The Black Pawn • The first book of the Black Academy Series

4. Poison

THE ROOM SMELLED OF different herbs and rare roses which grew on the wall that led to a window in the remedy and poison-making class. Azalea continued adding the Entha Root to her quick-working neurological poison. Anna was experimenting with other herbs with her table cluttered with different roots and bases. She even had wolfsbane sprinkled around in the mix of different herbs. Elizabeth Maine had her class for hand-to-hand combat.

Mr. Porter, who had been looking over at other students stopped at the cluttered table of Anna Vanor. He sighed and rubbed his forehead before turning away from the disaster that was just waiting to happen.

"I think Mr. Porter is about to have a heart attack." Azalea whispered to her friend in amusement. Anna looked up from her white-colored poison and toward her friend.

"These herbs are just as good a replacement for the Entha roots." Anna huffed, her tone exasperated. Her hands were colored different shades from the ingredients she had been using. "Stop doubting me! I'm better at this than you are."

"I mean, you haven't even started yet!"

"Sorry, o' great one." Azalea grumbled, moving her attention back to the paper holding the instructions for the poison. She read over the printed words.

7 sprinkles of crushed vera

2 twigs of Entha Bane

1 drop of Hydra venom

Anna rolled her eyes at the girl who had just started reading the instructions. The pair lapsed into silence once more as they continued making their poisons. It wasn't soon that they heard the sounds of heels clicking in the wooden hallway. The sound echoed off the marble stone that was fitted into the walls.

The door clicked open and the talking groups in the class stopped their conversation when they beheld the person standing in the doorway. The signature white outfit with no creases, the signature splatters seemed to be missing. The missing spots of red made the others more suspicious of the reason she was there.

Azalea turned to Anna with a worried look on her face, one that complimented the one that was plastered over the redhead's face. Azalea's heart dropped with the weight of the dread bearing on her.

The lady standing in the doorway smiled. It was calm. But to Azalea it was unsettling. It was a smile that was familiar to her. It was the same smile she had seen the night she had been recruited by the Black Academy.

She still had nightmares about this woman.

Victoria Casella, the headmistress of the Black Academy stood there. She smiled at them, "Good morning students."

"Ms. Casella, were you supposed to be coming today?" He was nervous. Clearly, "I don't think I was informed."

Victoria nodded, "This is for an important matter Mr. Porter, I have to go to the other 16-year-old classes to inform them the same."

She must have noticed the students' attention was on her. She inclined her head at them, "Go back to your work students."

Azalea turned back to the poison as she started to think of why Victoria was in the classroom. And at the top of the list of items was the Selection.

She heard the clearing of a throat. She looked up. Mr. Porter stood at the foot of her table. He tapped on her table before moving away from her table and towards the front of the class.