Oracle (Book I)

First Lesson

Caprice found cool water on the feast table in the Grand Hall where many students were still having breakfast and getting together before lessons. She spotted Karrigan sitting primly at a nearby table.

The instant she saw Caprice, Nezzle, and Bossa sit at a table, she was there with her tea cup and saucer, Alastair, Alice Domier as well as another student. In a quiet landing of plates and cups and scraping of chairs being pulled out they landed on the opposite side of the table. Caprice looked at the two seats between Karrigan and herself and also a second pale boy with his nose turned up at Bossa.

"We should at least discuss it with father and mother first. I mean, have they ever heard of Oracle Academy before? Not to mention the ghosts. Cappy, pass the sugar," Karrigan said. "Where were you this morning. I scarcely had time to brush my hair and I had to sort through my bags for clothes. What good are you if you aren't attending to your duties. I suppose you lazed about in bed all night and all morning. We shall have a word about your neglect soon."

Caprice leaned over, pushing the round sugar dish towards Karrigan's teacup. She then stared fixedly down at her cup or at Scryer's Mountain shimmering beyond the windows at the end of the dining Hall.

After drizzling his kipper in spice sauce, Alastair forked some into his mouth, saying, "Loads of places are haunted. Besides, you haven't seen any ghosts since our arrival, now have you. We don't even know what that was. It wasn't your ordinary apparition, now was it. Look at this place, right. It's huge. Infinitely more befitting our station than the village schools. Father and mother should be proud that we were admitted to what is obviously a prestigious institution ahead of its time and the times of our village."

"And, Cappy, that pitcher of pumpkin juice over there. Fetch it," Karrigan said, delicately stirring her tea.

Caprice's chin fell instantly and she put down her cup. She rose, turning towards the end of the table as if bespelled by Karrigan's commands, going for the pitcher of juice resting just beyond anyone's reach.

Nezzle grabbed Caprice's forearm and firmly pulled her back into her seat. Instead of being clasped in her hand or held within inches of her nose, the young witch's book was lying flat in front of her. She stared hard across the table at Karrigan.

"Ghosts aside, the place is overrun with mud monkeys and other such riffraff, loitering about freely as if—"

Karrigan glanced at her empty cup in surprise then at Nezzle's waiting gaze.

"What exactly would you be looking at, blackie?"

"Walk over to that table and pick up your own juice."

In tones of offense, Karrigan gasped, "I beg your pardon—"

"You heard me," Nezzle said very clearly. "Welcome to your first day of school. The first lesson you need to learn is serving yourself for a change."

"Yeah, Caprice doesn't have time for you anymore. Bother her again and—" Bossa smacked her fist into the palm of her other hand "—bells ringing."

"You dare sit there and threaten me."

"Threat? Hmph. You mean promise."

"Can we go?" Caprice asked in a tight, small voice, sitting still as a rock and trying not to look horrified. She wasn't going to get the juice after all but she wasn't going to provoke Karrigan either.

"I don't see why not. Lessons are starting soon." Nezzle stood up, reclaiming her book. Bossa sashayed around the table in her robe. Shoulders hunched, Caprice fled the hall as quickly as her stiff legs could carry her.

~

Bossa and Nezzle took her to the baths before lessons so she would know where it was. It was a foggy, tiled chamber of curtained stalls that lined the walls with several pools in the center of the floor. Racks of fluffy yellow and white towels were stationed around the place.