“You told me nobody knew you were here,” he said. “So, who would know to send you a letter?”
“Touché,” I said, taking the paper from him. I unfolded it and read quickly. The paper shook in my trembling hand. This had to be a joke. Some sort of hazing.
“This isn’t real, right? It was probably sent by the sirens or one of the other students,” I said.
He took the letter from me and set it flat on the desk so I could see the words. “I wish that were the case. But it was tested by Ms. Halifax.”
My brow wrinkled as I tried to place the name.
“Our Spellcasting teacher,” he added, “I believe you’ve met her. She’s the best spell caster we have.”
“Oh,” I said, as it dawned on me that I never learned her name. “Right. She seems good.”
“But why threaten me?” I looked at the note, reading it again. “They can’t be serious, right?” I read the letter out loud. “Your time is coming to an end, just like your brethren. Enjoy each breath as soon you’ll breathe your last.”It sounded sort of silly now. I mean, who writes threats like that?
“So this was sent by someone outside of the school?” I asked. “Nobody even knows I’m here aside from the cops that brought me in.”
“Like I said, when you used your powers, you left your unique magical signature. It’s possible you were being hunted, and it’s possible, whoever is after you even suspected you before you released your magic.”
I shook my head. “None of this makes sense. I’m nobody special and I’m not a threat to anyone.”
“The two dead men in the alleyway would disagree.”
“That’s not fair,” I said.
“Raven, you have magic that is different from most mages and just as in the human world, some supernaturals have a difficult time accepting those who are different.”
“You’re kidding, right?” I couldn’t believe we were having this conversation. “We’re talking about a world where creatures suck blood, and get magic from sex, and can compel you to do things you don’t want to do. What could I possibly have that would mark me as a threat to random strangers?”
“The basic term is Untamed Magic, as I mentioned before. It’s not just about magic that’s not controlled, but it’s about magic that we don’t understand. I’m not sure what yours is yet, but I have suspicions.”
“Dr. Green, you gotta give me some answers here,” I said.
He interlaced his large pink hands on the desk in front of him and leaned closer to me. “You are a mage. By any count, a powerful mage. It seems like you have an affinity for fire and I think you need to learn how to control that. As for whatever else you are, you’re going to need to give me some time.”
I felt trapped and even more confused than I was when I arrived last night. Some first day. “Fine.”
“I expect you’ll be focused and on your best behavior,” he said. “You have no choice but to learn how to control your magic.”
“What about the threat?” I asked. “Do you think I should worry? I mean, is someone going to sneak into my room while I’m sleeping?”
He shook his head. “Our grounds are warded. Only students and teachers can enter or exit. Anyone else must have permission from me. And I’m not about to let any threats to my students into this building.”
I wasn’t sure why, but for some reason I believed him.
“Now, go to class.” Dr. Green looked back at the documents on his desk, as if I wasn’t even in the room.
Just as abruptly as the meeting started, it was over. A heavy weight settled into my stomach as I left his office. Not only was there the Untamed Magic to deal with, which I still didn’t even understand, there was someone hunting me. It had to be a mistake, right? Why would anyone care about some random mage without a penny to her name?