Will and Zani settled into their front row seats while Burnside went off to greet some colleagues and prepare for his speech. Will enjoyed studying the students filtering in and filling the back rows. A part of him wished he could join them. He’d always been a back-of-the-auditorium kind of student. It was always easier to pass notes and whisper there.
He could tell that Zani was enjoying people watching as well. Even the Ordinary students were fascinating to observe, arguing as they were over the possibility of time travel. That so many of the students were wearing costumes only made it more fun to guess at who or what they really were. Each time a magical student entered the lecture hall, she poked him in the ribs. Twice she whispered in his ear with guesses about the variety of shifter.
“Wicked Arcana, I think she’s aplatypus!” Zani’s eyes bugged. “An actual Platypus shifter in an Ordinary platypus costume! That’s a first!”
While Will wasn’t as good at identifying shifter types as Zani, there was one couple that entered the lecture hall, arm in arm, that he would have known anywhere.
“Will! Is that…?” Zani pinched his leg unnecessarily to get his attention.
“Yesss, be cool,” Will hissed, exhaling almost all his breath, and then holding it. He took Zani’s hand in his and squeezed it as Buffalo Westabrook and Larkspur Lathrop made their way toward them.
“I wish Maida was here to see them.” Zani breathed in.
Will was thinking the same thing. Even in her gothically inspired vampire costume, there was no mistaking the platinum-haired beauty who was the mother of their good friend. She looked so much like Maida. Same hair, same eyes, same height and build. Yet the sum total of this woman was an entirely different figure. She was haughty. She demanded attention without having earned it. Her costume was showy, her attitude rude. He hated to admit it, but he didn’t care much for Larkspur. She was practically hauling the oversized Buffalo shifter behind her, completely oblivious to his discomfort. Buffalo wore no costume. His scowl was enough. When he shrugged her off, she tapped a long nail against an oversized gem glowing malevolently at her throat. Will did a double take. If he didn’t know better, he’d think that amulet was real.
He nudged Zani beside him, but she was staring steadfastly at the floor, determined not to make eye contact.
“I can’t believe she spoke to me that way. It’s my family’s archives and none of her business!” Larkspur was saying. “I put flyers up all over campus. Don’t worry. I’m sure I’ll find someone else to live with soon, Buffy. Amrita can suck a dragon’s egg. We’re still on for the party after this, right?”
Buffy?
Will felt Zani stiffen beside him. Never in a million years would he have believed anyone called his fearsome boss Buffy and lived to tell the tale.
He suspected Zani’s thoughts were similar as she squeezed his hand harder. They both stared at the floor now, attempting to look inconspicuous. Will felt very aware of his age and hoped it would make him less noticeable to the pair as they approached. Middle-aged people were basically invisible to him when he was their age.
“Thank goodness for the wards,” Zani whispered just as Larkspur passed.
“What wards?” Larkspur spun on her high wooden heel to stare suspiciously at Zani. “Who are you? You’re old. You’re not a student here.”
“We’re friends with Burnside,” Will offered, lamely, barely looking up. “He invited us to the lecture.” He was still quite taken with the similarities to Maida. Beside her, Buffalo kicked at the carpet. He looked up briefly to scan the crowd and, not seeing whomever he was looking for, turned his back on them so he could watch the door.
“You look familiar.” Larkspur narrowed her eyes at Will. “My mother’s cousin Quentin and you are dead ringers. Funny, because he’s really into Fae, too. Got himself written right out of the famous Lathrop family for his extracurriculars!” She stared at Will’s telltale ears and tapped one of her own. “No offense, Fairy.”
“None taken,” Will choked out. He was grateful for the tight squeeze of Zani’s fingers laced with his own.
“We should take a seat before all the good ones are gone, Larkspur.” Buffalo placed a hand on her back, scanning the middle of the auditorium for unclaimed seats. “There’s a couple back there.”
“Okay, but I don’t want to sit by those nerdy Ordinaries. They’re always hitting on me.” Larkspur’s voice trailed off as they walked away.
“Hobgoblin spit! Can you believe that was them?” Zani whispered.
Will shook his head. There was a lot he wanted to say, but not there, not now.
“I think you took her number… that flyer?” Zani noticed. Will felt the paper balled in his pocket.
“Thank goodness Buffalo didn’t look at us. I didn’t think we’d need the Nip Clips here…”
“Shhh,” Will hushed her. “It’s probably best if we wait to chat about all this.”
He was still thinking about Larkspur’s necklace. Maybe he was crazy, but it resembled the sketch from the Thai food menu. He wished that he’d had the chance to examine it more closely and show it to Zani.
The lecture hall was nearly full now. There was the scrape and clatter of chairs being shifted around. A couple of student volunteers cleared the stage and prepped the podium. One of them tapped the mic, producing a startling screech that caused a couple of pigeon shifter students in the back row to spontaneously shift. They flapped around the vaulted ceiling for a moment, causing a general hubbub before flying out the window that another magical student opened for them.
It was during this kerfuffle that a serious-looking young witch slipped in. Raven-haired, dark-skinned, and small of stature, she didn’t bother scanning the auditorium for friends, as most of the other students had. Her simple black satin witch costume suited her perfectly. She restricted her gaze to the front row and, seeing an empty seat next to Will, proceeded there directly.
“Excuse me. Is this seat taken?” she asked politely.
“Not at all. It’s all yours.” Will met her eye, recognizing her at once. This intense young woman could be, would be, none other than Amrita Berman, the impressive director of the Society for the Protection of Natural Magic, in his own time.
