Glass Magic REWRITTEN

Chapter 15

           "You brewed those potions? In the forest?" She asked quietly, more to herself, before smiling at me, "Is that so? Well, here I thought you were best in magic, seems I assumed wrong. You excel the most in potions. Do you mind telling me where you learned how?"

         My gaze snapped up in a second and my spine stilled. That was the thing. I didn't learn. I just mixed a bunch of failed batches because it was convenient. "It's alright- you don't have to tell me if you don't want to," She jumped in at my reaction, rubbing my shoulders in what should have been a soothing manner but only put me on edge more.

           "I... Didn't really make it on purpose or anything..." I mumbled fiddling with the strap on my bag. It's best to get it out in the open now I guess... Opening the leather bag I pulled out the book I had been using, "I was just trying to do one in my book." Raising the book I didn't protest when she gently took it.

       "This is the ancient language, no one speaks it, Lilith," She said slowly, looking up from the open book in her grasp before silently passing it to the dean.

       "I- I can't really speak it but I can... Uh, I can read it," I rubbed the back of my neck gaze wondering for something to latch onto that wasn't her face, already knowing it was a dead language. In my search, I looked at the others. And regretted it. Automatically.

        "You can read the ancient language?" The shock and suspicion in the fire elite voice had spiders crawling up my spine. Paling, I yanked my notebook from my bag and quickly hid behind it. 

          "And write," I squeaked not feeling like dying but definitely knowing he was willing to ignore that. In all but a moment it was gently pulled from my grip, my shield taken and gaze returning to the floor. Ignoring the burning gazes.

          "... Do you mind telling me how you learned it?" She asked quietly. Carefully. Stars all mighty... How do I answer that?

         "I... Uh, I have books that teach one how to translate Laiyati to Occeanbic," I murmured slowly looking back at her face. Which was pale. Very pale. I said the wrong thing. I'm going to die here.

         "No no no, it's alright, everything's alright, it's better than alright, you know not only the ancient language and its name but the language between that of the gods and their servants. That's..." She trailed looking to the other council members and rolled her wrist before taking a deep breath.

       Woah, woah, woah, hey, you brushed it off! You even knew I had Laiyati books! You don't get to be shocked by this!

          "How is it you know the holy language again?" She asked, her strained voice many octaves higher than the usual calm and comforting one I was used to.

          "I..." Whatever, I've already got their attention, "I have books that translate Tibean to Laiyati," I half crossed my arms half hugged myself.

          "Aw, yes," She swallowed, like she had forgotten how to breathe, and once again looked to those around us for assistance but received none. "A language the Windsor still speak, I see tradition has done your family well," She nodded curling her lips in her mouth.

          "Actually, not to add anything to your plate or anything, but my father doesn't speak it and my grandmother has already passed..." I had honestly thought it was lucky I already knew Tibean as I doubt she would have done anything but give me a new language to learn. If that at all.

           "Haah, even better!" She wheezed rubbing her brow, "And the Windsor is one of the few families that partakes in an only child custom, leaving you the only living person to know Tibean," Statistically, that is wrong, but I don't think I should say that. I feel like that would make it worse. Especially considering she was processing the fact I learned two different dead languages because of it. 

        Do I console her? I feel like I should.

       Actually, they don't seem all that shocked by my fast learning. Just what I learned. Is my theory on their supplements right? If so, this is revolutionary, why is it not well known? Do they fear the empire getting hold of this knowledge? Perhaps pride as the top lead school? They could be run out of business if others became aware... Oh but what if-

          "Lilith, dear, how many languages do you know?" She asked pulling me from my thoughts before they could properly form. Not able to hold my whistle my brows bounced to my hairline and I started to count on my fingers.

           "Five if you don't include the one I'm learning in class," I jumped at the strangled noise that left her mouth and met her bewildered gaze startled by her reaction. What...? What was that?

          "And what would they be?" She asked, like she did not just make that sound, and I looked her up and down very unsure if I should answer that question given her response to everything else.

         "... The common tongue, Tibean, Laiyati, Occeanbic, and... Stracesh." I nearly called it-

         "Death's tongue? Of course, the language of the damned, because you need to know that, because anyone needs to know that-" Cutting herself off she rubbed both her temples and took multiple deep breaths. Putting her hand up to stop the water elite, who was finally going to help her, she gave me a very strained smile. I made the wrong choice. "And how was it you learned that one? Another book?"

         "... My father chose to learn Stracesh over Tibean and, in turn, taught me as is-"

       "Hex tradition," She cut me off with a grunt, "Right, I had nearly forgotten your grandfather was a Hex, wasn't he?" I nodded rubbing my neck again, impressed by just how informed she was, "Just so we're clear, your father, a Windsor, chose to learn the necromancers' tongue over the language of the cursed, then proceed to teach you while you still learned the other via your grandmother, which you then used to learn not one but two dead and very ancient languages, one of which belongs to the gods?"

           Yeah, I should have just kept my mouth shut. I really need to learn how to do that. "... Necromancy wasn't illegal when he was given the choice?"