“That sounds promising.When?”
“A near future.You’re hugging someone and saying like… ‘I can’t believe you survived living in the Other Side.’”Girish shrugs and steps back in a panic.“Listen, I don’t know what I saw!”
My eyebrows rise.“Wait, Gear.”
“I don’t know, Taz.”He raises his hands in surrender and keeps walking backward.“I’m sorry, I can’t control when I divine someone or not!I…I have to run.”
With that, he dashes off like he’s seen a ghost.I’m alone again in the library, unsure of how much to believe in his vision.I don’t want to cultivate the ember of hope that the one person I’ve been looking for most of my life is still okay.
Girish accidentally saw my future, but why do I have more questions than answers?
CHAPTER 7- LUTHER
(THEN)
“ALRIGHT, CLASS,” Professor Rodante announces as I walk into the center of the field.“The purpose of this exercise is to coordinate your magic.Threats will be coming at you on all sides.”
I gaze at the perimeter of trees in this woodsy area outside the Union building.It’s our first real hands-on demonstration day of the sophomore school year, and nervousness and excitement battle within me.I’m confident in my magical energy abilities, but this is a high-pressure moment.
My classmates are watching me; now is my time to shine.I know I consistently ranked second in my grades last year, but that was fourteen-year-old me.I’m basically a man now, and I have to prove my wizarding skills.
“Our volunteers will be launching these playing balls at you.”The professor points around at the adults using what appear to be wooden catapults.Next to them are baskets of balls.My gaze tracks to the center, where several large dumpsters are arranged in a small circle.“You must prevent them from entering the dumpsters.”
My classmates coo in interest.Clad in my blue tracksuit, I stretch my arms and walk to the center of the six bins.When I catch Taz Devries’s blue eyes, I grin.He’s staring at me with intent, probably because he knows I’m going to best him during this, our second year of weekend wizard school.
He smirks at me, and my pulse rises, just as it always does when it comes to interacting with my academic foe.We’re not friends, so this is yet another taunt, a secret exchange that only he and I share.
Admittedly, sometimes I find that I almost crave his attention.He’s way more interesting than any of the girls who supposedly like me back in public school.He’s also a classically handsome White boy?not that I’ll concede to any of that.I’m not gay, and we’re just rivals.I want him to see me achieve greatness so I can rub it in his pretty-boy face.I mean, regular face.
“Get ready, Mr.Westbrook!”The professor’s words pull me out of my weird thoughts.She’s yards away, watching me along with the rest of the class.When she raises her hand, I summon magic into my fists.“On your mark…get set…defend!”
The sounds of projectiles flying through the sky are barely audible over the cheers of my classmates.When the first two basketballs come my way, I easily deflect them with mini shockwaves, one from each hand.One catapult behind me grabs my attention, so I turn and summon a gust of wind, parrying the flying ball.
It’s sixty seconds of ball after ball, flying in slow arches.I’m fixated on the mission; I can’t let any enter the bins.At last, the exercise is winding down, but Professor Rodante smirks at me.She gives a knowing nod to the volunteers, and suddenly, all the catapults fire at me at once.
The crowd quiets in shock and interest, and panic sets in.How am I gonna summon this much magic?I can barely conjure energy shields.There’s no time to plan as the balls come hurtling toward me.
With my hands raised, I step back and summon a small tornado, mid-air.That works to dispel three of the basketballs, but I’m afraid it’s not enough.My fears are confirmed by the sound of several bins clanging; I missed three projectiles.
After wiping the sweat from my brow, I walk back to the class.The volunteers scurry about, collecting the balls while my classmates clap.Necia hollers, and the professor gives me a thumbs up.
A minute later, it’s time for Taz to enter the field.The professor gives the signal, and the exercise starts.I squint as I scrutinize Taz’s every movement.There’s no way he can do better than me, right?
My heart threatens to leap out of my chest as the balls slowly descend upon him.He parries them, using magic with ease.I’m disappointed, but not surprised.I can admit that he’s adept.Really, it’s flattering, since he’s my foe; my rival needs to be skilled so that it means something when I best him.
And skilled he is.He summons magical whips with ease, and not a single basketball makes it to his center.Then, it’s the final segment, and all six volunteers launch at him simultaneously.He can’t do better than me, can he?
Time seems to slow down as the six projectiles fly right at him.Curiously, he’s concentrating on his hands, and not the sky.I can’t breathe, can’t blink, until I know what he’s up to.Orange energy is pulled into his hands, and then, he waves upward.Instantly, the basketballs are gone, bursting into dozens of glowing butterflies.
Alchemical magic!He morphed the toys into glowing creatures, now floating all around us.
The class goes wild, cheering and hollering.Taz stares right at me as he catches his breath, then gives a cocky bow.
“Well done, Mr.Devries!”Professor Rodante says.
“That’s not fair!”I shout as everyone laughs in awe at the wave of glowing butterflies.“He can’t…he can’t just…” I sputter like a shitty car engine.
“Actually, he can.There were no rules stating he couldn’t use alchemy.You just chose not to,” the professor says.
