Chapter Two

Chapter 2

“Did you understand any of that?” Sophie asked as she, Byron and Beatrice exited the classroom.
“Not much,” he said with a shrug of his shoulders, “we are so far behind compared to the rest of them.”
“Well it makes a little sense, most of the students were identified and admitted here shortly after their Awakening. We just weren’t that lucky,” she said with a sigh, pushing the memories of the previous two years out of her mind.
“Yeah, but it’s a lot to catch up on,” he said. “I mean spell structure, theory, we weren’t taught any of that before. We were told do it and we figured it out or…”
“Algebra, yeah, I sucked as a student in my last life and this one,” Sophie said with slight whine as she leaned back against the hallway wall.
“Has Olivia said anything to you?” Byron asked as they began to walk down the hall crowded with students on their way to their next classes. “She still seems skittish. I would have thought she’d finally start opening up more.”
“No, not much,” Sophie said.
“I’m glad they let you two room together,” he said, “I would have roomed with her if they’d let me.”
“Well at least you two get to room with each other,” Beatrice said interjecting herself into the conversation with faux exasperation. “The girl they stuck me with won’t ever shut up, she just goes on and on and on. You know I’d much rather share a room with y-o-u,” poking her finger against his chest with each letter.
“Yeah, um,” he said clearing his throat and feeling his face warm with a blush.
“We’re doing fine; Olivia just needs a little TLC. Like you said this morning, we’re not going to be separated again,” Sophie said with a smile. She leaned into him as they walked and he looked over at her. He only noticed the female student on a collision course at the last second; he stepped out of her way, she muttered to herself as she passed.
“Excuse me!” Beatrice said as the girl continued on as if they weren’t even there.
“What was that?” Byron exclaimed.
“Someone who seems a little self-involved, I guess,” Sophie said glaring at the blonde-haired girl with twin braids as she disappeared down the hallway.
“You want to get a coffee in the main hall?” Byron asked shrugging off the incident. “I don’t think Olivia will be done in the art room for another hour.”
“Sure,” Beatrice said slipping her arm in his as the three walked down the window-lined hallway.

“Hey, Byron,” a tall lanky boy called out as he spotted Beatrice and him sitting on a couch sharing a scone. Sophie was across from them nibbling on a muffin.
“Carl,” Byron replied.
“We’re having a practice later if you want to kick the ball around,” he invited while plopping down into an adjacent chair. “I know the matches are just intramural, but it’s still soccer.”
“Sorry, can’t. I just got too much to catch up on since getting here,” Byron said.
“Yeah, we’re studying constantly,” Sophie confirmed.
“Sure, studying,” Carl said, causing Sophie to blush as she looked at the couple sitting across from her, “besides I’m sure your little harem wouldn’t mind.”
“He’s-- he’s right. if you wanted to play soccer I don’t think it’d hurt,” Beatrice said.
“Sorry, I’ve just got too much do,” Byron said hoping to get off the topic.
“Okay, if you change your mind just let me know,” Carl said hopping up off the chair and giving them a quick wave.
“I mean it, you don’t have to watch over us all the time,” Sophie said in a soft voice looking down at her cup of tea. “I’m sure… I’m sure Olivia would say the same thing.”
“Don’t worry,” he said placing his hand on Sophie’s making her feel flustered and uneasy at the look Beatrice was giving her. “I’m barely keeping up with the classwork as is. I honestly can’t add playing games to my list of things to do.”
“Yeah, me too,” she answered with half a smile holding the happiness of created by his touch close to her heart.
“How about I take these back and we go meet Olivia?” he said stacking his cup and saucer on hers and walking over to the narrow pass-through in the wall marked dishes. He turned, crashing into something that turned out to be someone and then felt the searing pain of hot water soaking through his shirt.
“What the hell? Watch where you’re going!” a girl shouted and cursed.
Orientation Day- 4 months ago
“So, what do you think so far?” Scarlett asked as she led the small group of incoming students across the grounds.
“The campus sure is beautiful,” Sophie said looking around at the trademark ocher gables.
“It was originally a retreat for the super-rich about 150 years ago,” Scarlett replied, “A massive renovation was done when the school bought the place to bring it into the modern age. But we’re very proud it’s kept is charm.”
“Is there a reason the causeway is the only way on or off the island?” Byron said, his voice only slightly betraying his unease.
“You don’t like the idea of being trapped on an island with me?” Beatrice said leaning in to him.
“Security,” Scarlett answered, turning to face the group as they stopped under a shade tree. “You know it and I know it, there are plenty of people that want mages for various reasons and not all of them good.”
“Yea, we know,” he said rather gruffly.
“Oh, yea,” Scarlett said her voice sounding soft and embarrassed. “Well you can come and go as you please and the town is pretty safe but the school asks we all get a pass from the gate, so they can keep track of us in case something unfortunate were to happen.”
“Sure, but…” Byron started but Sophie gently tugged on his sleeve and looked at him with her gentle brown eyes and he let out a sigh and let his misgivings go for the moment.
“It’s just-- coming from where we were this place seems too good to be true,” Sophie said. “The four of us are just nervous.”
“You don’t need to be,” Scarlett said. “You can ask anyone on campus, this is a wonderful place to learn about your lives and your new talent, and get a real education too.”
“Sophie?” Byron asked looking over his shoulder, “have you seen Olivia?”
“What?” Sophie said, her anxiety level beginning to climb as she scanned the area for the younger girl.
“She’s probably chasing butterflies somewhere,” Beatrice reasoned. “The campus garden seems to be full of them.”
“Maybe she just went to use the restroom,” Scarlett interjected.
“You could be right,” Sophie said. “It’s just she doesn’t really talk much and is prone to anxiety attacks.”
“We can go look for her if you’d like,” Scarlett said.
“I think that would be the best,” Byron said. “But where do we start? I mean, this place is huge.”
“I think I have an idea on how we can find her it you have something on you that belongs to her,” Scarlett mentioned.
“You mean magic?” Sophie asked. “I thought we weren’t allowed to practice spells outside of class or the gym or arena.”
“Well that’s true,” Scarlett began to explain as Sophie reached in her pocket and pulled out a hair tie with a bow attached.
“This is hers,” she said as she handed the tie over to Scarlett who held it out in the palm of her hand.
“We aren’t supposed to use magic outdoors because you never know who’s watching,” Scarlett explained. “We know for a fact there are spy satellites trained on this campus. So if you do any magic with a visual signature, which more often than not is the case with combat magic, you’re at risk. But if you do simple spells like this,” she said placing her other hand above the ribbon, “rekja a ownet you’re at far less risk,” Scarlett said and closed her eyes as a series of images flashed for brief seconds in her head.
“You know where she is?” Sophie asked.
“I think I’ve got an idea. It shouldn’t take us long to catch up to her,” Scarlett said with a smile to put them at ease. “This way.”

“What do you mean we need to practice more?” the exasperated voice of a girl could be heard from one of the stalls.
“Every lady should be an accomplished equestrian,” a voice similar in tone but different in accent and pitch said, as a brush traced its path along the side of the chestnut horse.
“You should know by now that as much as you like them, horses aren’t the main mode of transportation here,” the less aristocratic sounding voice replied. “Besides, we should be focusing on strengthening our magic, not going for horseback rides and we are already late for practice time in the gym.”
“Riding relaxes me,” the second voice said matter-of-factly. “Besides, I let you read all those terrible novels.”
“Don’t try and make it sound like you don’t enjoy them,” the voice girl said before the horse jumped with a start. “Hey there, calm down, it’s okay,” she said grabbing the bridle of the now skittish horse.
The conversation between voices came to an abrupt halt; a lone girl with brush in hand froze as she locked eyes with an interloper to her solitude. The intruder, also shocked at puzzling sight, backed up quickly her eyes still transfixed on the horse and groom.
“What are you doing here?” the girl holding the bridle of the horse said with a glare so fierce the girl backpedaled into the gate of the adjacent stall. The horse inside whinnied and flew into a panic, beating its hooves against the gate. As the gate gave way, the small red-haired girl fell to the ground. The horse raised its hooves and she sat there, frozen in panic as the weight of the horse started to come down.
A flash of blue light appeared above the girl, creating an arcane circle acting as a shield deflecting the hooves and then flipping vertically pushing the horse back into its stall. The older girl quickly rushed over and shut the gate locking the horse inside. She then turned her harsh gaze to the girl who still sat on the stable floor with a look of bewilderment, panic and tears welling up in her eyes.
“It’ll be okay,” said the older girl, her demeanor softening as she bent down to look at the girl now sitting in in the dust and hay of the stable floor. “Are you okay? Did he hit you? You must be new here.”
The younger girl still said nothing as the older girl held out her hand to help her up.
“I’m aaaonnh-I mean Frigga,” she introduced herself with a pleasant smile and an almost motherly tone. “I’ve never seen the horses act so skittish before.”
“Olivia!” Sophia shouted, causing both girls and the horses to jump, as she entered the far end of the stables and rushed to the younger girl covered in dust, “Are you okay? Did you get hurt?”
Sophie fussed over the Olivia like a mother finding a lost child pulling the bits of hay out of her hair and cradling the younger girls face in her hands to get a good look at her. Frigga just stood their completely ignored by the second intruder into her quiet stable.
“You should do a better job of keeping track of your friend,” Frigga said sternly as she crossed her arms automatically and unwarrantedly feeling defensive and looking down at the two girls crouched on the wooden stable floor. “The grounds are pretty but can be dangerous.”
“We’re sorry,” Byron said as he down the aisle between the stalls, a smile crossing his lips seeing Olivia unharmed Sophia in full maternal mode helping the girl off the floor. “I think she was just overwhelmed by all the new people and was looking for a place to hide. Thank you for watching her.”
“Your welco,” Frigga started almost forgetting her anger disarmed by Byron’s charm before turning her attention to the third and a fourth person, one she knew, entering the stable, “Scarlett, you should do a better job of keeping track of your newbies,” Frigga scolded as she tossed her twin braids back over her shoulders and glared at the chaperone.
“Fine, fine, whatever,” Scarlett said as if she’d heard lecture before. “We should go there’s plenty more for you to see before you get settled in.”
The four transfers unsure sure of what to make of tension in the room nodded their heads in acknowledgement and turned to follow their chaperone. The horse still skittish whinnied and neighed as they passed by. Olivia the only person turning her head back once again locked eyes once again with the girl with two voices, and sending a sending a shiver down Frigga’s spine as if she had been prey spotted by a predator.