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11
Raven
I feltnaked without my school bag but it was going to have to wait till tomorrow. I did not want to have to go back to gym any sooner than I had to. Luckily, the student next to me let me borrow some paper and a pencil so I could at least take notes.
Professor Craft walked into the room in a flourish of flowing fabric. She had an affinity for long skirts and cloaks. Today’s outfit was a navy-blue skirt dotted in silver stars. Her cloak matched and looked like it was made of enough fabric to make two cloaks.
She stopped in front of her desk and tucked a strand of gray hair behind her ear as she stared out at all of us. “Based on recent events, I think a deviation from the curriculum is appropriate.”
I straightened in my seat, wondering where she was going with this. Recent eventshadto mean the fake trials Professor Halifax had set up. And I had a feeling my return to class was partially to blame for her changing her lesson. Otherwise, she’d have started whatever this detour was right after the events. Not wait until my second day back in class.
She walked over to the white board and grabbed a marker. “No notes today. This isn’t exactly on the up and up. But you have a right to know.”
I set my pencil down, feeling a mixture of intrigue and guilt. I also had a feeling I knew where she was going. After just coming from my lesson with Professor Flora, I was glaringly aware of the missing information regarding fae history. I also knew it wasn’t officially supposed to be taught.
Professor Craft wrote a single word on the board and I knew my guess was correct.
Faerie
The word seemed to mock me. Reminding me of how out of my element I was here. I wasn’t just green when it came to the world of supernaturals. I was completely unaware of how my fae heritage played into it at all.
Whispers filled the classroom and I swore I could feel the eyes of a dozen students on me. I forced myself to stare ahead, not turning back to meet their gaze. Of course the whole school knew all the details of the event in the Spellcasting room. Why wouldn’t they? Gossip spread through this building faster than mono had in my high school.
“You’re not taught about the fae realm because all portals were sealed between our realms,” Professor Craft said. “Some fae remain with us, either by choice or because they didn’t have the ability to open a portal before everything was sealed. Some are here because they are part fae. Including one of your classmates.”
Professor Craft stared at me and I felt my face heat.Fuck. If anyone was unsure if the rumors were true, they all knew now. Thanks for that.
“The fae are not to be feared as you’ve been taught, though,” she said.
I looked up at my professor, surprised by her statement. My classmates were clearly startled too because the whispers started back up.
“Listen,” she said. “I’ve made a career out of studying history and while I know I don’t look a day over fifty, I can tell you I’ve lived several human lifetimes and I have seen things.”
The class was quieter now, hanging on her every word.
“Tell me,” she said, walking around her desk so she was standing in front of the rows of students. “Are there no bad mages? No bad shifters? No bad humans?”
“There’s bad people in every group,” someone said.
“Exactly,” she said. “There’s always someone who ruins it and makes the rest of us look bad, right?”
“Right,” several people answered.
“Let me tell you, I’ve heard it all. Try being a fallen angel. I’m supposed to be evil by nature, right?” She raised her eyebrows.
The class laughed and I smiled along with them. I’d been here long enough to know that the human misconceptions about supernatural creatures was very wrong. Like she said, there wasn’t any good or bad group of supernaturals, just good or bad people within them.
“So do you think the fae are evil?” Professor Craft asked.
Nobody said a word.
Professor Craft hopped up on her desk, taking a seat on top of it. She set her hands on her lap and looked out at the class, her eyes finally settling on me. “Raven? Are you evil?”
“Of course not,” I blurted out.
“Of course you’re not,” Professor Craft agreed. “The fae were locked out because their magic is far more powerful than the magic of the supernaturals native to this realm. Some of them abused their power. Most did not. However, that was not the true reason why they were sent away.”
“What was it?” I asked, totally hanging on every word by this point.
