A Curse of Magic Read online

  I raised my brow. “And what about all the other people in the hall who just stood around while she tortured me?”

  Leia shrugged. “It’s the mob mentality. Nobody wants to seem like the weak link. I won’t lie to you, this place can be kind of rough. Most people are on guard here, and they’re not always willing to put themselves out to help others. That’s why it’s so important to have people you can trust.” She glanced over at Oliver. They exchanged earnest smiles before she turned back to me, the warm, heartfelt expression still on her face. “And it’s why I’m so happy that we’re going to be roommates. I can already tell that you’re a good person, Meena. We’ll be fine, because we’re all going to watch each other’s backs.”

  Oliver nodded solemnly.

  I crossed my arms and scowled. “That’s nice for you guys. I hope it works out. But I can’t stay here.”

  Leia raised her brow in confusion. “But you already decided to stay?”

  “Well, yes.” I chewed my lip. “I guess I did. But that was before the whole tub thing. Actually, like, right before.” I mirrored her confused expression. “How do you even know that?”

  “See for yourself.” She smiled and gestured toward the empty room that was meant to be mine. “I think it happened right around the time you took our tub for a joyride.”

  I pushed open the door cautiously and gasped as I stepped inside.

  Where less than half an hour ago the room had been bare and dusty, it was now clean and fully furnished. And some décor was eerily familiar. The same faded mandala tapestry from my bedroom at home hung over a four-post bed. The bed was foreign, but it was neatly made with my old worn comforter on top. The tie-dyed pillowcases also appeared to be straight from my bedroom at home, as well as the string lights that crisscrossed the room just below the ceiling.

  The familiar articles that comprised my wardrobe were either hung in the closet, or tidily folded in the dresser drawers. My collection of jewelry was arranged on the dresser’s top exactly as I’d left it in my room at home, and my shoes were lined up on a rack next to the door. That part was definitely unfamiliar. I’d never stored them that neatly at home.

  I pulled off my angsty-rescuer’s oversized shirt and let it fall to the floor, along with the towel from around my waist. I rummaged through the dresser and found my favorite t-shirt and sweatpants. I pulled them on and sighed as I sat on the bed’s edge. The feel of my own clothes relaxed me. It always amazed me what a comfortable, familiar outfit could do for one’s mental state.

  The sting of shame dissipated as I surveyed the room. It felt like a refuge, exactly as a bedroom should. I found that despite my earlier, intense desire to leave Broken Wand Academy and never return, the place didn’t seem quite so daunting and dangerous from within the confines of my strangely familiar sanctuary.

  But I knew that feeling would quickly change once I strayed from this haven and saw any students from the dining hall. However comfortable I felt in my own room, I didn’t think I could stay at the school.

  A small desk sat against the wall under the room’s windows, a thick piece of deep-purple cloth folded neatly on top of it next to a small, lumpy envelope. I picked up the buttery soft fabric and unfurled it. It was a long, hooded cloak, the near-black purple of an eggplant, and it was adorned with an elaborate BWA crest.

  I wanted to scoff at it, to laugh off the ridiculousness of such a garment, but I couldn’t deny its elegant beauty. Had they known that purple was my favorite, or was it simply the school color? I draped it over my shoulders and secured the silver clasp at my throat as I considered myself in the mirror.

  It swooshed behind me as I turned this way and that, and I drew the hood over my head. I looked kind of like a Korean ‘Little Purple Riding Hood,’ but it had a certain mysterious allure. I wandered back over to the desk and picked up the small envelope that bore my name. I tore it open and tipped a small silver ring into my hand. I pulled out the piece of paper still inside the envelope and unfolded it carefully. A stately blare of trumpets issued from the paper as I read:

  Dear Ms. Song,

  We are delighted to officially welcome you to Broken Wand Academy. We’re so very pleased you’ve decided to join us. You will have noticed, no doubt, that your personal effects have already been summoned to your room. If you should require any additional items, please inform the head of housing, Dean Larchmont, who will retrieve them for you.

  Enclosed, you’ll find your class ring, which we kindly request be worn at all times while on campus. You have likely also found your standard-issue BWA cloak, which you may wear at your discretion. I hope the color is to your liking, as we do take efforts to cater to the individual preferences of our students. Please wear both ring and cloak tomorrow morning when you report to the Salem Memorial Assembly Hall for the New Wand Convocation Ceremony, as they will be required for determining your course of study. Please arrive at the hall no later than 10 a.m.

  I hope this note finds you well, and that you are adjusting nicely to campus life. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions or concerns. As I said before, my door is always open to you. Best of luck tomorrow.

  Warmest regards,

  Professor Henry Wallace

  Mandatory rings and standard-issue cloaks? This place got weirder by the minute. I tossed the cloak on my bed and went back to the living room. Oliver and Leia were seated on the couch. They paused mid-conversation and turned toward me as I entered.

  “Ah, now you look comfortable.” Leia grinned and held up a steaming mug. “Want some tea?”

  “Really?” I searched her face as I sat in the floral-printed armchair, but her expression held no hint of irony. “I think I’ll pass. I’ve had enough ‘awakenings’ for one day, thank you very much.”

  She grimaced as she caught my meaning, and we chuckled. “It’s only chamomile, but I understand your hesitation.”

  “You both get one of these?” I held up my class ring, and they turned their hands so I could see that they were already wearing theirs. “Do you really have to wear them?”

  “Apparently.” Leia shrugged. “I think there’s some sort of enchantment on them? Probably some kind of safety protocol or something.”

  “Well, that might’ve come in handy earlier, when that witch tried to boil me alive. Have I mentioned that? That a witch actually tried to boil me alive?”

  Leia laughed. “Yes, I do believe you said something about that earlier. I know, it’s very cliché.” She pursed her lips and raised her hands. “Like I said, she’s not a good representation of witches on the whole.”

  Oliver coughed. “Well, I don’t know about that.”

  Leia shot him a scowl.

  He slumped slightly, but continued anyway. “I grew up around witches and wizards, and from what I’ve seen, they mostly suck.” He shrugged apologetically as Leia stared at him in disbelief. “What? They do.”

  She shook off her shock and turned to me. “Well, what about that men’s shirt you were wearing when I found you? Somebody must have given it to you in the dining hall, so clearly there’s at least one other decent person here.”

  I scoffed. “Yeah, he was a real gentleman. He took off as soon as I had the shirt on and left me standing in a tub, alone, in the middle of a fog-filled dining hall.”

  “At least he gave you his shirt, though? That’s pretty nice.” Leia smiled and nodded with forced enthusiasm. “Who was he?”

  “Don’t know. Didn’t catch a name before he told me I was ‘on my own’ and disappeared.”

  “Hmm.” Leia frowned. “But still, he did help you. So that proves there’s at least one decent person around.”

  “Even if every single person was amazing, I still couldn’t stay. Not after that. I’d die of embarrassment within the first week.” I put my face in my hands as the shame washed over me again.

  “No, no, no, you got it all wrong. Trust me, no one’s more awkward or socially terrified than me.” Oliver smiled compassionately as
he spoke. “But stuff like that happens all the time here. Not a week goes by without someone accidentally lighting their own pants on fire, or turning their whole outfit invisible, or screwing up a spell so that a whole cluster of tarantulas comes marching out of their mouth.” He stuck out his tongue and made a gagging sound.

  “He’s right.” Leia chimed in, her tone eager and conspiratorial. “I heard that last year, a first-year student accidentally turned himself into a pig and had to eat out of a trough in the stables for a whole week while the Department of Transmogrification sorted it out.”

  I squinted at them doubtfully. “I feel like you’re just proving my point that this place is dangerous and terrible.”

  “Oh, come on.” Leia nudged me on the shoulder. “It’s funny if it doesn’t happen to you, right? And if embarrassing stuff happens to everyone, then it doesn’t really matter.”

  “It’s true.” Oliver sipped from his mug and peered at me over its rim. “People won’t even remember the tub thing two weeks from now. Or, if they do, they’ll only remember what an epic awakening it was. I’m telling you, people were impressed. Not all witches are capable of translocation, even with years of training. Bringing a whole tub with you? Without a wand? That’s no small feat.”

  “Doesn’t feel so amazing when you’re the one who ends up bathing in front of the whole school.” I frowned. “I’m too exhausted to leave tonight, but tomorrow, I’m going to Wallace so he can send me home.”

  Leia sank into the couch. “Well, I hope you change your mind. I’d really like to have you as my roommate. But I understand. You have to do what’s right for you. Just promise me something?” She raised her brows, her eyes swimming with innocence.

  I pursed my lips.

  “Promise you’ll at least come to the New Wands ceremony tomorrow? That way you can at least see some of what the school has to offer before you make your decision final. Then, if you still want to leave, you can talk to Wallace after.”

  I considered the downside of having to face the students from the dining hall. But if I was never going to see any of them again, what could one more time hurt?

  “All right, fine. I’ll go to the ceremony with you. But I really don’t know how that will change anything.”

  Leia beamed at me. “Hey, you never know. You might have an epiphany or something.”

  “I guess.” A wave of exhaustion pressed down on me, making my head swim, and I suddenly felt as if I couldn’t spend another second in even a semi-vertical position. “I need to lie down, though. Like, now. I honestly don’t know if I’ve ever been this tired. I guess I’ll see you in the morning?”

  “I’ll be here.” Leia smiled her sweet, easy smile. “Goodnight, roomie.”

  “Nice to meet you, Meena. Goodnight.” Oliver flashed his white teeth as his plump, childish cheeks scrunched up under his eyes.

  I forced a weak smile. “Yeah, g’night.” I had to admit that I liked both of them. They reminded me of Eric and Vicky, with their charmingly relentless, boundary-less intimacy.

  I staggered into my room, feeling that my own weight was almost too much to bear. I glanced out the window as I pulled off my pants. It was nearly full dark, but the moon was already high and bright. I could make out the wolf’s outline, still chained to the post in the field’s center. There may have been two figures lurking near the edge of the woods. I squinted, but didn’t have the energy to focus my eyes in the low light. I slumped down onto the bed without even bothering to peel back the covers, and quickly fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

  Chapter 6

  Leia and I met Oliver in the dining hall the next morning. I had woken with the sense that I was caught in some bizarre, unending fever dream, and the sight of people carrying trays of food while clad in their BWA cloaks only enhanced the feeling.

  There were cloaks of all different colors peppered throughout the dining hall, and some were surprisingly garish, at least by my notion of what it meant to be a witch. Maybe I had expected everyone to wear black. But students sported cloaks of bright orange, lime green, sunflower yellow, shimmering turquoise – every color under the sun, it seemed.

  Oliver’s cloak was a rich navy blue; a frank, timeless color that suited his innocent demeanor. Leia’s cloak was a deep forest green that highlighted the olive notes in her hazel eyes.

  With her long, slim figure, straight blonde hair, and the elegant green cloak clasped about her shoulders, Leia looked eerily like a fairy or elf. I actually considered asking her if she really was one. I didn’t want to come off as rude, so I held my tongue, but if witches and magic were real, why not elves and fairies?

  I was surprised at how little attention I received at breakfast. I had expected to be greeted by howling laughter and mockery, but Leia and Oliver had apparently been right about students at Broken Wand being desensitized to embarrassing magical mishaps. There were a few inquisitive stares and some giggling whispers when I first entered, but on the whole, people had not seemed particularly interested. It made the Academy seem less hostile, if not exactly hospitable. But the memory of the crowd’s heartless laughter as Serenity tortured me still made my skin crawl.

  After breakfast, I followed Leia and Oliver down along the sidewalk that ran along the quad. We joined the dozens of other cloaked students converging on the massive, ornately carved wooden doors that stood open at the front of Salem Memorial Hall. Like most other buildings on campus, Salem was composed of large, grey blocks of weathered stone. Several stained-glass windows dotted the surface, and it was topped by three large spires.

  It fascinated me that most buildings on campus presented as gothic cathedrals when witches had such a famously violent history of persecution within the church. This particular faux-cathedral was even named after the site of one such genocide. It gave the place an ominous feeling.

  There was a large white banner slung across the entryway, with red lettering that read: Welcome, New Wands! A long table was set up to one side of the doors, and several cloaked men and women sat behind it. The approaching students were being funneled toward the table, and we joined the throng.

  A plump, spirited woman greeted me with a toothy grin when I reached the table. “Welcome to Convocation, New Wand! Name and room number, please.” Her round, eager face protruded from a bold red cloak that accentuated her rosy cheeks.

  “Uh, Meena Song? Boleyn Hall, room one-oh-four.” I shifted from one foot to the other as she flipped through several sheets of paper and tracked down the list of names with the tip of her marker.

  “Ah, there we are.” She hummed and bobbled her head cheerfully as she drew a line through my name. She looked up at me, her expression overly jubilant. “I see you’ve got your cloak. Very nice color, by the way. Classy.” Her wide eyes and enduring smile made me uneasy. “Have you also brought your class ring?”

  I raised my left hand with my palm turned toward me to display the ring around my middle finger. I resisted the urge to show her just the finger with the ring on it if only to see if it would disrupt her unwavering grin.

  “Excellent! You’re all set then. Go on in and take a seat in the hall. The ceremony will begin shortly. Welcome to Broken Wand Academy, Ms. Song.” She gestured toward the open doors and fixed her ridiculous grin on the person behind me.

  “Thanks.” I rolled my eyes as I moved toward Leia and Oliver, who were waiting on the steps just outside the doors. I jerked my thumb in the direction of the sign-in table. “That lady was way too happy. Sitting out in the sun with that cloak on? I don’t think I’d be quite so chipper.”

  Leia chuckled. “Maybe she used a mood enchantment. If so, she could be dying of thirst in the desert, and she’d still be smiling and commenting on the lovely weather.”

  “Really? You can do that?” I glanced back at the woman, who bobbed her head as she greeted the next New Wand. “Sounds like a drug.”

  “Hmm.” Leia quirked her brow in thought. “Well, mood enchantments do have a nasty come down, and if you use
them too often, they can permanently alter your personality. So I guess in some ways, it is kind of like a drug.”

  “Seems like a stupid use of magic.” I gave the woman one more look, trying to discern whether she was naturally bubbly or if her demeanor was the product of some magical augmentation.

  “It is.” Oliver and Leia nodded as we ascended the stone steps.

  We passed over the threshold into a cool, high-ceilinged hallway, the floor covered by a lush red carpet. We followed a crowd of students through a set of doors on our right, into a large auditorium.

  The wide variety of colored cloaks dotted among the rows of cushioned stadium-seats reminded me of an impressionist painting, and I was entranced by the room’s grandeur. The ceiling stretched up almost further than the eye could see, and massive stained-glass windows lined the upper halves of the walls on the left and right. At the front of the room was a wide, elevated stage with a podium that bore the BWA crest, identical to the patch affixed to our cloaks, situated prominently in the center.

  Leia led us down a row several up from the front, and we sat in the center, in line with the podium, Leia to one side of me and Oliver to the other.

  About a dozen older men and women chatted idly on the stage, seated in folding chairs arranged in a neat row behind the podium. Their cloaks were considerably more elaborate than the plain, monochromatic ones worn by the students. Some were intricately bordered, while others were comprised entirely of lush, patterned fabrics. Leia leaned over and whispered in my ear, gesturing toward the stage.

  “See that woman up there?”

  I followed the line of her finger to Chancellor Singh. The Chancellor looked resplendent in a rich, patterned cloak of burgundy and gold that shimmered when she moved as if made of liquid sunlight. Underneath she wore a brightly patterned dress of reds, yellows, and oranges that complimented her magnificent cloak. Elegant, gold, chandelier-style earrings accentuated her glittering nose rings, and several gold bangles hung about her wrists.