𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐋 | tedros pendragon

10. trauma and talent

She'd walked into the room, noticing that all her roommates were up and waiting for her. She ignored the bombardment of questions that had stemmed from Dot - who was also on the forest trip - and changed into white shorts. When changing her shirt, the girls gasped as they noticed purple-black bruises that littered Valerie's back, clearly an example of the tree she'd been thrown into. 

The origin of the colour was over each of her spine segments, making her look like a mutant. Valerie blamed it on some sort of iron deficiency, pulling on a thick woollen jumper before hopping into her bed and falling asleep. 

Dawn led to Valerie slipping out of the shared bedroom early and running to the breakfast hall. She grabbed some sugary treats from the Evers table, kicking over some of the laid-out food, for her entertainment, before making her way outside. She sat in the cold garden for an hour, reflecting on what had happened the day before. 

Humming a random tune, she finally let herself recall and feel. Valerie seldom let herself feel anything but she felt that self-reflection was a good excuse. She opened herself up to her emotions, burying her head in her knees as tears fell. She felt lonely without her dagger - the one and only thing she could rely upon that wasn't herself. The only thing she could trust would always be there. 

...

"You can hone this into a powerful weapon to defeat your nemesis," Lesso paced the classroom, hitting away bats that flew too low around the ceiling. "What's a nemesis?" Hort called out, biting his vile nails. 

Sophie sat next to Valerie, attempting every three seconds to get her attention to ask about the forest. Agatha had been shell-shocked the last time she talked to her and rumour had it that Valerie had something to do with the girl's voluntary muteness. 

"Your archenemy," Lesso explained, smacking her cane onto Sophie's desk as the blonde girl tried to gain Valerie's attention again. "You and your archenemy. Your story will not end until one of you is destroyed," Lesso grinned, her smoky eyes making her pupils look ebony. 

"Now, in today's lesson, I want you to dazzle me with whatever you believe your unique talent to be," Lesso described, hitting her long cane onto Hort's desk. "Hort!" She announced, "You're first." She stood in front of him as Hort scrambled out of his chair, her hand resting perfectly on her hip. 

"Well I've been working on my werewolf powers in Hex class," He admitted, making Valerie sigh and hit her head on the desk. It was too early and she still had a headache from the concussion she had received. I should never do anything worthy of the word 'nice' ever again.  

She'd seen Hort's so-called werewolf abilities and was little-to-not impressed. Lesso raised her red eyebrow to show her keen interest, it quickly fading as he failed to do anything astonishing. "Next time I need a skinny, one-haired werewolf I'll let you know. Now sit down," She used her cane to force Hort back into his chair. 

Giggles echoed through the room as Lesso moved onto Dot. She wasn't very impressed as Dot turned her desk into chocolate, rolling her eyes as she moved onward. "Sophie?" Lesso asked, making the blonde girl look at her, the first time her eyes had moved from Valerie the whole lesson. Said girl still had her head in her hands, hoping the lesson would soon be over.

 "Those who are truly good can summon animals from the forest," She nodded her head, adjusting her make-shift thorn crown. "I used to do it with my animal friends," She grinned, making Lesso snicker. Lesso's eyes dragged down to Valerie whose head lay on the desk in disappointment. Laughs erupted as Hester made some sardonic comment about Sophie jumping off a cliff. 

"Why don't you go find someone else to have mommy issues with?" Sophie snarked, Valerie lifting her head in surprise. "Didn't expect Pinky-Pie here to have attitude," Valerie whispered to Lesso who nodded in excitement. The lesson was beginning to get interesting.

"Don't you dare talk about my mother," Hester growled, her sharpened nails gripping the chair she sat in. "You know nothing about her." "I know she did a good job turning you into a raving lunatic," Sophie rolled her blue eyes, Valerie raising her eyebrows due to the new-found confidence. "Careful, Reader," Valerie called, putting her feet up on the desk to watch the show.

Hester stood quickly, striking her chair over as she strode to Sophie's desk. Their heads nearly touched, some undecipherable bickering going on between them. "Speak up," Someone intrigued shouted. 

"Which just proves that I am at the wrong school!" Sophie stood up, making Hester back up a few paces. Valerie's feet were close enough so she kicked Hester in the back, making the scar-faced girl stumble forward. Valerie wanted to be entertained. "You want to get out of here, Princess?" Hester laughed, other to-be villains joining in. Hester was respected, however, she had a recent loss of respect since she became enemies with the girl who had supposedly murdered students. 

"This raving lunatic's unique talent would love to get rid of you permanently," Hester backed into the primary space. Hester pulled her knotted hair from her neck, revealing her giant dragon tattoo which burned orange. Anadil laughed and ran out of the way, Sophie backing into a corner. "Do something!" She yelled to Lesso with sweeping eyes. The teacher only smiled and walked to the edge of the room. 

"Oh this is delightful," She rubbed her hands together, ready to watch the show commence.