Chapter 49

Anila’s POV

After I finished showering and changing my clothes, I headed off to Professor Howl’s classroom for advanced magic. Thankfully, I remembered where his classroom was.

Taking a deep breath, I ascended the steps that led to his classroom. By the time I reached the top floor, I was winded and all I wanted to do was sit down. There weren’t many students in the room yet and I was glad that I was able to get a good seat.

I didn’t even have a wand yet.

Was a wand required for taking magic classes? Nobody had said anything about it, and it wasn’t on the Principal Rapport’s material list. But maybe it was one of those things that didn’t need to be said.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I sat in one of the seats towards the front of the room as more students piled into the class.

Professor Howl wasn’t in the room yet, but I knew he would be soon.

The scent of cloves and vanilla filled my senses and before I had the chance to react, Damien walked into the classroom with Sarah stuck to his side like glue.

I had to stifle a groan when I saw her but when Damien saw me, he surprised me by smiling.

“Hey, Anila,” he said as he paused at my desk.

My cheeks flushed as I looked between him and a very stunned face, Sarah staring at him with disbelief.

“Hey,” I replied, relieved that my voice didn’t crack as I spoke.

“You’re taking advanced magic?” He asked, completely oblivious to the daggers Sarah was staring at him with.

I nodded, trying to keep cool.

“Yeah. Principal Rapport thought it would be for the best,” I told him.

“Well, if you need any help, don’t hesitate to ask me,” he said, giving me what looked like a proud smile.

I nodded, biting my lower lip to stifle a smile of my own.

“Thanks, Damien,” I said in return.

He nodded and went to take his seat with Sarah staring at him like she had just killed her puppy. I knew she was probably going to give him an earful once they were seated and I really didn’t care. I wasn’t really sure what was going on between Damien and me, and this mate bond between us, but it was clear that Damien wanted to be my friend and I was okay with that.

At least for right now.

“Hello, class,” Professor Howl stepped into the room and made his way to his desk in the front.

A woman followed behind him with silver hair cut in a pixie style and big green eyes, equipped with long lashes. She looked a little younger than Professor Howl and she wore a purple cloak with the hood down and a wand with purple and white gemstones covering the black leather handle, which was tucked in the belt loop of her skinny black jeans.

Her waist was slender, but her hips were wide, which was evident in the tight clothing she wore.

“Everybody, this is my sister, Professor Rosan. She’s here as a special guest to teach you all about charms,” Professor Howl said as he took his seat at his desk.

Professor Rosan turned to class and gave us a bright smile.

“Hello everybody. I’m so glad to be here again,” she said, waving at everybody, smiling wider at people she recognized, which included Damien.

I wasn’t surprised by that; Damien seemed to be friends with a lot of professors and staff around this school.

Perks of being a top student I suppose.

Professor Howl’s eyes shifted to me, and he cleared his throat before saying, “Before we begin class, please welcome Miss Anila to our advanced magic class. She’s only a first year, but talented from what I hear from Principal Rapport.”

Everybody’s eyes shifted to me, and I suddenly felt uncomfortable from the sudden attention. I forced a smile and looked behind me at all the wandering and curious eyes; only Sarah’s eyes were filled with pure hatred as she glared at me.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I offered a meager, “Hello.”

My eyes found Damien’s and he gave me a quick wink, which caused heat to rush to my cheeks as I quickly turned around to face the front of the room.

“Excellent,” Professor Rosan said, clapping her hands together. “With that being said, I’m going to be teaching you all summoning charms. How to properly summon, and dismiss, without blowing off your face,” she chuckled and Professor Howl rolled his eyes.

They were definitely related.

“Who here knows anything about summoning charms?” Professor Rosan took in the class, before pointing to a random student who didn’t even have their hand up. “What do you know about charms?”

The boy shifted uncomfortably.

“I know that they are weaker than spells.”

Professor Rosan scoffed, “weaker?” her gaze burned into Professor Howl, “This is your doing, isn’t it?”

Professor Howl shrugged, “Who am I to correct them?” aloof and careless, but it made his sister shake her head, black hair swishing around her shoulders.

“A bad teacher, that’s what,” She snipped, before returning her attention to the student. “No, they are not weaker than spells. In fact, you’ll see them as a special advantage in a couple of months, so you best pay attention.”

The class went silent from her words, and once again I was left feeling confused.

“They are more complicated than normal spells, and often, people get them wrong. But…” she lifted her wand, “When done right, a Charm can be a wizard's most powerful tool.”

She swished her wand in a specific pattern before saying; “Avis!”

Magic warbled in front of her before a large, white bird materialized from nothing and soared through the sky. It flew over the classroom, white wisps trailed behind it before it came to land on her arm.

“Everyone, meet Avis. He is a Wakinyan, a thunderbird. And He can only be here because I asked him to be.”

Avis was beautiful, with white feathers that flexed and puffed as he shook his head. Yet as I looked closely, the feathers ruffling generated tiny sparks of electricity.

The class mumbled greetings to the bird sparsely, but I was absolutely enthralled by Avis. His piercing eyes were the most electric shade of blue, with whisps of magic rolling off his body in droves. Like he was a part of a whole other realm and was only here for a brief visit.

“The key is to have a clear summon in mind. Avis is a special case, so try to focus on something similar, like a fox or a cat. But the tricky part is to release the summons, without harming yourself, it, or others. Watch closely.” Professor Rosan moved her wand in a different send of motions, erratic and quick.

The bird tilted its head curiously, eyes on its master before magic warbled the air around him, and in a second, he was gone. Quiet, and quick. I sat at the edge of my seat, completely enthralled.

“Grab your mediums, follow these motions, and have a clear image in mind.” She drew a series of arrows labeled from 1-8 in jagged movements, one leading into two, and so on. I shifted in my seat, however as I saw all the other students grab wands, I realized I was pretty scared.

I raised my hand, my face heating with embarrassment.

“Yes, Anila?” Professor Rosan asked.

“Um…I don’t have a wand yet…” I admitted sheepishly.

She waved me off, “That’s fine. You have your medium, right? Just do the motions with your hand. It’ll work fine.”

I swallowed a bundle of nerves that had lodged in my throat, and I looked across the room at Damien. His grey eyes were focused behind his glasses, brown hair lying over his eyebrows as he flicked his wand in fluid movements, and magic shifted before him before a small cat leaped out of the air. No mistakes, no recasts, just perfection on the first try.

I’m not the only student impressed as I caught sight of several others, Sarah included. However, when I focused on her, there was something dark lingering there, tainting that bemusement

When I felt confident nobody was watching me, I used my finger to draw the lines and focused on my animal. Only, as my finger does the last swipe, a different creature comes to mind.

The magic warbled, and out emerged something large, and covered in fur. I choked on air, as a gryphon emerged from the air in front of me. It was white, just like all the summons, only its size was that of a lion, and when it flexed its wings, they spanned the entire classroom.

Oh no.

My eyes went wide with horror, and as I looked around, I found that everyone was watching me, including Damien, and Sarah. Even Professor Howl, and Rosan.

“Uh… oops?” I chuckled weakly, causing some others to chuckle along with me.

“Last minute idea change or what?” Professor Rosan asked between giggles of her own.

“Yeah, like an invasive thought,” I said, frowning, but as Professor Rossan approached, the gryphon turned its gaze toward her immediately, and she paused.

“My, what a beast.” She spoke in awe, the white whisps of magic rolling from the gryphon's body like an ethereal gown. “I’m impressed, Anila. This shouldn’t be possible with someone at your level. Now, the real trick is dismissing it.”

With that, she clapped twice to drag all attention back to her, except the gryphon. It merely shifted to lay on the floor at my feet, its two front claws so close to me I just had to stretch to touch it. It looked at me patiently, awaiting for… something. I don’t know what.

The longer I looked at this creature, the more familiar it felt.

I felt almost uneasy as I watched Professor Rosan draw the dismissing charm on the board, this time the arrows ranged from 1-12. I swallowed, watching other students try. The magic exploded in their faces, burning hair as their summons shrieked horribly before fading from existence.

“Oh god.” I gasped, sinking further into my seat.

Professor Rosan nodded, “It hurts when you get it wrong. They won’t be damaged, and sometimes you have to dismiss them as fast as possible, or they will die. Learning to do it smoothly makes the process easier for them, and you.”

I frowned, looking at the gryphon lying before me. I didn’t want to hurt it. My eyes moved to Damien across the room, and I studied his movements like my life depended on it. With quick flicks, his cat disappeared in the mist. Smooth and effortless, with no pain.

I can do this.

Feeling something nudge my foot, I looked down at the gryphon, his large talon rested gently on my foot like it was trying to give me comfort. Without thinking, I reached out to stroke the smooth dark beak that curled down its face.

After taking a deep breath I used my finger to draw the dismissing charm. My motions were fast, and as I drew the last one.

The gryphon looked at me with round, knowing eyes.

Then, it disappeared in a puff of mist.