Academy for the Strange

Epilogue

            Fiona leaned back against the trunk of the maple tree that was now a riot of red over her. Beside her, Meredith had her back against the same tree, her legs tucked up beside her as she finished the latest scene of Hamlet they’d been assigned. Fiona figured she’d read it later, much preferring to laze in the first warm day they’d had in a while. And probably one of the last they’d have before winter set in.

            The sound of footsteps approaching brought both their heads up. Fiona smiled as Chay stopped in front of them. He smiled back, nodding at both of them. “I’m glad to find you two outside.”

            Fiona smothered a chuckle, while Meredith’s smile had a razor edge to it. “The twins are our dorm’s guardians. You’ll have to convince them that you’re really sorry and that you’re sincere if you want them to let you into the dorm again.”

            Chay winced. “I’m working on it,” he said as she dropped down to sit across from them.

            Meredith raised her eyebrows but said nothing, only turned her attention back to the play. That was the biggest difference Fiona had found in Meredith since she’d woken up from her coma. Her best friend didn’t seem quite as shy and nervous around their classmates. Fiona supposed after having your magic drained for days, everything else just seemed minor.

            “You’re not wearing it.”

            Fiona looked at Chay, who nodded at her hair. She shrugged. “I wear it sometimes. It’s just not something I’m really comfortable wearing every day.” She left unsaid that the hair clip, through no fault of Chay’s, often reminded her of Mme. Fontaine.

            She shivered slightly at the reminder of her ex-teacher’s crazy eyes. From what Mr. Bishara had said about the spell book she’d been using, it would only have been a matter of time before she was killing people for their life energy. Not that any of it would work. The principal had been pretty clear that even he hadn’t ever heard of a successful case of someone being brought back to life, and he was over two millennia old.

            Just to be safe, he’d confiscated all of Mme. Fontaine’s books, though only a handful had actually held anything dangerous. Those he had locked up in his office. He’d shown Fiona after he’d questioned her the third time. She smiled a little at that, remembering how proud he’d been of her, and how obviously pained he’d been that she’d been in danger. More and more she was coming to like the djinni.

            “Want to go for a walk?” Chay asked.

            Fiona glanced briefly at Meredith, who waved her free hand in a shooing gesture. Fiona grinned. “I’ll be back for dinner, so don’t go without me.”

            The selkie smiled. “I never do.”

            Chay led the way away from both of their dorms, taking the path that wound down past Water dorm and eventually to the library. Fiona kept pace beside him, feeling a tiny twinge as she remembered the bench that face the sea that they were headed towards. Chay had already apologized to her, had done his best to make it up to her since, but she couldn’t help feeling a touch of worry whenever they got near that place.

            “Did you get those math questions done?”

            Fiona grinned. “Yep. I just have to read the scene for Hamlet. But I can always get Mer to help since she’s finishing it up now. How are you and Perry doing for the computer project?”

            He shrugged. “It’s coming. We’ve got the basics all done, it’s just cleaning it all up that we need to do now. Though right now me and Perry still need to figure out the name. He still won’t budge off of ‘Sparky and Hooves’ News, bringing you stupid for nearly two decades.”

            She laughed at the obvious shot at Chay. Perry had pulled her aside and told her that if he was ever that stupid again to tell him, and he’d give her all of Chay’s embarrassing stories as revenge. The satyr had made it clear he thought Chay’s initial response was beyond stupid and he was doing his best to smarten him up.

            “Is there anything you want to do this weekend?” Chay asked, as they rounded the corner of Water dorm.

            Fiona grinned. “Want to play chess in the library again? I’m still working on teaching Mer, so you’re the only opponent I have.”

            He failed to hide a wince. “Why don’t we save that for the next time it rains. We’ll be trapped in with all the snow soon.”

            She gave him a sidelong glance that told him without words that she knew the real reason he didn’t want to play chess. Not that she could blame him. He’d promised to go easy on her for their first game and didn’t even notice she was winning until she’d had him in checkmate. “Well,” she said, figuring she’d cut him some slack. “It is almost the Halloween dance and I don’t have a costume figured out yet. Any ideas on where I can get some stuff to cobble one together?”

             “Hmmm… I can ask some people. There’s always someone who has extra stuff. Meredith doesn’t have anything?”

            “Just the stuff for her costume. Which is kind of weird when I think about it. Phasms dressing up for Halloween,” she said, before she lowered her voice. “You could all just go as your normal selves and still have way better costumes than anything most people can come up with.”

            “But that wouldn’t be any fun,” he said smiling. “Speaking of normal selves, it’s a pretty warm day and the thermals aren’t half bad. Any interest in one last flight before winter grounds both of us?”

            Fiona’s grin made her “Absolutely!” superfluous. Chay chuckled and stepped back so he could change. Fiona watched him, feeling truly happy. She reflected that whatever had happened, however she’d ended up at the academy, that this was her home now. And the friends she’d made here were her family now and forever.

The End

Check out the sequel: Fight for the Strange