At my question about the Queen’s vigilante beasts, Laura jerked and glanced at Peter, who in turn looked at Diana before finally landing his gaze on me.
“How do you know about the beasts?”
He asked, his tone taking a stern quality.
I knew that it was on the tip of his tongue to ask if I had seen them, but then that was impossible, so he didn’t.
Yet, it showed that Peter assumed anything was possible when it came to me, showed that I had a penchant for being at places or doing things quite spectacular. I could read that at least in his eyes.
“Levina told me all about it when we had left the school’s premises. According to her, the beasts are being deployed as vigilantes in the community. Have any of you seen them?”
Laura shook her head. “Levina must have told you that already. So, I don’t know why you would ask that…”
She paused, probably seeing the slanting of my mouth in a smirk. “Quench that curiosity, Maya. Nothing good will come out of it this time around. The beasts aren’t Professor Bullock.”
Diana and I chuckled.
Why were they taking it so seriously though? I wasn’t going to go around looking for the beasts now, would I?
However, I nodded. No way was I going near beasts that deadly. I wasn’t even a fan of animals.
“Nobody knows what the beasts are all about. All we know is that they are passed from one ruler to the other.” Peter spoke up.
“Is it present in the other community or just peculiar to this one?” I inquired, reclining deep into the sofa. The time of tension was over.
“Just peculiar to this one,” Laura stated, before getting up from the chair. I knew that the subject of discussion had been shut down. Discussion over.
“Time for bed. Tomorrow is another school day. Do you have assignments, Maya?”
It was at that moment that I remembered the seven-thousand-word essay that Prof Bullock told me to write. I told Laura that, of course. She scrunched her face.
“That man is really out for your hide. Get a book and a pen then. I will tuck Diana into bed.”
I went to my room immediately, and on getting there, rummaged through my backpack, pulling out a blank notebook and a pen. This should do for history classes.
My heart sank a little at the thought of the daunting task ahead, but I knew there was no way around it. I trudged back to the living room, where Peter was waiting. He gave me a sympathetic look as I sat down and opened the notebook to the first page.
Laura returned shortly after, having put Diana to bed. She sat next to me and began to recount the history of the community, her words flowing steadily as I wrote them down word for word.
Peter sat beside us, occasionally adding his own input. The steady rhythm of Laura’s voice and the scratch of the pen on paper created a strange sense of calm, despite the monumental task ahead.
A mere thousand words into the essay, I asked, “Can’t magic be used to write this?”
Well, you can’t blame me for now. Can you? Why wreak havoc on my spine and fingers, when magic could solve the problem?
Laura explained, “I can’t. If I do, the words appearing in the sheet would be in my handwriting. However, if you can chant the magic words yourself, then your handwriting would be the one to show.”
Peter looked at his wife. She shrugged her shoulders. “We can see if the magic gene is still active.”
I decided to take a gamble. “Okay, let’s try it.”
Laura instructed me on the magic words, and I recited them carefully. To my amazement, the pen began to move across the page on its own as Laura dictated.
“Oh my god! I have magic!!”
I screamed, laughing then stopping to look at the beautiful sight in awe. A pen hanging in the air, writing. Peter gave me a thumbs up.
It had taken me some time to calm down my jumping nerves, and get used to the strange sight, but it worked. We were done in no time.
As we wrapped up, Laura asked me when my training would start.
“This week. Only on Fridays though. Is that normal?”
“I’m not sure. But I think it’s just to see what you can do.”
I nodded, before casting my eyes on Peter. He was asleep.
I chuckled. Was his history that boring?
“Don’t worry about him. Let’s go. I would like to accompany you to your hut. It’s very late now.” Her eyes were on Peter too.
I got up from the seat, book and pen in hand, unable to pin down why Laura needed to accompany me. I thought there was a safeguard around the compound.
“Don’t think too much, Maya. I’m just doing a mother’s job.”
**
“Why does the mask glow?”
We were walking to my bedroom now.
Laura smiled softly. “As I said, just to enhance your mysteriousness.”
I chuckled. Mysteriousness indeed.
**
Diana was still awake when I entered the hut. Laura had bid me a peaceful night by the door. She didn’t come inside.
“Can I borrow your mask?”
Diana asked, sitting up on the bed.
“It won’t leave my eyes, Diana. You should ask your mother for yours.”
“You know she wouldn’t agree.”
She pouted, and laid back on the bed.
“Goodnight, Diana,” I said, dropping a kiss on her cheek. I patted her gently, and waited until she shut her eyes. I will tell her about my small magic experience tomorrow.
When her breathing had gotten even, I carried my book to my room, then rechecked the assignment which seemed to come alive with the magic.
I picked my phone from desk and saw a text message from Levina:
*Thanks for today. Can I pick you up for school tomorrow?*
*Sure*
I texted back, feeling a warmth spread through me.
Levina reminded me of Naomi. Naomi reminded me of the pack. The pack brought thoughts of Adam to me.
I sighed, and kept the phone back on the table.
Stamping down the thoughts of Adam that tried to rear their ugly head, I climbed into bed with a smile on my face, the memory of Levina’s friendship comforting me.
But sleep didn’t come then.
Lying in bed, my mind started to wander back to the events of the day. I couldn’t help but think about Prof Bullock and the essay he assigned. Seven thousand words seemed impossible, but with Laura and Peter’s help, it had become manageable.
Laura’s voice had a calming effect, and her knowledge about the community’s history was fascinating. It was a story I knew I could listen to again and again. I just didn’t understand how Peter had slept through it.
As she had told the story, I could imagine the ancient forests, the secret meetings, and the powerful leaders who had come before them. It had made me excited to be here, even if it meant dealing with difficult professors and mysterious beasts.
The thought of the Queen’s beasts still lingered in my mind. What were they really like?
Levina had said they were deadly, and Laura’s reaction showed they were something to be feared. But part of me was still curious.
What was their purpose? How did they serve the Queen?
These questions swirled around in my head as I drifted off to sleep.