157.48 centimeters." He rested his chin on his right hand. "I believe 110 pounds or 49.89516 kilograms."

"A lady doesn't tell her age or weight," I quipped.

"Ignore the brainiac," Kyler said. "He's smart. We get it." He moved Oliver away. "Kyler Bowen, artist extraordinaire." He reached into his front pocket and pulled out a perfect dozen red roses and placed them in my hand. He then held up a thumb as if to take aim at me. Using his other hand, he began drawing a picture in the air, a picture of me. "Anything you need, I'm at your service."

Dash reached out and waved his hand through the picture, and it dissipated. "Forget these two. Welcome to the academy. I'm the guy who can get things. You remember that and you'll do fine."

I glanced at Braeden who just shrugged. I could see jealousy beginning to fill his eyes. Neither of us were used to other guys being around. Even at the guild the men kept their distance, though I thought Braeden had a lot to do with that.

"If the five of you are done playing, we can begin the tour. My name is Ruby Thompson. Like you, I'm a witch at the academy."

I first noticed the glow of her hands and then her beautiful features: wavy, flowing black hair, eyes so blue they could be made of artic ice, perfectly aligned facial features, and though tall, a body to die for. She also had an air of confidence I wished I had. And though she looked to be our age, I sensed and older soul, something different from the rest of us.

She followed my eyes to her hands. "Ice and darkness," she said, and raised her hands. "A welcome combination."

"Fire, of course," Dash interrupted and showed his red hands. He created a small fireball and then swiped a finger through the center. Using that same finger, he drew the word welcome in mid-air, tiny flames flapping from each letter. Kyler chuckled, and right before my eyes he became a black wolf. He howled and padded around the room, his black fur shiny and long. He moved next to me and licked my hand. His black eyes shimmered from the lights above. He howled again and changed back when my jaw dropped. "Earth is my element," he said. "I'm also a shapeshifter, obviously."

I looked him over and smiled.

"Clothes," Dash said.

"Oops." Braeden snapped his fingers, and he was no longer naked. "Always forget that part."

Oliver sighed loudly. He raised his hands over his head and moved them back and forth, water appearing in the air. He brought his hands down, and water hovered above each palm. "Water," he said.

Dash swatted the water droplets, and they splashed against a painting on the wall. The colors began to run, and as they did Kyler darted past us. He waved his hand across the painting, and the colors reversed course, returning to their proper place. He ran his hands through his black hair and shook his body as if to rid himself of a chill. He was tall but not as tall as Dash. But unlike Dash, Kyler was of solid build, his muscles pressing against his shirt. For such a young man, he wore a thick beard that made him appear years older. His eyes were distant, as if he were looking at you but thinking of something worldly. I wondered if he were the loner of their little group.

"Show off," Dash said. With his arm still around my shoulders, he walked us forward as if he were the baddest man on campus.

I was a bit taken aback by all the attention, some I wanted, some that made me worry. They apparently had not heard the stories of my witchery, or the lack thereof. When they did, the friendliness would wear off. They would return to their group of three and treat me like a disease.

"As I'm sure you're aware, we're currently in the admin building, a place you want to stay out of," Ruby said quietly. Even mentioning the building gave her shivers. We walked outside, and she pointed at the instructors' housing. "Stay out of that building." She stopped and stared at me. "Be watchful of the male instructors. If they ask you back to their apartment, you say no. Some of the female students have inadvertently found themselves inside those walls." "Notice she didn't tell us to stay out," Dash said.

Braeden glanced back at me and then glanced at Dash's arm around mine. I slipped my arm away, and that was when Dash noticed Braeden's glare. "Calm down," Dash said to Braeden. "There's enough of her to go around."

"Shush," Ruby said and continued leading us to the next building. She took her job seriously which meant she probably took her studies seriously. I needed her as a friend. "These buildings contain the classrooms and auditoriums used for your training. Except for field training, this is where you'll spend most of your time."

I thought about what Dash had said. "There's enough of me to go around." I glanced at each of the four young men, and an idea began to take shape in my mind; an idea I would never have considered before entering the academy. "Earth to Cassandra," Dash said.

I looked up at the crystal buildings and raised my hand. "Why the crystal?" I asked Ruby.

"I got this one," Oliver said. He sidled up next to me and pointed at the crystal buildings. "Crystal is the only substance capable of repelling a spell or an element. It keeps inexperienced students from destroying the campus." He then stopped us from continuing. "Like the witch who destroyed half of Wayfair City a month ago." They all laughed, and that was when I knew I was in trouble.

Kyler stopped and turned to look at me. "I thought you looked familiar," he said. He turned to Dash, "It's her."

"Her who?" Dash asked.

"The witch who destroyed Wayfair City. The one who lobbed fireballs, hitting everything but her target."

Dash released my arm and began laughing. "The fae city witch," he said. "Wiped out the entire town." He laughed again.

"There were over a dozen Sarchi ravaging the city," Braeden said, Ruby by his side. "You should know by now the Sarchi are the fastest moving creatures we have to deal with. Any one of us could have made the same mistake." He went at Dash, and Oliver and Kyler separated the two.

"No," Oliver said. He pulled a glass device from his pocket similar to what the old man at the entrance had used to check us in. "Wayfair City is just the most recent. Of course, there was the fae city, the field of cows she turned into steaks. The river she turned to alcohol and killed all the fish. The list goes on."

I shook my head at Braeden for him not to do what he was thinking about. He would fight to the death to protect my honor. Everything Oliver, the little shit, said was true. I'd screwed up more times than I could count. And for the second time since my arrival, I doubted my ability to be successful at the academy. My past was following me around like a lost puppy. I couldn't spend the next four years listening to all the trash talking.

"We need to finish the tour," Ruby said, her fear of me obvious. I gave her a gentle shrug, hoping she wouldn't hold all those things against me. With all the testosterone around me it would have been nice to have a female friend, especially one who took schooling so seriously.

I waited for everyone to follow Ruby, and then I fell several paces back, feeling as though a shadow had been cast over me and my abilities. It was not how I wanted my first day at the academy to start.

As we continued the tour, Braeden stole a look at me, and I shook my head. Defending me again in front of the others would make him look bad. He needed to be his own man, although I wondered about him being mine. I pushed away the thought and tried to concentrate on the reason I was at the academy. To become the best witch in the world and to prove other people wrong. The three guys had set the bar a few notches higher. I decided to be better than them and not

cause a scene.

Kyler dropped back from the pack and joined me, his face consolatory. "Sorry about the way Dash treated you. He's always messing with people. We've known each other since high school. He's got a lot he's dealing with inside. Don't hold it against him."

"That's what I figured. I'm not here to make enemies," I said. "And I knew my past would come back to bite me in the ass anyway."

"Yeah, I get it. I'm kinda an outcast as well. You'll get used to it."

I nodded but felt my insides crumble at his remark. Again, I felt like crying refused to show weakness. "You never said where you're from," I said.

"Up north, where the woods are thick and dark," he said. "It's where I learned to hone my Earth element, and where I roamed free as a wolf cub." He held my hand as we followed the others. "Maybe during break, you can return with me. I think you'd enjoy it."

I nodded and looked down at his hand, the glow melding with the glow of my hand. An odd sensation filled my body.