Seren turned her back on the three women as if nothing of consequence happened, a choked sound coming from behind her.
“Are you going to the library again?” Lily asked.
Seren turned and was half distracted by Roxie who was gesturing frantically between Ara and Seren. Forcing her attention away, she could see eagerness Lily tried to hide which was odd enough that Seren nodded.
“Yeah, you want to come?”
Roxie stared between them with wide eyes. Seren was finding the quiet to be quite refreshing.
In answer, Lily shrugged and pushed out from her chair. Seren turned to leave, but Ara grabbed her hand, the feeling of it sliding across her like something foreign and lost.
“Take the jinx off her first. Look at her, she’s turning redder with all the things she can’t say out loud. It’s inhumane.” Ara’s smile betrayed her false concern.
Seren’s gaze flicked up and down Roxie who held her hands together as if pleading to the gods. Seren shrugged.
What might have been a squeal mixed with a sob attempted to leave Roxie and even Ara’s delicate reassurances didn’t seem to assuage the witch's frantic muffled sounds. When Seren made it to the entryway, she snapped her fingers. The last thing she heard as the doors closed behind her and Lily was her name and a string of curses that she knew Madame Cuorvo would hear about.
“That pretty significant magic for a first-year albeit entertaining,” Lily said, coming up beside her.
A lesser witch might have limited her magic use or pretended to be less than, but that wasn’t who Seren was. She would perform to her full potential and if it made others uncomfortable, that was their insecurity to deal with, not hers.
“You smile too much at her when you think no one is looking.” Seren didn’t appreciate the tone of jealousy that crept into her voice.
Lily glared at her. “I do not.”
“You do, and I hate it. Roxie might actually be the most annoying witch in all of Lynoria.”
“She’s notthatbad,” Lily said too quickly.
Seren turned and pointed a finger at her friend. “See! You never defend anyone. I’m watching you, Lilith Sinclair.”
She narrowed her eyes for effect, but Lily just bumped her shoulder into hers and gave a small chuckle.
When they came to the library, the sharp-nosed librarian she learned was called Agatha was at her desk casting wary glances around the room as if the two students hunched over books were a basilisk waiting to strike. As soon as she saw Seren her eyes narrowed. Another friend to add to her growing list.
Ignoring the older woman she walked straight to the section on magic history. She had yet to run through all the titles and it was blissfully disconnected from the rest of the library.
“What did you do to the librarian?” Lily asked.
“Asked her where books were,” Seren answered as she ran her finger along the leather spines.
“An atrocity,” Lily mused.
“How she survives me to live, I can’t imagine.” Seren bit back the smile that attempted to work its way free.
“She’s probably following after you trying to collect hair for a curse.”
“A curse that will make it impossible to ask impertinent questions.” Her smile slid free.
“Something tells me that would actually be torture for you.” Lily’s answering grin was lazy and relaxed in a way Seren hadn’t seen from her yet.
“I do enjoy being impertinent.” Seren’s finger finally landed on a book whose title at least sounded promising.
“Origins of Magic Schools in Lynoria.” Lily leaned over her shoulder. “What exactly are we looking for?”
“I need to figure out what Calder is planning. Ara says that she feels wonderful, but you’ve seen her. Something is different.”
Lily backed away to an empty desk which she promptly scooted up onto. “I think she seems slightly more bearable. Like there’s more to her than just perfection. It’s almost enough to make me believe that you could possibly be related.”
