Witches in Training (#2 in the Witches Trilogy) [rewrites ongoing]

Chapter Two: Fairyboy

VINNI

Once I walk into the Training Centre, I see a tall, slim lady with bright red curls really tumbling down her back. I smile. She's one of my favourite people in the Community, and one of the few who aren't boring and uninteresting.

"Alix," I say, walking up to her. Alix McAvoy, looking as usual as if she's twenty and not her real age of ninety three, turns in surprise.

"Vinni, you're early today," she remarks, sounding pleasantly astonished. Alix has an almost magical quality to her voice, an excellent side effect from her phoenix side. "I was going to wait, but since you're here you might as well come meet our new member."

She signals for me to follow her and I do, curious. It's not often that I meet the new people.

She walks me into the Administration Office of the Training Centre and gestures towards the one-way-glass-walled waiting room. "She's in there," she says, "go on in. Parker will be here in ten minutes. Be quiet." I try not to show my distaste, but it comes out in my expression anyway and Alix smiles slightly, nudging me towards the room.

I push open the door. A blast of cool air hits me as I step in. It's deathly quiet, and there's a girl sitting on the sofa silently sipping a cup of coffee. The first thing I notice is that her hair is dark and frizzy and even tied into a ponytail, it's pretty cool. You don't see many hairstyles like that around here. The second thing I notice is-it's Sarah.

Sarah Katrina, my old classmate. She's here. Here. She's one of us.

She looks up and her face lights up. She sets down the coffee. "Vinni!" She says, looking elated. I wonder how long she's been sitting here by herself.

"Sarah!" I return the smile.

"I heard you were around," she says, declining her head slightly, "you seem to be pretty famous around here."

That's an understatement, I think wryly, but say, "yeah. Kind of." Eager to change the topic, I add, "so what are you?"

"I'm an Addonexus," Sarah says. I mull the name over. It sounds familiar, but at the same time I can't quite put my finger on it. Maybe it's a mix up, like weregonpire. As I try to figure it out, she clears up my confusion. "Halley's Comet." She prompts me. Then it all floods into my head.

An Addonexus is just about the rarest magical creature there is. There is only ever one alive at any time, and an Addonexus is only born with Halley's comet appearing in the sky. As far as I know there hasn't been an Addonexus for over two hundred years and everyone thought the species had died out.

But here she was, and I didn't see any reason to doubt her.

"When did you find out?" I say seriously. From what I'd learnt, an Addonexus generally discovers their powers at twelve or thirteen.

"On my 13th birthday." Sarah says.

"So why didn't you join us?"

Sarah shrugged, seeming to know I was referring to the whole Raelynn business a few years ago. "I didn't want to intrude."

"On what?"

"Your clique. You seemed pretty close." She says, then adds, "I don't think you're supposed to be here, Vinni."

"Alix brought me here." I say. Sarah raises her eyebrow at me. I think back. Alix did seem to be sneaking me in. And she specifically told me when her brother the ultimate sneaky creep would be here. "Oh," I say, eyeing her. "You could tell?"

"I can read her emotions." Sarah says casually. Oh, yeah. "And-" her eyes widen. "Someone's coming!"

"It's probably just Alix," I reassure her.