Oracle (Book I)

Twy

"Alcohol of any sort is prohibited on days when lessons are in session. This is your first and only warning."

Carrying a fancy glass bottle of crystalline amber liquid that was undoubtedly not juice, Earithean strode across the Main Hall, leaving Ripley, Thierry, Alastair Whitehare, and Timika shuffling their feet embarrassedly while other students looked on in open speculation.

"This early in the morning? Looks like the party didn't end at bedtime out for some folk," Bossa said as their trio came down the stairs. As the professor passed, Bossa waved a hand under her nose. "Phew-ew! Not that kind of stuff again. Can't they drink something that smells better."

Caprice had noticed Professor Earithean's nose crinkled and that she was holding the very tip of the bottle with her thumb and index fingers.

After Earithean was well out of earshot and out of sight, Alastair laughed airily.

"That wasn't so bad, now was it, gents," he said. "Earithean's a shrew so it could've been worse, eh." He roughed Timika on the shoulder.

Ripley snapped his teeth at the boy. Timika shoved him off.

"Don't touch me," Timika said in a hard voice. He put a finger Alastair's face. "And don't bring anymore of that stuff around on schooldays. Or how about not at all. Its foul and I'm not getting detention or getting expelled over it. Not a single bad mark, white, you hear me."

With wide eyes, Alastair held up his hands.

"Very well then, very well. Sorry."

"What's your deal anyway, Whitehare? Mingling with the 'lesser bloods' and finding its not as bad as you crowed on about."

A flinching around Alastair's eyes as he regarded Bossa said that their first and last meeting here at the grand staircase had not been forgotten. Why his cheeks slightly reddened at the sight of the other girl, Caprice couldn't say. Maybe his pride still stung that a kin girl had stood up to him without batting a single flinch for what was probably the first time in his life.

"My associations are none of your concern, Redapple."

"I believe the phrase is taking his head out of his ass," said Nezzle.

"Mm-hm," Bossa nodded.

Caprice wasn't as amused. She went over to her brother and pulled him aside.

"Why are you yucking around school with him like you're the best of friends? Have you forgotten who he is!"

Thierry looked tired and frustrated as he pulled his robes back onto his shoulder.

"It was his idea. We just got dragged along. If I tell him to go away, he'll just make more trouble for us. Just like his sister. Is that what you want?"

"Don't just do what he tells you!"

"He's sort of hanging around like we're chums all of a sudden whenever he spots me."

"So we can't avoid them, not even when we aren't in the village anymore, is that it? Aren't you the one who said they can't do that to us here?" Boys tended to be more tolerant of each other no matter who they were. However, Caprice was sure that Nezzle and Bossa would blast Karrigan with curses and jinxes clear across the school grounds if she ever (for some bizarre or likely abominable reason) took to tagging along after them every time they crossed paths.

"I'll try to watch my back, Preece, but we can't make more trouble with them. Who knows what they'll get up to."

~

Not at all could Caprice say that she preferred Alastair Whitehare to his sister. Their Basics lessons with Nobles that day reminded her why.

"Today, we will practice a simple Dispelling," said Professor Nobles as she walked among the rows of their desks. "This will carry over into your Charms lessons and is very useful in undoing a variety of unwanted magic so please pay close attention. Group together, everyone! Pick a simple spell that won't hurt your classmate but has a visible effect on their person."