Profs and Prophecy

Crime and Punishment

Chapter Twelve

Crime and Punishment

Priti, Sara and Cassia arrived at the residence long after everyone else. The other witches had all decided to wait up for their return, excitement and worry making sleep impossible anyway. However, when the three sisters walked through the door worry turned to relief, and excitement was tossed like last season’s fashion, elation being the emotion du jour.

The coven of witches held each other, and jumped, and hugged and talked and laughed until they couldn’t keep their eyes open another moment, which was about five minutes later. As if they were fifteen people with a single thought, the witches said their goodnights and went straight to their beds.

* * *

The next day was a day of almost infinite possibility. Priti awoke feeling empowered, considering all that she and her friends had accomplished. She now had a powerful amulet, the equal of any held by a sorcerer, with the exception of the Blood Stone. She knew that with time, she would be able to use it as well as any sorcerer. She had used it last night, performing as well as any sorcery student she had seen, and on her first try. She and the other witches were no longer helpless pawns in the Council’s plans.

Priti considered her options as she went through her regular daily routines. She attended classes, but found it very difficult to concentrate. For one thing, she knew that these classes were a farce, intended only to keep them busy and distracted with no real content. Nevertheless, Priti had always been a dedicated student and found it almost impossible to give up on her studies.

By the end of the day, Priti had formulated a rough plan. First, she decided it was important for the time being to remain at the university, since there were resources available here that could not be found anywhere else. So she would attend all her classes, and make sure all the witches in the coven attended theirs.

Second, she would study her sorcery texts whenever she could, learning what she could and practicing with her gemstone. She would continue Professor Brodie’s evening lectures, just as she had started them, teaching all the witchcraft students to use the amulet.

Third, and this was trickier, they were going to need more gemstones. She wasn’t sure how to go about this. Witchcraft students couldn’t just buy them, and she knew that ordinary gemstone jewellery wouldn’t work. Some process in its formation gave a gemstone the ability to hold magic forces. Maybe they could figure out what that was in the library. Powering them was going to be another problem; it was unlikely they could dance at the stones again.

Eventually they would leave the university. The alternative would be to stay hidden, always risking being found. Priti was not so foolish as to believe they could possibly oppose the forces arrayed against them here. The sorcerers were well organized, very powerful, and willing to do anything to crush any opposition. No, the witches would simply leave one day when they were ready. Maybe they could start their own school for witches, or try to expose the sorcerers for what they were. But they would leave, and soon if at all possible.

All these thoughts ran through Priti’s head all day long. They were on her mind as she got ready in the morning, and at breakfast. They continued as she attended classes, and while she ate lunch in the park with Sara and Cassia. They were still formulating after the last class of the day, when Cassia and Sara had taken her to SASAC for an ice cream. That’s why she didn’t see Richard approach her in the line.

Sara and Cassia had already ordered and received their ice cream, and had gone to find a table. Priti approached the counter and said, “Raspberry ripple in a cone, please.”

She was startled to hear Richard’s voice beside her saying, “Make that two.” He paid for both cones, then took them and walked away. He had her ice cream; she had to follow him.