“I’m sorry to inform you, Mr. Vale, but it seems the scholarship you were relying on, fell through,” the financial aid officer, a female banshee with long silver hair, said as she shuffled paperwork.
“But… why?” I asked, completely flabbergasted by the situation. “I surpassed all the academic requirements and then some. And I filed all the paperwork well within the deadline. What went wrong? Can we call the Emberwoods and get this sorted out?”
The banshee grimaced. “I’m afraid that won’t be possible, Mr. Vale. The Emberwoods are… well, they’re gone.”
“Gone?” My stomach tightened into a knot. “Where did they go?”
“Nobody knows,” she sighed. “Apparently, they were high-ranking members of the Purity Front, and their allegiance was discovered last fall. It was also confirmed that they’d beenperforming illegal blood magic on their son for many years. There was an altercation and several people died. But before anyone could apprehend the Emberwoods, they were gone.” She looked up at me, a pitying look on her face. “Their estate is empty, their accounts are empty, and everything they once sponsored has been frozen or drained. I’m sorry.”
I sat there staring at her for a long moment. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. The Emberwoods were one of the richest and most powerful witch families in the paranormal world. It was a miracle that I’d even gotten a scholarship from them in the first place considering my family was unheard of by most. But now I sat there, the cold realization sinking in that I’d been going to school thanks to a family of radical racist assholes. It made me sick to my stomach.
“So… what do I do?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “Do I just… go home?”
“Thankfully, no,” she replied, smiling softly. “Your magic is extremely rare, so Professor Blackwood has secured you other funding. However, it only covers classes and your room. Your meal plan and textbooks will have to be paid for out of your own pocket.”
“I… I can’t,” I said. My family was as poor as they came. Two centuries of banishment from the paranormal world had taken its toll. “I’ve only got enough money to buy maybe one book.”
“Professor Blackwood had a feeling that might be the case, so she had us put a student work position on hold for you.” The banshee pulled out another piece of paper and slid it over to me. “It’s not a pretty job, but it pays the most. And we can give you the entire semester’s worth of pay up front so you can cover books and your meal plan.”
I stared down at the piece of paper. Everything was filled out except for my signature at the bottom. My job title? Locker room attendant for the athletics department. Thrilling.
“You’re allowed to use any magic you have at your disposal to help you complete the work,” the banshee added. “But the job does have to be completed to a satisfactory degree. Coach Flannery will be doing check-ins with you on that.”
So, this is what happened to witches like me, ones that came from families that had been shamed. While all the rest of my classmates were going to parties and mastering experimental magicks, I would be bewitching brooms and mops to scrub the locker room like some low-budget version of Disney’sFantasia.
But what other choice did I have?
I picked up the pen with a sigh and signed my name on the dotted line. It was a simple decision. Either clean jockstraps or go back home in shame, my magical education cut short because I couldn’t afford it. My family had sacrificed too much already for me to even get here. I wasn’t going to give up now.
“Excellent,” the banshee said, her voice carrying that ethereal quality that always made my skin prickle. “Coach Flannery is expecting you in his office right now. He’ll explain your duties and show you around the facilities.”
“Right now?” I glanced down at my shabby clothes. I’d worn my best for arrival day, which wasn’t saying much. “I haven’t even seen my dorm room yet.”
She gave me a sympathetic smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “The sooner you get started, the sooner you can settle in. Your belongings have already been transported to your room.”
Great. Just great. I’d been at Widdershins for all of fifteen minutes and already my year was taking a nosedive. I tucked the employment contract into my worn messenger bag and stood up.
“Thank you for your help,” I managed to say, because my mother had raised me with manners, even if we were disgraced.
“The athletics building is on the far end of campus,” she instructed, already turning her attention to a stack ofpaperwork. “Coach Flannery’s office is near the entrance. Good luck, Mr. Vale.”
I trudged out of the office, feeling the weight of my new reality bearing down on me. The hallway was busy with students filing last-minute paperwork or talking to financial aid, just like me. Laughter echoed off the stone walls as friends embraced and caught up on their adventures while they waited in line. No one noticed me as I slipped through the crowd, which was exactly how I preferred it. The less attention I drew to myself, the better.
I found the athletics building easily enough. The smell of sweat and magical cleaning solutions hit me the moment I stepped inside. Trophy cases lined the walls, filled with gleaming cups and medals from decades of magical sports competitions. I paused briefly at one display, my eyes drawn to a team photo of the football team. A dark elf with striking white hair stood in the center next to a werewolf and a beastkin, the three of them holding a championship trophy aloft. Something about them seemed familiar, but I couldn’t place it. I never had time to go to the games, anyway. I was too busy studying to make sure I met the requirements of my scholarship. The one that just fucking disappeared overnight.
When I reached Coach Flannery’s office, I hesitated before knocking. I’d never actually met any of the coaches before. Athletics wasn’t exactly my forte, and I’d spent most of my freshman year either in the library or practicing my shadow magic in the abandoned sections of the academy grounds.
I took a deep breath and knocked.
“Come in!” boomed a voice from inside.
I pushed open the door to find a large, hairy werewolf with piercing blue eyes sitting behind a desk. His nose started moving the moment he saw me.
“You must be Mr. Vale,” he said, taking one last deep sniff. “I don’t think we’ve met before.”
“No, sir,” I replied nervously, shifting my weight from one foot to the other. “I don’t really do sports.”
Coach Flannery gestured to the chair across from his desk. “Have a seat, son. Professor Blackwood filled me in on your situation.”
