Lethal Lineage

Let's Get Down To Business

"Where is your familiar?" Professor Elide opens his classroom door as soon as I knock. He seemed too awake for 6 am on a Monday.

"She's right here." I push my hair aside to show Tink comfortably hiding. She shoves her face back in my hair.

I enter the room, looking around. Was I suppose to sit at a desk? Professor Elide moves to sit on the edge of one of the front desks and I slowly move closer, uncomfortable in a room alone with a teacher. Usually I would be getting yelled at for having a snake with me.

"If I'm being honest," he starts. "I don't know what kind of abilities you may have, if any at all."

Okay, rude.

"That's not going to stop me from trying." I say confidently. If this was going to work one of us had to believe I could do it.

Professor Elide gives me an approving nod, hands fiddling with something on his wrist. It looked exactly like the leather cuffs Larken wore. Must be a family thing.

"I'm just a gargoyle, but I've helped students find and build their abilities. The best way to describe it in a visual sense is that your power is nested deep inside." His hand moves to his stomach. "You were raised with the humans?"

I nod, momentarily missing my parents. My room. My computer.

"So I'm assuming you've tried to hide your abilities to blend in?" He looks at me for clarification and I nod again. "You don't need to hide anymore."

Something about his words makes me look down as if I'm ashamed. Maybe I should be. My whole life all I've done is try to be normal, be human.

Professor Elide stands and comes closer, towering over me. My breath catches as I look up. The faint smell of rain clung to him like a cologne.

"Sit." He points to his desk chair and I do as told. "Close your eyes and relax."

"It's a little hard to relax when someone tells you to relax," I mutter as I get comfortable.

Out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw a quick smirk on Elide's mouth. I close my eyes as my cheeks burn.

After a moment of silence I hear his low, smooth voice at my side say, "Deep breaths. Your familiar is your connection to who you really are. Feel her weight on your shoulders, her scales."

I focus on Tink, imagine her in my mind balled up and asleep. Her black scales are cool to the touch.

"Feel the connection, focus on it."

I almost smile just from remembering the first time Tink found me. When I picked her up I could breathe easier, relax. I felt peaceful.

"That connection can be stronger. Remember that power is inside somewhere."

It was getting hard to remain focused. Elide's voice was so gentle and close goosebumps covered my skin.

Focus. Snake powers.

I breathe steadily, letting all my muscles relax. Somewhere in me I had abilities. If I was truly the daughter of Medusa, they couldn't be buried too deep.

"What do you feel?"

I felt cold. Everywhere around me felt cold, but warmth was in the room. With my eyes closed it seemed I could see the heat like a red tinge in the darkness.

"I can feel your heat." Even that sounded weird to my own ears. "You're behind me now."

"Good."

A tingle goes through my fingers and my arm instinctively shoots out to my right. My eyes fly open to see I had caught a coffee cup.

Professor Elide locks eyes with me, chin lifting slightly. After blinking rapidly in surprise I set down the cup on his desk.

"Did you just chuck a coffee cup at my head?" I accuse in a high tone, partially confused.

"Yes. And you caught it with your eyes closed," he points out. "You have better senses than you think. I didn't just toss that cup. Your reflexes are your asset, you're fast."

I frown at the cup, unsure of what he was telling me. That was it? I have quick reflexes?

"Madam Celeste said I might be able to control snakes." I look back to Elide.

He runs a hand over his stomach, straightening his dark blue dress shirt as he comes over to his desk next to me.

"Look over there," he instructs.

I look to the back of the room where he's pointing.

"Focus on that statue. Don't get up, but go there."

"What?" I cock at eyebrow at his profile, suddenly doubting his sanity.

Professor Elide glances at me, grabs my chin with the tips of his fingers, then turns my head to face the statue again. My heart picks up pace.

"Keep hold of that connection.Don't move. Push yourself to go there. Your familiar is an extension of your body." His voice is firm, confident.

I stare at the statue for what feel like an hour, also trying to focus on my connection with Tink. My head starts to throb.

Go to the statue. Go to the statue.

Tink moves on my shoulders, down my arm, reaching through the air to get to the desk.

Go to the statue.

Tink slithers over the desk, then down. I could feel the touch of cool tile on my skin. She moves across the floor then begins wrapping and climbing up the small bookshelf. The wood was smooth.

My temples were filling with pressure, a migraine beginning to take over. As it became too much to bare, Tink reaches the top of the shelf, wrapping around the statue.

I gasp, grimacing as I massage my temples.

"Amazing," Elide mutters.

"Amazingly painful," I correct him, feeling drained. Supernatural abilities do not come easy.

"It will get easier with practice." Professor Elide walks across the room to pick up Tink and bring her back.

"Didn't have to practice to get that muscle," I remark under my breath, holding my head in my hands. One of those magic hangover pills sounded perfect right now.

•

"How was your extra lesson?" Nora asks me when we meet in the dining hall for breakfast.

"Painful." I sigh. My head was still throbbing.

Nora's hand slips into mine in a casual manner, catching me off guard. I glance down at our hands but don't say anything.

"But helpful?" She suggests hopefully.

I nod. "Yeah, definitely helpful."

We enter the dining hall where the smell of syrup and bacon fills the air. I take as much bacon as possible along with some pancakes while Nora gets her usual blood bag.

"Sit somewhere else." A vampire from the table we usually sit at says. We both pause halfway sitting.

"Excuse me?" Nora looks at the group, quite a few missing from the last time we sat with them.

"You heard me. Sit somewhere else. Pure blood only." The girl sets her jaw as she stares down Nora.

I swore those two were talking like best friends the other day.

"Someone has a blood clot in their brain," I scoff, leading Nora away to an empty area. "What the hell was that about?"

"I don't know." Nora frowns, clearly upset her friends just gave her the boot. I glare over at the group.

We're bloodlines seriously that important around here?

"No offense, but they were snobs anyway." I joke, trying to get a smile out of Nora. Her lips twitch, but her blue eyes remain sad.