Without a primal, I had only what Forsooth taught me during the Magical test. I used that fiery, buzzy, liquid feeling in my chest for performing magic, the same as I had in that early exam. It seemed to work with most spells and rituals I’d attempted, which irritated the hell out of a number of my teachers for some reason.
On days where I used that part of me a lot, it felt like a pool of lava under my ribs. Sometimes it seemed to have a life of its own. I’d honestly wondered if my primal might actually spring out of my chest at some point, fully formed, but when I aimed magical rituals I practiced there, it only seemed to create geometric shapes.
Those shapes faded as soon as the ritual ended, melting back into that lava-like heat in the center of my chest, so I was no closer to a primal than I had been.
A primal was supposed to stay.
A primal was supposed to be permanent.
Thinking about that, a sharp pang of missing my brother hit me. I hadn’t had one that bad in a while, but he would have loved all of this. He would’ve been absolutelyfascinatedby the monoceri, not to mention by primals themselves. He would have loved the little fiery people, the draka, which passed messages throughout much of the Magical world.
Knowing him, he’d already be plotting how to obtain one as a pet.
I pushed thoughts of my brother aside with an effort.
It had been a relief to get my grades back from the summer bridging course, with high passing marks in every subject, along with a letter from Malcroix Bones Academy confirming that the conditions of my acceptance in the fall had been completed in full.
Ankha must’ve gotten a letter as well, given her note.
It was the first time I’d had any communication from her all summer.
“Upper level’s full,” the uniformed mage by the door told me.
Glancing at him, I nodded, and walked to the carriage entrance near where he stood. The two-story, bus-like vehicle was massive, and seemingly made of wood, painted dark green with black iron trim. I walked up the caravan’s few steps and hesitated, one hand on the ornate, rose-covered bar outside the door.
I’d written the school to ask every question I could conceivably think to ask.
Both formal and casual uniforms would be waiting for me in my dormitory, if I would kindly send the schoolmy measurements (I did). All personal belongings would be delivered to my dormitory directly, right after students got dropped in the town of Bonescastle. Anything I wanted with me in town on that first day, I should carry on my person. Yes, I would be required to wear a uniform for the formal assembly dinner that night. Yes, I had already been assigned a roommate for the year. No, they would not automatically assign the same roommate next year, not unless both of us requested it.
I took a deep breath, and climbed the rest of the way onto the bus.
Talking, laughter, and a general air of excitement greeted me.
I knocked into a group of people right as the door closed.
I stepped immediately to my left, and nearly fell into the lap of a brawny bloke sprawled on a different seat on that side of the door. Stumbling further into the dim space, I stared all the way around and realized it wasn’t set up at all like I’d expected.
Instead of rows of one-person seats or benches running from front to back, the caravan had a plush, velvet couch that circled every inch of the walls apart from the door. A circular staircase stood in the center, presumably leading to the upper floor. Magicals, roughly my age and a few years older, filled most of the available seating on the first floor, too. Right by where I’d just come in, the cluster of mostly-female Magicals, or magia?or witches, as most female Magicals seemed to be called?sat talking in low voices and laughing.
They looked up when they felt me looking at them, did double-takes, and stared.
Brilliant,I thought.Well done, Leda.
I didn’t expect to see anyone I knew, but I looked anyway, half-hoping Alaric might be there. I’d spent most of my non-studying time that summer with him, as we both lived in the Keep. We’d worked on magic, studied together, gone for meals, got ice cream and tea, and even went out a few nights in Londonby the end. He’d joked it was a practical exam for me to learn to fend off horny mages in the wild, but it was a surprising amount of fun.
I’d never met any of his mysterious friends, though, and I didn’t see Alaric on the carriage now. It struck me that I’d forgotten to ask him how he’d be getting to school. Given the obnoxiously spoiled royal he was, he likely had a far more luxurious means of transport than the one Malcroix provided for free. Anyway, he was in France, last I knew. He’d likely be getting transport from there, royal or otherwise.
Pushing Alaric from my mind, I scanned the length of the dark green cushion for anywhere to sit that seemed less terrible than the other options.
I finally saw a space near the carriage’s front.
Unfortunately, there were no windows on the first floor, but I had plenty of books in my satchel for the six-hour ride. When the murmuring around me grew more difficult to ignore, I made a beeline for the opening I’d seen, and plunked myself down.
I really should’ve eaten something at the hotel.
I’d packed my lunchbox with a green apple, half a cheese and pickle sandwich, a packet of crisps, and some tea in a thermos, all of which I’d gotten from the wall on my way out, but I suddenly couldn’t imagine breaking any of it outhere,given the cramped and crowded space, apart from maybe the tea.
I’d have to wait for Bonescastle, most likely.
