Chapter 19

(Taylor’s perspective)

I have been at Pinus Alba for two weeks. I have mapped out the campus and met a few people. I miss my friends back in Tecumseh. I call them everyday to let them know I am doing okay and to see how they are all doing. Dom has been keeping an eye on my house, making sure no one breaks in again. I could have sold it; but it is the last thing my mother left me. Plus if things don’t work out here, I have a home to go back to.

Training starts tomorrow. I am looking forward to learning how to use this light power. In the two weeks I have been here, I have learned how to start and stop my hands from glowing, Mary Antigonus helped me. Apparently, until I learn to use my powers they are triggered by my emotions. I will be glad when that changes.

I have been visiting the school’s library a lot. I have been trying to find out more about my birth parents. I discovered some things about witches and the different types of powers. I learned about the council and who is on it. But I had no luck finding my parents.

I got a job in the campus bookstore. I want to keep my life as normal as possible. Mary said that if I wanted to work, I should find a campus job until I learn to control and use my powers. I also joined her coven, Lunam Deam. I just hope that wasn’t a mistake.

My first class, Intro to Magic, was very informative. I learned that if your parents have two different types of powers, you have a fifty percent chance of getting one or both of those powers. It made me wonder about my parents. Were they both light creators or was only one of them? Are they even alive for me to find out?

My next class, Controlling Your Magic, did not go as well as my first. Montana Sweets, a guy I met briefly my first two weeks here, knew my history. He decided to let everyone else know. This caused some problems for me. It was like junior high all over again. Sara Reed and Juan Alvez were the only two not giving me a hard time about being abandoned in the human community.

My third and final class, Magic for Defense, was even worse. By the time I got there, everyone at the school knew who I was. I was bullied the whole class. Jennifer Vitalli was the only one not to join in on the jokes and pranks the other students played on me. Cranston Brown, James Sever, and Adam Bailey were supposed to be on my team when we practiced our magic. But instead, they took shots at me. I did learn how to make a shield though, so I guess I can thank them for that. It shocked everyone when they found out I was a light creator, seeing as light creators are a rare breed.

Classes have been going for a week now, I have made one friend, Stephen Sater. He’s a pretty good guy. His girlfriend, Holly Heinz, not so much. Stephen is in my Intro to Magic class. He is a water creator. Creators are rare, light even rarer.

Classes start at eight o’clock every morning. My first class ends at eleven o’clock. I get about an hour for lunch and my second class starts at noon; it gets out at three o’clock. I get a short break of thirty minutes and then it’s on to my last class. It starts at three-thirty and goes until six-thirty.

The students here are not very friendly towards outsiders. And I am an outsider. Mary still helps me from time to time, but I spend most of my free time in the library. Since there is no record of my birth in the witch communities, it has made it a lot harder to track down my birth parents. I know they didn’t want me discovered and hid my birth, but there has to be something. Mary said she will look for the record book of light creators. That book might have one or both of my parents in it. I really want to find out.

**********

“Hey, Tay. There is a party tomorrow night. Do you want to go?” Stephen asked.

“I’m not sure I am welcome,” I replied.

“Dude, you should come and show everyone that you are not afraid of them. Besides, I have your back.”

“Okay, when and where?”

“It’s at Boody lake. I can pick you up at nine.” Stephen said excitedly.

“Fine. Thanks for inviting me. I hope I don’t regret it.” I said drearily.

“Dress code is casual. There will be alcohol and food. Oh and bring a swimsuit.”

“Got it, thanks.”

**********

Lake Boody. It is quite beautiful here. I do wonder what animals we are disturbing with the obnoxiously loud music, though. I see some tents set up around a fire and an even bigger bonfire closer to the lake.

“Stephen, we're not staying overnight, are we?”

“Nah, I have a binding ceremony to attend in the morning.”

“Binding ceremony?” I asked.

“Yeah, it’s like a wedding, mostly.”

“Okay.”

We met up with Jennifer, Sara, and Juan. We danced and drank, had a food fight, went swimming, and watched as the upper class made fireworks in the sky. As long as Stephen and the others were with me no one bothered me. At some point, I didn’t see him do it, Stephen made a boat out of water. It was weird riding in it because it was water on water, but it worked and we had a blast. We left a little before midnight and headed back to the dorms. I actually had fun; the first time I had fun at this school, really. The next morning I woke up with a slight hangover. I headed to the cafeteria. I saw Stephen and Holly leaving as I got there. I grabbed some orange juice and some bacon and eggs with toast. My hangover cure. I ate my meal in peace. Upon leaving the cafeteria, I ran into Cranston Brown. Neither of us was happy to see the other.

“I can’t believe you went to the party last night,” he said.

“I was invited by Stephen.”

“Doesn’t mean you should have gone.”

“And why shouldn’t I?”

“No one wanted you there.”

“Stephen did.”

“Just because his mother is on the council doesn’t mean you get a free pass.”

Cranston threw the first punch. I dodged just in time. His fist slammed into the window, shattering the glass. Pain and anger was etched into his face.

“You’ll pay for that,” he screamed.

“Ha! You broke it; you’ll pay for it.” I laughed.

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

He takes another swing with his now bloodied fist. I catch his arm, turning him around, and pin it behind his back. We wrestled for a few minutes until he broke free. Then he grabbed my wrists and pushed me against the wall. He forced my arms across my throat and kneed me in the stomach. I fell forward onto my knees. As he reached to grab my shirt collar, I pushed off the ground and thrust my head into his chin. He fell backwards landing on his ass. A crowd had begun to form around us. I tried to walk away but Cranston tripped me. My fear left me as I was getting angry. As the two of us stood to our feet, my entire body became engulfed in flames, but I was not burning. The crowd and Cranston stepped back. Gasps were heard all around.

“I, I, I thought you were light,” Cranston stammered.

“Me, too!” I yelled as he ran off.

The crowd dissipated and I tried to figure out how to put myself out. I remembered that emotions are the trigger when powers first manifest. So I tried to calm down. After a few minutes, it worked.

I knew it was Saturday, but I called Mary Antigonus anyway. I told her what happened and that I needed to see her right away.