Shadow's Edge (Shadows Saga bk1)

Chapter 11- Heating up

Through the foggy haze of sleep, Mara could hear something in the distance. It was a constant, shrill beep. She knew that it meant something, something important, but she just couldn’t remember what it was.

The sound continued, tugging at her brain but she ignored it. She was trying to piece together the dream, she was determined to understand it, but she didn’t have much to go on. She was trying to force it to reappear, so she could try to gain a better understanding, but a sharp pain shredded her last efforts. She woke up to reality, her cat sitting next to her with thin lines of blood welling up on her arm.

“What the hell, Sasha? Did you do that?” Mara shouted at her cat.

“As a matter of fact, I did. Don’t think I didn’t try other methods before resorting to mutilation. You just refused to wake up, and you’re going to be late if you don’t get moving.”

Mara got out of bed stomping across the floor angrily as she searched for a towel to clean off her arm. She got ready for class and stormed out of the room. On her way down the stairs, Mara noticed green pieces of paper plastered to the walls on both sides sporadically. Not wanting to be late to class, she paid them no mind until it was posted on the door in front of her right at eye level.

Mara stood there for a minute looking at the flyer.

            Annual Fall Formal – 2nd Saturday of September

            Held in Grand Ballroom on first floor

            All students encouraged to attend

 

A dance? She wondered. I’ve never been to a dance before. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve really ever danced at all before. Except the occasional random dancing behind the closed door of my room, and that was never a pretty sight.  

Mara shrugged and walked into her class, taking her usual seat in the back of the room. She felt comfortable in the back because once class started; the other students couldn’t stare at her as easily. Ever since word had started to spread that Mara was a Crowland witch, she had been unable to go anywhere without being met with an army of eyes staring at her and judging her.

She could hear their hushed voices as they talked amongst themselves, stopping their conversations whenever she got close.

All through class Mara wondered what the school’s dance would be like. If they were actually like what she saw in shows and movies, or if they would be different in the Magical Realm.

The thought of going to the dance and embarrassing herself in front of the entire school didn’t seem like a pleasant thought though. Mara didn’t think she was coordinated enough to suffer through a night of dancing.

“It’s sometimes extremely difficult if you have been slipped a potion, especially if the potion has been executed almost perfectly.” That one sentence brought Mara back to the lecture Professor Bendt had been giving the class. “However, depending on the potion you have been given, you may be able to recognize changes in yourself. If you start to behave differently it’s a sign that you have been altered by a spell or potion.”

Mara never thought of the possibility that someone may slip a potion to another person without their knowledge. Then again, there must be people who try giving love potions to their romantic interest in hopes of acquiring affection as well. Her thoughts shifted from the dance to what she would ever do should someone slip her a potion.

I don’t know anyone who would slip me a potion. None of my friends would do anything like that, and I don’t have any enemies. I think.