I stood on the front steps, and stared at the Mayor. Every urge in me told me I had to hit her. For being so deviously nice. And going behind our backs to save us and all that. I hated her. “You seem like you have had a full day,” she said. The Mayor was…beautiful was the only way to say it. Lightly tanned skin, tall, and with strong features while still being super pretty. […]

“You have a choice, Miss McKay.” Lien picked up the staff again. “You can try and stumble your way through your little quest. You will be quite the scourge of the riffraff. Until someone with real power is annoyed enough by your nuisance to swat you down. And then your quest is done.” She scratched the wood with her fingernail, gouging into it. I gave a cry of protest, but what could I do? “Or […]

The Headmaster nodded towards me. “Headmaster Lien. Pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Lien let me go, and pulled out a notebook. “Let us talk. I have received notes from the truant officer, your homeroom teacher, several chefs from the cafeteria. A total of seventeen demerits thus far. There is also witness testimony of your leaving the school without permission, another two.” The corner of her mouth twitched in what might have been a smile. “Attempting […]

I glowered, and stamped my staff on the ground. “Lady, you have no clue what you are dealing with.” “No,” She said. She cracked her fingers. “It is you who have decided that one small taste of the truth defines it all. “But as words have little worth to you,” she bowed to me at the waist. “Come. Show what you can do.” Who was she? Mayor’s guard? A contracted assassin? Didn’t seem to be […]

I was fuming now. “I didn’t even want to go to that school. And then that stupid boy started being mean to Lana for no reason, so I blew up the window and walked on out of there.” The birds were quiet. They looked at me, considering. Then they turned to Lana. “Someone was mean to you?” Lana tried to disappear. When that failed, she nodded. “Uh huh.” “What did he look like?” Nahc said. […]

“Mel! Mel!” I stretched, and kept walking. I looked up, and saw that Lana had followed me. I waved. “Hey, Lana.” She motioned back to the Academy. “You’re going to get in trouble.” “Mmhmm.” I smiled. “Probably get about a bajillion demerits for that.” “Isn’t that a bad thing?” “Nah.” Of course it was. But it was a school bad thing. What were they going to do? Give me a bad report card? Whatever Throw […]