"Uh..." I turned back, looking for Jack.
What I found instead was my shadow stretching through the glass until its feet ended up under mine. Thankfully, I wasn't the only one who saw it. When Torian murmured in surprise, it made me feel better. If he - one of the most powerful and best-trained kids I knew - was shocked by this, then I wasn't screwing up as badly as I thought.
"I didn't know it could stand up," I hurried to explain after it had snapped back to normal. "I mean, it moved a few days ago, but before that, my own shadow didn't do anything. And now, all of a sudden, it was like it took over."
"Rain!" Jack declared, swooping back down to land on my shoulder. Then he rattled loudly enough to make everyone else pay attention. "Morrigan. Jack. Rain, Rain, Court, Rain. Morrigan!" He ruffled his feathers. "Morrigan-Rain. Morrigan-Morrigan. Court!"Caw! "Rain. Rain-court. Rain, Rain, Rain!"
"I see," Ms. Rhodes said wisely.
Which seemed to be all Jack wanted. The bird slung his head in what could only be described as a definitive nod, then settled patiently onto my shoulder.
"Rain," Ms. Rhodes said, "I'd like you to come with me. Bracken? Liam? Pearl? Please handle the students? The rest of you, make sure all Wild magic is dispelled from the atrium?"
"Can do," Liam assured her. The rest simply nodded.
Then, with an arm pointing towards the front of the building, Ms. Rhodes made it clear I was to walk with her. I turned that way, falling in at her side. When we reached the front of the atrium, I glanced back, hoping my friends weren't in too much trouble. That was when Ms. Rhodes turned for a door beside the main entrance.
"This," she said, pulling it open, "leads down to the Never."
"Where kids learn magic?" I asked, because I'd heard of it before.
"Where they practice it," she corrected, stepping in.
Obediently, I followed, but Jack crouched lower on my shoulder. Once I was inside, Ms. Rhodes closed the door behind us.
"This door has a core of iron inside the wood," she explained even as she began descending the stairs. "It's the only opening that isn't somehow 'grounded' from the rest of the world by the silver oak. The rest of this..." She gestured to the walls beside her. "...is entangled with the tree's roots, giving the basement both stability and the ability to consume and repurpose the magic we use in lessons."
"So this is some kind of magic-eating basement?"
That made her laugh. "In a manner of speaking, I suppose it is." Yet once we reached the bottom of the stairs, she turned to face me. "Rain, what really happened? Please remember that I can feel your lies."
I grimaced. "Um, I had some of the nectar, right?"
"I'm sure," she said, making it sound as if there was nothing wrong with that.
"I mean, I did last semester too, but it hit me hard this time, and I was kinda, um..."
"Inebriated is a good word," she suggested, a little smile playing on her lips.
"Yeah," I mumbled, sure I was about to get in trouble. "But I didn't mean to!"
"Ok."
I paused, because that felt too easy. "Really?"
"It's the truth, so really," she assured me.
Which actually allowed me to relax. "I couldn't even read my phone. I was checking the time. And then it was midnight, and I kissed Keir - "
"Keir?" she asked.
My eyes jumped up.
Her smile grew.
I just groaned and dragged a hand down my face. "Yes, Keir. Never mind how weird that is, but the fae keep saying it's normal - "
"It is," she promised, making me think she knew far more than she should.
