Wren turned the pages of the registrar’s book, tilting her head to read upside down a little easier. “You should start your search at the beginning of this semester. We have about a hundred students this semester, so take your time. Do you have any questions for me? I have a few things to handle before the morning orientation.”

Orrin let his eyes take in the writing below. Some of the scrawling was illegible but the majority appeared to be in a flowing script that was easy enough to read. “When I’m done, where do I go?”

Wren shook her head. “Graem didn’t even show you the dorms? I’ll be back in half an hour to show you the way. Don’t leave this room until I get back. Some of the professors have research rooms around this side of the building and you do not want to stumble into the wrong one.”

Orrin thanked her before she left. He turned the pages, searching for his alias. Each page contained about ten students and their selected classes. He found Casimir eight pages in.

Casimir Hale

1. Defensive Earth Magic – Professor Cade

2. Magical History of Asmea – Professor Quinn

3. Surviving Spell Attacks – Professor Hugh

4. Battle Class – Professor Galina

5. TBD

The fifth class was marked to be determined. He felt the weight of the gold in his satchel as he flipped the page. The left page was full but the right side, page ten, had only three students. The second-to-last name was Finley.

Finley Madvarr

1. Battle Class – Professor Galina

2. Advanced Tactics for Magical Battles – Professor Niels

3. Advanced Magical Combat – Professor Tallis

4. Mana Signatures – Professor Wren

5. Redacted – Professor Redmond

Orrin grimaced. Nobody had told him that classes would be redacted. Anabella had told him he wouldn’t be able to take some classes because prerequisites had to be taken first. She hadn’t told him some classes would be secret.

It made sense though. A super expensive magical school wouldn’t advertise the best classes to everyone. Even if somebody had the money to pay for the best magical education, Asmea was first and foremost a world designed to keep knowledge a secret. If everybody knew how to unlock the best class or spell, nobody would be there to fill the lower ranks of society. Orrin didn’t like it but he could understand it.

He checked the classes against the class descriptions in the small library of books behind the table. Just as Anabella had warned, both the advanced classes that Finley was taking were out of Orrin’s league. He found a few classes that Redmond taught but nothing that matched up with a redacted class. Mana Signatures seemed interesting and it was even taught by Professor Wren but the class wasn’t in the prerequisite blue book she’d pointed out. Orrin opened two other books before he found the description.

Mana Signatures with Wren Balint. Study of magical changes in pre-set spells. Prerequisites: Sensing Magic and Professor acceptance.

Orrin whistled at the cost. Anabella had given him three hundred gold pieces for a single class and to live off of for the next month. She didn’t know he had his own gold but Mana Signatures cost four hundred and fifty gold. Anabella had said she’d cover the difference but Orrin felt relieved he wasn’t able to take the class. Spending that much on himself, even if it was someone else’s money, would have left a bad taste in his mouth.

He returned to the beginner class book and opened it up. Sensing Magic cost fifty gold. From the description, Orrin thought it might be all about feeling the different mana in spells. Just like Anabella had made him do a few days ago. He noted it as a possibility.

He flipped through a few more pages, reading descriptions. Most of the other classes were on specific magical types, usually fire, air, or earth. Some were focused on combat, while a few appeared to be centered on specific professions. Revitalizing Fields was a class on using magic to keep farmers’ lands producing at the maximum volume. Orrin lost himself reading about the different ways people had thought to use magic to improve the world around them.

Wren knocked on the door what felt like a few minutes later. Orrin held a dark tome in his lap, sitting on the floor.

“What are you doing with the advanced class list? You can’t take any of those classes.”

Orrin used one hand on the table to pull himself up. “I… uhm… was planning what I want to take next semester.”

In truth, Orrin had been reading every class description in the hopes of learning something more about space magic, time magic, or any other way he might get out of his own slave collar. He didn’t know what he was looking for exactly but had been reading everything in the hopes that something would stand out. His luck had run dry, though.

Wren raised an eyebrow at him. “What classes did you decide to take this semester?”

Orrin opened the book on the middle table and pointed. “These four are what I was signed up for already and I think Sensing Magic might be good. I really want to take Mana Signatures. I’ve heard a little about it and—”

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“Where did you hear about Mana Signatures? That’s not a class just anyone is allowed to take. It can be very dangerous.” Wren brushed a strand of her dark hair away from her face. “If this is a joke that Graem put you up to…”

The threat hung in the air.

Orrin’s mind raced. Anabella had mentioned Mana Signatures but she’d also told him to only trust Professor Graem. Wren was his sister but Orrin wasn’t about to take any chances. Luckily, he had his mysterious grandmother to fall back on as an excuse.

“Professor Graem didn’t put me up to anything,” Orrin said quickly, holding his hands up in surrender. “I think it must have been my grandma who mentioned it. I just know enough to see the different flavors of magic.”

Wren tilted her head. “Flavors of magic… I like that description. Is that how your grandmother described it?”

Orrin shook his head. “She just told me to watch the mana as I cast the spell. It took me a bit before I figured it out, but by the end of the night, I could see the—”

“The end of the night?” Wren cut him off again, even quicker. She stepped closer to Orrin. “Graem did put you up to this. I’m of half the mind to throw you out the front door and strike your name from the records.”

Orrin retreated around the table. “I didn’t say it was easy. I’ve only done it with one spell. That’s why I thought Sensing Magic might be a good start. If I can see all the different types of magic, I could probably figure out what someone is casting if I was quick, right?”

Wren’s hand quivered in a fast flick. The wooden table elongated like putty and snapped around Orrin. It twisted around him and held him tight.

Orrin kept his emotions in check and tried to look as non-threatening as possible. “I have no idea what I’ve said to upset you, but I apologize. I’ll take any class you want but you don’t have to kill me.”

“Kill you?” Wren’s anger cooled enough for Orrin to notice she was shaking. “I’m not going to kill you. I’m just going to hold you until I get Graem down here to explain what is going on. You show up the night before classes, already signed up for most entry-level classes but you know theories taught only in redacted classes. Who are you? Better yet, who is your grandmother?”

Orrin felt [Mind Bastion] trying to trigger. He thought about using [Calm Mind] on himself but the way Wren was staring at him made him think any magic use might be his last. Instead, he blew out a breath before talking.

“My name is Casimir Hale. My great-grandmother worked on arrays and my grandma raised me with stories of her magic use. I’m the first in my family to attend school here. I’m not trying to trick you and I’m definitely not pulling a prank for your brother. I really just wanted your opinion on whether Sensing Magic was a good class to take. I have no idea why you’re so mad at me.”

The entire time he tried to talk his way out of whatever he’d landed himself in, Orrin’s mind was racing in a different direction. Anabella had told him to try and see mana changing into the cast spell but she’d been genuinely impressed when he was able to do it. Almost as if…

She didn’t expect me to be able to do it.

The comments about being able to sense magic before taking the class had made Wren suspicious. He was the equivalent of a college freshman and shouldn’t have known how to do it. Letting slip that he had been able to see the magic changes in one afternoon had set Wren off.

She didn’t attack me until I mentioned using it defensively… which means that’s probably possible. Orrin thought of the possibilities. If I could see what someone was casting, I’d have an extra second or two to defend against it. Shit. I bet that’s a higher class than Mana Signatures. If they’re teaching people how to better fight others and I just happen to stumble in here acting like I already know… She thinks I’m spying on them or worse.

“Can you change a… flavor of magic?”

The look of confusion on Orrin’s face probably saved his life. “What?”

Wren moved from a readied position to a slightly more relaxed. “Truly, you just happened to learn it in one day?”

Orrin felt the table stretch back and let him drop. He landed heavily on his feet but stayed standing. “Yeah, I promise. I didn’t mean to offend you or anything.”

Wren studied Orrin’s eyes for a moment before pointing a finger at his face. “Tell me what you see.”

Orrin complied, mostly because she was too close for him to run away without getting hit and too far away for him to attack her. He could feel it in his bones that any spell he tried to cast wouldn’t be quick enough in this situation.

He focused like he had in his prison room at Anabella’s. Catching the flow of Wren’s mana took him a few moments.

“If you are lying to—”

“Shh.” Orrin shushed her. “I’m trying to concentrate. I don’t do this all the time, you know.”

He kept trying to slow his fast-beating heart and finally saw the tiniest wave of mana forming at Wren’s fingertips. It was dripping and landing on the stone floor but not like water. No, the way it was pooling at her feet and moving toward his own like…

“Metal?”

Wren snapped and the mana activated sending a dozen spikes of metal flying at Orrin. He raised his hands and cast [Ward] but the spikes disappeared before they struck.

“What the fuck?” Orrin cursed. He’d tried to be reasonable and calm but a teacher had just tried to attack him. “You know I wasn’t lying and you still attacked me?”

“I let the magic die before it hit you. Get a grip. Do it again.”

His eyes grew wide when Wren pointed at him again. “Are you crazy? No! I’ll just take the four classes. Which way to the dorms?”

“Five. Four.” Wren started to count down. “Three.”

“Shit. Ok. Wait.” Orrin tried to focus but the surge of adrenaline from seeing those metal spikes flying at him kept his focus scrambled. He closed his eyes and used [Calm Mind].

“Two.”

He opened his eyes and stared. The mana was holding at the base of her palm this time. It wasn’t metal magic but similar in some way. It also felt stronger and already primed. He ignored the sound of her voice as he watched it. The mana took form and Orrin had time to shout “Wood” before he had to duck.

A wooden baton appeared at his side and came down as he shouted. Even as he dodged the magic was released again and the weapon disappeared.

“An actual prodigy,” Wren said, smiling. “You actually can see the flow. You’d be wasting your time with Sensing Magic. The exam is doing what you just did. I’ll waive the requirement if you want to take my class. Mana Signatures is more advanced but with the way you can see the flow. What kind of magic spells do you have? What is your class? If you can handle even two different types of magic, you’d be amazed at what…”

Orrin tuned her out. He’d thought he’d escaped the crazy sibling. It turned out that both Graem and Wren were missing a few screws.