My first class after lunch was Biology with Mr. Banner. Mike and Angela were in the same class, and they (mostly Mike) offered to walk me there so I would know where I was going. The school wasn't at all like I had imagined it or even like one I had seen on TV. It was a bunch of separate buildings spread out across the campus. It was incredibly impractical considering the climate in this part of the country, but at least the walkways were covered.
When we got to Biology, Angela and Mike left me to sit down in their assigned seats. We were one of the last groups of students to arrive, and when I looked around there were only two empty seats. I handed my slip to Mr. Banner. As he was signing it, a student rushed in as the bell rang leaving only one seat open. Mr. Banner handed me the paper and gestured for me to sit.
I took a deep breath and went to sit by Edward Cullen.
I don't know why I was so nervous. I tried to tell myself that he was just a boy and there was nothing to be worried about, but the situation in the cafeteria had rattled me. It could have been a coincidence that I heard voices in my head after looking him in the eyes, but my instincts said it wasn't. My instincts had never been wrong before.
I took my seat and pulled out my notebook trying to remain as normal as possible. Normal people did not stare at their science partners, I reminded myself. I didn't really want to admit it, but I was curious about Edward. Once again, I had known all of the information that Mr. Banner began lecturing about. My diligent notes quickly became anything else. I wished I had the artistic ability to sketch the pair of eyes that I couldn't stop thinking about—the eyes of the boy sitting next to me.
"Hello." His voice was smooth and cool. It was like velvet. "I'm Edward Cullen. You must be Emme Wildes."
I didn't expect him to speak to me. I couldn't deny that I was glad he did. I didn't want to look into his eyes again. I was afraid the same thing that happened at lunch would happen again, and Biology was one of the worst places that could happen. I was supposed to be flying under the radar, being as normal as a Dursley.
But I also didn't want to be rude. I managed a small glance his way and a smile. I started writing real notes again instead of random words and doodles as an excuse not to meet his eyes.
"Yeah, that's me. How'd you know?"
He chuckled in a way that sounded like music. How is that even a thing? "It's kind of hard not to notice in a town this small."
I let out a laugh as well. "No, I meant how did you know that I prefer Emme over Emerine?"
"Word gets around."
"Well, what else does the word say?" I hoped there would be little to no word.
"You moved here from Salem, Massachusetts to live with your two aunts. Your favorite color is purple. And you don't think you're interesting enough to be featured in the school newspaper."
I glanced at him again, this time with my brows raised. "You've seemed to collect quite the dossier on me, Mr. Cullen."
"To the contrary, Miss Wildes. I think that's hardly any information at all." His words were playful and inviting.
The banter was so natural it surprised me. I was usually awkward meeting new people. I kept to myself. But I wasn't keeping to myself with Edward—I was myself. Judging by the gossip Jessica had been telling me at lunch, the Cullens kept to themselves. They didn't really talk to anyone outside of their family unless directly spoken to first. So why was he talking to me? Was he really curious about the new girl? Did he know that I was just as curious about him?
I decided to take a chance. It was hard to figure out if he was being genuine or not without reading his facial expressions. And if the same thing happened as before, then I would know for sure that Edward was the trigger.
Slowly, my eyes met his dark—almost black—ones.
I wasn't frozen this time, but my head exploded with the sound of unfamiliar voices. There weren't as many as last time, but there were definitely enough that I got an instant headache. My vision began to blur around the edges again, but I held Edward's gaze. When I first looked at him, his expression was as playful as he sounded. But now, however, it was filled with concern and laced with questions.
I fought to push the voices down and back out of my mind, one by one, never breaking Edward's stare. Finally, there was only one voice left.
'This could be a huge mistake.'
I tore my eyes away from his and let the voice—his voice—drift away. I knew it had been him speaking, yet his mouth hadn't moved at all. I had listened in on his thought.
Witches have the power of telekinesis, but those powers don't normally manifest until the witch is ready for it. It is exceedingly rare for a witch to be less than a Thridde and have the power to read other's minds. Usually, powers start with slight clairvoyance. I had all sorts of feelings about things that would warn me if I was forgetting something or about to walk into a situation I shouldn't be in. Potion brewing and healing were fairly beginning level too; all you had to do was follow directions in a grimoire. Almost any witch could use those skills, even if they weren't ranked.
But I had heard voices. I had unlocked an upper level power without even having thought about it. And it absolutely had something to do with Edward. I would have to talk to my aunts immediately after school.
I turned my attention back to my notes. Edward was right after all. This could be a huge mistake.
He made no effort to speak with me again. I could tell that he knew something had happened. I only hoped he didn't know what.
When the bell rang, Edward was out of his seat and through the door before anyone else had even shut their notebooks or grabbed their bags. I stared after him, almost mystified that someone could move that fast, let alone be graceful about it.
"So, what did Cullen say to piss you off?"
I stood up to face Mike Newton, attentively at my side. He seemed almost jovial that Edward and I didn't seem to get along. "He didn't piss me off. I just needed to focus on my notes."
He rolled his eyes. "Sure. Cullen doesn't talk to anyone. I'm sure most girls would have died if he struck up a conversation with them."
So I was right. He talked to me for a reason, and the information only confused me more. He didn't know I had magic—he couldn't have. So why me?
I decided to change the subject to something that would please him and his eagerness to please. "Would you mind showing me where the gym is? I have that next."
Mike lit up like I told him he'd won the lottery. "Yeah! Actually I'm heading there too. We're doing basketball, but I doubt Coach Clapp will make you change out since you don't have a uniform yet."
Turns out, Mike was exactly right. Coach Clapp signed my slip and gestured me to the bleachers for the period since he didn't know where the gym uniforms were at the moment. With a promise to find me something by tomorrow, he went to start the mock basketball games.
He let me out of gym a few minutes early so I could turn in my slip signed by all my teachers. As I headed towards my car I made sure to zip my black winter coat and pull the hood over my head. This was partially because it was so cold and windy outside, but mostly because I was anxious about seeing Edward again. I couldn't bring myself to meet his eyes again without knowing what was going on. The wind picked up as I continued to stress, blowing my hood back.
I looked up as I reached my car to see the car I noticed earlier parked across from me. It was the shiny, silver Volvo, and getting opening the driver's door was Edward Cullen. His brother Emmett was getting into the passenger seat and the others were opening the doors to the back. I sensed that Edward was about to look up, so I looked instead at the small girl standing next to him, whispering in his ear.
She was so small, she was smaller than me. She couldn't have been more than five feet. Her hair was cropped, black, and spiky, so unlike Edward's bronze hair. They didn't have to look alike since they were all adopted, I supposed. She did have exactly the same skin tone as he did, however. It was so pale it was almost white and it was beautifully uneven.
As if she sensed me staring, Alice looked up at me.
Again, my vision disappeared. This time, though, it wasn't replaced with blackness. It was replaced with an image.
The image was of a girl with long, straight auburn hair sitting with her legs in front of her, ankles crossed. She was leaning back on her hands. She had cream colored skin with olive undertones. The girl looked so at ease, despite being in a clearing in the middle the woods. Her butterscotch eyes were twinkling as she laughed at someone I could not see. Her eyes followed the other person until she fell backwards, lying amongst the myriad of pastel wildflowers. I could tell this girl was incredibly at peace and just happy—so happy that I almost didn't recognize her.
It was me.
The vision faded away, and my sight returned. I hadn't moved at all, but the wind had picked up and it had begun to rain. It was so cold; I was surprised it wasn't snowing. Or maybe it was just me.
The Cullens were all in their Volvo ready to leave except for Alice. She was looking at me with the same look that I must have been giving her: confusion, shock, curiosity (but mostly confusion). Emmett leaned over Edward and said something to Alice. She quickly got in the car, and they sped away.
I should have done the same, but I stood in the freezing rain for a moment longer. I was already soaked, and I needed a moment to compose myself before I could drive anywhere. After a few deep breaths, threw my bag in my car, climbed in, and headed home.
I was going to have to have a long chat with my aunts.
Isolde and Blair were waiting on the porch as I pulled into the driveway.
As quickly as I could, I grabbed my things and went up to meet them.
"Letting your emotions get the better of you, I see," Blair said with a smirk.
I must have given her a look of confusion, because she rolled her eyes before explaining herself.
"You honestly don't think we can tell the difference between a normal storm and a conjured one?"
I groaned. "It's been a day."
Isolde shoved a mug into my free hand. "Drink this. It'll make you feel better."
I looked into the cup wearily. It looked like hot cocoa, but I knew it wasn't. Hesitantly, I took a sip. It immediately warmed me up. I even felt slightly more energized than I had. It tasted almost like a vanilla latte, but not quite as bitter. "What is this and how do you make it? Asking for a friend."
They snorted. "Blair nicknamed it the pepper up potion after she read Harry Potter. It essentially does the same thing—basically it restores a witch's health and stamina so long as they don't need healing first."
"It's one of the first things you'll learn to make on potion days," Blair added.
"Speaking of," started Isolde, "Go inside and put your things away. Then you can tell us about what happened at school and we can get started on your lesson for the day."
I ran up to my room and dumped my school bag unceremoniously in the doorway before running back downstairs to the library. I wanted answers about what had happened so I could finally stop worrying and calm down. I didn't realize how anxious I had been until my aunts had told me my emotions had conjured the storm brewing outside.
The library was a medium sized room with shelves lining all four walls. There were two windows, each with a cushioned sill for lounging. They were draped in heavy, maroon curtains that were currently drawn. There was a fireplace that was lit, and in front of it was a plush red and gold rug. There was a desk at the far end of the room, but my aunts sat in two overstuffed leather chairs in front of the fireplace. I sat down on the rug in front of the fireplace.
"Alright then. So what happened?" Isolde asked.
"It started out normally enough. Sidenote: I am way ahead in my schooling so at least the year so at least I can focus mostly on magic instead of homework."
"Small miracles," Isolde remarked dryly, flicking her black hair over her shoulder.
I rolled my eyes. "Anyways, I was at lunch when I saw this family sitting by themselves. I asked this girl who they were, and she told me they were the Cullens. Have you heard of them?"
"Only in passing. I believe they moved here a couple of years ago, and the patriarch works at the hospital. That's about it. We don't go to town very often," Blair answered. "And when we do, we don't exactly mingle with the townsfolk."
"Anyways, as I was looking at them, one of them looked at me and my head—well it sort of exploded with voices. As soon as I looked away from him, it stopped. At first I thought it was a coincidence, but we ended up having Biology together as well. It happened again when I looked at him there, too, but we were in a smaller room with less people so it wasn't as overwhelming. I managed to push most of the voices back and ended up with just one… his. It stopped again when we broke eye contact."
My aunts were quiet for a moment as they thought about what I had just told them.
"It seems as if this Cullen boy awakened your telekinetic abilities," Aunt Blair mused.
"That's not all," I continued. "As I was leaving the school today, I made eye contact with his sister, Alice. As soon as I did, I saw something. I think it was a vision."
My aunts shared a look.
"This isn't really something to worry about, Emerine. It's just a bit odd," Blair assured me.
Isolde explained further. "Telekinesis and precognition are upper level magic, but you have the ability to practice them. You would have gotten these abilities sooner or later. The Cullen children are probably magic sensitive or even potentially users themselves. Do you have any negative feelings about them?"
I shook my head. "I don't think they're dangerous, if that's what you're asking. I'm more curious than anything. I want to learn more about them." I hadn't even admitted that to myself yet, but the moment I said it, I knew it was true. The entire Cullen family was a fascinating mystery, and I was Nancy Drew. I felt pulled to them, and I wanted to know why.
Blair smiled softly. "Trust your instincts, Emerine. They won't lead you astray."
Before I could think on anything further, Isolde changed the subject. "Alright then. Time for your first formal lesson, dear. Ready?"
I sat up a bit straighter. Was I ready? I had only been wanting to learn to use my magic every since I figured out I had it. Sure, bursts of it slipped out of me every now and then. But I wanted to control it. I wanted to harness it into something useful instead of something harmful.
"Where do we start?"
"Where most kindergartners start," Blair laughed playfully. "By learning to count. And then the days of the week."
"What do you mean?" I asked skeptically.
"Well," Blair began, "You know the seven levels of witchcraft, right? What are they?"
I answered immediately, glad I wasn't totally ignorant. "Forma, Opher, Thridde, Feor, Fyfte, Syxta, and Septe."
They both nodded before Blair continued. "If you are magic sensitive, you don't rank at all. But if you master one of the affinities, you level up. Everyone in our bloodline since Sarah Averill arrived in America has eventually gone on to become a Septe. It's why so many of us were part of the High Council. Average witches and warlocks will only ever rank as a Thridde or a Feor, which is perfectly acceptable."
"Unless your last name is Wildes," Aunt Isolde interjected.
I nodded. I could feel the magic in my blood. I wasn't worried at all. "Alright then. So what are the days of the week?"
"Witches and warlocks can use any magic on any day of the week. However, each day of the week means something specific, something special. The days will correlate with an affinity, a planet, a plant, and certain traits. For example, today is Tuesday. Tuesday is one of the most important days for an upper level witch because it's associated with an upper level magic. Tuesday falls under the house of Mars. Its affinity is spell casting, which is such a broad magic that no one really knows how much you can cast. Basically, spell casting is changing and controlling events with magic. You can change the weather, the elements. You can change people's realities. You can conjure. But we'll go over that in a moment."
I felt as if I should be taking notes.
"Don't worry; it's all in the grimoire," Isolde told me as if she had read my thoughts. She probably had. "Now most witches can do minor casting. It's an upper level magic, but some of it is easier than others. We'll be going over the most known spell casting abilities this evening."
The lecture continued for another hour and a half—and it was all just the basics.
Spell casting had to be the most complicated thing I had ever heard of, simply because there was so much to it, and because of that you had to demonstrate the ability to cast at least three different types of spells before you could level up. There were eight different types of spells: reality warping, elemental control, channeling, physical strength, levitation, glamouring, transmutation, and conjuring. The plant that was most potent on a Tuesday was cedar, which explained why the whole wand rumors about witches got started. Minor level witches and warlocks would use cedar to give their spells an extra bit of oomph. Upper levels didn't have to use anything at all. War spells and protection enchantments were also the most powerful on a Tuesday.
I quickly decided that I hated Tuesdays. Whatever happened to starting where kindergartners started? I was pretty sure they didn't have to jump into the equivalent of Calculus on their first day of school.
"So what I did today with the storm… it was spell casting?" I wondered aloud.
"Just so," replied Blair. "Casting is always easier to do when you use your emotions."
"That doesn't make it more powerful, however. It simply makes it more volatile." Isolde unknowingly answered my next question, and then continued. "And perhaps the most important lesson of the evening is that all magic has a cost. Witches and warlocks have a great amount of powers and every last one of them has the ability to use any of it. People will tell you that witches can't rise in their ranks because they don't have the talent. That's not necessarily true. The only difference between a Forma and a Septe is that a Septe has the stamina and life force to use more power than a Forma does."
"Magic is all around us, Emerine." Blair told me, waving her hand at the room around us. "Magic is life. And in order for you to harness it, it will first harness you. Every spell you cast, every potion you use, it takes a little bit of the life out of you. It's why you needed that potion when you got home today. Your body isn't used to it yet. Your stamina will increase with practice, just like an athlete. But if you over exert yourself before you're ready? There are some things that even magic can't do."
Great. Of course there would be a downside. That didn't turn me off to the idea of learning what my abilities were, however. Instead, I wanted to test myself to see what I could do.
"As much as we love the spark, Emerine, that's enough for one day," Blair told me.
I furrowed my brow, running my hand through my now dry hair. "You mean I don't even get to try it out yet?"
Isolde shot me a look. "We must learn to walk before we can fly."
"I thought the saying was 'walk before we can run?'" I questioned.
She smirked. "Whoever said that couldn't fly."
Next time:
I had a feeling that Edward's mysterious disappearance had something to do with me, and I was tired of wondering helplessly about it like a love struck school girl. I wasn't a love struck school girl. I was a witch, and if I started acting like one, I wouldn't have to wonder about where Edward was and why he was missing. I could find out for myself.
