“Um, hi,” squeaks a voice from behind the mermaid. I don’t need to hear her voice to know who she is.
“You should be in our group for the magical triad thing,” the mermaid says.
“Ok…”
“Great!” she turns around and drags Maggie back to their table. My packmates don’t stifle their laughter.
“Careful, pup, that siren’s got a crush on you,” smiles Kaenan. “Need some earplugs?”
I roll my eyes and get up to follow Maggie and the mermaid. At least I don’t have to go find another two classmates who aren’t shifters. It looks like nobody’s having an easy time. The blond witch with pigtails is hovering around the center of the room, trying not to look like she’s waiting for someone to ask her to be in their group. I bet she’s never even looked at someone from another magical group, never mind practiced magic with them.
“Hi again!”
Maggie and the mermaid are sitting at a table near the back of the classroom, across from one another. There’s another group of three seated there as well - another mermaid, a bored-looking witch, and the vampire I went hunting with the other night.
Vampires don’t smell like anything, and they have no functioning nervous system, so other mammals can’t co-regulate with them. Witches and other magical beings don’t seem to notice this so much, but I do. It’s strange and eerie not to smell her or feel her heartbeat.
But I can remember the taste of her blood. Is that part of what healed me that night?
“My name is Hallie, in case you forgot,” she says, smiling nervously. She gestures towards the seat at the end of the bench, between the witch and the mermaid.
“Rae,” I say, sitting down.
“Maggie,” whispers the witch.
“Persephone,” grins the mermaid.
“And I’m Orion!” says the other mermaid cheerily.
The bored-looking witch doesn’t say anything. She’s gazing back at the other witches longingly. I sort of feel the same about my pack. I hope this exercise doesn’t take too long.
The professor is still helping the other students form groups of three. She remains perky and upbeat, although it’s very clear that most of the class is unhappy about being forced to co-mingle.
Finally, Professor Hall stands at the front of the classroom and clasps her hands. “Great! Now you’ve all got your triads. We’re going to practice a protective spell. In order to strengthen our magic, we’re also going to be using salt. On all of your tables is a bowl of salt. Use it to form a circle around the three of you in your group.”
Everyone takes turns taking a handful of salt and creating a circle. Maggie bangs her head lightly on the bench as she ducks down to pour the salt under it. She makes a small noise and turns red. Instinctively, I reach out to touch her shoulder, but I immediately realize how silly this is and pull away.
I hope nobody noticed. I take the next handful of salt to cover my action.
What am I doing? I feel this strange pull, like I want to be closer to her. Is it because she healed me? But I felt it that night in the woods, too. It drew me to her when she was being attacked.
The professor continues. “Once you’ve formed your circle, you’re going to hold hands with your two groupmates.”
Persephone reaches out and grasps both our hands tightly. Her fingers are long, soft and strong. Maggie, eyes closed, takes my other hand. My heart beats faster.
“Close your eyes. Stay in this present moment and try to feel the connection you’ve made with your triad. What can you sense?”
I’m typically so grounded, but I find it hard to stay present. I have flashbacks of running through the woods, the sharpness of my fear at the panthers’ approach…waking up to Maggie’s face.
“Envision the center of your circle - the midpoint between the three of you. This is where your power radiates from. The distinction between the three of you is an illusion, a creation of your own mind.”
My hands feel sweaty and clammy. I hate closing my eyes. It’s like I’m trapped in my own memories - fur, teeth, fangs, and blood. My heart races, but I can’t calm it. I try to push the thoughts from my mind. I imagine what home was like. The first time I ever ran. My mother and father…
“Ahhh, stop that!”
My eyes fly open. The blond witch is jumping about, trying to put out flames that have erupted all over her ruffled white dress. On my left, Maggie startles, and tightens her grip on my hand.
“It’s all right, it’s all right!” the professor extinguishes the flames with a wave of her hand. “A little protection magic gone out of sorts, that’s all. Hmm…could have been that the salt wasn’t in a complete circle…”
