Chatoyant College Book 2: Initiates

Chapter 17: Witch Hunts

Lorelei joined them at dinner, and Corrie took the opportunity to ask her about Byron. This was much easier than the conversation she'd been rehearsing in her head--now she knew his name and could ask specifically. When she'd described him, Lorelei nodded slowly. "I think I know who that is. He's a junior, right? I had a class with him freshman year."

"Is he a science major or something?"

"Oh, no." Lorelei shook her head. "He's a theater major. They're a pretty cliquey group--that's why I don't know him too well."

"Really?" Edie asked with mild interest. "I didn't notice that when I had my theater class... I guess none of the people in my class were theater majors yet, though."

"Probably not," Lorelei agreed. "You're not planning to become one, are you, Edie? I'd hate to lose you to that group!"

Edie laughed. "No, I don't think so! I'm planning to be a French major. Professor Valerie seemed to like my classwork, so I think I'll be pretty good at it."

"And Marlin said you were really good, of course," Corrie teased.

"Who's Marlin?" Dawn asked through a mouthful of vegetables.

"Edie's new boyfriend," she said, grinning.

"What, really?" Lorelei asked.

"Of course not," Edie said, blushing slightly. "He's just some guy in my French class who apparently likes me."

"He had dinner with us yesterday, Dawn," said Corrie. "You didn't see him?"

She shrugged. "I didn't notice. I was pretty busy, well, talking to Rico."

"Oh yeah, where's he today?" asked Edie. Corrie thought she was probably glad for a chance to change the subject.

"I don't know," Dawn replied. "We don't spend every second together!"

"Why are you asking about Byron, anyway, Corrie?" Lorelei asked.

She couldn't help but smile. "Well, it's not every day I see someone else going for a morning run, but I saw him this morning. And he's really cute. And he rescued me from my stupid stalker ex-boyfriend today, if only temporarily."

Lorelei snorted. "Sounds like a prince. Well, be careful with those theater people," she continued, shaking her fork at Corrie. "Don't let them drag you into their little clique! Though they're not as bad as the art majors."

"Why," came a new voice, "what's wrong with art majors?" Naomi set a bowl of cereal and a glass of what appeared to be pineapple juice down next to Dawn, then took the seat.

Dawn looked at the food and raised her eyebrows. "That's an unusual dinner." Naomi just grinned.

"There's nothing necessarily wrong with art majors," said Lorelei, "but I barely know any of them. They're even more cliquey than the theater majors. Supposedly they have regular orgies in the studios. It sounds far-fetched to me, but the rumor is pretty persistent!"

"Well then, I may be making the right choice," said Naomi mischievously. "Sounds like just my sort of thing." She took a big mouthful of cereal.

They talked about classes until they'd finished eating. Naomi had her FYE class that evening, so she left for that, while Lorelei, Corrie, Edie, and Dawn headed back toward Gilkey. As they split up to go to their separate floors, Lorelei had one last piece of advice for Corrie: "I'm pretty sure Byron lives in Hickory, if that helps."

"Thanks," Corrie called over her shoulder. "I wonder which floor he lives on?" she mused as she and her friends started up the stairs.

"What do you mean?" Edie asked.

"Hickory has a bunch of specialty floors for different groups," Dawn said. "Like language houses."

"Want to study with me, Dawn?" Corrie asked, thinking of the fifty-odd pages of reading they had to do for their Intro to Magic class. "Or did you do all the magic reading already?"

Dawn shook her head. "No, I figured I'd do it tonight. Studying together is a good idea--I looked at one of them and it might be hard to understand."

"The Malleus Maleficarum?" Corrie laughed. "I should think so! I wonder why she's having us read that, anyway?"

"It's about witches," Edie pointed out. "Maybe some of it's correct."

"Or maybe she just wants to show us what's not," Dawn said. They had reached the fifth floor. "Okay, I guess I'll get my books and join you in your room, unless you need total quiet, Edie?"

Edie laughed. "You've seen me read!"

"That's true," Corrie said, laughing as she remembered at least two separate occasions in which Edie had had to be pulled forcefully out of a book. "We'll give you a shake if we need you."

The Malleus Maleficarum turned out to be a lot more entertaining than Corrie had expected--mostly due to the ridiculousness of it. They only had excerpts to read, but they were all about how women could not resist the devil's lure, how witches helped out the devil, and what witches did to people. She laughed loud enough that even Edie looked up from her book with a smile. "Oh, if only we really had the power to steal men's penises!"

"Be careful what you wish for," said Dawn, but she was laughing too. "Maybe Professor Lal will teach us to do just that!"

The second text was easier to read but drier; it was a modern account of historical witch hunts, which sobered Dawn and Corrie up quickly. It was pretty disturbing to read about the men and women (mostly women) who had died by the thousands because their neighbors thought, or at least claimed, they were in league with the devil. "I don't get it," Corrie said as she closed her book at last. "These people weren't even necessarily real witches--even if they did what they were accused of, that's not real magic, it's just evil."

Dawn shook her head. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but she was preempted: a scream rang out from somewhere on the hall.