“It’s nothing, don’t worry about it,” I sigh. My chances of reconciling with Timothy seem to be disappearing. At least the mermaids are more tolerable than the witches. They’re still snickering at me from across the hall, holding their broomsticks.
“Hey, are any of you taking Flying Fundamentals?” I ask the mermaids, hoping I don’t have to suffer through that alone.
They erupt into laughter.
“Flying?” Persephone giggles. “Mermaids,flying!”
“We basically get to fly in the water,” Gwen explains. “What’s the point of flying through the air? It’s strange, and there’s no point to it.”
“You’re an odd witch,” says Orion, good-naturedly clapping me on the back. “It’s so funny how you don’t know such obvious things.”
“That seems to be the theme of the day,” I mutter.
DON'T TRY TO FLY
Maggie
As I go back to my room to pick up my broomstick, I notice that the other single bed has been slept in. There’s an old suitcase on the ground beside it as well. My roommate must have been here earlier, and I just missed them as I hurried to get up.
I grab my broomstick, and head back out to the clearing where my next class is. The sun is going down, but the moon is supernaturally bright, and everything is aglow in pearly white light. I can see June and the other witches gathered together in a group.
“Ugh, it’s so annoying that this class is after sunset,” says one of them. “It would be so nice to ride in the daylight. They should have had a class just for witches, I don’t know why the vampires have to be here too.”
That’s right!I had forgotten that Hallie was in this class too. I look around, and see her coming out of the academy. She waves excitedly.
“Hi! Good morning?” I say.
She laughs, “Yeah, I guess it’s all relative!”
The students are forming a group in the middle of the clearing. At the center is a tall witch who has short, black hair streaked with silver. It frames her face and shines in the light of the round moon. There are several differently-sized broomsticks lined up beside her. They must be extras.
“I’m so excited for this!” Hallie squeals, delighted.
“Uh, me too,” I say, although I’m not so sure. I catch a glimpse of June out of the corner of my eye. She’s already hovering effortlessly on her broomstick.Great.
“Welcome, students!” the witch in the center says. “Thank you all for joining us. My name is Professor Chan. As many of you may already know, flying is one of the most difficult of the magical arts, and there are nuances to consider, depending on what your magical background is. This is an open class, so please respect that everyone will be at different levels and will progress at different speeds.
“Flying shifters,” she turns towards a group of seven students, all standing together at the other end of the circle, “have the strongest natural flying ability, since many of you have already been shifting easily since childhood. Still, this class can help you advance your abilities through deliberate practice, more quickly than they would naturally develop.
“Witches,” she turns toward June, her friends, and I. “Some of you may have experience flying with the aid of a broomstick. While witches don’t necessarily require a broomstick for flying, it is certainly a helpful tool, especially while you’re still learning. I highly recommend practicing on a broomstick, if you don’t already have one. In the advanced class, we’ll begin to phase it out.
“I really shouldn’t have to say this, but I will anyway,” she continues with a sigh. “It is expressly forbidden to ring any bells or use any hexes on riding witches, in this class, or at any other time.”
Then she turns towards Hallie, and the few other vampires around the circle. “Then we have vampires. Because of the nature of vampiric abilities, it will take longer for you to develop the power of flight. But that doesn’t mean that deliberate practice and knowledge won’t help. Istronglyencourage you to continue practicing, although flight may take longer. Vampires who are older will naturally become better at flying, and will be able to fly unaided by a broomstick faster than witches will. Vampires, as they age and become more powerful, will also beable to fly for longer distances and in more difficult conditions than most witches and shifters, and are less likely to be affected by hexes and witches’ bells.
“Of course, vampires who can shift are able to fly in their shifted forms. Do any of you have a shifted form?”
None of the vampires indicate that they do.
“Ok, not a problem. Since we’re an inclusive magical school, I would also recommend that the vampires start with a broomstick. This isn’t traditional, but will be incredibly helpful as you start flying. I’ll expect you to use a broomstick for your mid-term and final, as it will give me a better indication of where your abilities are. You can phase it out as your natural ability increases, but it will be a boon to your early progress. We have some extra broomsticks here, take your pick.”
Hallie brims with excitement as she steps forward to pick up a broomstick. The other vampires are more hesitant. There’s one student, a slim vampire wearing a long, dark cloak, who doesn’t step forward.
“If you’re not interested in using a broomstick to practice, that’s your call,” Professor Chan says. “But you will have to use one for the mid-term and the final. Does anyone have any questions so far?”
My head is overflowing with questions. What’s a witch bell? Why do vampires increase in power over time? Some of them can shift? The potions class was dull and uninteresting, but flying is actually kind of exciting.
That is, until we start practicing. Professor Chan begins by asking the shifters to practice shifting and taking off at the same time. They start undressing so they don’t tear their clothes when they shift.
