Chapter 3: The Hunt Begins

I jolt awake. Breathing fast, I stumble out of bed. My vision clears to make way for the Health Centre’s interior. My uniform is all crumpled, but all I can think about is that dream. The hallway is empty as I slip quietly into my dorm. Thankfully, Janky’s already sleeping. I lie still, listening to her snores and trying not to let my worries consume me.

In the morning, I stir. I must have gotten at least three hours’ worth of rest. Clambering out and down the ladder, I notice fresh pairs of uniforms lying on the desk. Gratefully, I put them on -smoothing out my other set in a vain attempt for it to return to its former glory. Sighing, I dump them in the laundry basket. A glance at the clock and I know it’s six a.m, school starts at eight. To pass the time, I decide to study. Flicking through the books on our shelf, my eye catches on one particular book. Slipping it out, I run my hands down the leathery spine. A journal. I blow out the dust on the cover as they do in the movies- I think some got in my eye- to reveal some sort of rune. The pages are stiff and are tightly stuck together. If I tried to pry them apart, I could risk losing some pages or words. As I think about it, my mind wanders back to that dream. Sitting there, on the comfy stool, I replay the scenes. Over and over again.

Janky is roused from a deep sleep by the bell. She grumbles about how early it is, before settling back down on her pillow. Guess she’s missing out on breakfast. I exit our dorm and swivel my head around to look for Milly. Our rooms are only a few meters apart, but I still spot her speeding towards me, leaving Hexa behind. Hexa's shouts echo through the empty hall.

“Milly, no running in the halls!”

Reluctantly, Milly skids to a stop.

“Sorry, just excited to tell Lucy what’s going on!” She calls back

I frown, “What is happening?”

Milly jumps up and down, her powerful legs making her the same height as me for a millisecond.

“Didn’t you hear? A dead bird was found on the courtyard!”

I tilt my head.

“It could have been killed by a Familiar.”

She shakes her head.

“That’s the thing, it was a Faerie Messenger! And it didn’t have any claw or scratch marks. It was perfectly untouched, except for two red dots on its stomach. It wasn't blood -I know that look- it was a marking! Rumor has it that the Messenger was carrying an important letter to the principal, one that could not be sent by email, for fear of a security breach. Oh, Lucy, it’s like those mystery thrillers we used to watch and read about!”

~ ~ ~

In the Dining Hall, we shuffle in line to get our pancakes, the theme for today’s breakfast. I pile an extra two for Janky. The cooks eye me suspiciously, even when I tell them it's for my dorm mate. As we head to the closest free table, a girl knocks into Milly, red and black hair colliding together. I catch her plate of brown sugar pancakes, watching it intensely as it tips about. Hexa steadies it and we both release our breath. Milly can get grumpy without her food. The girl flushes.

“Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to!”

Milly says nothing but helps the girl pick up her pots and pans.

“Er, I’m Clary. Thanks for helping me.”

Milly shrugs, “It’s okay. Next time, get someone to help you carry those, so you don’t go bumping into other people. I’m Milly, that’s Lucinda and Hexa.”

Clary nods and tries to attempt a small wave. She thinks better of it when her things wobble as we wriggle onto our seats.

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“Well, now we’re even! You saved my milk, I caught your meal,” I exclaim to Milly.

“Yeah, thanks for that. These pancakes are seriously good. Can I have some of yours?”

She leans over and scoops some strawberry syrup before I can reply. I smile and take some of hers. As I eat she laughs.

“You got some syrup on your uniform.”

I scan my shirt for any sign of stains, coming across one tiny splotch.

“Can someone please pass me the tissues?”

Hexa hands me a wad of some. I scrub it against my shirt with no luck.

“At least it’s tiny?”

Hexa says it like a question.

I pout, “I guess so.”

After breakfast, I return to my dorm, armed with a plate of cold pancakes. Janky is, not surprisingly, still asleep. I debate whether I should leave it on the bedside table or shake her awake. I decided on the latter. Peeling off the blanket, I poke her. But instead of skin, I come in contact with straw. A dummy with a disguise spell? I turn the dummy over, revealing more straw. I’m not sure what I expected, but I know Janky is up to something. Pancakes forgotten, I scour the room in hopes of finding clues. Nothing. However, the leather journal’s still on the table. I try to open the pages again when something occurs to me. There are spells for almost anything to help with daily life. I’m sure there’s one to unstick pages. I was supposed to have Spells class yesterday, after Curses and Hexes. Maybe if I could get the name of the professor from Milly, I could devise a plan. It’s either that or flicking through every spellbook in the library. That can be Plan B, preferably Z. I tuck the journal inside my pillowcase, wondering if that’s too obvious. Standing back, I can see the lump. I try under my mattress. It will have to do for now, but every time I try to get it will be some back-breaking work. I itch to find out where Janky is, but I can’t afford to be kicked out of Mistball Academy either. The first period of the day, Cooking. When I get there, I see Clary in class. I give her a salute and she waves shyly back. The pot and pans now make sense! The teacher sees our exchange and waves enthusiastically too. That’s when I notice she’s Mrs. Karly.

“Alrighty, chicks! Today, we’ll jump right into the fun stuff. Put your hand up if this is your first time cooking.”

Half the class raises their hands nervously.

“More than I expected, but we’ll figure it out. Newbies, to the left side of the room. Amateurs in the middle and experts to the right.”

Five people stand in the expert section, and seven people -me included- in the amateurs. Mrs. Karly snaps her fingers and chants softly. Two copies of herself break off from her original body. They slide across the room, one for each category. Each section moves to its own kitchen with sleek marble tabletops and expensive equipment. Cooking passes smoothly by, and I eagerly participate to get the classes done, as if that would make it go any faster. We baked lemon cupcakes with cream cheese icing. Top if off with rainbow sprinkles and eyeballs, voilà, a scrumptious dessert. In the second period, H & V, Miss Bostony explains the magical capabilities of Agaricus bisporus. Apparently, it can mask your scent and make you light on your feet. Recess comes around the corner soon enough and I meet Milly and Hexa under the magic blossom tree. Hexa’s eating an apple while reading and Milly’s sporting a plastic spoon accessory beside her.

“Hi, Lucy! Like my clip? It’s very expensive, you know.”

“I can tell. The finest quality right there.”

We laugh and talk while I eat spoonfuls of strawberry frozen yogurt. Recess is almost over by the time I ask for the Spell Master’s name.

“His name is Master Quet, and he’s one of the greatest spellcasters to exist.”

I thank her. On my way to broom flying class, I take a detour and head to my dorm. I peek to see if Janky’s inside. Empty. I duck in and place my books on a desk. That’s when I spot a little gap in one of the drawers. Curious, I open it and try to find where the gap is. The hole is covered by another layer of wood, making me think there’s a hidden compartment. I dig my fingers beneath it and try to wedge it out. Surprisingly, it comes out easily. Inside, lies a single golden key. The letters 'J.M.' are engraved with silver. Janky Mildstorm. I gently pick it up, examining the details. The head of the key is in a sort of heart shape, flowers and crystals decorating the blank space. The actual key itself is a complicated mess. Spirals, lines, twists, and cuts form its shape. What could it unlock? I immediately think of my first day, the way the closet had stuck like glue to its frame. Now, I had a sneaking suspicion that there was a padlock. Sure enough, the key fits perfectly. I hear a clicking sound and the lock falls to the ground with a thud. I grimace, wondering if anyone heard that. The door creaks open ominously, and I stand on my tiptoes in anticipation. Peering through the darkness are jars. Lots and lots of jars. In one, a vine of spikes, a blue mist clouding around it. In another, red fireflies, flickering in and out with venom. All these jars, all containing an ingredient for deadly potions. At the end of the shelves, a crossbow lays against the walls. Next to it, a silver quiver, filled with arrows with balls of glass at their tips. Inside the glass, a storm of red and purple brews, waiting to be unleashed.