“The witch trials.”
“Yes, exactly. This was a shameful period where many innocent witches suffered torture and persecution at the hands of human males driven by fear. Thankfully, the stronger families survived the massburnings, but the damage done to the witch families was extensive. Many powerful witches lost their lives.”
“Could something like that happen again?” a timid witch sitting in the front row asked.
“Yes, it could. Humans fear us, which means we all need to be on our guard.” Everyone fell silent. Even the shifters. “Fear leads to hate, and we all know what comes next. One day, the balance of power will shift, and we magicals will take our places in the seats of power, but until then, we have to play the long game. For this week’s assignment, I want an analytical look at the Salem witch trials and the impact those events had on the five most powerful witch covens. Class dismissed.”
Glynda chatted to a small witch with pink hair while I hunched on a chair by the fireplace in our dorm’s common room. Kenji had decided to hang with me for once. He lay on his back snoring, oblivious to a cat familiar glaring daggers at him from a perch nearby.
Professor Lockheart’s blatant speciesism had left a sour taste in my mouth.
We were no better than humans, and mages, witches, and shifters were no better than other species.
I didn’t recall Adam ever saying mages and witches were better than humans. Our group had traded with the humans for as long as I could remember. Sure, Willow had complained some of them weren’t nice, but we still lived alongside them without incident most of the time.
Hearing a member of the faculty spouting such elitist nonsense troubled me. If he held these views, did that mean the majority did?
“You’re quiet,” Glynda commented. I looked up and realized the other witch had left.
“Just thinking about the stuff Professor Lockheart said about how humans are lesser.”
“Yeah. A lot of mages think that.”
“But it’s wrong! Yes, we have additional power, but they’re just as clever and good as we are.”
“Yep. But most mages have a superiority complex and think they should be the ones ruling the realm, not humans.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s all bullshit. Look, at the end of the day, humans could easily subjugate all magical races if they decided to. But they don’t, because they prefer living in peace while enjoying the perks of spells and shit.” She drained her herbal tea. “The humans in power rely on the gifts of their witch and mage advisers, and there are loads of shifters working in security and other areas where strength and endurance are beneficial. It’s a symbiotic relationship. We benefit from their technology and they benefit from our special abilities.”
“You’re right. Maybe I’m overthinking it.”
“Yeah, you are. Even if some mages would love it if magicals revolted and took power from the human leaders, it’s never going to happen. There are too few of us and not enough support.”
“How do you know so much about this?” Glynda rarely talked politics, yet she seemed way more knowledgeable.
“My parents are pro-human. They work with human groups fighting for more equality between the different species. My mage uncle married a human woman, and they have two children.”
“I didn’t think magicals had relationships with humans.”
Glynda laughed at the look of surprise on my face. “It happens way more often than you think. Love doesn’t care what species you are.Sure, mages, witches, and shifters might not be open about mating with a human, or outside their species, but it’s always happened.”
No wonder I liked Glynda. I was proud to call her my friend.
“Anyway, I’m off to bed. See you at breakfast.” We hugged before she left me alone with Kenji.
“Mages are assholes,” he muttered. I looked down to see he’d woken and was busy grooming his two tails.
“Why do you hate them so much?”
“They killed my brother and tried to kill me.”
It was the first truthful thing he’d told me since we bonded.
“I’m so sorry; that’s awful.”
“Revenge is a dish best served cold,” he said with a flash of teeth. “Speaking of…I have shit to do.” He cocked his head to one side. “Your bear mate is back.” Before I could question how he knew this, he blinked out of sight.
My phone buzzed. When I checked the screen, I saw a message from Maverick. My lips curved up in a smile. I’d missed my bear.
Care bear: Back now. Speak soon.
