The Dark Shadow of Spring by G. L. Breedon Page B

The cave, the voice, the Shadow Wraith, the frost still on the window of his room and the valley outside, and in among them, one that was not at all like the others and which provoked a completely different feeling — Victoria. He wondered what she was doing. What she had done all day. If she would be at school the next day. If she was still interested in being a member of the Guild.
    Exhausted, Alex finally drifted off to sleep, falling into a deep slumber filled with vivid dreams that were vanquished from his memory when the familiar voice spoke softly from somewhere within his own mind.
    “I come…”
    Alex opened his eyes to the sight of the morning sun streaming through the still frost-covered window. Not how he had wanted to wake up.
    Downstairs, his mother had oatmeal waiting for a quick breakfast. He caught the headline of the Runewood Gazette lying on the table: Freak Frost Frightens Town! Maybelle Meriwether Mystified! Maybelle was the local weather witch and her predictions were usually extremely accurate, sometimes because she altered the weather to meet them.
    After breakfast, Alex and Nina headed off to school on their bicycles. The frost from the day before still clung to everything in sight, but the Monday sun was stronger than the day before and by the time they reached the schoolyard on the opposite side of town, the frost had begun to melt away. They found the rest of the Guild standing near the entrance of the schoolyard talking to Victoria. Alex didn’t bother trying to suppress the wide grin that came to his face as she saw him and waved. Unfortunately, Dillon and the Mad Mages saw it as well.
    “I see the Childish Conjurer’s League is assembled again,” Dillon said, waving his hand to indicate Alex and his friends. “Are you planning another adventure? I hear your last one was a smoking success.” Dillon’s friends laughed at his lame joke. They always laughed at his lame jokes. Particularly Mei, who had a high-pitched laugh that made her sound like a cat with its tail caught in a door.
    “I still owe you for that,” Alex said, glaring at Dillon and glancing over to see if Principal Gillette was watching. Principal Gillette always stood near the doors of the schoolhouse greeting students and keeping an eye on them. Unfortunately, Principal Gillette always seemed to notice when Alex and the Guild got up to mischief, but was oddly blind to most of the antics of the Mad Mages.
    “Thinking about adding a new member to your freak show?” Earl laughed.
    “Make sure you walk in front of her and not behind her,” Anna teased in the sweet tone of voice she always used to cover her vicious words. “You know how some animals make a mess.”
    “Stuff a rock in it,” Alex growled.
    “Alex probably thought that was her perfume,” Dillon said with a snort.
    “Did you bring your bag of oats for lunch?” Mei asked with a giggle.
    “Did your mother pack your diapers?” Daphne retorted.
    “You know, my dad’s got an old saddle,” Koji said with a wicked laugh. “Maybe you can give us all a ride after school.”
    “Oh yes,” Anna said. “Please be a good pony and…”
    Alex was about to shout a curse at Anna, but from the corner of his eye he could see Victoria’s perpetual smile replaced by something else, a look that he hoped she never directed at him. The air around Anna and the other Mad Mages crackled with electricity, cutting the caustic girl off in mid-sentence and tossing them all backward in a blast of electric blue light.
    “Miss Radcliff!” Principal Gillette shouted from behind them.
    Victoria’s face suddenly melted from fury to horror as she realized what she had done. Dillon and his cohorts were sprawled on the ground looking dazed, their hair flying in all directions from the fading electricity that still flickered around them.
    “Flaming Fairy Farts!” Daphne exclaimed.
    “That,” Ben howled, “was awesome!”
    “You’ve definitely got my vote for membership,”