Camilla read the textbook but didn't remember a single word.

"I just don't know whether I should be going to class or skipping it. Lectures are so dull." Grace checked her nails. "I think this makes the decision for me. I am not going to go to college. What do you think, Camilla?"

Camilla furrowed her brow and concentrated on the page.

One mage may have trouble switching quickly between the three types of magic. Mental gymnastics are required to go from visualizing oneself creating something, to willing oneself changing, to believing the world around oneself changing.

"Camilla? What do you think?"

Camilla blinked. "Hmm?"

"About not going to college," Grace said.

Camilla sighed. "Well, if you don't like this, then I doubt you will like college."

"Hmm." Grace frowned.

Camilla went back to the book, skimmed the page, then put it down with a huff. Ugh, it was so boring. She knew all this already. She wondered if she could take the final exam now. Jacob could take all the credit he wanted, but when it had come down to it she had been the one who had taken out the rogue mage. Why didn't he study with her? Did he think he was too good for her now with all his newfound fame? Mr big and strong white mage, strutting around campus like he owned the place. Him and that asshole transfer student. She was stronger than both of them. Antonio D'Angelo was her father, not theirs.

"You would do well to invoke the name of your father and family less, Camilla. That is no joke."

Camilla pursed her lips. Hueller would not be happy if he knew how she was thinking. But how could she not? When everyone expected her to be him? When that was the first thing out of their mouths. Stupid Jacob, he complained about his parents not being mages but he had no idea what her life was like. No idea that sometimes when she thought about him she wished that she also had parents who weren't mages. Then everything would be so much simpler. Things like their Strength Chart testing wouldn't be terrifying.

She'd walked into that testing room terrified.

"Your name?" Ebraheem had asked.

"Camilla D'Angelo." She'd choked out.

"Oh man, you're Antonio D'Angelo's daughter, aren't you?"

"I am." She'd barely forced the words out she'd been shaking so much.

Of course that had been the first thing out of his mouth. Of course it had. How could she expect anything else?

"Well I think we know what to expect here." He had said with a little chuckle. "Engage your magic."

The moment she'd been dreading since the day she had been conscious of her father's presence and her family's place in the magical hierarchy. What if she wasn't strong? Heh, what if she was only strong? Just strong? "There's D'Angelo's daughter. Too bad she didn't get her father's strength." "You'd really think it would have run in the family, eh?" "Pity she's so weak." "I bet if he'd had a son he would have inherited his strength." "Battle magic is for men anyway." "I'd be so disappointed if I were him."

The moment that had been in her nightmares, that she had fantasized about never having to do.

Maybe the light would strike her and she'd just evaporate.

The light had struck her and the wall had started to bleed red. It was over before she could think.

Ebraheem had cleared his throat."Haven't seen that strength in years, but I suppose that was to be expected. Strongest overall type is Production, with the rough affinity being, of course, fire magic. Just like your father. In fact, exactly the same as your father. Sheesh, young lady, you got some firepower."

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"Yeah." She'd managed. It came out a squeak. Half of her had been relieved. But it was a brief thing, there and gone like a bitter aftertaste. "It is one thing to have the ability, it is another to live up to it." Some of her father's favourite words. It had gotten to the point a couple years ago where she'd cut him off and say it herself every time he started.

But was it any better? At least weakness would have let her do her own thing. Live her own life maybe? There might have been some freedom in it. But now she'd been committed. She had to follow her father, be like him. After all, she had his strength and was his daughter. There was no excuse not to. How could you not? How could you do anything else when it was what he, everyone you knew, and the whole world expected you to do? What she expected herself to do? What else would she even do? What else was there to do?

His long shadow had grown longer. Why could she not have been a strong Decomposer, or more balanced, or any type of strength besides his? If she didn't reach those impossible heights he had, she'd be a failure. In his eyes, in the world's eyes. In her own eyes.

She made her way to the door. Her hands were still shaking, though less from fear and more from the desire to scream.

"Never let them see your doubt. Never let them see you tremble. Never show them a weakness, at all costs."

He'd said that to her outside the first magical society gala they'd gone to as father and daughter. It had been good advice. She'd met Grace for the first time at that gala, but she remembered it as a mashup of big, old faces leaning over close to her, breathing heavily and asking her kiddy questions. All this interest because she was his daughter. Since that day she'd had a lot of practice.

She pressed it all down, away from her face. Her muscles relaxed, became neutral. But it all still bubbled beneath the surface. She walked out into that stupid hallway full of the other stupid students. The whispers and the gasps and the gossip, rolling around her well-oiled defences like wind. Just like at a gala.

She looked to Jacob, and nearly lost control. He had been staring at her, his eyes wide, almost... horrified.

"Don't look at me like that." Came out before she could stop it. Moron. And then he just stood there like a dolt and apologized dumbly. Why had he looked at her like that anyway? It wasn't like she was a monster. They'd fought the rogue mage together, and he had the nerve to-

"Who you thinking about?" Grace sliced through her reverie.

"Hmm? No one."

"Oh, so Jacob is no one now."

Camilla stuttered. "Grace Lin I was not thinking about Jacob."

"Mmm hmm." Grace flipped one leg over the other and leaned forward. "What's your big deal about him anyway? I mean he's kinda cute, but all he wears is that scruffy hoodie and he doesn't hardly talk to you."

"It's not like that, Grace. I just know him from school. He's a friend."

"Mmm hmm. But what about Archie?"

"What about him?"

"He likes you."

"I'm not slow, Grace."

"So?"

Camilla shrugged.

Grace imitated it. "That's it?" Another imitation shrug. "He's ultra hot and ultra rich. I mean ultra rich."

"I know."

"Think about it. We could be out on his yacht instead of in this dutty study hall. I bet he has servants on that thing. Probably throws parties all the time. Parties with famous people. Not famous magic people. Real famous people. He's head over heels for you, Milla. You'd just have to ask. He'd probably buy you anything you asked for. Once this term's over you could yacht over to Ibiza and go shopping before school starts back up."

Camilla considered it. The readings were awfully easy. She could cruise through this term and pass with flying colours. "Maybe. But he'd have to invite me."

"Ugh..." Grace flopped her head on the table.

Camilla smirked. "You should be studying."

"Deflection. I know you, Ms D'Angelo."

"Fact. If you don't get decent marks they won't let you go to the second-years' graduating gala."

"Liar."

"You need passing grades. Says right on the syllabus."

Grace twitched, then opened her book. "Ugh..."

Camilla watched her friend as she tried to get through what was probably the chapter's introduction paragraph. Hadn't Camilla wanted to be able to learn spells? For the first time in her life she knew her own power and had access to all the magic she could get her hands on. No father to stop her.

The weight of everything she'd been thinking about before Grace had interrupted her fell back on her. That was right. It was all on her now. No more excuse of daddy being overprotective. What was she thinking? Going and goofing off on Archie's yacht? No no no no no. There was no cruising through a term. She had to be the top of her class. That was the only reality. Anything else was failure. No, worse than that, it wasn't conceivable.

Oh, Gracie. Camilla knew they would be best friends for the rest of their lives, but right now her best friend was not a good influence, and an even worse study buddy. Why couldn't Jacob have come and asked her to study with him already? Didn't he know she was sitting here waiting for him to! Moron! It had been a whole three weeks since classes had started. Her foot twitched and she suppressed a groan. It looked like she was going to have to ask to study with him. Ugh.