Chapter two

The academy gate easily opened for me. And the moment I stepped through it Headmaster Randolph, Artemis' day form, greets me with a hug.

"Randolph, did you miss me that much?" I joke. He rolls his eyes and greets Tiger.

"We had a slight problem with the dorms. Tiger you will be staying with a girl named Amelia. Athene, you will be staying in the female prefect's room."

I raise an eyebrow. "So I'm a prefect?"

He nods awaiting my reaction.

"Well alrighty then."

Randolph smiles then leads us to the girls dorm. Instead of us going inside, Randolph leads us around back to where there are a few dead pigeons lying next to the building.

I crouch down next to one of the poor birds and hesitantly poke at it with a nearby stick.

"How long has this been going on?" I ask as I examine the bird for any telltale signs of what kind of magic was used to kill it. So far I couldn't find any.

"Couple of weeks."

I grunt in response and continue my search. Not a second later, Bella, my raven familiar, pipes up from her cage. As is one of her jobs, she keep a very sharp ear out and keeps me safe in the process.

I turn my head to peer over my shoulder at Bella who is sitting in her travel cage, who in turn has her neck craned over to the side.

We've got company, Athene.

I raise my hand palm upwards and cavort us away.

We arrive in the headmaster's office, and before I say or do anything else, I take Bella out of her cage and she flies out an open window, knowing what to do.

I then pivot toward Tiger and Randolph.

Walking over to his desk, he picks up a small piece of cloth and tosses it to me. Easily catching it, I could practically see the wretched stench coming off it. It was that bad.

Covering my mouth and nose with one hand, I hold it away from me.

"What are you trying to do? Kill me?"

Randolph chuckles, and waves his wand, making the cloth float up in the air.

"This was found reeking of the same Black magic used to kill one of the students."

I nod and he continues.
"Several other students have gone missing recently."

I press my fingers to my forehead as a sudden headache looms.

"Exactly how many?" I ask.

"Four."

Dang. "First we need to focus on the Dark Magic user and trace the vein back to its owner."

Tiger pipes up, "Any vein of any type of magic can be traced with a sample of the type used, right?"

I nod sharply, "We need to smoke out the user and find a stronger sample to use."

Randolph looks hesitant at my words, "What do you propose we do?"

I scoff, "Like I said," I turn toward Tiger. "What is smoke usually used for?"

She instantly replies, "Smoke is used to draw out the negative energy in an area of subjected magic."

I nod and turn back to Randolph, "We've got the first sample. And we've also got a way to get them out of hiding. Do you get the feeling that we're missing something?"

"Possibly." He agrees. "One can never be sure when dealing with a situation like this."

Striding over to the Headmaster desk I begin to sort through the papers that are strewn across the wood like leaves.

"You seriously are the most unorganized wizard I have ever met." I comment.

"Hey I can be clean…When I choose to be." He retorts.

Firing back, "Oh really? When we first began training, I thought I would lose you in the mess you called a room."

"Yeah, yeah." Randolph waves it off. "I got the message."

Before any of us can speak, Bella caws from a perch on the windowsill.

"Hey Bella. Any news?" I ask the raven.

Nothing much. Saw a few pigeons fly toward the back of the girl's dorm.

"Did you look further?"

Not really. Don't want to be the next dead bird back there.

Well fantastic. Now my familiar has sarcasm.

"True. Come on Bella." I tell her and she flies into the open cage on the table where I placed it.

Closing the metal door and latching it, I turn back to resume speaking to Randolph. However, three harsh knocks sound at the door.

"Come in!"

After getting permission to enter from the Headmaster, a tall man with cropped blonde hair and amethyst eyes saunters in with a stack of papers.

"Ah, Klaus. I have two new students here for you."

He turns to look at me after setting more paper on the already littered desk.

"So?"

Then he looks at Tiger. And bam. A bond is formed between the two.

Bonds or a 'brand' between two wizards is like a relationship. Just a lot less complicated. It's rare for two ordinary wizards to form one, but with a soon-to-be Guardian or one that already is, it's not that rare. It's uncommon though.

I am amused as they look at each other. Tiger knows what is going on, because her parents had a brand between them too.

This man-Klaus- most likely has no idea what's happening.

Randolph clears his throat before speaking, clearly sensing the change in the air.

"Klaus this is Tiger Blake and the new prefect Angel Sky."

Klaus looks shocked at the mention of a new prefect, but composes his face into a glare directed toward me.

"I don't need any help."

I scoff, "Well too bad. 'Cause no one asked you."

Tiger coughs to hide her laugh and Klaus instantly relaxes his tense posture at the sound.

"Fine. Come on. I'll show you to my office."

I don't bother to correct him, since it will be our office, but seriously, what's the point?

Even though I know the way, I let him lead me to the prefect office.

Once I pass through the door, I take in the sight of the office. Blah! He's worse than Randolph!

Papers are strewn on every surface, luckily not on the floor; books are stacked nearly as tall as the celling. It makes me internally shudder at the sight.

"Ever hear of cleaning up after yourself?" I comment. If I was going to be a prefect as well, Klaus needs to learn how to organize. And fast.

He grunts and begins to sort through papers on the desk.

"Ever hear of minding your own business?" Klaus replies after a moment.

"Well clearly," I begin. "It's my business when I feel like I am going to drown in this ocean of a mess."

Klaus snickers, yet doesn't add to the conversation and keeps his back to me.

"Do you know anything about the dark magic user of the academy?"

Klaus stiffens, and I see his hand reaching for his wand.

"I wouldn't do that."

He goes to snatch his wand off the desk, but I am already there, with the magical tool in hand.

I shake my finger at him with a mocking tone, "Shame on you. Trying to pull your wand on a woman."

He growls and goes to grab it; however, being the Guardian I am, having put in long and hard hours of physical training, I easily dodge him.

"Nice try." I mock once again.

We have the long desk between us, with one on each end and locked in a glare.

"Give. Me. Back. My. Wand." He punctuates each word, to show how serious he is.

I tap my chin with my fee hand and for a second consider the repercussions of doing and not doing as he requests.

"Nope." Clearly making up my mind, I easily run to the other end of the desk as Klaus comes around.

"We can do this all day, you know. And you still would never get it back."

He groans, turns and bangs his head against the wall.

Stifling my laughter I try to not get distracted at Klaus' antics. I take his wand and shake it at him.

"Stop trying to make me laugh. It's not working."

He quickly faces me again, and I could see the mischievousness in his eyes.

"You wanna bet?" He asks sarcastically.

He lunges sideways and I easily dodge him sprinting to the other side.

"Seriously. Either you have something up your sleeve or you're more stupid than a prefect should be." I jest.

He lunges again. And instead of around the desk…no, he goes over it. The clever bastard.

Grabbing my arm, he squeezes until it becomes too painful and I drop his wand.

It rolls across the floor and lands in front of the fireplace.

Taking a glance at one another, I lunge for it and so does Klaus.