LAST NIGHT, Viperine and Beatrix left the house and went after the burn. It was the order the two received—to go together to support each other if the situation was compromised by something or someone.

    Viperine wasn't scared to find the monstrous creature, she'd seen worse than he had, she'd already killed and created more chilling nightmares. Even so, goose bumps on her arms, not from the cold, but from the possibility of someone seeing them there, which was almost impossible since the professors must have been busy with the petrified body Riven had found in the hallway.

    "It was a nice strategy, I have to admit," Beatrix commented, skirting a tree root. "Petrify that fairy. Was it your doing or...?"

    "Mine, of course," she replied, spotting the barn they were looking for a few yards away. "Honestly, I only did it because that guy saw me putting alcohol in the punch."

    "Running out of detention, huh?" she teased.

"Always on the run," she agreed, but that had created a personal double meaning. "It is here. We arrived."

    With a pair of gloves in her hands, Beatrix pulled open the barn door, its rusty clatter filling the space. Up ahead, tied up, was the burn they were looking for.

    Viperine nodded at Beatrix, encouraging her to continue and said she would guard the entrance, ensuring no one was there. She looked from side to side, looking for any movement among the trees or the sound of footsteps or voices, but they were in the profound silence that only a forest could provide.

    Electric bolts shot out of Beatrix's hands, a macabre smile playing on her bright red lips. As if she'd electrocuted the burnt one, he roared, waking him from whatever Dowling had done to him.

    "Good morning, joy," hissed Beatrix.

    Good Morning. Good Morning. Good Morning. Good Morning. Good Morning. Good Morning...

    Those words were repeated in Viperine's mind as she woke from the trance she must have been in for the last few minutes. She was so tired from last night, she barely remembered how she'd managed to drag herself out of bed and into the cafeteria where she now ate breakfast. She spooned the bowl of oatmeal, deciding she didn't want to eat it.

    But that wasn't what really woke her up. The words that repeated in her mind were actually spoken. Viperine rolled her eyes as she noticed the specialist with disheveled hair and deep dark circles sitting across from her. He wore an ironic, venomous smile. If Riven was what he wasn't, Viperine's body would have turned to stone by now.

    "You don't seem to have slept at all," he commented, his eyes half-closed. "Any more interesting activities?"

    "I asked the same question," she replied. "Too many nightmares? Maybe some dead bodies and a snake?"

    Snake. That aroused Riven's ire.

    "Do you think it's fun to let that reptile of yours roam around?" he hissed, irritated. Viperine smiled. "He could have fucking attacked me."

    "Anakin doesn't attack without my command," he claimed. "And whoever was out of bed when I released him was you. Don't want to see him? So follow the rules."

    "Leave that damn animal stuck in your dorm," he ordered.

    "Alfea has no rules against animals," she said. "At least, I hope not. I can't keep Anakin alone in the terrarium. He needs to hunt."

    Riven shook his head, denying it to himself. He thought about retorting, claiming that the snake was a rat killer, but Viperine was sure to have a sharp answer on her tongue.

    "Forget it," he ordered, dismissing her with a wave of his hand. "You increased my detention. Did you know that?"

    "And?" she exclaimed, noticing that some students were staring at them. "You're too big to deal with your own shit, Riven."

    "Verena smelled your spiked punch on my clothes," he whispered, something in his gaze alarming Viperine.

"And that's my problem?" she asked, challenging him. "What did you do to your arm, by the way? It's purple and green. Are you such a bad expert?"

    Riven shrugged, looking toward the entrance and seeing that Silva had entered the cafeteria. That was the signal he needed. Ready in her hand, he grabbed Viperine's wrist and placed the lit cigarette between her fingers.

    She didn't have time to react and release him. Silva had already shouted her name and was walking with hurried and heavy steps towards him. How did he know her name? Viperine stared at Riven, death promised in her brown eyes.

    He held back a jump of fright, not believing he'd seen the pupils of her eyes dilate and take another shape, like that of...

    "Smoking inside Alfea's estate, Viperine Gorgon?" Silva crossed his arms, looking at her seriously.

    "It's not what it looks like, Director Silva," she tried desperately to justify it. "I can explain."

    "Explain to Professor Harvey in detention after school today," he decreed. "Riven, I hope you haven't forgotten."

"How could I have?" he hissed, irritated by the detention but happy to see Viperine's displeasure.

     Silva nodded, withdrawing. Viperine clenched his jaw, putting down his cigarette and letting it go out as he was consumed by the oatmeal in the unappetizing porridge.

     Riven burst out laughing, seeing her with pure blood and anger in her eyes. He stood up, looking down at her.

     "See you in detention, blondie."

     As he left, the students watched his movements. Just by looking at them, she saw when some flinched. Viperine snorted, thinking of the perfect opportunity for a new petrifying body to be found by none other than Riven. That is, if he survived his wrath until then.

◈

BEFORE DETENTION, Viperine still had several classes to attend. Surprisingly, she was even excited about having them. It would be a nice new experience that she could pretend to be a part of.

    That class itself was being held in an ancient circle of stones that told the story of generations of fairies. The Vase stood on a pedestal in the middle of the circle. Every fairy there was waiting to be called to demonstrate what they could do.

    Principal Dowling was right in the middle, beside the Vase, chanting the words of the class:

    "Magic lives in the very fabric of nature, and is magnified here in the stone circle. The Vessel tests your ability to channel this magic. A secure base to start your training. Later on, you will learn to connect with other elements, but during the first year, your focus is on the element you were born with.

    Viperine watched intently as Dowling called out fairy names to demonstrate her powers, explaining her elements and what they did. On that first day, not everyone was called, but they took advantage of the intervals between one fairy and another to clear up doubts.

    Not having to show off relieved Viperine when she heard the question Aisha asked a few seconds before class ended:

    "Is there a creature that can disguise itself as a fairy?"

    Dowling put her hands in her pockets, scanning her eyes among all the students, as if she was searching for something.

    "There were the Medusas," she replied. "But the last one we have on record was seen more than twenty years ago."

"Medusa?" repeated Musa. "Like the mythological figure with the snakes on its head? Which petrifies anyone who looks into her eyes?"

    "Something like that," Dowling said, not getting into the matter. "Your powers are very similar to those of earth fairies, with a certain variation. We'll talk about that in the next class."

━━━━━━

9.13.22

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