I had no idea how much time had passed in the constant darkness. The candle had burned out, plunging me into more darkness and there was a chill that went right to the bone. I sat my knees up to my chest in a desperate attempt to keep warm. I had even eaten the bread roll to chase away the hunger gnawing in my stomach.
I crawled around the room, fumbling to find my satchel. I might have something in there. When I finally found it there was nothing in there, not even my pouch of money. I shook the pouch at my belt that I kept emergency money in. Silence.
I could only think of one explanation.
The Magicians had taken my money!
Anger bubbled inside me and my face grew hot. How could they do this to me? Not only had they locked me in this room and not tested me yet but they had stolen all my money. Money that I tried so hard to get. Money that Lillie and I needed to survive. The Magicians hadn’t even tested to see if I had magic yet. Even I knew the answer to the test. I didn’t have magic!
I stood up and started to pace in frustration. I rubbed my forehead. How could they do this?
More anger made my pulse quicken, my breath became short and shallow and my necklace started tingling.
BANG!
I was blown off my feet and my back slammed into something hard. Rubble was raining down on me and I threw up my arms to protect my head from bricks. An acrid smell reached my nostrils and my eyes started to stream.
I rubbed my eyes until I could see what lay around me. Large piles of grey rubble and small fires. Then a sweeter smell reached me.
The smell of the Magicians gardens! Someone had blown me out of the prison or at least that was what I thought had happened.
I stumbled to my feet, grabbed my satchel and started running into the trees, even though dizziness had come over me.
After running for what seemed like forever, the tall grey wall came into view and I finally took in a deep breath of sweet air.
Carefully, I climbed over the wall. Looking around, I started to run again in any direction other than to the School of Magic knowing that Magicians would be after me.
