The Spirit Academy

Chapter 7 - Taken

"Where's the girl that was with you before?"

Mishal looked back to see Conleth analysing, her or rather, the space behind her. It was Friday, so students didn't have any classes, except for elite classes, and Auretta always had to be in a meeting. Mishal gave a small smile, Conleth was horrible with names.

"Dahlia?" She grinned.

"Yeah," Conleth answered in a gruff voice. He always sounded like he was in pain.

"Survival thing."

Conleth furrowed his brows, "She's in elite survival?"

"Why? Jealous?" Mishal smirked.

Conleth was the only one of the teachers who had an actual sense of humour. Even though he was ruthless and mean, he never sent you to the office, or gave you detentions. He just came at you with a sword and that worked for her.

"Out with you, or do you have no friends to play with, Brantley?"

Mishal was already hurrying away, she felt like Auretta was avoiding her these days, and she was going to talk to her.

Mishal walked to her dorm. Kenna was sitting there. Kenna had long black straight hair, with a streak of red. She was wearing a yellow top and faded jeans. She had pale ivory skin, her lips were rosy red, and her eyes were so dark brown they looked black.

"What is up with you?" She called out as Mishal slammed the door to the bathroom.

"Nothing."

"Right." She said, she paused and then added as an afterthought, "what did the poor door ever do to you?"

"It stubbed my toe once." Mishal replied.

"I remember that, your toenail came off and-"

Mishal turned the tap on and tried to drown out Kenna's voice. Her hair was frizzy, knotted and dirty. She had cut her forearm. Mishal went into the shower, it was ironic, that she loved showers so much. Being a fire spirit and all.

She walked out of the dorm expecting a comment from Kenna, but she wasn't there.

She walked out of the fire dorms and into the air hallway, she walked down to the Auretta's room. She knocked on the door and Auretta opened it.

"I don't want to see you." She said.

Mishal's heart sank but she put on a smile, "I realised that, I just thought you were being subtle about it."

"Not anymore, just go!"

Mishal took a step back, "What? Why? What is your problem?"

"I can't believe it was you. They warned me. They warned me this would happen. Just leave, don't come back!"

Mishal ran out of the corridor and back into her dorm, pushing back tears. She slammed the door shut behind her.

"I don't remember that door stubbing your toe." Kenna drawled.

Mishal looked up to see Kenna looking at her. She was sitting on her bed reading and she put it down. Mishal sat down next to Kenna and told her everything she'd said.

"Auretta isn't like that," Kenna said drily though she looked a little pale, "She never gets mad."

Mishal didn't answer and Kenna took that as a cue to carry on.

"She's delusional. I'm telling you."

Lynn

"Now, the endless war, it went on for thousands of years. It was endless. No-one thought it would ever end. Now who knows what time we're talking about?"