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The headmistress’s song grew quieter and the vision faded.
Naked emotion had tears streaming down my cheeks.
Her song changed, growing stronger, less sentimental, and I managed to stem the flow of my weeping.
Embarrassment set in. How was I going to hold my head high when I had been bawling my eyes out in the library in front of everyone?
I stole a glance at the girls beside me to see if they had noticed and was shocked to see their cheeks were wet with tears, too.
The older girls added their voices to the song now, and I could feel a strange energy in the room buzzing faintly around us. More voices joined the chorus, then more, including Cori’s. I could see her across the library with some of the second-years.
At last Nina, Lark and Anya were singing too, and I could feel the melody bubbling up in my chest, even though I didn’t know the words.
I opened my mouth anyway, and let the sound cascade from me. The tune was wordless, but the notes were there. Whatever magic I had I would gladly lend to the library.
For a moment, the whole room seemed to glow with more than sunlight.
Then the song was done.
We stood still, panting from the effort, though all we had done was sing.
Of course it had been more than that. Something had been drawn from us. I knew because the room had transformed to a black and white cartoon in front of me.
I closed my eyes and breathed in and out slowly.
“Bella, are you okay?” Anya asked.
“I’m fine,” I told her. “I’m just not used to using my magic.”
“Is it your vision?” she asked, with concern. “I should have warned you not to try. The rest of us were meditating all morning to pay it forward.”
“It’s just the colors are missing,” I told her. “They’ll be back soon, if this is like the other times.”
She nodded, but there was still a furrow on her brow.
“Thank you, students,” Headmistress Hart called out from inside the circle. “Everyone is dismissed to go to class, except first-year students. First-years, you will be cleaning this up.”
“Do weallhave to clean up?” Lark grumbled, not realizing the headmistress was marching our way instead of out to the hall.
We all took an involuntary step backward as she turned to us.
“Good point, Lark,” she said in a loud, clear voice. “Just your group will be fine. All other first-years may be dismissed to class.”
She continued into the stacks as the rest of the students headed out.
Nina elbowed Lark in the ribs and Lark muttered an apology.
Luckily, it didn’t look like it would take the four of us too long to clean up. And maybe I could get a good look around the place while we were at it.
Kendall headed our way, with two of her third-year friends. One was short and blonde, the other tall and dark-haired. I remembered them from the cafeteria. The short blonde had called me a breeder.
“Oops,” the shorter one said, deliberately knocking half a shelf of books on the floor and arching a delicate brow at Lark.
She laughed, it was an annoying high-pitched sound, and one of her friends laughed with her. They both turned to Kendall.
Belatedly, Kendall laughed, too.
Then the three headed out of the library.
