Callum was the first one off the bus since he didn't have any luggage, and for a teeny tiny moment Tamara felt a twinge of pity. They walked through the Magisterium which wasn't as cool as it would've been if she hadn't grown up to pictures and books all about it. But even Callum seemed impressed as he limped behind the others. But as they entered their personal common room for only the three of them, Tamara's eyes shone.

"it's amazing." She breathed. She picked up her metal cuff carefully, she could feel Callums eyes on her. "Wow."

"Are they magic?" Callum asked.

Master Rufus launched into a long explanation about the magical cuffs, all of which Tamara already knew.

"We generally find it better to let new apprentices settle in their rooms the first night instead of getting overwhelmed in the refectory, so you'll eat here this evening," Tamara was disappointed, she was looking forward to seeing the refectory.

"These plates are empty." Callum spoke like they were all insane.

"So they are, but not for long. Now picture your favorite meal." Tamara thought of sushi, and mochi! And green tea! Oh, she loved green tea but her parents thought she should like black tea better.

"Call. Is anything the matter?" Master Rufus asked.

"Can you hear my thoughts?"

Tamara rolled her eyes and Master Rufus looked at her, "Tamara, can I read Call's thoughts?"

"Mages can only read your thoughts if you're projecting them." She answered.

Aaron and Callum asked some stupid questions, none of them Tamara was paying any special attention to, until it was her turn. Happily, Tamara took her plate and sat down next to Aaron. Callum got a plate of breakfast lunch and dinner, how he could eat so much? Tamara didn't know.

"Can I call my father." Callum asked, and everyone stopped what they were doing to look at him, he sounded so hopeful that Tamara almost felt guilty,"I mean, is there a phone I could use? I don't have one of my own."

Tamara remembered when she got her first phone. She was only eight and she really hadn't wanted one, but her parents insisted that it would make her more responsible, and there was no arguing with her parents.

"Cellular phones don't work in the Magisterium, Callum. We're too far below ground for that." Obviously. "Nor do we have landline phones. We use the elements to communicate. I would suggest we give Alastair some time to calm down." Tamara would suggest that also, like maybe eighty years when the maniac would be long dead. "And then you and I will contact him together. Now, I expect the three of you up and dressed at nine tomorrow-and furthermore, I expect you to be sharp-witted and ready to learn. We have much work to do together, and I would be sorry if you didn't live up to the promise you showed at the Trial."

Tamara bit back a comment about how Callum's potential would blow up the entire school and kill off all of the students and teachers. But then she noticed Callums disgusting plate. "What if you get ranch dressing on your spaghetti?" Tamara wondered why she cared so much.

"Then it would be even more delicious."

She tried not to gag "Gross."

Callum seemed defensive, maybe she offended him, "Where do you think they get the fresh fish for your sushi, since we're in a cave? Bet they took a net down to one of those underground pools and nabbed whatever came up. Glued lurp."

How immature could a twelve year old be? "Guys. You're putting me off my macaroni."

"Glurp lurp." Callum said again, probably just to annoy the two of them.

Without a word Tamara matched angrily over to the couches so that she didn't have to look at him. Nobody was as annoying as Callum, not even Jasper!

After a long silence, Callum stood up noisily, "I'm going to bed. Which one is mine?"

"Our names are in the doors." Aaron said. Tamara looked over, she actually hadn't noticed that.

"Oh."

Once Callum was out of sight, Aaron moved to the couches also. "He kind of walks funny, don't you think?"

Tamara looked over at Aaron with a mixture of horror and surprise, she didn't know that he could be so mean, despite that a nervous giggle and escaped from her throat, "Aaron." She said in a hushed voice, "That's so mean."

Aaron flushed, "It was a comment. I didn't mean for it to come out as mean."

Tamara laughed for real this time, "You're so innocent that you can't even believe that someone could be mean."

Tamara wondered why someone as innocent as Aaron would notice, but then someone like her was too focus on his eyes to realize that he couldn't walk. It didn't seem right.

"Do you think that we'll see any of the chaos ridden?" Aaron asked nervously.

"No." Tamara told him with certainty, "The Masters will keep us safe."

Aaron looked around with a newfound safety in his eyes. He smiled, "yeah, I guess you're right. I'm going to bed."

Once Aaron left, Tanara was alone. She looked around at the towering walls and felt so intimidated that it scared her. She put her plate down on the coffee table and slipped into her room. But when she saw the enormous room and the magical feeling, she felt so fake and wondered if anyone could see through the mask she wore. She curled up on top of her blankets and stared at the ceiling through bleary tears.

But Tamara was so tired from the long day that despite her racing thoughts, she fell asleep in an instant.