Flynn’s words did appear to be prophetic. As the day wore on, it became instantly evident that wherever you looked, more mages were about, in particular, older mages with hardened expressions. Wrapped in cloaks of various colours, it looked like they were going for a stroll between buildings or idly reading in the corner of a hall or classroom. Yet even though they radiated calm, their eyes told a different story as they wandered from face to face and building to building.

On top of the increased amount of magicians arriving by the hour, several notifications were read suggesting rule changes. First, no student was to walk around the Island without a qualified magician, which effectively meant nobody could go anywhere without the bus or a rare personalised tour. Second, no student was to be outside once it was dark, and they should be within their house one hour before sunset. Finally, students were to report any suspicious or strange behaviour they saw.

Her teachers were painfully aware of the changes but did their best to make the days normal. Much of the discussions revolved around choosing specialist subjects, once Master Ayliah cleared them, and as students had this foremost in their minds, the teachers were putting on exciting classes. One such class was a demonstration by Kavan, from Oak House, on how to summon creatures.

The docks attached to the side of Ash House, spreading back across the deeper part of the beach like gnarled wooden fingers. The students were told they were for small ‘research boats’, which gently bobbed back and forth on the magically becalmed water as the students clamoured on the docks. Nobody complained, as the huddle formed a defensive barrier against the wind and cold of winter that swept onto the Island. If it wasn’t for the extra thick underclothes Ms Williams had supplied, Elvie might have turned into an ice cube by now.

They stood around, shuffling, hands wrapped across their bodies or wedged inside their cloaks. On the only slightly are in front of them, Kavan made gentle motions with his hands, repeating several words in a rough whisper that had no obvious effect.

The birds squawking on the beach paused momentarily; the waves held their breath before breaking as a leviathan of deep grey rose from the fields of sapphire blue.

It was, Elvie suspected, a blue whale. Surely only a blue whale could be that large, but she couldn’t quite tell as its head arched out of the water before the massive grey body followed. It lazily rolled onto its back, idly flicked a fin-like it was waving, then slunk back beneath the water. The arrival was fleeting as the lonely beast of the deep crept below the waves.

‘The first step towards magical skill in Oak House is to feel the creature’s mind. Extend your senses, reach outwards and feel the presence of the whale in the bay around us,’ Kavan said to the students.

Elvie desperately extended her mind as she tried to comprehend his words. You could talk to a whale in Oak House! But how, she couldn’t feel anything? There was no sense of another presence, and the more she concentrated, the further away from any connection she felt. Around her, students gasped as they felt a link develop. But for Elvie, nothing at all. She loved whales, especially orcas. A longing to connect filled her being, but wanting did not produce results, even if she did feel magical energy tingling beneath her skin demanding release.

Elvie suspected the purpose of the class was to encourage students to take more subjects from Oak House. While different forms of summons existed, calling animals was a staple of Oak, and teaching students the skill took a relatively short period. For Elvie, this was just another frustration on the list of things she couldn’t do. Besides, if she did choose to primarily focus on Oak House, she’d no doubt become restless. Things were already not going how she expected they would, or even her worst-case scenarios. She loved animals, but unless there was a flying stingray that sailed through time, it was not something she needed to distract herself with at the moment.

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When their options for specialisation came for the second semester, nothing leapt out at her. One page was for Ash House, but the names did not give much away other than broad areas. Oceanography, Tidal Variations, Rivercraft, or Basic Manipulations. Elvie had assumed their teachers would fill in the blanks on what they were about, but apparently, they wouldn’t do so as they wanted to avoid unduly influencing a student’s choice. There was also an assumption that teenage magicians would know what they wanted to do by this point in their life, which didn’t help Elvie whatsoever.

The second page detailed Oak House, and had general Animal Care, followed by subcategories of particular animals. There was also a subject on Farming, another on Growth and Sustainability, and finally, the one Elvie was interested in but wasn’t sure she should take: Animal Summons and Communication.

Elvie turned to the final page to see Elder House was, unsurprisingly, blank. Of course, Elder House – the Absent House. No wonder those in Ash and Oak were upset.

After class, she talked over subject selections with Flynn, but he wasn’t much help. He would have had his chosen for some time now.

Elvie rolled her shoulders as she said: ‘I’d take Oak House specialities, but I couldn’t feel the whale... and I love whales.’ The thought still nearly brought tears to her face.

Flynn sighed like a patient teacher. ‘It takes time, like all things. Time and practice.’

‘I wonder whether they’d teach me how to summon a leprechaun or something.’ Maybe she would have better luck. Leprechauns were lucky, weren’t they?

‘Why a leprechaun?’ Flynn queried. ‘They’re possibly the worst and most clichéd creature you could summon.’

‘Well, think about it,’ Elvie countered, laughing. ‘At the moment, I couldn’t summon a flea, let alone something which could talk, so why not summon a mystical creature that comes with a pot of gold?’

Flynn grunted. ‘You’re not meant to be able to do things like that in your first year. Those magicians train for years to summon creatures like the whale. But that doesn’t explain why you would summon a leprechaun – not that Oak House could. Maybe Holly, but they’re not exactly spirit creatures either. Although, to be fair, I’m not certain they’re actually real…’

‘But they’re cute. Little Irishmen…’ Elvie laughed.

‘Don’t let O’Sullivan hear you.’ He was Irish and took offence at every comment about his homeland. Elvie did understand. As far as she was aware, most people still assumed Australia was a land of convicts. ‘Now come on, or you’ll miss the bus.’

In the end, somewhat despondent, Elvie settled for Basic Manipulations and Animal Summons and Communication. She fervently hoped she would make some progress in both, as they might form the extent of her magical knowledge.

All in all, she was feeling disconsolate – her emotional state matching the growing gloom and cold enveloping the Island.

She was marginally happier when one of the administrators, Nancy, told her she had a letter she could pick up in the front office. So she made her way there, waving to Flynn and telling him she would catch him later. The only person who’d write a letter was Eldridge, so she eagerly cracked open the seal on the envelope to absorb its contents.

Dear Elvie,

I am sorry for the delay in my reply, but unusual events in London have occupied my time. My meetings with the Prince of York has left me concerned. There is movement amongst the foreign mages, especially the Germans, and it is hard to see how any good can come from this.

For now, I will be staying close to the Royal Family to assist with protection, offering my services wherever I am able. One of these duties is the investigation of a fire that killed a friend of mine at Cottsbury Castle. I never spoke of this, but while you stayed with me at Calderbrook, I received news my friend’s estate had burned to the ground. Suspicion has been cast in many directions, including on foreign magicians in the country, and I am to investigate due to our friendship.

I do not write this to worry you, just to encourage you to be wary around other magicians, as I know many will arrive on the Island for the duels..

I myself am still scheduled to attend – the powers that be have decided it is necessary to have a stronger magical presence on the Island. So, I look forward to seeing you soon.

Sincerely,

Eldridge.

Elvie stared at the letter for a long time.

In her own time, she felt safe. Yes, people committed crimes in Australia, but it always seemed so far away, like it was happening to another person. Perhaps this was what it meant to grow up? Here, everything was more uncertain, riskier and scarier. The comforting safety blanket of her parents had disappeared, and she now faced the world by herself.

She folded the letter into her cloak with a sigh. It was just one more thing to worry about, wasn’t it?