I sat quietly while the professor rambled on and on about places I didn’t know. He spewed a litany of names, and I was completely lost.
“There used to be slaves in Eldoren too?” a boy called Reginald asked, interrupting the professor.
The old professor nodded. “The mages used them to tend their estates. The slave trading may be under control now, but our kingdom is still fueled by unrest. There is a huge underground network of cutthroats, thieves, and outlaws that roam these lands and prey on the helpless. The city guards are swamped with work, and the dungeons are overflowing.”
“But what about the Blue Cloaks?” one girl asked. “Can’t they do anything?”
Professor Ruthbridge shook his shaggy head. “The Blue Cloaks are powerful warrior-mages, but there aren’t enough of them to go around. We must rely on nonmagical guards too.”
My thoughts drifted to Rafe. He was an outlaw, but was he also a part of this underground network that the professor spoke about? I knew so little about him. He could very well be dangerous, but still, I couldn’t stop thinking about him. Although he must have forgotten all about me after he left me at Greystone.
While I was busy dreaming about Rafe, political studies ended. I wondered what I had missed. I would have to take notes from Vivienne later. She was taking alchemy, and I had healing next, so we had to split up.
“See you later,” said Vivienne, rushing off toward the alchemy house.
I had a few minutes before my healing class started, so I went over to the healing house early and found Penelope already there. She was mixing some liquids in a small bottle and peppering it with some sort of silver powder. She gave me a huge smile when I came in. I rushed over and gave her a big hug, careful not to spill the contents of the bottle.
“It’s so lovely to see you again, Penelope,” I said, meaning every word. “How’s Kalen? Did he come with you?”
Penelope shook her head, her golden curls bouncing. “No, my dear, but I will send for him soon, I promise. He wanted to come, you know how Kalen is, but it’s not the right time.”
I was disappointed that Kalen had not come to see me; it would have been nice to have him around while I was getting used to this new school. Vivienne was sweet, but I couldn’t talk to her about Morgana or the fae. At least I had Penelope.
“What are you doing?” I asked, fascinated. “What’s that?” I pointed to the greenish liquid in the bottle she held in her hands.
She smiled. “Getting ready for my next class.”
“That’s right. You're teaching healing, too.”
“Yes. Professor Dekela requested that I fill in for the healing teacher, who has gone on a year-long pilgrimage to the temple of Briesies in the foothills of the Silverspike Mountains.”
“But I thought you were the ancient studies teacher.”
“I can teach both,” said Penelope, her eyes twinkling as she bustled about the room, while I sat on a high stool. “Anyway, there are many other history teachers; I only teach ancient studies once a week and a few healing classes. Most of my time goes into assisting the academy healers when they have a particularly bad case.”
“Tell me about healing, please, Penelope,” I pleaded. “Just a little before the class starts. I’m so behind all the other students. They have all grown up around magic, but I can’t even understand how fae healing and mage healing are different.”
“They are not as different as you would think,” said Penelope. “Fae healing is similar to mage healing in many ways, but the distinction occurs in the fae’s capacity for healing.”
“Which means?”
“The main difference is that mage powers diminish rapidly when you heal someone, and it takes the mage a long time to recover, depending on the mage’s innate power.”
I nodded. “That makes sense.”
“Although most mages know how to heal,” Penelope continued, “it is hard to do and exhausting to the mage performing the healing. But to the fae healing is instinctive, and we are better at it than mages. It is part of the nurturing trait of the fae. That is why in Eldoren most of the healers are fae and are very highly respected within the community.”
“But then why do Morgana’s guards hunt the fae?”
“It is only in Illiador, where Morgana rules, that the fae are being driven out,” explained Penelope. “The common folk all over the length and breadth of Illiador have been suffering for years because all the fae healers have left, been killed, or been chased out of Illiador.”
“Why does Morgana hate the fae so much?”
“Who knows what goes on in the mind of such a twisted person?” Penelope ground herbs together and then performed some sort of magic on them until the green powder turned purple. “People fear what is different, and Morgana fears the fae.”
“But how are fae powers so different from mage powers? I thought you said they were similar.”
“Fae magic comes from nature, blessed by the goddess Dana,” said Penelope. “There are five types of fae magic—earth, air, fire, water, and spirit. Some fae can command two or even three of those elements, but generally most fae can command magic from only one.”
“And what is your magic?” I asked, fascinated.
“I am earth and air,” said Penelope. “My magic is more suited to healing and glamour than fighting, although I can defend myself should the need arise, and I am very lucky to be gifted with two powers. But it is the fire-fae who are the most powerful warriors, and fire-fae that command more than one element are stronger still. Fae magic does not diminish like mage magic when used a lot; it can be replenished indefinitely.”
“And those that have the power of spirit, what can they do?”
“The fae gifted with the magic of spirit
