Theo was still seething and even more of a bother than normal.
“Hurry up!” he snapped at Adelaide and me. She rolled her eyes and then stuck her tongue out at her brother’s retreating figure.
“He’s always such a moody girl. Only girls aren’t as bad. Theodore’s just a species of his own,” she rambled.
I giggled in agreement.
Theo ushered us into the room with an annoyed swish of his hand.
I followed Adelaide to a table in the corner. Theo lounged against the door, staring at his fingernails. He appeared bored but I knew he was actually very alert. Even if he was perturbed with me he was still going to do his job.
“Welcome, welcome,” said a woman in front of the class. “I am so happy to see such bright smiling faces.” I looked around; no one looked bright and no one was smiling. “I’m Jessamine.”
The woman clapped her hands together and blinked at us. She had large owlish eyes, gray flyaway hair, a beaked nose, and she wore clothes one would associate with a fortune teller. She was the first enchanter I had seen that actually looked like a witch.
“Well,” she said and drawled out the word. She looked around as if confused and shuffled the mess of papers on her desk. “In magic theory you learn about … the theory of magic!” she said as if the idea had just struck her. I could see now that this class would be interesting. She moved through the classroom, her hands skimming the wood tops of the tables we sat behind. “In this class, we will discuss the ways in which you can and cannot use magic. Fun, fun, lots of fun!” she chimed. I glanced over at Theo and found him trying to hide a laugh.
“Okay, okay, okay,” Jessamine repeated like she couldn’t get her thoughts straight. “How many of you have already come into your powers?” When no one made a move, she said, “Hands, up, up, up.”
There were only eight of us in the room, but the majority raised their hands.
“All right, all right, all right,” Jessamine chanted. “I’m assuming the rest of you will be coming into your powers sometime in the next few weeks.”
She giggled at nothing and then said, “Okay, let’s get started.” She looked around like she was lost and then sat behind her desk. As soon as she sat she stood back up. “I hate being behind that thing. It makes me feel like there’s a wall between us.” She began to pace around the room. “Let’s talk about some theories.”
Everyone waited for her to continue and, when she didn’t, she let out a small giggle.
“Silly, silly, silly, me.” She clasped her hands together and asked, “What do you all think are some things you can’t do with magic?”
I figured most of the students knew all about magic, having lived with magical parents, and believed this class was a waste of time. I, on the other hand, was fascinated. I knew nothing about magic. I had no idea what I would be capable of.
A girl raised her hand.
Jessamine pointed to her. “What’s your name?”
“Meredith,” the girl said.
“Ah, Meredith, Great Ruler, what is it that you’d like to share with the class?”
“We can’t heal,” she answered, “at least not regular enchanters.” Her gaze shot to me and I saw Theo straighten out of the corner of my eye.
“Yes,” said Jessamine. “Enchanters cannot heal but the Chosen Ones can. I believe we have a Chosen One here with us.” She looked around the room and I sunk down in my seat.
“Right here.” Adelaide pointed at me. I shot daggers at her.
“Your name?” she asked Adelaide.
“Adelaide,” she replied.
“Adelaide,” she repeated, “means noble and kind.”
Adelaide smirked and glanced at Theo with a look that said, “Hear that?”
“Chosen One, what’s your name?” Jessamine asked.
“Mara,” I spoke softly.
“Mara, Mara, Mara. Do you know what Mara means?” she asked.
“No.”
“Bitter. Are you bitter, Mara?”
“Uh … no,” I hesitated. “I’m not bitter.”
Jessamine smiled and said, “Good, good, good. That’s good to hear.”
I let out a sigh of relief.
“This lovely gentleman standing in the back must be your protector. What’s your name?” she asked him. Was she going to ask everyone in the room their name and then give the meaning? We’d be here forever.
“Theodore.”
She appraised him as if she was looking right through him. “Divine gift or gift of God. The name suits you.” She shrugged, and I rolled my eyes.
Theo was going to eat this up. Gift of God? Oh, dear.
“I quite like it,” said Theo as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall. One booted foot rested at a right angle touching the wall.
“Yes, yes, yes.” She waved her hand and looked around the room. “What had we been talking about? I forgot,” she mused. “Oh! I remember now. Enchanters cannot heal but Chosen Ones can.” She looked right at me as she spoke. “Chosen Ones have many abilities that we regular ol’ enchanters don’t have. They are known to read minds, heal, and communicate with the dead among other things. Protectors also have more power.” Her gaze drifted to Theo. “They’re stronger, faster, and highly underestimated. They can pick up on the emotions around them to sense if anyone is a threat to their charge. Protectors are even rarer than Chosen Ones. If the protector dies, the Chosen One is left bared to the world.” Sensing my confusion, Jessamine added, “While a protector is alive their magic disrupts yours making it difficult for you to be found. That’s not to say you can’t still be found” —I remembered the night we were attacked— “but it makes it harder.”
Her eyes found the clock and she jolted. “Oh, my, my, my, I’ve kept you all too long. You best be going.”
I grabbed my bag and slung it over my shoulder. “That was weird,” I said to Adelaide.
“Theodore said she was weird. Apparently, both her parents were Chosen Ones and she saw them murdered as a child. Story is, she’s been like that ever since. I don’t know why they let her tutor us. If you ask me, she needs to be in the loony bin. Just sayin’.”
“Has she not always lived here then?”
“No, she used to live at the London safe house. Theodore said she’s bounced from safe place to safe place since her parents’ death. While she’s not chosen, she’d be a hot commodity for The Iniquitous to get their hands on. A trophy of sorts.”
“That’s … sick.”
Adelaide snorted. “Believe me, you have no idea how bad those bastards are.”
Theo leaned against the outside of the door waiting for us. “What took you so long? Having a scintillating conversation without me?”
“Contrary to what you believe,” Adelaide drawled, “you don’t need to be a part of everything.”
“I disagree.” He placed a hand to his chest as he led us down the hall. “I’m amazing and, therefore, you’d be crazy not to include me.”
“The fact that you think you’re so amazing is all the proof I need that you’re not.”
Theo swung his gaze to me. “And what do you think, doll face? Am I amazing or am I amazing?”
I pretended to think. “Annoying is a more accurate term.”
He mock winced. “I’m hurt. Mortally wounded.”