Undying Legacies: Amulet of Blood

14: 14: Sleeping Tonics of Uselessness

14: Sleeping Tonics of Uselessness

When Teagan comes back to life she realizes voices, that aren't in her head for once, are being raised. Someone was very angry, one was very scared, and someone sounds very, very exhausted.

"We cannot keep her here. She's a danger to every student here, and worse if I'm correct, which I'm sure I am, that girl is meant for things we cannot undo. Blast all of this." Core sounds horribly angry and terrified at the same time.

Teagan can't open her eye right now but she feels the weak metal frame underneath her body. She's in the infirmary still, and her professors are discussing something on the other side of the curtain she was resting behind.

"We cannot be so rash Michel." This was Ink, and Teagan's childishly surprised at the use of Cores first name. She didn't know he had one. "Headmistress fears that if we let her go unguided . . . Things would get worse faster."

"They'll get worse anyway. You've read the times Matilda. There's no escaping this. We've tried. By stars we've tried, for generation's but-" The man's voice shakes. "But we were never prepared. Not really."

"Perhaps if we don't say anything. Perhaps we can lock it behind a seal so she doesn't suffer too much." Gripes sounds anxiously. Bless his soul. Teagan feels like an exhibit, just there for everyone to look at and speak about.

"You know that won't work. She's already gotten it rooted inside. Her aura is fractured. She got to that amulet and none of us even suspected." Core sounded ready to throw something in his anger frustration.

Teagan suddenly feels guilty.

"Headmistress knew of course. She just didn't want to frighten the girl. No average Mage could break this lock charm." Ink says with a voice that sounds like she's been tired for a million years.

Unable to break that lock charm? But she had. . .

How? She hadn't stopped to wonder how she was able to do such high level spell. She just assumed she was a talented Monicroff, now she's beginning to realize there's something wrong with that too.

She suddenly realizes the teachers have gone silent.

She doesn't move an inch, she wants to understand, she's screaming at them inside her mind to make her understand. What's wrong with me? Why is Core so adamant to get rid of her. What has she done, who is she? Why. . . Why was everything so hard?

"I say we keep her here, safe, keep an eye on her. I'll provide her with a powerful sleeping tonic so she won't have any nightly excursions. I'll enlist her friend's assistance to watch her as well. It's the best we can do for now."

"We can't just-"

Teagan feels Ink's hand go up to silence the indignant man.

"This is what we must do Michel. Headmistress asks us to. We're supposed to be prepared for this, not try to run. For better or for worse, she is in our care regardless of who she is. And we will protect her as we would any other student. End of discussion."

Gripes grunts in agreement.

Core remains silent and Teagan feels his unrest from behind her curtain.

After a moment the two men leave and Ink approaches the curtain, drawing it back to peer in on the young girl lying behind it.

Teagan decides now as good a time as any to stir. She moans softly and her eyelids open slowly, they feel like lead curtains over her eyes.

"Awake I see." Ink sounds less than impressed. "Come now, up you are. On your feet girl."

Teagan decides that Professor Ink's bedside manner could use a lot of work. She sits up, her head spinning as Ink takes her by the arm and almost drags her to her feet.