“Then why is she here?” Mama asked.
A tiny little frown line appeared between Jacqueline’s brows. Her eyes darted to the left where the deputy headmaster’s office was located. That vamp had had it in for me since the day I joined Bloodline Academy. I understood why. I just didn’t like it.
“Dmitri says he caught Sophie in the act.” Jacqueline sat back in her chair. I hoped it wasn’t because of the way Mama was gnashing her teeth.
My nostrils flared. “Just like the time he caught me stealing my own Potions project? Or the time I was poisoning the senior citizens with garlic flakes? Or –”
Jacqueline reached over and placed a hand over mine. My indignation fizzled. “I understand how you must feel,” she said. Doubtful. She didn’t have any serial killers in her bloodline. “It won’t be like this forever, Sophie.”
Biting my lip, I asked the question that had been plaguing me for a while now. “I don’t understand why you insisted I come to Bloodline. I could have gone to school in the compound with my friends.” This last part I directed at my parents. Both of whom were suddenly very interested in something on the back wall.
Jacqueline peered at me, her eyes penetrating. It was like she was staring into my soul. “You certainly could have,” she said. “But that would be taking the easy way out.”
“What’s wrong with easy?” It was definitely better than dodging the hateful glares of my classmates. I thought of the incident in the billabong last month when I had psyched myself up to speak to some of the older low-magic students. They pretended they didn’t hear me even though I was standing right next to Wanda. A second later, they picked up their things and left me standing there mortified.
“You’re one of the very rare low-magic witches in existence,” Jacqueline said, like it was supposed to be a compliment. “Bloodline Academy is where you should be. I know what your great-grandfather did still lingers –”
“That’s the understatement of the century,” I muttered. “It doesn’t help that he’s part of the curriculum, by the way.”
Her lips pressed together. “It is a cautionary tale.”
“It sucks! Do you have any idea what it’s like to sit there while everyone learns that your ancestor chopped up supernaturals, boiled their bodies in a cauldron and then imbued their essences into spells?”
My great-grandfather, Enock Mwape, was a kitchen wizard. A unique one. Grammy had gotten some of his gift but the odd power skipped a couple of generations and landed right at my feet. Too bad the use of said magic would freak the supernaturals out.
“I’m sorry,” Jacqueline said. “I know it feels unfair, but low magic needs to be cultivated.” Oh the irony.
I bit my bottom lip and stared at the carpet. “Why?”
“You own this dimension. Whether anyone likes it or not.”
“Our magic is weaker than yours!”
Technically, Amazons didn’t have any magic. Not high magic, anyway. They possessed enhanced strength, durability and longevity. Even after all this time, I couldn’t quite tell how old Jacqueline was. Her brows pulled together. “There is no yours and ours,” she said. “We are all in this together.”
My shoulders slumped in the chair. This wasn’t the first time we’d had this verbal tug of war. It was always the same. She was like a one-woman low-witch PR campaign. And my parents were her campaign managers. None of them wanted to hear that I was an unwilling candidate. In order to stop myself from crying, I redirected my energy.
“Is Kate going to be okay?”
Jacqueline’s blue eyes softened at the edges. “Doctor Thorne is looking into her symptoms. That’s what I needed to speak to you about. Professor McKenna says the protection circle around your chest was a standard spell. But can you think of any reason why Kate might have had that reaction to it?”
I bit my lip and thought back. “Not really. The frame is reinforced with silver but that’s also standard issue. It was only supposed to give her a warning shock and alert me that she was trying to open it.” I pictured Kate with her smug smile, twirling around in front of her friends. The kick of envy had my chest constricting but I didn’t want her to get hurt.
“What about her nkisi pendant?” I asked.
Dad managed not to make a face. Mama didn’t. “Don’t tell me?” she said. “Safari?”
Jacqueline nodded. Mama mouthed something in Zambian that I would not be allowed to repeat so I refocused on the headmistress.
“Professor Mortimer has looked over the broken shards of Kate’s necklace. It’s just ordinary painted clay. He’ll hold on to it just in case.”
“So Kate’s not awake yet?” Mama asked. Jacqueline shook her head.
“Her parents have agreed to allow her to stay inside the infirmary rather than move her back to the Reserve. The Nephilim doctors will look in on her if we can’t find a solution soon.” She tapped her fingers against her chin. “I’ve made it clear that I will not tolerate anybody treating you poorly over this incident. Having said that, Kate’s parents have demanded that she be moved to another room.”
I sighed and dropped my head into my hands. So that’s what this was about. Another roommate bites the dust. Kate had been the third in nine months. At this rate, I might as well be a serial killer.
3
My parents pretended to stick around to help me sort out my room. The place looked like it had been stripped bare by furniture-eating ghouls. You’d never know Kate was ever in here. I blinked at the starkness of her side of the room. She lasted two months. That was a month longer than my last roommate.
Dad went and sat on her bed that was now bare of Kate’s rolling-mountain bedspread. “I’m sure Jacqueline will find you someone else,” Dad said.
“I don’t want anyone
