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“I asked her to let me switch from Classics of the Occult to Home Ec so I could be with Megan,” I told them. “I thought Classics would be really interesting, but it turns out it’s just Ms. Sojourn reading to us from her many, many journal entries.”
Ms. Sojourn was a Null—a person of magical lineage with no actual magical abilities of her own—who also had literary aspirations. I think she hoped that if she polished her material enough, she would eventually get published and she could stop teaching but so far that hadn’t happened.
Her collected journals—which she had entitled “Diary of a Witch” had yet to be picked up by any major—or minor—publishers. It wasn’t too surprising considering most of her entries were nasty-sounding vegan recipes featuring mashed mung beans and the rest were complaints about how awful her life was.
“Ugh—I’ve heard of her class!” Avery said, shivering. “They say it’s worse than watching paint dry!”
“It’s not far off,” I admitted. “Anyway, I thought it would be nice to keep Megan company and bake some goodies at the same time.”
“You’re coming at just the right time, too,” Megan said enthusiastically as we all made our way towards the high, arching, Dining Hall exit. “Today is our final baking exam and we’re going to make the biggest, ooiest-gooiest chocolate cake in the world!”
“Sounds delicious and extremely fattening,” Avery murmured. “Be sure to save us some of it for us to have for dessert tonight in the Norm Dorm. After my excellent roast beef, of course.”
“It’s a deal. Hey, we’d better get going,” Megan said. “The second bell is going to ring at any second.”
With a wave goodbye, we all went our different ways—or tried to anyway.
Because after Avery and Emma and Megan and Griffin left, I found my own way out of the Dining Hall blocked.
6
Ari
I watched her during most of our lunch period, though I tried not to be obvious about it. Well, aside from the one moment she met my eyes, anyway.
Kaitlyn was seated at a small table in the corner of the vast Dining Hall with another human, two witches, and a Nocturne. They made an odd group, considering the Edict which declares that all Others must remain separate, but they seemed happy. I was glad my little human was so content with her group of friends, but I couldn’t help wishing I was one of them.
Or maybe I just wished to be part of any group at all.
Since my Sire was the Alpha Drake, I had grown up and been educated exclusively in the Sky Lands until this year, when I had demanded a taste of freedom. My Sire had—reluctantly—let me go.
“The human world holds nothing for you, my son,” he’s said, speaking in the deep, sonorous voice of his Drake as he often did. Being older than me and more powerful, he and his other half were much more integrated than I was with my own Drake.
“I know you think that, Father,” I told him, looking up to meet his blazing golden eyes. “But I don’t believe it. The human world offers new experiences—new knowledge.”
“Knowledge of what?” he’d demanded. “What can you possibly learn there that will make you a better ruler here when I am gone?”
But I was adamant about my wish to get away and at last he had agreed that I could spend a single year at Nocturne Academy, mingling with the other tribes of Others as well as the humans themselves, who were normally considered so puny as to be beneath the notice of most Drakes.
I couldn’t say what had driven me to seek a new perspective—maybe I just wanted to see more than my own homeland before I had to settle down to rule. Or maybe I simply wanted to see the place I had heard so much about from the students of my own age who attended Nocturne Academy.
For whatever reason, here I was and even though I was in the middle of a large group…I felt all alone.
Part of it was the fault of my status, I was sure. The other Drakes looked at me askance, uncertain how to treat me. I had tried, but though I had joined their football and wrestling teams, since organized sports seemed to be required of someone with my strength and speed and size, I just couldn’t seem to fit in.
For a short time I had been with Sanchez and his gang, but of course that didn’t last. And after I had punched him and he’d gotten expelled for his misdeeds, the other Drakes at the Academy were even more stand-offish with me.
Not that I cared, I told myself, as I made my way out of the Dining Hall towards my fifth period class—which happened to be wrestling practice. Now that my Drake had claimed Kaitlyn, I had no interest in being in any group that didn’t include the little human. All my attention lately was fixed on her, so much so that I barely had time to feel left out by my fellow Drakes.
