Twilit Mage

Chapter 13: Dread, Definitions and Demons

Their first class wasn't a practical one, however.

Their first afternoon class, held right when everyone was full from lunch and too tired for thinking, took place in a large classroom that looked much like a normal school's science classroom, except that the scientific instruments in it all looked a little odd. The teacher wasn't there when Mercury and Raoul entered, but the classroom was far from empty. About a dozen people were already sitting behind their desks, talking, dozing or unpacking their bags, and Raoul quickly steered past them to sit down behind a desk at the back of the room.

"You can't sleep in front," he said, stretching out and smiling up at Mercury from below. "I'm probably gonna nap though this class, I mean, what do we even need magic theory for?" He made a face. "Bad enough that we still got normal classes when we're all gonna do some stuff with magic anyway."

Mercury laughed softly. "Well, I'm curious. I don't really know how magic works, you know? I'd love to find out..." She paused, blinking down at Raoul who had slightly straightened up from his desk-slump, and quickly raised her hands. "Ah, but you can sleep if you want to! I mean, don't get in trouble or anything...I mean, should I wake you up if...?"

"If it's important," Raoul said around a yawn. "I don't get all that theory stuff anyway."

He was just about to take off his glasses and rest his head on the desk when something caught his eye, and he stopped mid-yawn. His eyes widened, then narrowed, then his face turned into a grimace of disgust. "Yikes."

"What's wrong?"

Raoul pointed to the front of the class. "We're in the same class as the Dragon Lady."

Mercury followed his gaze and swallowed. Sitting in the very front row, closest to the teacher's desk, was none other than Georgiana DeVille.

"Oh no," she muttered, opening her book and hiding behind it, peering over the edge to make sure Georgiana wouldn't turn around and spot her. "That's bad, that's really bad..."

"Don't panic," Raoul answered. "If she tries something stupid I'm gonna throw a paper plane in her mouth. I'm pretty good at that kinda stuff."

Mercury nodded, but her eyes stayed fixed on Georgiana's back. Georgiana didn't seem to notice; she was immersed in some book again, oblivious to her surroundings. Mercury was just ready to relax a little when the class fell silent, and she perked up to listen to the only sound that cut through the quiet, the hard, military clacking of heels on tile floor.

Then the door opened, and in came a figure that sent shudders down her back.

At first glance this woman looked like a tall, striking, lean shadow. She was dressed in black, her long hair as pitch-black as her clothes, whipping through the air even though there was no wind. Her height could rival any man, made only taller by her high-heeled black boots, her body rail-thin and wiry and consisting solely of sharp angles. Burning from a grim, hardened, ghostly pale face, drawn with years of cold bitterness, lay a pair of merciless, glowing, fluorescent green eyes.

"Good afternoon, class," she said coolly, her voice as deep and icy and unforgiving as her appearance.

No one said anything. They all shrank in their seats as she let her eyes roam over every single student in the classroom.

Then her gaze passed over the back row, and for a brief moment her eyes met with Mercury's.

Something crossed over her face, almost too quick to recognize. A flash of emotion. She blinked, her eyes widened, then they narrowed dangerously, glowing almost yellow. Her face turned more grim than ever. Then the moment was over, and her gaze moved on to Raoul as if nothing had happened.