about sin and why magic was the devil’s work.
It wasn’t the first time Nela had heard those words, but she wrote them down anyway as was expected. During his lecture, Brother Malte’s eyes hovered on her and Finja more often than they did on Oskar. Was it because he was showing his tattoo, because he was so submissive?
Tiredness crowded in her body with every passing minute. The classes were useless but she, Finja and Oskar were required to attend, just like every other witch in their age group. Before they’d received their tattoo, their classes had consisted of more than religious bigotry and anti-magic slogans. They’d been taught what every normal child learned in school – math, biology, history. Of course other than human children, they weren’t allowed to go to school. They were forced to be homeschooled by teachers from the Brotherhood. Since they’d gotten their markings, they’d only had classes once a week and that too would be over once they turned seventeen. After that they wouldn’t be schooled any more. They weren’t allowed to attend Universities anyway. There was no real future for them in the human world. All they could hope for was a job in a family or witch owned business. Maybe Darko could show her a different future.
***
It was almost midnight but her parents’ light was still on and Nela could hear them talking. This was complicating things. Maybe it was a sign. Maybe she should stay at home and forget about Darko, about his offer, about magic. But the tingling under her skin betrayed her. She needed to find out if there was a way for her to do magic.
She grabbed the purse she’d stacked with her pepper spray and a pocket knife she’d found in a kitchen drawer. She doubted the knife would be of much use for her. She’d never been in a physical fight, much less a stabbing. She walked toward her window and opened it. She was up on the second floor but her window was close to the attached garage. She climbed onto the windowsill and jumped onto the garage roof. From there she awkwardly lowered herself, clinging to the edge of the garage. She let herself fall and landed on her feet. She quickly looked around but the windows of the neighbors were dark and her parents’ window was facing the other way. She walked down the driveway. The street was deserted. Nela rubbed her arms. It was freezing. The windows of the parked cars were already covered in a fine sheen of ice. If Darko didn’t show up soon, she’d return to her room and catch up on sleep. This was such a stupid idea.
A dark form stepped out from behind a minivan: Darko dressed in the same black coat she’d seen before. He didn’t come all the way to where she stood instead he tilted his head in an inviting gesture.
She hesitated for only a moment before walking toward him. She’d already come this far. Now she could just as well see what he had to show her. Her fingers around her purse tightened when she reached him. Dark shadows were under his eyes and there was something lost about him.
Her steps slowed. Then she squared her shoulders. “What? Are we going to walk, or is whatever you want to show me in the neighborhood?”
“No, not in this neighborhood,” he said.
“What’s your problem with my neighborhood?” He walked down the sidewalk and she had no choice but to hurry after him.
“You’re the only magical family on this street, right?”
She paused. “Yes. Why?”
“I bet your neighbor’s keep a close eye on you.”
Worry slithered through her. She glanced over her shoulder but like before the windows were dark. “Is someone watching us?”
“Not as far I can see, but there are definitely friendlier places for witches to hang out. This is enemy territory.”
Way to go to sound totally paranoid. “Don’t be ridiculous. This isn’t war. Humans aren’t our enemy.”
“But neither are they our friends, are they? Or are you friends with a human?”
Nela had never talked more than a few
It wasn’t the first time Nela had heard those words, but she wrote them down anyway as was expected. During his lecture, Brother Malte’s eyes hovered on her and Finja more often than they did on Oskar. Was it because he was showing his tattoo, because he was so submissive?
Tiredness crowded in her body with every passing minute. The classes were useless but she, Finja and Oskar were required to attend, just like every other witch in their age group. Before they’d received their tattoo, their classes had consisted of more than religious bigotry and anti-magic slogans. They’d been taught what every normal child learned in school – math, biology, history. Of course other than human children, they weren’t allowed to go to school. They were forced to be homeschooled by teachers from the Brotherhood. Since they’d gotten their markings, they’d only had classes once a week and that too would be over once they turned seventeen. After that they wouldn’t be schooled any more. They weren’t allowed to attend Universities anyway. There was no real future for them in the human world. All they could hope for was a job in a family or witch owned business. Maybe Darko could show her a different future.
***
It was almost midnight but her parents’ light was still on and Nela could hear them talking. This was complicating things. Maybe it was a sign. Maybe she should stay at home and forget about Darko, about his offer, about magic. But the tingling under her skin betrayed her. She needed to find out if there was a way for her to do magic.
She grabbed the purse she’d stacked with her pepper spray and a pocket knife she’d found in a kitchen drawer. She doubted the knife would be of much use for her. She’d never been in a physical fight, much less a stabbing. She walked toward her window and opened it. She was up on the second floor but her window was close to the attached garage. She climbed onto the windowsill and jumped onto the garage roof. From there she awkwardly lowered herself, clinging to the edge of the garage. She let herself fall and landed on her feet. She quickly looked around but the windows of the neighbors were dark and her parents’ window was facing the other way. She walked down the driveway. The street was deserted. Nela rubbed her arms. It was freezing. The windows of the parked cars were already covered in a fine sheen of ice. If Darko didn’t show up soon, she’d return to her room and catch up on sleep. This was such a stupid idea.
A dark form stepped out from behind a minivan: Darko dressed in the same black coat she’d seen before. He didn’t come all the way to where she stood instead he tilted his head in an inviting gesture.
She hesitated for only a moment before walking toward him. She’d already come this far. Now she could just as well see what he had to show her. Her fingers around her purse tightened when she reached him. Dark shadows were under his eyes and there was something lost about him.
Her steps slowed. Then she squared her shoulders. “What? Are we going to walk, or is whatever you want to show me in the neighborhood?”
“No, not in this neighborhood,” he said.
“What’s your problem with my neighborhood?” He walked down the sidewalk and she had no choice but to hurry after him.
“You’re the only magical family on this street, right?”
She paused. “Yes. Why?”
“I bet your neighbor’s keep a close eye on you.”
Worry slithered through her. She glanced over her shoulder but like before the windows were dark. “Is someone watching us?”
“Not as far I can see, but there are definitely friendlier places for witches to hang out. This is enemy territory.”
Way to go to sound totally paranoid. “Don’t be ridiculous. This isn’t war. Humans aren’t our enemy.”
“But neither are they our friends, are they? Or are you friends with a human?”
Nela had never talked more than a few
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