Dreaming in Silver and Gold

Chapter 2

Liz ran down the path towards the academy. The gravel under her boots crunched and she tightened the strap of her bag to keep it from slipping off her shoulder.

She had overslept and was already hoping the day would go by quickly so she could do her homework and go to bed.

Sleep was always a chore for her. She had nightmares every night and it was always the same one. It wasn’t just a nightmare, though, it was the memory of the night she had almost died. There were several times over the years where she would wake up and try to convince herself it was a dream.

It wasn’t though.

She knew this because on her right wrist sat a thick, black, metal band. She wasn’t entirely sure what it was made out of, she had given up trying to guess. It looked like onyx and it was actually rather beautiful. She didn’t know what it did or what it symbolized. When she woke up the day after the demon had healed her the cuff had been there. It was somehow connected to the deal she had made. She had tried multiple times to get it removed, but nothing could cut through it.

If it hadn’t symbolized something so terrible then she would actually be quite fond of it. This wasn’t the case, though, and she always kept it hidden under the sleeves of her shirts and jackets.

She entered the academy and when she burst through the doors, she collided with something solid. She almost fell backward onto her bottom, but someone reached out and steadied her. She glanced up and fought the urge to groan when she came face to face with Prefect Klaus.

“Shouldn’t you pay attention where you’re walking?” Klaus released her and Liz stumbled again at the lack of support. “You’re also late.”

“I’m aware of that.” Liz sighed. “I was running, that’s why I wasn’t paying attention.” She turned to go in the direction of her classroom and heard Klaus follow her. “I don’t really have time for a scolding right now.”

“Don’t flatter yourself, Miss Hart.” Klaus scoffed. “I’m going in the same direction as you because I’m teaching your class. Believe it or not, but I have more important things to do than follow students around and lecture them.”

“Really, I never would have guessed?” Liz glanced at him over her shoulder.

“You must’ve really slept badly.” Klaus narrowed his eyes at her. “You’re very grumpy today.”

He pushed past her and walked into the classroom. Liz gaped at his back for a second and ground her teeth together. Getting on Klaus’ nerves and possibly winding up with some sort of extra homework would not improve her day. She would just let it go. She took a deep breath and entered the room.

“Your brother is horrible.” Liz hissed at Elias as she passed by his desk.

He was writing in his notebook, but paused the motion at her words. His gaze locked with hers and Liz could’ve sworn she saw his mouth twitch as if he were fighting a smile. “He’s basically the devil.”

“Well, I wouldn’t go that far,” Liz grumbled as she slid into her seat.

“You’ve never lived with him.”

Liz laughed at Elias comment, but quieted down when Klaus stepped in front of the class. She pulled out her notebook and waited to see what lesson he was going to teach.

Klaus opened a book and scanned the page before closing it with a snap and setting it back on the desk. “You’ve been learning about different magical beings that inhabit the earth from the Headmaster. I’ll continue his lesson, today we’re going over the creatures who use or are associated with dark magic. Can someone give me a few examples?”