Monsters being outside was a blessing and curse at the same time. Being outside and being surrounded by clean air helped calm my tattered nerves. But it was also my largest class. And the one with the Kelpies in it. Yes, having Fethris there helped, but that didn’t make the whispers go away.

  “You think it might be true?”

  “Pegasus might not good for much, but gathering information is usually something they’re good for.”

  “I guess they really let anyone in who passes the entrance exam.”

  “I never thought they took that so literally. Father told me they only took the best of the best.”

  “If she can’t cast magic what is she even doing here?”

  I was proud of myself for not snapping. But my hands trembled and I was clutching the edges of my bright pink overcoat tightly.

  Fethris, Hecate bless him, was hovering beside me. His head was tucked low and he spoke in a soft voice. “If you need something let me know.”

  I needed this to go away.

  Fethris frowned, dark brown eyes flashed to the chattering Kelpies. “I have an idea. Keep your head down.”

  A bolt of cold fear hit me. Oh no. Was Fethris going to do something too? Oh no.

  His eyes glowed a deep green as he narrowed them at the ground. He whispered something under his breath for several seconds before his eyes returned to normal.

  Oh no.

  What did he do?

  The quiet between us lasted for what felt like eternity before the screaming started.

  Oh no.

  “What did you do?” I asked in a panicked whisper.

  “I got them to shut up,” he shrugged.

  Oh no.

  I covered my face with my hands and took several shaking breaths.

  Fethris sighed next to me. “Centipedes are harmless. It’s just a little scare.”

  I lifted my head up to look at him. In his hand was a multi-legged thing crawling in a circle in the palm of his hand. He was stroking the top of its head like it was some kind of puppy.

  “Aren’t those poisonous?”

  “A little, but nothing that can do anything to a person. This one says ‘hi’.”

  “You talk to centipedes?”

  “You know technically everyone can talk to centipedes. The trick is getting them to talk back.”

  “And they called me the strange one,” I mumbled as Fethris continued to pet the centipede.

  “Strange is relative, I think.” Fethris smiled as he lowered his hand to let the crawly demon free.

  “You really don’t mind?” I asked him. “I mean, yeah it’s exaggerated…but it wasn’t entirely wrong.”

  Fethris scoffed. “You got in fair and square like the rest of us. Dragon Tower chose you just like it chose me. There must have been something it saw in you that it liked.”

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  “Magic or not?”

  “Who cares? And you’ve managed to do the impossible twice already. Even if you didn’t mean to.”

  “Thanks, I think?” I laughed.

  “You certainly make this year more interesting than I thought it would be. So, I’m glad to have you around.”

  “I’m glad you’re here too,” I told him.

  (*********)

  By the end of class I was emotionally exhausted.

  I yawned loudly at about halfway to the library.

  Fethris turned to me. “You good?”

  I rubbed at my eye. “Tired. It’s been a day.”

  He nodded.

  “You think the others would mind if I ditched for today? I think I need a nap.”

  “I’ll explain. You take care of yourself, okay?”

  “See you around, or maybe tomorrow. We’ll see.”

  (*********)

  The world denied me my nap.

  I got as far as laying on my bed when something appeared above me and landed on my face.

  Rude.

  It was a white envelope with the nine symbols for the Towers on it. I glared at the Dragon one before flipping it over and opening it.

  Miss Stewart,

  Due to this morning’s commotion, I would like to speak with you in my office as soon as possible. I would also like to take the opportunity to discuss your future. My office is located in the hallway between Kraken Tower and the library. The brown door with purple trim. I’ve included a map in case you get lost.

  -Professor Vivian Hearth, Head of Security and Discipline.

  Today just gets better and better.

  Why me? What did I do in my previous life to deserve this?

  I carried the letter with me, staring at the map. It looked hand-drawn, with neat straight lines in black ink.

  Too bad it wasn’t helpful!

  “What hallway between Kraken Tower and the library?!” I grumbled as I looked around the walls. Why did half this school look the same?

  “Are you all right?” An unfamiliar masculine voice asked.

  “No. I got summoned to meet a professor, I’m lost and this has been the worst day of my life.”

  “That’s…a tad dramatic, don’t you think?” He was a professor in a dark green, almost black suit.

  I scoffed. “I’m Serafina Stewart. Unless you haven’t read today’s paper.”

  “Ah. I see.”

  “Yeah. Still lost. Can you help me?”

  “Where are you trying to go?”

  “Professor Vivian Hearth’s office. Apparently, she wants to talk to me.”

  “Well lucky you, I am very familiar with it. I’ll walk you to her.”

  “Thank you, Professor.”

  “I’m Reginald Hearth by the way.” He introduced as we walked. “I teach the fifth-year history courses.”

  I didn’t know how to respond.

  “I have a question for you, if you don’t mind.”

  “Um…sure, what is it?”

  “Why don’t you use your mother’s family name? It might have prevented this morning’s…commotion.”

  I laughed. “Would you believe me if I said I didn’t know it?” I explained. “Mom rarely talks about her family. I think it’s ‘cause they disapprove of…my dad.”

  “The human.”

  “That’s him. They probably don’t like me much either. I mean… if Mom thought keeping me away from them was for the best…they must have done something that made her think that. Mom might be…well I mean, you probably met her. But she does what she does for reasons.”

  “Even if we don’t fully understand those reasons.”

  I laughed again. “Yeah that sounds about right.”

  “Then why come here? You had to have known this kind of thing was inevitable.”

  “Maybe. But I wanted to try, you know? This place is a part of my heritage. Just because come people might reject me outright doesn’t mean I don’t want to know. To learn. Maybe my…difficulties with magic have just been a matter of perspective. And I had nothing to lose by leaving human schools behind anyway.”

  “You still want to connect with a society that might reject you?”

  “Whether Mom’s family likes it or not, I do exist. And if there isn’t a place for me anywhere, I’ll just have to make one.”

  He was giving me a very strange look.

  “What? Did I say something weird?”

  “No. Just…thinking.” He was quiet after that until we reached the brown door with purple trim. He knocked on the door three times in sharp succession.

  The door opened on its own.

  I flinched away despite it opening inwards.

  Reginald Hearth raised his eyebrow at me.

  “Look, I have bad experiences with doors that open on their own,” I told him defensively.

  Vivian Hearth was sitting at her desk. She had a pen in her right hand as she scribbled away. A few other papers flying around her. She didn’t look up as she spoke. “Reginald, please make this quick. I’m expecting-”

  “Uh…you wanted to see me Professor?”

  Vivian froze. “Serafina.” She said my name quietly.

  “I found her wandering the halls lost and thought it would be prudent to help.”

  Vivian’s eyes locked onto him. Why was she glaring?

  He looked unimpressed.

  She sighed, “Thank you brother. Now we have things to discuss and I’m sure you have better things to do.”

  “Not of all us get stuck with messes to clean.”

  I wanted to hide.

  Vivian snapped her fingers and he was gone.

  “Apologies. Younger brothers. You’d think at our age they’d grow out of their urges.”

  “Only child.” I shrugged.

  She relaxed a little and waved her left hand. The papers floated down to her desk and she set the pen down. “Please, take a seat.”

  There were two identical dark wood chairs with purple upholstery in front of the desk. I picked the one on the right.

  “It’s nice to see you doing better,” she said.

  “Better is relative, I think.”