UnFamiliar

Chapter 21

A week after the witch hunters invaded the school, we were summoned to the principal's office again. This time, it wasn't just Principal Morley waiting for us. A few teachers were in various seats around the office. 

Mrs. Branch looked like she'd bitten into a lemon. "Mr. Ethington, I want you to know I don't recommend breaking the familiar bond. It's a sacred rite of our people and therefore heresy to even attempt to get rid of it."

I blinked at her. Why was she even here? Why were any of the teachers here?

Principal Morley cleared his throat. "Mrs. Branch, if you could refrain from giving advice until after we've concluded this meeting it would be much appreciated."

Mrs. Branch gave a sharp nod of acknowledgement and Principal Morley gestured for Val and I to take the seats in front of his desk. We sat.

"Let's get down to it, then," Principal Morley sat in his own seat across from us. "Ambrose, I've asked the other teachers here because they are experts in things I feel would benefit this conversation. However, if you'd rather discuss this with just me, I'd understand."

I glanced around the room. I knew most of the faces. It wasn't like I didn't trust the teachers. Also, the main thing I had wanted to keep quiet--that we were attempting to break the bond--had clearly already been talked about amongst the group. 

"They can stay," I said.

"Ambrose, I'm not sure--" Val started.

"A familiar shouldn't dare speak against his master's decision," Mrs. Branch interjected.

Val flushed, his skin growing darker somehow with the blood rushing to his coal cheeks. 

I closed my eyes. This wasn't going to go well, and after it didn't go well, it was going to get out to the school that my familiar didn't want to be my familiar. Finally, I gathered myself to say, "Val will participate in this discussion as it is about him as much as it's about me. If any of you take an issue with that, well, maybe you shouldn't be here."

The room was silent. No one left. 

Principal Morley looked embarrassed as he said, "From what we've gathered Elka Cane is the only person to have successfully gotten rid of the bond between her and her familiar. We've found a few other who've tried and either killed themselves or their familiars in the process. You mentioned the idea of separating yourself from your magic, Ambrose, but...."

Ms. Kettler, one of the teachers on the sidelines, cut in, "Separating anyone from their magic is dangerous business, and it hurts, Ambrose. It's like cutting off a limb, except the limb is your head and your body has to figure out a way to live without it. Most of the time, witches who lose their magic die within six months."

"Exactly," said Principal Morley. "We can't condone that particular avenue to anyone, but also as your legal guardians, we can't allow it. You are under our care Ambrose and we can't allow you to do anything that will harm you."

I nodded. I'd already known the survival rate of witches without magic. I wasn't going to tell them I'd already found a way to take my magic away. That if need be, I'd use it, no matter the consequences. I couldn't be the reason Val can't use his own power. I couldn't be the thing that took freewill away from someone I cared for. 

"All of that being said, let's talk about Elka Crane," Principal Morley said.

"Elka Crane, Elka Crane," Mrs. Branch said, "you're acting like she was a saint rather than a delinquent."

Principal Morley's voice sounded strained as he said, "Mrs. Branch was at the school when Elka was a student."

I whipped my head around to look at Mrs. Branch. Sometimes, despite being one, I forgot that witches age different than normal human beings. I was fairly certain Elka had married her familiar nearly 80 years ago. From a totally human perspective, Mrs. Branch couldn't be older than 60. 

"She was a terrible student," Mrs. Branch informed us, as if that information was somehow helpful. 

"More importantly," Ms. Kettler broke in, "Elka Cane hasn't been seen in twenty or so years."

"Is she dead?" Val asked.

Ms. Kettler gave him a small smile. "We wondered that as well, so we did a finding spell on her."

"Waste of time," Mrs. Branch muttered.

Ms. Kettler pretended not to hear her. "A finding spell points you in the direction where the person is like a compass calibrated to them rather than north. If the person is dead, the pointer won't move at all. The pointer for Elka spun."

"So which direction did it point at in the end?" I asked, excited to finally make some headway.

"It didn't," Ms. Kettler said.

The teacher that taught me geography in my first year spoke up. "When that happens it's likely they are in another realm. For example, if we'd noticed Ambrose's absence when you were summoned to hell, and we did the same spell, we'd likely have the same results." 

I glanced at Principal Morley, surprised he'd admitted to losing one of his students to other staff. He caught my glance and raised an eyebrow. I turned back to the geography teacher. 

"Do you have any idea what realm she'd be in?" I asked.

"Well..." the teacher looked to the floor, "her familiar turned spouse was fae."

Val coughed. I looked at him and he looked...displeased. "What was the point of telling us any of that? She might as well be dead."

I cocked my head. "What? Why couldn't we just go to the fae realm and--"

"The fae realm is worse than hell," Val practically screamed at me, "We will be lost for the rest of our lives if we go there."

"Actually," Principal Morley said, "I'm pretty sure, so long as you're close enough to her, a finding spell in the fae realm will work."

I drew in my eyebrows. "I'm pretty sure it shouldn't."

"Of course, this is only a guess, but your spell called down lightning when it shouldn't have, correct? Why would a finding spell be any different?" Principal Morley said.

Val rubbed at his temples. "Even if you're right, we have no idea where in the fae realm she is. We couldn't get close enough to make the spell actually work."

"That's where you're wrong," Ms. Kettler put in. "The last known location of Elka Cane was Charleston, Oregon. More than likely she entered the realm somewhere around there."

"And you expect us to go there and track down the exact gate she went through?" Val asked.

Principal Morley laughed. "On the contrary, we expect Ambrose and his familiar to remain on school grounds. We expect them to go to their classes, and to not make any trouble. The information we've given you is just to help with a research project Ambrose is doing for a class. If you chose to go looking for Elka Cane, well that'd be a trip completely unsanctioned by the school, is that understood, Ambrose?"

"Yes," I muttered. I knew what he meant. If we got into trouble, the no one with the school could bail us out. Many unsanctioned trips ended with students coming back in coffins. 

Val looked confused. 

"Thank you, for the information I mean." I grabbed Val's hand and pulled him from the room, already making a list of the things we'd need in my head.