Chatoyant College Book 2: Initiates

Chapter 19: Visions

Dawn felt something drop in the pit of her stomach at Roe's words. What was going to happen now? Was Professor Lal involved? She wished Roe could give them better information, but didn't push it. If she didn't know, she didn't know. "Thanks," she said slowly. "We'll keep that in mind."

"Have you talked to any of the professors about the issue specifically?" Lorelei asked, frowning. "I'm sure they could help you."

Corrie nodded. "When you mentioned it in class yesterday, you didn't make it sound nearly as bad as it seems now."

"It's usually not," Roe said with a shrug. "It seems worse recently, but maybe it's stronger because of all the magic around." Dawn exchanged glances with Edie and Corrie. She thought it was more likely that Roe had been having worse visions because living on Chatoyant's campus was more dangerous than wherever she had been before. Judging from her friends' expressions, they agreed; Corrie wasn't smiling at all now. "Anyway," Roe continued, glancing down at the ground with an embarrassed smile, "I guess I wasn't sure how much to say. Most people I've told about this thought I was making it up or just having hallucinations."

"Professor Lal didn't seem to doubt you," Dawn said; actually, she had seemed to take at face value everything that the students had said when they introduced themselves, which seemed strange for someone who was performing such a lie.

"You're right, of course," Roe said. "I'll talk to her after class tomorrow. It doesn't seem like we're going to get to anything practical for weeks in class, and I doubt all this reading is going to help me get any control."

"We'll back you up," Corrie assured her. "If you need it, that is."

Roe's smile widened. "Would you? That makes me feel better," she said gratefully.

"Do they always come true?" Corrie asked almost eagerly.

"The ones I can remember clearly always have," she said. "But I'm pretty sure I've predicted danger and it hasn't come true. Like last Thursday--no one I know was in the dream, but nothing horrible has happened since then, right?"

"Of course not," said Lorelei. Dawn knew what she was thinking--that something potentially horrible had happened, but that almost no one remembered it--but thought it was probably a good idea to avoid mentioning Annie's kidnapping. It would be hard enough just to convince other people that something had really happened. "I'm sure everything will be fine," Lorelei continued. "Let me know if anything happens, all right? Will you be able to talk to Professor Marie soon?"

Roe nodded. "Our class is tomorrow morning."

"That's fine, then," Lorelei said, smiling with relief. "I'm sure that if she can't help, she'll be able to get you an appointment with a professor who can. Professor Strega teaches the divination classes--she'll probably be able to do a lot for you. Okay, I've got work to do, so I'll probably see you all tomorrow." They all said goodbye as Lorelei turned and went back out into the stairwell.

"Well, thanks for the warning, I guess, Roe," Dawn said. "We'll see you in class tomorrow."

"Yeah. Oh, did you two get the email? We have class in a different room."

Dawn glanced at Corrie and shrugged. "We didn't see it yet," Corrie said. "Thanks for letting us know."

They didn't talk again until they'd gotten back to Edie and Corrie's room. Naomi followed them in. "What happened?" she asked, looking uncharacteristically worried and serious. "Did she say that you three were in a vision?"

Dawn nodded. "She has prophetic visions," she said, briefly explaining what Roe had told them without elaboration.

"I wasn't in the vision, right?" Naomi asked.

"I don't think so," she said, looking at Corrie and Edie for confirmation. They both shook their heads.

"She said there was someone she didn't know in the vision, but she recognized Edie without having met her before, except maybe at the first house meeting," said Corrie. "So I think if you had been in it she would have recognized you too."

"Well, that's good, I guess," Naomi said, relaxing a little. "But you guys are in some kind of danger?"

"I guess so," said Dawn. She wanted to discuss Professor Lal with Corrie and Edie, but not in front of Naomi; there would be a lot of explanation she didn't feel like going into, and anyway, she wasn't sure she could trust her roommate as much as she could her other two friends. "Roe said it might not really happen."

"And she might just be lying," said Edie, speaking for the first time in a while. "We don't know her very well at all."

Dawn stared at her. "You think she would make something up just to freak us out?"

"You never know," she said, shifting uncomfortably on the bed where she was sitting. "You can't trust everyone..." She looked up at Dawn, who realized after a moment what Edie was trying to ask without saying anything in front of Naomi. She shook her head, trying to communicate that Roe was not a faerie. Edie relaxed a little, so she must have gotten the message.

"Why don't we see what Professor Lal says tomorrow?" said Corrie carefully. "Her reaction might tell us something."

"You're right," said Dawn, bending to gather up her things. "Will you come and get me for breakfast in the morning?"

"Sure thing," Corrie said. "Good night."