‘How do you eat like that?’ Elvie asked Anander as he stuffed the bread roll into his mouth, forcing gravy to waterfall down his cheek. ‘An hour ago, we were told somebody has passed away here suspiciously… and you can eat?’ Elvie, Flynn, Anander, Rilla, and another student who’d introduced herself as Claudia, sat at a table with their lunch.

‘S’not like I did it,’ he said around a mouthful of food. ‘Besides, I’m hungry.’

Elvie rolled her eyes. ‘What do you think, Flynn?’ He was quiet as always, which usually meant he chewed over a thought. It wasn’t his lamb roll, which sat untouched on the table.

‘It’s odd.’

‘That’s all you’ve got to say?’

‘The Queen has come!’ Claudia interjected excitedly, then blushed. ‘Well, not the Queen, but her representatives are here, which means things are dire. Otherwise, why would they come? Everyone knows that the Royal family only influences the Island; they do not have direct control, so why would they come?

‘Assuming they’re linked,’ Flynn replied. ‘What if they’re not? What if they’re two separate events and some other monumental ‘thing’ has brought Queen’s representatives here? I asked around – nobody remembers the last time they came. And Sir Vermont spoke about the Luminarium meeting… perhaps there is to be a Luminarium meeting, perhaps something else. Just because two events happen close together, it does not make them linked. The real question is, who else is going to arrive?’

Very clever, Elvie thought. Nobody had an answer for Flynn’s logic.

The class after lunch didn’t run in quite the same fashion James’ did. The teacher’s name was Master Ayliah, of Apple House. She was a stout woman with severe reading glasses perched on her nose and bright red cheeks with more than a few wrinkles on weathered skin. Despite this, Master Ayliah didn’t appear old due to an absence of grey hairs. She wore her light blue robe wrapped tightly around her.

‘Good day to you all. My name is Master Ayliah and this class will be Magical Theory.’ One of the boys coughed awkwardly, triggering her eyebrow to rise a fraction. ‘Is there a problem?’

‘Ah no, Master… I just wondered why the female teachers are called Master and not Mistress.’

‘It is not a designation of gender but one of rank. Every Master is awarded the title for their mastery of magical skill and practice. Good enough?’ The boy fell into silence. ‘Today, we’ll address the basic question students ask. How do I do magic? It’s a simple enough question, yes? And you’d think, after so many years of study and training on my behalf, explanations would be easy. But I cannot simplify this task much as I would like to, as magic is intuitive on some level.

Several students shifted while one muttered under his breath how ‘good things never came easily.’

Ayliah ignored them. ‘Magic is like a sixth sense that only some people feel, and some go on to control. First, you must learn about how people have used it and their experiences with the process. Second, you must learn to recognise it, to feel when it is about you. Finally, you must learn – especially before you use magic – you must learn how to use it appropriately and for good. These classes will form the bulk of your first semester; however, you will also undertake general classes relating specifically to your House. Once, and only once, you have mastered these, you will be able to move into specific strands of magic within your House. That might take some of you one week, and it might take some of you a few months. You will not move until I am satisfied you are ready. If I believe you are talented enough, you will progress to developing skills in specialised areas of your Great House. It is always better if we move all students together, so focus on helping each other achieve.’

A round student with thick, long black hair raised his hand: ‘What if you don’t want to be in your house?’ The question brought a few snickers from those around him.

‘It’s your calling,’ Master Ayliah replied.

‘I hear another Great House calling!’ More laughter.

‘Ah. The typical response of all young men. You think some houses are better than others, and surely, you must be in those. The elemental houses, yes? Do you dream of throwing around torrents of water? Or you’d no doubt enjoy electricity racing from your fingertips? So much stronger, yes?’ Master Ayliah paused, baiting the trap.

‘Anything is better than Elder House!’

The teacher moved forward now, closer to the black-haired, brown cloaked student who’d questioned her – a student of Hazel House. ‘The elementals are surely the greatest. Yet, let me ask you this, Varryn Fleance Greig of 21 Manderlay Road, Newcastle.’ There were gasps – nobody had been asked their names yet. ‘Your brother, Nevyn, and your sisters Urtha and Marnee, would they be impressed with your great show of bravado? Yes? Like when you climbed onto the roof of your house so you could throw stones at them while they couldn’t get you back.’ More gasps came this time. Varryn’s face had less colour, almost perfectly matching the whitewashed walls of the class.

Coming to rest in front of Varryn, her teacher forcefully concluded. ‘You see it now, don’t you? I can peer into your mind and wander through your memories like I’m browsing for fabric in a store. Did you know I can take control of your mind too? How would you know of your ability to do magic if I removed your memories? You could forget all about wielding lightning; in fact, I could make you forget all about lightning itself.’ She stared into his eyes, almost daring him to speak out of turn again. Aliyah snapped on her heel, returning to the front of the class with a look of nothing out of the ordinary happening. ‘All the Great Houses have strengths and weaknesses, but all are noble in their cause. If you’re called to serve in one, embrace all it has to offer. Do not live in jealousy of others – it is a path to ruin.’

Elvie found she could take a breath again. That was… frightening.

‘Are there any more flippant comments?’ Silence. ‘No? Good. You may be able to learn after all, and you’ll need your bond with magic to grow if you want to learn how to resist an intrusion like I just performed. Fortunately for you, as this occurs, so does your natural ability to shield your mind.’

Ayliah took a deep breath as she steadied herself. ‘Now, let us talk about the Great Houses. They’re like star signs. You know, Gemini, Aquarius or Pisces? You’re born into one of them, and, as the astrologers say, that means you have certain traits. Aquarius is deep and meaningful, or Leo’s are fierce. But the closer you get to the cusp, the more the traits cross over.’

She continued for the rest of the lesson, talking about the various Great Houses their capabilities. All except Elder, it was suspiciously absent. Elvie was about to enquire why when the loud bell for the end of the lesson rang. Frustrated, she slung her bag over her shoulders and set off back to catch the bus back to Ash House with Flynn. Once again, she’d gone through an entire lesson with not one mention of her own house. How frustrating!