Page 194 of Serpent and Shadow

“Both of us,” I added unnecessarily. “Providing I don’t have to take any more classes in ancient dark rituals or cursed objects that suppress magic.”

Forsooth beamed, clapping the back of Bones’s hand with his free one before he released his grip and turned to offer his hand to me.

“Good, good,” he said, beaming as he shook my hand vigorously, smiling around at both of us. “That’s excellent news, I must say. And I’m quite confident we can accommodate the new academic priorities of both of you,” he added, winking at me.

He smiled then, glancing down, and his grin widened.

“I hope you don’t mind me commenting, but as a theosophist by training, I can’t help myself.” He nodded towards the area by my feet. “I see you have found a new primal, Ms. Shadow. A fire fox, yes? Quite rare, as primals go. Quite rare.” He shook my hand a last time, then released my fingers with another wink. “As far as I know, it’s the only one of its kind to have been at our school, which makes it rather special.”

I looked down in bewilderment to find a red and black fox sitting at my feet.

Its tail flamed at the end where it curled around its body, and it looked up at me with green, glowing eyes, as if waiting to see if I approved. A small sun hovered over its head, gold and white like mine.

“You must’ve had fire foxes before,” Bones scoffed, gripping my hand tighter. “You’re a bit of a bullshitter, aren’t you, Headmaster?”

But I knew that wasn’t what Forsooth meant.

Maybe for the same reason, Forsooth didn’t argue with Bones, or seem even the slightest bit offended by his gruff words. His brown eyes only twinkled.

41

Aligned Minds

Idon’t think I fully realized how late it was, or how much it really was over, until we walked out the front doors of Malcroix Mansion in the direction of the Promenade.

It seemed like half the school was milling about on the grass.

Most of them looked as beat up and dazed as we felt, and like they had no idea where they were, or where they should go. I struggled to recognize anyone, with ash covering most faces and many of them wearing what looked like pajamas and bathrobes. A few even wore singed, fuzzy slippers, as if they’d been dragged out of bed in the middle of the night by the attack, and hadn’t yet returned to their dorms.

Which is probably exactly what happened, I mused.

My new fire fox primal trotted ahead of us, turning its head here and there to take in the new surroundings. I saw it pause when we got closer to the fountain, lifting its nose to sniff the air, right as my stomach loudly gurgled.

Someone in the faculty or the kitchens had arranged for a breakfast for anyone still around, and tables had been set up around the Fountain of the Furies, much like they had been on New Year’s Day, when Malefic appeared to collect his son.

One might think that would’ve put me off sitting out there on a chilly, late spring morning, but I was far too hungry to think about that now.

Anyway, everything was different now.

Malefic was dead.

A mist still covered part of the gardens and the mansion, but it was already starting to burn off as the sun rose higher, glinting off the windows of the east side of the mansion.

Bones and I wandered among tables filled with students who were slowly beginning to wake up, and to talk at gradually increasing volumes about the events of the night before. I clung to his hand tightly as I looked around, trying to gauge reactions to us, but no one seemed to notice us at all, for now at least, which was a relief.

Then a familiar voice called out, and both of us turned.

“Oi!” Luc shouted. “Over here!”

I turned to find pretty much everyone at the school we both knew seated at one table.

On the bench closest to us, Draken turned his head where he sat with Jolie, and smiled, surprising me with the warmth in his expression. Miranda and Luc sat across from them, both bent over heaping plates of eggs, sausage, fried potatoes, mushrooms, and tomatoes.

Darragh, Alaric, and Elysia Warrington sat next to Luc. Nyx and a tall, slender witch with dark skin were holding hands across from Elysia and Alaric.

Then another face appeared, as he turned sharply around, gripping a black, furry bundle up against his chest.

“Archie,” I whispered.