The Five Elementals

Chapter 5 - POV Avi

I walk into Professor Carter's circular office in the back of his Castle classroom, clutching my Elemental Courses: Fire II  textbook.

I love Professor Carter's office; it has a rustic feel, with red brick walls and tall, arched windows. A curved bookshelf lines part of the wall and stretches to the ceiling, twenty feet high, a black wrought-iron ladder allowing access to the higher shelves. Small fires burn in subtle sconces around the room, adding a reddish-orange glow to the room when it's dark outside.

Carter's large wooden desk occupies the center of the room, perched atop a colorful circular throw rug. Strange elemental artifacts litter the top of his desk, each more interesting than the last. I find the large glass disc on his desk the most fascinating; when someone with gifted blood looks through it, they can see the elemental dimension where our powers are drawn from. The most ordinary objects on Professor Carter's desk are his metal nameplate, stating ARCHIBALD CARTER, FIRE DIVISION, and his laptop.

He's busy writing when I walk in, scribbling notes on a few essays. He turns to his laptop to enter a student's final grade, frowning. He's younger than most of the professors, I'd set his age at around forty. His hair is dark, almost black, and worn long enough to flop over his forehead but short enough that it can't be pulled back. Dark stubble dots his chin, and his eyes are a penetrating hazel behind the black-rimmed glasses that have slid down to the end of his nose.

I stop a few feet from the desk and clear my throat. Carter looks up, expression softening when he recognizes me.

"Ah, Avriel," he says, taking off his glasses and leaning back in his chair, rubbing his eyes. "What brings you here today?"

Professor Carter is one of the few people I allow to call me Avriel. I love the way the name sounds when he says it, like it's something from a fantasy novel.

I take a step forward, shifting Elemental Courses: Fire II  to one arm. "I was wondering if you'd graded my final yet," I say.

Carter replaces his glasses on his nose and studies me over the top of them before reaching for another pile of essays. "As a matter of fact, I have," he says, sifting through the pile before pulling out a bundle of papers stapled together. He hands the essay to me over the various objects on his desk.

I take the essay and glance at the red inked grade at the top. "Are you serious?" I ask, grinning.

"I should think so," Carter says, smiling slightly himself as he folds his hands together on his desk. "You are a model student. I've never read such a thoughtful paper on the practical and magical applications of fire. It deserved the grade it got."

I'm still staring in shock at the inked "99/100" on the paper. It's as good as a perfect, in Professor Carter's book; he never gives full points on anything.

"Thank you," I say, in awe.

"No, thank you," he says, eyes twinkling as he holds out a hand for the essay. I hand it back and leave his office, pride swelling in my chest. I had hoped the written final went well, but I hadn't thought it went that  well. Now I just need to know my field test exam results.

I'm walking across campus when I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. Transferring Elemental Courses: Fire II  to my satchel, I reach into my pocket and pull it out. It's a text from Kirstie:

Hey  :)

I type out a response: hey, what's up?

She texts back immediately: Guess who got her element???

Excitement and curiosity grow instantly in my chest. I nearly forgot that today is April 1st, the day the trio turn nineteen and discover their elements. Not only do I really want to know what element Kirstie is, but I have some bets going with Kevin and I want to win. Oooo, what is it?  I type.