Level 5

• { 40 } •

"So Cassie... why don't you tell us about what happened in your test?"

I shifted uncomfortably in Jade's gaze, eyes flashing saffron orange, and pet Ninja, who sitting asleep on my lap. "Jade...? Is the bright light in my face really necessary? This isn't an interrogation-"

She shushed me with a finger over her lips, while keeping her left hand (which held the flashlight shining in my eyes) aloft. "Yes it is..."

"Um, it's really not," came a voice from the darkness.

"Quiet Peter! ...I'm practicing." Jade shot Peter, who was standing next to her a glare, before returning her gaze (now completely neutral) back to me.

"Now... where were you during the afternoon of yesterday, and what - exactly - were you doing?"

I rolled my now bright yellow eyes, but told them anyway. How I had entered the maze, soared through the first challenge (quite literally), gotten past the eyes, healed the wolf, fought the mannequins, ran from the Chimera and more. They all gasped and gawked at the right places.

"Now can we wrap this up?" I asked with a yawn as I leaned back in the chair I was sitting in. "It's really late and I have class tomorrow."

Marie looked at me like I was crazy. "You're telling me you just had a magic test that you almost died in and your magic is nearly depleted, but you still have class tomorrow?"

"And every other school day this week," I shrugged.

"Cassie," Marie said in shock. "I insist you take tomorrow off."

I shook my head. "You know I can't do that Marie. Professor Rosewood is looking for the strongest of Sorcerers, the ones who don't need to rest as long as the others. Besides, I can't afford to miss anything. We're starting something completely new tomorrow!"

"Cassie," Fred said timidly, "maybe what Marie said is right-"

"I already told you, I can't take the day off! It's not happening! I'll be fine for tomorrow after I get some sleep."

My tone was harsh and I immediately regretted the way I said it. They had only been trying to help me.

"Guys..."

My friends all looked down to their toes. Peter and Fred muttered goodbyes, before swiftly exiting. Jade and Marie shared a look before setting about the room to get ready to sleep. Even Ninja, who had woken up and left my lap with a jump and a scrunched up face like she couldn't bear to sit there any longer.

Or maybe it just looked like attitude because she was a cat. I couldn't tell.

I trailed after Marie, who looked significantly more hurt that Jade (although this was probably because she wasn't as good as hiding it as Jade was trained to be).

"Marie, I..." I struggled to come up with an apology, but Marie walked away before I could get to it. I ended my attempt so I didn't look like a fool trailing after her, trying to give an apology she wasn't ready to take.

That night was quiet. Usually, our room was loud with chatter as we talked until we fell asleep, but tonight? Nothing. Not even Jade and Marie would speak to each other, despite not having any reason to be mad at each other. I felt horrible. Eventually I fell asleep.

I woke up in the morning with a queasy feeling in my stomach that had nothing to do with a sickness; my eyes were a sapphire blue.

Jade and Marie got up silently and stuck to their usual normal morning routine robotically. While I followed my usual pattern in the mornings, something felt off.