Legacy picked through the bowl of berries on the table. “I better not get into trouble if we get caught. You’re taking the fall.”
“You know I will,” I said. “I always do.”
“First of all, where would we get a transfiguration potion?” Taz asked, tapping his finger against his glass of purple juice. “It’s not like they’re easy to make. And the transformation only lasts an hour or two at most.”
“Second of all,” Legacy said, “You have to ask Zyacus about Aric. Don’t you think he’s heard news of him?” She wanted to know how he was doing since the whole becoming a vampire thing, but she’d been too scared to actually write him a letter herself and ask.
I shrugged. “Probably. I will ask.” I looked pointedly at Taz. “I know Professor Darvy keeps a box of potions in his classroom. Locked up in the cupboard. And I only need an hour to get off castle grounds and into the city.”
“Vis,” Legacy said, eyes widening as if she just realized something. “What if your parents ask questions I don’t know the answers to?”
I ran my fingers through my hair and ripped through some tangles. “Avoid them if you can, say you don’t feel well. But I’m confident you can pass for me for a little while. I’m hoping I’ll be back before breakfast and you won’t have to even see them.”
“Alright, I’m in.” She tossed a raspberry into her mouth.
Both of us looked to Taz. “Fine, I’ll help. But I think it’s dangerous to go by yourself. I should come.”
“I was about to ask,” I said with a smirk. “It should be safe in the capital city but one never knows. So you’ll come even if you might get into trouble?”
“When has that ever stopped me?”
∞∞∞
Within a few minutes we stood in the quiet hallway outside the row of classrooms of the academy portion of the castle. A few pairs of students walked casually up and down the way so we didn’t look completely criminal. Peeking into the small window of the classroom door, I spotted the cupboard and the vials inside the glass. “I don’t see anyone,” I said, tugging on the door handle.
We stepped inside looking around. It was indeed empty. Dashing for the cupboard I took the metal padlock between my fingers. “Check the desk for a key.”
“He’s not stupid enough to leave the key so easy to find,” Taz said but still made for the desk.
While he searched I looked at the different vials and their labels. Several healing potions, the clear color would give that away if it weren’t labeled. A pain relief potion. Something else I’d never heard of with a bright purple liquid. My eyes skimmed until I saw it. Transfiguration. Three of them.
“No key,” Taz hollered from the desk.
My pulse raced as I thought of how to get into the cupboard.
Legacy peeked over my shoulder. “We could break the glass.”
We were already thieving; what was one more offense? “Alright, back up.” I flicked my fingers and sent a gentle percussion wave, the glass shattered and the vials rattled but thankfully none broke.
“That was loud,” Taz angry-whispered, and ran for the door. Peeking out the window, he snapped his fingers. “Hurry up.”
I reached inside and wrapped my hand around the first vial and when I tried to pull back, it wouldn’t move. The vial was heavily anchored by magic. Oh of course it couldn’t be easy! When I tried to release the potion, panic rose up in my chest. No no no no. “My hand is stuck.” I pulled back with all my strength but the magic held me like an insect caught in a spider’s web.
“Stop messing around,” Legacy said, watching warily. “We need to go.”
“I’m not,” I said through clenched teeth, my mind scrambling for a way out of this. “My. Hand. Is. Stuck. Help me!”
Legacy grabbed my wrist and tugged, to no avail. “You’re serious! This can’t be happening.” She put a hand over her mouth. “It’s a protection enchantment.”
“Obviously,” I snapped.
“What, they don’t trust us?” Legacy said, grabbing my wrist again and pulling.
“With good reason,” Taz hissed. He darted over and stared at my hand glued to the potion. “Remember last year when he talked about how to undo enchantments? We just need to know which protection spell it is to undo this.”
Sweat beaded on my forehead. “Yes but how can we know what this one is?” Would they have to get help to get me out of this? Caught stealing from a professor, my parents would love that one. My father would probably force me to attend my sixth year of academy here in Delhoon as punishment.
My breath caught when the door handle jiggled.“Hide!” I screeched.
Legacy and Taz ran to the closet and I stood in the wide open, heart racing. The door opened, I silently chanted the invisibility spell willing myself unseen.
The professor walked in and his eyes immediately fell on the broken glass. “How did that happen?” he mumbled, making his way over.
I held my breath when he stood inches from me. Holy phoenix, holy phoenix!
Feet crunching on the glass, his eyes inspected the cupboard. “Huh, nothing missing.”
My lungs burned, my throat ached, I couldn’t hold much longer. I needed a breath. I needed to release the invisibility spell. Black dots floated in my vision.
“Dismantia priv,” he said, releasing the protection enchantment and reached inside, fixing a potion that had tipped over.
The hold on me vanished. I pulled back and silently moved away from him. I had to breathe again even if it revealed me.
As I sucked in a breath, the professor looked right at me. Please don’t see me. Please don’t see me. I hoped my spell held. Darvy blinked a few times then abruptly turned toward the door. “Shoot, I forgot my bag.”
I was probably the luckiest person in the world at
