Chapter 6: Chapter 6: First Day of Classes
Bergins sweeps inside the small room with a gush of air. His crimson eyes narrow when he spots me and I scrunch down farther in my seat, wrapping my arms around my middle. Why did he have to be a vampire? I'd rather have any other type of being for a teacher.
"Welcome to Magical History, for those new to our school and this community," he says in a baritone voice.
Even though he doesn't say my name, I know he's talking about me, and my face heats up.
A boy on the other side of me makes snapping noises with his teeth.
"Is there a problem, Mr. Sullivan?" The teacher turns to the board and starts writing down witches, vampires, werewolves, fae across the top.
"No, sir." He snickers.
One of the other guys behind him with purple hair throws a spitball at him.
"Cut it out, Mercier, unless you wanna end up with a bite out of your ass," he hisses.
"In your full-moon dreams." Mercier makes kisses faces at him.
I catch myself smiling. This isn't so different from my school. Kids are the same except that all of them could kill me in a different way if they wanted.
"Mercier and Sullivan, I can hear you." The professor scribbles dates under the types of paranormals he has on the board. "And I expect a term paper on the history of mermaids on my desk this Friday."
Both boys groan but the rest of the class sits up straighter as if they don't want to get on Mr. Bergins' bad side. What did they give vampires to drink here anyway? Blood bank? Let them hunt animals? People donating from a live vein?
"Ms. Sutton?" Mr. Bergins turns from the board and a wave of revulsion crashes into me at his direct stare. "Do you know when humans first discovered werewolves?"
"I-I don't know." My voice comes out scratchy. I try to remember an old werewolf movie, but I've no idea. "Nineteen hundreds?"
The class erupts in laughter.
"Hardly." He turns and writes Gilgamesh. "Here, we have the earliest recording in the written word of a werewolf. Gilgamesh spurned a lover because she had turned her mate into a wolf. Though some argue that werewolves are more ancient than 2,800 BC That of Greek mythology with the Legend of Lycaon."
I squirm in my chair, itching to open the textbook and take a peek. Greek myths had fascinated me last year, but I didn't recall this story.
Professor Bergins continues, "Legends says that Lycaon angered Zeus when he served him the remains of a sacrificed boy. Enraged, Zeus turned Lycaon and his sons into wolves."
Melanie raised her hand. Her pale cheeks turning pink. "What about Ancient Egypt and the werewolves?"
"Loser," a guy whispers, then said louder. "Everyone knows there were no wolves in Egypt, they were jackals."
"Untrue." The professor frowned at the boy who had the outburst. "It's believed there were Ethiopian wolves and even human scientist speculate that what the Egyptians thought of as jackals were actually golden, short-haired wolves, were actually closer related in their DNA to modern day wolves than jackals."
Melanie waves her hand and the professor gives her a nod. "Just because the Egyptians didn't have or understand DNA doesn't mean the werewolf myths aren't true."
"Very good, Ms. Blackwood." He writes Egypt on the board above Gilgamesh. "What can you tell me of that connection of werewolves in ancient times?"
"The god, Osiris, defended a city against an invading army, but a pack of wolves helped, saving the people despite lots of casualties." Melanie tapped her pencil on her textbook. "Osiris renamed the town Lycopolis which means wolf city and ordered the bodies of the fallen wolves to be mummified beneath the city for resurrection in the underworld."
"Got that from your necromancy class, right?" Mercier grunts.
"Doesn't matter where I learned it," Melanie shoots back. "All that matters is that I know it."
He rolls his eyes, but the Professor nods for her to continue.
"For the wolves who lived, Osiris granted them human form and the ability to shift back and forth. Hence, he named them lycanthropes."
"And the legend of the mummified werewolves?" Professor Bergins smiles. "I know you've learned this in your other classes, please share. Unless Mr. Sullivan would like to enlighten the class on his own species?"
Sullivan growls low in his throat, then clears it and looks away.
Melanie sets her pencil down. "Yes, legends says that on a full, blood moon, the descendants of the first Lycanthropes can call on their ancestors in the underworld to rejoin them on earth. The pack will run together for as long as the moon is full, living and undead."
"Let us hope, Mr. Sullivan is not one of those direct ancestors or knows how to keep the sun from rising." Bergins turns back to the board. "So all of this we've completed for werewolves, you need to be able to do the same for each of these supernatural species for the test next week."
A collective groan rises up from the class. Surprise hit me, that these witches, wolves, vamps and more, don't have all of this memorized. Then again, who am I to judge? Maybe they learned about their own specialties first before branching out to all of the subsets. I could tell by Sullivan's slouched posture that he probably doesn't pay much attention to his own history only what he deems interesting.
A tinkling noise sounds overhead and I glance at Melanie.
"Second period- Magical theory." She picks up her books.
I follow her lead. But the next class has a soft-spoken teacher with shimmering wings. I dose off several times with their hypothesis if using a red flower versus a yellow one would change a love spell into a friendship one. I'm not planning on doing magic or spells or anything.
Third period is Hexes and Spells. A woman with a bright yellow dress and dark braids steps up to the board. "So today, we'll discuss how to remove a hex. And you all read chapter thirteen yesterday?"
I swallow, slinking down further into my chair. Don't need any more attention today. Half the class the last three periods has given me dirty looks.
Worse. Gwen is in this one. She gloats as she answers all of the Professor's questions while I stare at the clock on the wall, wishing for time to hurry up.
"Hey," Melanie grasps my sleeve as we hustle toward the fairy statue to get back to the States for lunch and the rest of my classes, "I've got to take care of something. Save me a seat, okay?"
"Sure." But my stomach clenches at the thought of having to travel the leyline again. The idea of doing this every morning makes sweat breakout across the back of my neck.
"Remember, breathe once we get on the other side." She gives me a small smile. "It won't be as bad this time."
"God, I hope you're right. I still don't know if all my atoms are aligned or made it back with me last time."
She lets out a laugh. "You sure you're only human? I've known leprechaun jesters that aren't as funny as you."
"Don't think I want to even ask." I shake my head. "All right, let's get this over with."
I grasp the marble hand, holding my breath. Those same grey eyes appear, but instead of blinking out super-fast like before, they linger. And look sad. As if they don't want me to leave. But then all the stories of possession and werewolf mummies being resurrected crashes into me and I flinch away.
"Brene?" Melanie is shaking me by the arm.
"What?" I choke out, then realize I'm laying down on the ground.
A cluster of guys in the corner of the graveyard wolf whistle as I stand up, jerking my skirt back in place over my thighs.
"Hey, you okay?" Melanie frowns at me. "You were so pale and hardly breathing."
"Yeah." I shiver. "Maybe the leylines aren't meant for mere mortals to cross."
"We should go see the nurse and tell Mrs. Decan what happened."
What if my reaction proves I'm a supernatural? I've never been able to lie easily and the way my stomach is queasy, I doubt the adults would buy that nothing unusual happened in the void between the leylines.
"No, no, I'm fine. Really. Probably need to get some food is all."
Her dark brows pinch as she stares at me. Finally, she pushes back a lock of purple and black hair before nodding. "I'll meet you in the cafeteria in ten."
I wave to her as she leaves, forcing a grin on my face. But as I turn to head back to the dorm for lunch, Gwen and her two girls block my path.
"So, Brene, guess you did absolutely zero studying last night."
I straighten. "Give me a break. You and I both know that I'm not really supposed to be here."
"You're not backing out of Initiation tonight, are you?" She scrunches up her face. "Cause everyone has to do it if you're on the grounds for more than half a day."
"Haven't forgotten." My hope is that I'll be out of here before I have to worry about her hazing rituals.
"Good." She snorts, pushing past me. "I hate to put a hijinks spell on you that would make you my slave for eternity."
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone