Wingspan(Paranormal, Young Adult) MAJOR EDITING**

ninety one

the headmistress consoles toby with brute honesty. "sorry. from what i've hear she's the first of her kind. then again, strength determines your ancestry." i didn't like the way she was starring at me. 

it was like she knew something i didn't and that feeling unnerved me. as it happened that was today's central theme of events.

i touch my oily hair as a means of distraction and frown wide. what i needed was a good soak to get rid of the soot and the stench.

i sigh as i looked down at my only pair of sneakers feeling somewhat disgruntled. they were getting dirty and i thought maybe i should clean them first chance i got.  yep, that's exactly what i'd do first thing tomorrow.

or was it morning already? if that was the case than i'd already missed the sunset and so i'd promised to myself that i would rise early the next chance i got and watch the sky change colors another day.

with that in mind i crossed my legs and fingered my shoelace. -i mean i had soap and water so that was not a problem.

-under no circumstances was i in the position to replace tarnished items when i could easily fix the simplest of issues like muddied shoe cloth. 

Yep a good scrub should do it. i'll leave them out to dry and use my boots in the meantime. 

although i was quite fed up with being ignored i didn't want to create a scene like some attention hogging immature girl unable to remain quiet until i was spoken to. after living with jett and my mother i was used to waiting in the corner until my name was called for punishment.

finally the headmistress gets up ending their conversation. "its late. we're not getting anywhere tonight." 

i listen to her sing as she saunters into the kitchen.

she had a tone that was soothing to my ears. just listening to her speak softened my shoulders back down and away from my neck. the strain that was once there alleviated tremendously. there was now a tolerable dull pang. 

the song the headmistress sang was in a different language. it was familiar sounding which made me believe i'd heard it some place before when i was younger.

even so, the tune she whistled put me at ease which somewhat surprised me considering lately i'd been skittish and on edge.

i sit back allowing every muscle to feel weightless. after a while i hear a kettle go off followed by the click of a stove.

not wanting to fall asleep i sit up with my back straight. after all it wasn't clear what they were planning to do with me. i couldn't afford to let my guard down especially with joshua sitting nearby.

to distract myself i look around for toby. he was near the fireplace arguing with danika. the only thing i could hear was the neat slap of her palm catching toby off guard. 

joshua hums curiously with a spark of interest.

i roll my eyes at him. "what do you want?" i felt like an exotic animal in a petting zoo sitting in front of him. 

when joshua grins i'd thought he caught who i was looking at. "you talk in your sleep." he said. if one thing joshua was astute.

"sounds familiar." i snort. i wasn't going to let him crawl under my skin just because he was bored.

joshua shrugged his bulky shoulders and went back to perusing his magazine.

the headmistress walks over to me this time with a legitimate purpose. "relax, its only tea." she gives me a cup with something inside.

i extend my hands around the mug feeling the heat of it warm up the circulation in my fingers. "thank you." i smile genuinely cautious.

holding the cup with one hand the headmistress sticks by my sided. 

i didn't mind the company. toby and danika were still arguing and joshua went back to leafing through a slightly more intimidating weapons magazine.

since i had the headmistress to myself i figured why not use her to my advantage. 

"are you one of them?" i ask her keeping my voice low because joshua was sitting in the lounge area a couple of seats across from me.

it was spacious enough to roam and stretch out with plenty of magazines to keep us busy. he didn't seem particularly interested in the headmistress but i wanted to make sure.

she gave me a sympathetic smile. sincerity in her eyes. it was the first time someone had shown me any kindness and i ate it up. "sorry, no, i don't practice magic with others. i've found covens a little commanding for my taste and too many rules dictating how i should live."

"you cast a spell on the room to make it wider." i said looking around.

the headmistress gave a slight nod of her head as she drank a delicate sip of tea. "one of the simpler spells in my grimoire. i'm sure you have a few fundamental essentials up your sleeve yourself."

on the contrary, being portrayed as one of her kind wasn't the worst thing someone ever painted me out to be. 

"you think i'm in a coven." i smile reading between the lines.

her empathy was true and heartfelt. "hey, i completely get why anyone would take an oath. im not judging one way or the other. you know, i was in a coven once." the way she said it with such ease i'd wondered how often she told people about her past.

the conversation breaks into a lull when the headmistress drinks her tea even though it was still pipping hot.

i stay quiet contemplating everything she'd told me.

i shake my head tying the last piece that connected everything together. it was then i'd understood why that picture on her desk never fully escaped my thoughts.

"you and my grandmother joined the same coven." Holy Snap! it made perfect sense why she pointed out my necklace. i'd figured they must have bought it together as only friends would do. 

the headmistress sighs lowering her shoulders an inch. she briefly looks over at the bookshelf then at me.

"it was long ago. practically another lifetime seeing as how i'm kept occupied these days. i was new to the city and would have done anything to be part of a family. well, in any case, your grandmother was a fearless mentor." she said it with enough pride to make me smile.

clearly the way her story was told meant something entirely different to her than i could have understood in that moment. not that grandmother wouldn't discuss her younger days but i had a primary source right in front of me.

"what happened?" i ask her making sure not to spill hot tea all over me.

all of a sudden the headmistress preys victim to silence when toby interrupts our conversation. regrettably we couldn't escape his unwanted attention.

he looks at the both of us ready to apologize. "sorry about that." toby sits down in the chair next to me anyway either utterly clueless that i wanted to talk or maybe he wanted to have one on one time alone without any distraction.