The Songs Of The Flames (The Curse Of The Thirteenth Series)

Chapter 8

Students and Professors gathered in The grand hall. The night was late, creeping towards midnight. Priscilla could not think of sleeping though, she felt jittery with unease. Inside the grand hall, injuries were checked on, wounds were bandaged, and name calls were made. Headmaster Valerian stood at her black pedestal and thanked students and staff for protecting the academy. Heads hung low, and people mourned for those who died in battle. 

While the fight was going on down in The Archives, Headmaster Valerian had led a group of professors in rebuilding the protection boundary. The enchantment was no easy task to create. It took eight witches around the perimeter of the academy to cast the protection spell.  No one knew who or why the boundary had come down in the first place, but Headmaster Valerian assumed the attack was on purpose. 

ten students and four professors were found dead after the battle. Three students were still missing, including Alyse. Priscilla worried about her friend's safety. She feared for the worst. No one slept easy that night. Students and staff remained in the grand hall late into the early hours of morning. Eventually dawn arrived. A collective sigh passed through the crowd as the sights of morning light crept into the stained glass window. They were safe. 

It was announced that classes would be canceled for the day. A collective sigh traveled through the room at the announcement. Priscilla paced the hallways unable to sleep like some of the other students. She felt tired, but her mind still raced.

She found herself outside in front of the willow tree the girls had sat at just yesterday carving turnips. Shavings from the turnips still scattered the ground around the tree's roots. The November air had crept in during the night. The day was cold, and Priscilla hugged her gray sweater closer to her body. 

She pushed aside the hanging willow branches to the covert behind. Professor Sinclair sat leaned against the willow tree. He had changed since the previous night, wearing more casual clothing. Stubble flaked her jaw, and his eyes seemed tired. In his right hand he held a rolled cigarette, the end lit red. He look exhausted. He glanced up at her when she entered. His eyes examined her like an animal determining if she were a threat.

"Sorry, I didn't know anyone else was awake." She fumbled for words. Her cheeks were already rosy from the cold, but she hoped they had not grown redder from embarrassment. He watched her, his eyes calculative. He flicked his wrist, ashing the cigarette beside him.

"No," his voice was gruff. "You're fine." He lifted the cigarette to his lips and took a long drag. Priscilla unsure what to do, sat down beside him. They sat in silence for a while. He handed her the lit cigarette, not looking at her. Priscilla took the cigarette, and put it to her lips. She never smoked before today. The smoke filled her lungs, and she sputtered. The smoke felt like lead inside her lungs. Her throat constricted, unhappy with what she inhaled. Smoke puffed out of her mouth with each cough. Sinclair chuckled at her bemused.

"I should really stop smoking these." He said after a moment of silence. He took the cigarette from her hands, and inhaled again. He exhaled the smoke lazily. Priscilla watched him for a while, entranced by the smoke. They met each other's eyes. Greens and browns swirled in his eyes, all muddled together. Priscilla thought they were beautiful. She wanted to be lost in them.

"Have they found your friend?" He asked her. 

"No, not yet." She broke their gaze, glancing down at her hands in her lap. She noticed her hands were scraped up and one of her nails was broken. Had she done that last night? 

He threw his cigarette to the ground, and dug his heel into it. Almost sensing her distress he spoke. "They'll find her. Just give it time." Priscilla merely grunted a reply. It wasn't that she was worried they wouldn't find her though, it was that they wouldn't find her alive. Priscilla didn't voice that opinion though. She feared voicing the thought would make it come true.