“You know what wolvens like myself do with meat?” Kallie asked. “We eat it.”
“Ooh,” Alistair and Thaddeus sang in unison.
“Ibetyou’d like to eat Marcus’ meat,” Ava mumbled. It was the first time she spoken since we arrived.
It made me feel better to hear her joking around. Oberi’s feathers fluttered from the back of Ava’s chair as she added,I’m sure she already has.
“What was that?” Kallie demanded.
Ava raised her voice. “I said, I bet you’d like to taste Marcus’—”
“Students, please, let’s quiet down,” a female voice came from the front of the room. I hadn’t realized our professor had entered.
“Aw, fuck,she’shere?” Alistair hissed. “Thaddeus, hide me!”
“What are you—?” Thaddeus cut off. “Get out from underneath the table.”
Pig meowed loudly. Alistair must’ve stepped on her tail or something.
“You don’t understand,” Alistair insisted. “She pulled me aside after class last week and… let’s just say our professor hates me.”
“I’m sure she doesn’t—” Thaddeus started, but the click of heels cut him off.
Our professor strolled straight up to Alistair’s table and stopped there. She must’ve had the harshest look in her eyes, because all the chatter in the room died.
“Is something the matter, Mister Martin?” she asked Alistair sharply.
“Uh, n–no, Professor Ziva,” Alistair squeaked. “Everything’s fine here. Just, uh… dusting off my cat.”
Pig gave a loud meow in protest.
“I expect you to sit quietly in your seat and pay attention to the lesson, Mister Martin,” she sneered. “You wouldn’t want tofail.”
It sounded like a threat if I ever heard one.
Alistair shuffled back to his seat and didn’t say another word. I didn’t know what it was about this woman that could possibly scare Alistair. Nothing made the kid go quiet.Nothing. But something about this woman seemed to strike the fear of god into him.
Once satisfied, Professor Ziva returned to the front of the room. “Today we’ll be learning proper etiquette, which will help you secure job interviews and schedule doctor’s appointments, should you graduate.”
Someone at the front of the room scoffed, causing Professor Ziva to get very stern with them. “Don’t you roll your eyes at me,” she snarled. “In Astromancer society, if a woman doesn’t know how to properly place a phone call, she’ll be hung up on. Good luck scheduling your husband’s appointments.”
“Astromancer? I thought you were a witch,” someone said.
“Half-witch, half-Astromancer,” Ziva clarified. “I grew up in Octavia Falls, free to practice my magic. Once I graduated, I spent some time with the Astromancers, learning of my heritage and how my magic connected with the stars. In Astromancer society, women are not allowed to practice magic, let alone hold down a job. An Astromancer woman’s greatest asset is her ability to manage the household and serve her husband. Consider yourself lucky if you think these skills are beneath you.”
“There’s no way I’m staying home to iron your shirts, let’s get that established right now,” Ava mumbled to me.
Half-witch, half-Astromancer. Why did that sound so…?
It hit me then. Alistair had been sent to the Institute for poisoning a visiting Astromancer professor. But she wasn’t just visiting Octavia Falls… she’d returned there, perhaps to apply for a position at the school. But Ziva had ended up in the hospital after Alistair slipped her the potion. She must’ve lost the job. She couldn’t teach in Astromancer society, so the Institute was her last resort.
No wonder Professor Ziva hated Alistair. He was definitely screwed.
“I’ve prepared a script for you to practice,” Professor Ziva said. “I’ve assigned you to random pairs, so that you don’t gettoo comfortablepracticing with your friends. Names are on the board. Let’s get started.”
Papers rustled, and chairs squeaked as people began to move about and pair up.
“You’re with Thaddeus,” Ava said. “I’m with… ugh.Danielle.”
