“Yes, Hallie,” Tudor nods to her.
“Professor,” she asks. “Was one of those clans the dragon shifters?”
There’s a warm buzz throughout the room, although nobody speaks.
Professor Thornblade allows the anticipation to percolate before answering. “Yes, Hallie, the dragon shifters of Algernon were one of the clans that perished entirely during the conflict. Dragon shifting is considered one of the most complex and intricate form of shifting. The loss of this practice is one of the reasons that Elmwood Academy was founded, in its initial form, many years ago.”
Another hand goes up, from one of the panther shifters. He doesn’t wait to be called on.
“What do you mean, practice?” he asks. “Don’t shifters get born that way?”
Professor Thornblade acknowledges the confusion with a nod. “It’s an excellent question, and a complicated differentiation. You see, there is a genetic element to abilities like shifting, witchcraft, and even vampirism. But it’s more dynamic than that.”
I find myself leaning forward in my seat. As cynical as I am about magic, I can’t help but hang onto his every word. I never realized that I had assumed so much about witchcraft andmagical abilities. I’d never considered how abilities were passed down.
I’m clearly not the only one. The entire class is enraptured.
“We used to believe that genes and abilities were fixed, and passed down from generation to generation. Thus, witch covens gave birth to more witches, who followed the same Deities or Demons. Shifters and merfolk, similarly, had offspring with the same traits as them. Vampires were an exception, as we pass along our traits by mixing our DNA with that of our progeny.” He grins at Hallie, who glows.
“For many centuries, this was how magical kinship operated, with a few exceptions…”
“Like-” interrupts a vampire eagerly, who then puts her hand up. “Like how you can turn into a bat?”
Tudor nods. “Exactly. Many vampires have the ability to shift into bats. Any other exceptions?”
Several hands go up, excitedly.
“Witches who follow demons use blood as part of their magic!” declares one of the witches. “Some witches even drink blood!”
“Excellent, excellent.”
“Vampires can glamour people in order to drink from them,” says one of the vampires sitting beside Hallie. “It’s sort of like how witches enchant?”
“Yes, this has been a part of vampiric arts for many, many years.”
“Mermaids sort of do that too!” says one of the panther shifters. “Sirens sing to sailors to make them crash.”
“Yes, absolutely. As you can see, there has always been crossover in abilities between magical folk. But it’s something rarely acknowledged or discussed.
“As I mentioned earlier, for most of our history, magical practices have been shrouded in secrecy. Dragon shifters, forexample, spent centuries honingandhoarding their craft. They were incredibly secretive, right up until the end of their reign.
“Even within magical groups, knowledge is protected. Witches who follow Deities will often keep their practices secret from witches who follow Demons, and vice versa. Among covens, certain spells or ceremonies are kept tightly guarded.”
A hand goes up, one of the panther shifters.
“Excuse me, but what does that have to do with vampiric arts?” she asks, when Professor Thornblade nods in her direction.
“I’m glad you asked. I’m sure that many of you appreciate how recent events and conflicts” (he looks pointedly at the panther shifters) “have highlighted the deep rifts and challenges concerning relations between magical groups. However, many of you are still only in the budding phase of adulthood, and may not fully realize how deep this mistrust goes.”
He becomes very serious and a heavy stillness settles over the class.
“Sharing the ancient and sacred vampiric arts is a most precious task, one that I do not take lightly. It is a true privilege, to vampires, yes, but even more so to those of other magical persuasions, who have never had access to this discipline of study in the past…with the exception, of course, of the last time the academy was open.”
Before I can stop myself, I raise my arm. Tudor Thornblade nods toward me, his light purple eyes intense and dazzling in the torchlight.
“Professor…” I ask, surprised at the words leaving my mouth. It’s a question that’s hung silently in the back of my mind since our first day. It hasn’t taken full form until now. “Why did Elmwood Academy close the first time?”
He looks at me darkly, weighing my question. I bite my lip nervously, wondering if it’s extremely obvious or if it’s taboo todiscuss. But I can sense the students around me lean forward, ever slightly, and I have a feeling I’m not the only one who’s wondered.
