“I will be administering your assessment today, but why don’t you start by telling me a bit about yourself? It’s quite rare for a witch to join our school at your age.”
I swallowed, running through what details I was allowed to share and what I was supposed to keep secret. “Okay, what would you like to know?”
That seemed safer than giving too much information away.
“Tell me about your family. What affinities do your parents have?”
I blinked. I didn’t know. Masie hadn’t told me what my mom could do, and I didn’t ask about her or her parents either.
“I’m not sure.”
She cocked her head. “Air? Water? Fire?”
Okay, maybe I needed to start this conversation with what I knew. Hopefully, then we could skip more awkward questions.
“I’m adopted,” I admitted for the first time to a stranger. My hawk didn’t count. “I don’t know very much at all about my birth parents. I didn’t even know I was a witch until this weekend.”
Her brows rose. “Oh, my.”
Maybe she would realize I don't belong here and would send me home. That would be nice.
“We have quite a bit to cover, dear.” She picked up a notebook from the side table next to her. “What do you know about witches and Drexel Academy?”
My shoulders slumped. “Very little. I didn’t know witches or shifters or vampires existed until Saturday when I was told I was coming here. I packed up my suitcase and was on a plane within hours.”
I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to tell her that. How did that fit in with the Stone Scholarship story? It wasn’t like they could get mad at me. They did a horrible job of explaining anything. If they spent more time talking and less time ignoring me, I might be a little more prepared.
She tapped her pen against the paper several times while watching me. “Sweet thing. You must be all sorts of confused. I can’t imagine how overwhelming this must be.”
My throat constricted. I didn’t want to cry in her office, but she was the first person to consider how I was handling this.
“I want to be here. I wanted to learn how to control the powers I have, but I don’t have any idea of what to expect or what I’m getting into.”
I wasn’t sure why I felt so comfortable opening up to her, but my gut told me I could trust her.
“Let’s fix that.” She smiled again. “I’ll start at the beginning. Does that sound okay?”
I nodded and relaxed into my seat.
“Drexel Academy is named after William Drexel. He was the first shifter to make a pact with the witches and vampires, thus establishing peace and unifying the supernatural world. He left his fortune to the improvement of interspecies relations and education, so this school was founded. It was the first of its kind, allowing all the species to gather and learn in the same place.”
I wondered if I shouldn’t grab a pen or take notes are something. The history was fascinating. “When did that happen?”
“The pact was formed in 1780 in Scotland. The school was built in 1842. While you will share some classes with shifters and vampires, there are specific courses for each species. I’ll let your counselor explain the class offerings in general, but as far as the witch curriculum, you should be able to create potions, cast spells, and learn to manage and manipulate your affinity by the end of your fourth year, which is your year. The goal for witches is to build to the point that you can cast a spell without speaking it as well as creating portals, animate objects. If you have any psychic abilities, then harness those to reveal information or see the future. You may find witches your age enjoy using their abilities to create potions and spells to treat blemishes, color hair, dry or style your hair quickly, and other things that simplify your life. Those are often easy spells taught at home, but since you come from a non-supernatural family, you will have to ask for help with those as they are not a part of the school’s curriculum.”
My mind was buzzing with the possibilities. I knew Hannah would be able to help me discover all the fun things I could do.
“Now, all witches can cast spells and brew potions, and most, but not all, have an innate power where they excel. We call those affinities, and they are based on the five elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Space.”
“Just one of those?” Masie hadn’t warned me about that.
Mrs. Hedgings nodded, “Generally, yes. On the very rare occasion, a witch might have two.”
Her answer put me at ease, but this was yet another thing that made me different.
“Before we start, have you experienced anything that would lead you to believe you have an affinity?”
“Actually, I think I have two.”