Summoned By Magic by Lexie Scott
Chapter 6
Words I never thought anyone would say to me.
“That’s right.”
He opened the folder and scanned the first packet of papers before sliding it out and turning it so I could read along. I noticed the star and circle again near the letterhead.
“What is that?” I pointed to the symbol, wanting to clear that up before my imagination took over.
“It’s a pentacle, and our school symbol,” he said without further explanation.
I tried again. “What does it stand for?”
“The five points represent the five elements our powers stem from, and the circle is for balance and harmony between the supernatural species.”
So no evil satanic stuff? Well, that was comforting.
He raised a brow as if asking if he could continue, and I nodded.
“This is a list of rules and expectations for students in your year. I’ll keep you with your age group rather than having you start at the beginning of the courses, so you’ll be quite behind.” He watched me for a reaction, but once again, I didn’t know what to expect, so I didn’t know what to think or feel. Was I one year behind? Two? Ten?
“Most students start with us after their abilities manifest, or in the case of shifters and vampires, at fourteen.”
So I was roughly three years behind. Great.
“There is a school rule that if you don’t pass your courses, you’re immediately expelled, so you must commit to getting up to speed with the rest of your classmates. Drexel Academy does not make exceptions—no matter who your sponsor is.”
His voice took on an edge. Bitterness? Judgment? Did he not like the Stones? That wouldn’t surprise me. On one hand, that made me trust him just a little, but on the other, it made me wary. What if more people found out who was behind my appearance here and did more than warn me about expulsion?
I curled the toes of my shoes into the thick carpet to steady my nerves. Once I got settled and I had a clue about what I was doing, I’d worry about that.
“I will do my best.” It was the only thing I could promise.
“That’s all I can ask.” He smiled, more relaxed. “Read these over tonight and bring the last page back to me signed.” He slipped the paper back into the folder and looked at the next one. “First thing tomorrow, you will meet Mrs. Hedgings for an assessment. Once you have the results, you’ll come back here so I can create your schedule.”
“Okay. Is there information on where and when to meet her?” I asked.
He continued to the next paper, turning it to face me. “Here is a campus map. You will meet here.” He tapped on the building in the very center. “Her room is on the third floor. Be there at eight.”
I made a note of the specific room number listed on the paper and agreed.
“This is the dorm where you’ll reside.” His finger moved to the second long building in a row of four. “All female students from ages fourteen to eighteen live in Bennett Hall. The males in your age group live here in Mannering Hall.” He tapped the building next to mine. “These two,” his finger moved between the furthest two, “are where the older students and bonded pairs reside.”
My brows pulled together. “Older students? I’m a senior, isn’t that the oldest?”
He gave me a look like he was waiting for me to say I was joking. “What do you know about Drexel Academy?”
I sat back. Could I tell him the truth? That I found out about it yesterday? “Not very much.”
He eyed me before giving a slight shake of his head. “We teach students from what non-supes consider high school and college. Our oldest students are twenty-one or twenty-two.”
My stomach dropped. “So, I’m not here for a year? I’m here for five?”
There was no way I could stay away from my family for that long. I’d learn as much as I could until next summer, then I was out of here!
“Some students prefer to go the non-supernatural route and attend one of their universities if their interests lie outside the majors we offer, but most students stay here.”
My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears. I had a sinking feeling my parents, Masie, Susan, and Robert would all encourage me to stay here and learn all I could since I was so far behind. But what about my birth parents? They left. They went to a normal university. Was that because they were an inter-species couple? Did they not have a choice?
My list of questions to ask Masie was already a mile long and just kept growing. I might never have all the answers I sought.
“Okay.” My voice shrank to a near squeak. Just getting here had sapped all my bravery and strength. I was overwhelmed and so tired. I needed a few minutes by myself, preferably in my special spot on the roof, away from everything and everyone. That wasn’t an option anymore.
“You’ll be rooming with a witch your age, so you’ll have someone to show you around and assist you as you settle in.”
Great. I had to share a room with a stranger. I’d have no peace or privacy while I was here. No space to adjust on my own.
I nodded, not able to muster the energy to speak. Life kept rolling on with me, happening to me. I was only a passenger with no active decision-making role. Other people were telling me where and when to do everything, and I was forced to go along with it all.
“Your key is here,” he said, flipping through the rest of the folder. “After we get your schedule finalized, you can go to the library to collect your books. There’s also a page here with information about whom to contact in case of emergencies as well as the name and number of your RA. If you have any questions that aren’t answered, please feel free to reach out to me. My office hours and email are included here as well.”
He pushed the folder at me, and I lifted it from his desk clutching it to my chest like a lifeline.
“I’ve asked a student from your year to escort you to your room. I figured you’d prefer that to being seen with your guidance counselor.” He said it as if he was doing me a favor, but being passed off to yet another stranger just made me tense even more.
I didn’t have a choice, though. I was being dismissed, so I stood and thanked him before turning to the door and struggling to get both of my bags out while holding on to the folder.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he called behind me.
I gave a small wave before heading down the hall toward the oh-so-pleasant woman.
“Ms. Williams,” she said without looking up from her screen because I still wasn’t worth her full attention. “Ms. Jefferies is here to escort you.”
I looked at the row of chairs against the wall and smiled at the pretty brunette who stood. She wore black fitted pants and a black sweater dotted with tiny pearls over a white collared shirt. Combined with her high ponytail and light makeup, she looked preppy and exactly how I pictured a boarding school student, down to the leather oxfords.
“Hi, I’m Hannah.” She gave me a genuine smile and looked at my suitcases. “Can I help you with one?”
I let out a breath and relaxed. “Yes, please. I’m Saige.”
“What a pretty name.” She took one handle and started down the hall, glancing over her shoulder once. “So where did you transfer from?”
I wasn’t sure what she meant. Did she want to know my old high school? What were the odds she was familiar with my area? “Um, I'm from Twin Fields. It’s just north of Pittsburgh.”
She stopped walking and faced me. “What?”
I stared back at her, equally confused. “I went to Twin Fields High?”
She cocked her head to the side. “You came from a non-supernatural high school?”
I nodded.
“But you’re in my year? You’re seventeen?”
“Yeah?” I hated sounding so unsure, but we clearly misunderstood each other.
She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. “Sorry, let’s start over. Who are you, and where did you come from?”
I was almost offended until she started laughing.
I chuckled lightly. “I’m pretty new to this world. I didn’t know I was coming here until yesterday morning.”
Her brows shot to the sky, and her big blue eyes widened. “What? How?”
So the “surprise, you’re a witch” thing was unique to me? I wasn’t sure how much I should share with her, but I had a feeling I’d be getting reactions like this a lot in the next few days. Maybe she could help me come up with a better explanation, so I didn’t have to repeat myself quite as often.
“I didn’t know I was a witch. My . . . powers”––I wasn’t sure I even wanted to accept that label yet; I was perfectly fine ignoring the freak accidents––“didn’t really show up until recently. My family thought I didn’t have abilities, so I was raised in human society.”
I used phrasing I picked up from Masie and hoped that explained things.
Her surprise faded some. “Interesting. You have some catching up to do, but I can help you, and we can get a study group together so we can bring you up to speed.”
“Really? Why would you do that?”
She just smiled. “Because I remember how overwhelmed and confused I was when I got here, and I knew my whole life that I was a witch. I can’t imagine what you’re going through. Plus, you’re one of us now, and we watch out for each other.”
She spun back around and started walking again. Was it that simple? She made it seem like it was, but what did she mean by “us” and “we”? The students of Drexel or witches? I wasn’t sure I wanted to join in on the segregation, but maybe it was another area where I didn’t have a choice.
She led us through a back entrance connected to a wide brick pathway. She waited for me to fall into step with her and told me about each grand building we passed. Pentacles were etched over the entrance to each of them and even in random spots like the side of a bench and some of the pavers.
“Over there,” she began, pointing behind us, “is the assembly hall. If there is ever a school or grade-wide meeting, that’s where we go. If there are performances or anything like that, they use the stage in there. Since tomorrow’s the first day of the new term, we’ll have a school assembly, so you’ll see it.”
I hurried forward to keep pace with her as she pointed to the next building on our right. There weren’t very many other people out, but I noted that none of them wore what could be considered uniforms. It was yet another thing I wasn’t sure about. Since no one had brought it up yet, I hoped there wasn’t a pleated skirt or blazer waiting for me in my room.
“That’s the greenhouse. Witches with an Earth affinity are usually the only ones who use it, but anyone that’s interested in growing plants is welcome to use it.”
I wanted to ask her what her affinity was, but I wasn’t sure if that was taboo or not. What about shifters? How could I tell the difference between a vampire or a witch? Would I know instinctively?
“And that’s the health center.” She pointed to a smaller version of the administration building. It had fewer turrets and no parapets but was still a similar style. “That’s pretty self-explanatory. If you’re sick or injured, head there. Some of the witches and vampires with healing abilities intern there, but those are only the older students.”
Healing abilities? That was an option? I wanted those. How cool would it be to wave my hands and fix a broken bone or cure an illness?
There was a curve in the path, then a split. She paused, and I stopped next to her. “That is the lab building where most of the science-related classes are.”
The path to the right led to where I needed to go in the morning for the assessment, so I made a mental note of where to turn.
“And that’s the library.” The building on the opposite side of the path from the lab building was massive and far grander than any library I’d ever seen. I couldn’t wait to explore it.
She started down the path to the left. “This way leads to the dorms, dining hall, and the tower.”
“The tower?” That sounded ominous.
She grinned. “Its real name is Bradbury Tower, but that’s a mouthful. It’s the only tower on campus, so it’s not like you’ll get confused. It’s where most of the witches’ classes are, so you’ll be spending a lot of time there.”
I saw the tall building in the distance and hoped my classes weren’t at the top since I doubted it had an elevator. Thoughts of the imposing tower and all the work ahead distracted me. One second I was upright, and the next, the ground was speeding toward my face.