Changing the subject, I held up a pair of dirty jeans. “I need to wash clothes. Where do I do that? And is there any way for me to earn money so I can buy some new clothes in town?”
Ilia did a little dance. “Yes! I finally have a friend to shop with. You get an allowance here … all the students do. It’s not much, but it’ll be enough to get you some basic clothing. Princeps Jones will explain all of that to you during this meeting this morning. I’ll check your schedule then too, and we can work out the best time to shop.”
“And washing?”
She strode over and pushed a small panel next to my wardrobe that I hadn’t even noticed. It popped open and Ilia nodded toward it. “Dirty clothes go in there. The building will return them clean and pressed in about twenty minutes.”
I stared wide-eyed at the panel for many long moments, and she laughed. “You’re going to love magic, trust me. It makes life so much easier.”
I imagined that it did, but there were no doubt instances when it also made life very complicated.
Before I could dwell too hard on that, Larissa arrived wearing the same uniform as me. Ilia was just in normal clothes, tight jeans and a black sweater, because she didn’t go to class anymore.
“How did you sleep?” Larissa asked.
I wrinkled my nose, lifting a hand to rub at my tired eyes. Ilia caught me before I could. “Panda eye is not a good look,” she said.
Oh, right. I’d put on makeup this morning. I could barely remember doing it.
“I think nerves got to me. I tossed and turned most of the night,” I admitted. “I’m pretty excited to see what today brings though.”
Understatement of the year. I was beyond excited.
And also freaking the fuck out.
9
We must have been early still, because I didn’t see anyone about as we wandered through the lower levels of the magic users’ tower. The couches were empty, books back on shelves, and it was silent in a comforting way. No noise meant no one was staring at the newbie.
“How often do you get new students here?” I asked as we walked.
Ilia shrugged, and Larissa pursed her lips like she was thinking.
“Almost never,” Larissa said. “Most of the first years come from the junior school that’s about fifty miles away. The lastnewnew kid before you was Michael. He’s a vamp in his third year now. But he showed up at twenty-two as well.”
“So first years are normally twenty-one?”
“That’s right.” Ilia nodded. “We start junior school at ten, and that runs through until we’re twenty or twenty-one, depending. After that, the Academy.”
“We’re not even recognized as adults until we’re twenty-five,” Larissa added.
Ilia snorted. “That’s right, I’m the adult of this group and don’t you all forget it.”
We rolled our eyes at her, but conversation ended when Larissa paused outside a door in a building near the entrance to the school. She knocked once but didn’t wait for permission before pushing it open. “Dad?” she called, stepping inside.
Ilia and I followed her into an open and warm room. It was lined in light cherry wood shelving that extended all the way to the ceiling. The shelves were filled with so many books that it was boggling to try and take them all in. A large desk dominated the center of the room, made from the same cherry wood, and behind it writing on some papers was Princeps Jones.
He finished what he was doing, dropped the pen, and stood to welcome us. “Please take a seat,” he said, gesturing to the two chairs in front of his desk. Larissa and I sat while Ilia hovered behind us.
“No computer?” I asked, confused by the lack of technology in the room.
Princeps Jones shook his head. “No, computers tend to malfunction around the energy of the Academy. There are a few brands that work short-term, but nothing lasts. So it’s the old-fashioned way around here.”
It was interesting that cell phones worked when computers didn’t. Like she’d read my thoughts, Ilia leaned over. “You’ll have to buy a specific style of phone so that you don’t keep frying it as well.”
Princeps Jones nodded. “Yes, you can get one in Queensborough.” He leaned forward then and handed me a thick piece of paper. Actually, it was more like parchment, heavy and high quality. Written in beautiful script across the page was a timetable.
“First term this year starts on a Wednesday,” Princeps Jones said, leaning forward to point to that column. “You’ll just pick up from here.”
