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18
Zach
Magic has always comeeasy to me. I remember watching Matt struggle with simple spells when we were younger. He would get so frustrated. He’s got it now and he’s easily as good as I am. But it didn’t start that way. Our mom used to say I was a natural mage, whatever the hell that meant. We were both full mages, but I guess it’s like anything. I was the faster to learn magic and reading, but he was riding a bike weeks before I was ready to remove the training wheels.
The difference was that we always did it together. We appreciated our alone time, but when it came to the hard things, we had each other. This didn’t feel like that. This felt like dividing us on purpose.
I glared at Matt and Raven, unsure of what we had in store for today’s class. All we knew was that it was one on one with Professor Flora and honestly, that scared the shit out of me. After a few weeks in her class, it was obvious that she knew her stuff. But we’d done basic magic, researched our independent topic we’d drawn from the hat, and listened to lectures.
All of that had been normal. But there were signs of her power. Signs of her slightly different ways of doing things that made me wonder what to expect.
She lifted the hat again. “Your individual test times are in here. Random selection. On your test time you will come alone and wait outside the door until I call you in. If you are not scheduled to test, I expect that you’re in the library preparing for your test or using your time wisely for your other studies. One of you will go today. Every other day, we’ll have 3 per period.”
Raven’s fingers brushed my hand and she causally wrapped her hand around mine for a heartbeat before letting go. She was trying to comfort me. Or comfort herself. Either way, I could feel how nervous she was.
While Professor Flora had assured us that our tests were all illusions, that none of it was real, it was still a lot. Raven was going to have to face down the idea of a portal for the first time since that night with Professor Halifax. It wasn’t right to put her in that situation again.
“Your turn.” Professor Flora held the hat in front of the three of us. “Ladies first.”
Raven dipped her hand in and pulled out a slip of paper. “Next week. Thursday.”
I grabbed a paper and looked at it. Suddenly, I felt like I had a rock in my stomach.Today.I got to be the lucky one who went first. “Looks like I get to get it over with.”
Matt took one and held it out to show the rest of us. “I’m on Monday. But you’re first, figures.”
I laughed. When we were kids, I liked to tell him I was the older brother. It was only a few minutes difference, but technically I was older.
“It’ll be fine,” Raven said. “How bad can it be? Some pretend situation we have to react to?”
“I’m sure it’s exactly like the tests in our Italian classes in high school. You know, meet with the teacher and answer questions,” Matt said.
“Right,” I said. “I’m sure it’s exactly like that.”
Conversation filled the room as more and more students got their assigned times. Everyone sounded on edge and nervous. At least we were in good company. This wasn’t something we usually did. Practical tests were still done in front of the whole class in other classes. I suppose in a way, this was kind of nice. If we failed spectacularly, we did it in private.
“Hey, you okay?” Raven asked.
I nodded. “I’m fine. Might as well just do it, right?”
“I kind of wish I was going today,” she said. “I don’t want to worry about it for two weeks.”
“Well, I guess it’s good that I’m going today. I’ll be able to tell you what to expect.”
Raven didn’t look convinced. “Come find me when you’re done, okay?”
I nodded. “You got it.”
“Who is the lucky one who gets to go today?” Professor Flora asked as she walked back to her desk.
I held up my hand. The class was full of conversation and I could feel their eyes on me. I’m sure they were speculating what was about to happen to me.
“Alright, Mr. Obscura, you remain here. Everyone else, you’re dismissed.”
Raven and Matt stood and both of them faced me. Their expressions were sympathy mixed with fear. “Don’t look at me like that.” I stood and set a hand on each of their shoulders. “It’s a test. Not death row.”
Raven sighed. “Yeah, but I still worry about you.”
I laughed. “Professor Flora isnotProfessor Halifax. I’ll be fine.”
