“Oh, I can see how close you two are.That’s delightful.Oh,” Dean Owens crossed the uneven drive into the school with ease despite her four-inch stilettos, waving a hand at our suitcases, “don’t worry over those.”
The bag disappeared in a whoosh, and even though I knew that kind of thing was going to be happening on the regular here, I was still taken aback.Magic wasn’t used in the world at large.They still didn’t know it was a thing at all, aside from the handful of witches and creatures that hid in the shadows.Lizzie beamed, chuckling under her breath and pulling me closer.
“Amazing.Yousohave to teach me that.”
Dean Owens smiled back, gesturing toward the gate.Now, we had only our backpacks, and as we stepped up to the intricately detailed wrought iron, with motifs of leaves and bats depicted in the metal, it swung open for us.
“Well, that will be on your spellcasting professor, and we actually have a brand new professor this year.Or I suppose I should say a returning professor.Professor Harkert taught at Night Grove previously, focusing on alchemy.”My ears perked up, hearing the word that could set me into a delighted ramble if allowed.“But he has joined us to fill the absent spellcasting position at the last minute.”
“Why’d he need to step in so last-minute?”Lizzie walked a bit ahead of me now as I trailed back near the dean.“The previous one die?”
Stiffening, Dean Owens cleared her throat.“As a matter of fact…But let’s not dwell on such sadness.Professor Harkert is renowned for his abilities, and I’m certain he will do an incredible job.He’ll be sure to cover the basics of presidigitation and telekinesis as well.”
“Sounds good to me.”Lizzie turned over her shoulder with a flashing grin.“Where we headed, teach?”
Christ.Can she not be chill for even thirty seconds?
“It’s Professor, and we are proceeding to the left up the stairs.You’ll be boarding in the south wing of Foxglove Hall.”
Conversation died as the three of us walked up the steps I’d noticed.Inside the gate, it was like walking into a new town.Everything was exactly how it would be if we were back in the early days of America, complete with the cobblestones Lizzie had been worried about.I wasn’t going to hear the end of that one.
The various wings and buildings of the Night Grove campus stretched up and around us, the stone pathways connecting the sections like a spider's web.I could see stained glass in nearly every window that faced us, and the bricks used to assemble these formidable, foreboding structures were dark, with vibrant green ivy crawling over them.Pumpkins and autumn decorations already poked out from doorways and windows, too.Mabon celebration was clearly in full swing.
Tonight was the fall equinox, after all.If the campus were anything like Rockford or Salem, Halloween would be celebrated immediately after and all the way through until the end of November break.
Witches do love us some spook season, after all.
“We’d love to see you both down at the Midnight Mabon bonfire once you’re both settled.It’s customary to begin the semester on the eve of the fall equinox to harness all the magic it possesses, and as you’ve likely noticed, Samhain is a fairly big deal around here.”
Lizzie and I both chuckled at that one, and I nodded up at the dean, who stood so much taller than I did in those heels, though I had a feeling she’d still tower over me even out of them.Lizzie was at least around my height, just an inch or so taller.However, that did put her lips level with mine when we stood too close.
Stop.You can’t think like that, Temps.
“Count us in,” Lizzie replied, happily skipping up the stairs.
A dark midnight bonfire with my stepsister.Sure, what could go wrong?Ugh.
We’dbarelygottensettledin the dorm room, which was just as stately and filled with dark wood trim as the rest of the academy’s interior, when Lizzie dragged me out of the room to “explore.”As much as I wanted to stay back in the dorm—and maybe pretend to be asleep when Lizzie went to the bonfire—I had to admit that I was interested in seeing the rest of the campus.There were so many buildings and dorms, but the sun had set fast after we’d arrived.Or at least it had felt like it, considering it was the night before the equinox and all.And that had meant that I wasn’t able to get a good look at the structures in the light.Even still, the place was lit up by glowing street lamps that flickered beautifully, and I’d swooned over them plenty.
“And look at that, it’s about midnight.I managed to keep you walking around this place for a full three hours.”Lizzie smirked over her shoulder at me, still wearing the same black, low-cut shirt that sat off the shoulder, even though the temperature had dropped considerably since the sun went down.“You have no choice but to go to the bonfire with me.No pretending to be asleep.”
I gaped at her and then stomped my foot down, crossing my arms over my chest, which was thankfully covered in a thick black sweater because Iwasn’tgetting cold.Ihatedto be cold.
“Don’t read my mind, Elizabeth.”She narrowed her eyes at me, dropping her head over her shoulder as she mirrored my arm cross.“We talked about this.”
“I’m aware we talked about it,Temperance.And it doesn’t take a mind reader to know that was your plan.I’ve lived with you for three years, dude.I know how you get out of things.”
We were at a standoff now because I didn’t think she was lying to me, but she’d still manipulated me into staying out when sheknewI wanted to go back to the dorm and avoid the raucous socialization.
“Come on, Temps.I want to meet people and see what the community is like.This is as new for me as it is for you, and believe it or not, I want to make some friends.”I eyed her.“Okay, at least some acquaintances.Plus, I want to do this withyou.We did it.We made it to the academy without our parents freaking out and shit.Let’s celebrate.”
Dammit.She had me there.I couldn’t deny her when she was actually being genuine with me.It would forever be my weakness.Lizzie said so much as one sweet thing that she actually meant to me, and I was a goner.
“Fine, but you owe me.”
Walking over to her, I looped my arm through hers, a dumb move but one I was doing anyway because I was nervous as hell to make an ass out of myself at what could like be a Mabon bacchanal.
“I will let you have all the time with the dusty, old books tomorrow.Promise.”She practically crooned the words, leading me to the center of campus where we could see the glow of a fire even from here.
