The Haven High Book Series (Wattys2017)

Chapter 26

As he awkwardly attempted to move his long limbs to the music he had a moment to look around. He could see that almost all the teachers had come and were milling around the refreshment table and talking amicably in small clusters of three and four. He noticed too now the council guard strategically placed around the room. He even saw Gruff 1 and Gruffer 2, his escorts from the night of his enlightenment, near the dais on guard duty for the dignitaries. They looked like they were talking to each other from across the room and he didn't know how they could hear until he thought, strike that, of course he knew how -- Magic

Magic was everywhere. The band had no microphones or amplifiers yet every note played could probably be heard blocks away if not for the noise cancelling magical tent, the light show that illuminated their space wasn't created by any earthly thing, he knew of, that was for sure, and the mist that hung around the base of the dance floor was not made by any smoke machine either.

There was magic in the air everywhere, and it felt heady. The crowd on the dance floor was being enthralled by the music. Literally enthralled. The musicians played strange instruments he'd never seen before -- with a beat that was hypnotic and primal and made the crowd undulate and writhe to the music in unison.

Yeah definitely some magic in the music as well.

He leaned into Lauren to ask about the band.

"She yelled up at him, "They're an all demon band named Pandemonium. Isn't that cool? There instruments are ancient things like; Scottish drums, Irish pin whistles, medieval mandolin, there's even a hurdy-gurdy. That's that thing over there that looks like a medieval torture device."

"Marley usually plays with the band but she's taken the night off to attend the party."

It turned out that just that combination of instruments gave the band a thrash metal Celtic sound that was really intriguing and made you want to never sit down. They danced it seemed for hours until Zach had had enough.

"Come on Lauren I'm starving can't we hit the buffet?" he pleaded.

"Me too," Quinn added.

"All right but remember don't touch anything unless I taste it first."

"Okay," they agreed as they took off like a shot for the crowded table which they noticed never seemed to get less full from people or food.

He noticed in awe that if you took one of something there was another there to take its place.

"I have got to get me one of these," Quinn announced excitedly.

"Count me in Brother," Zach joked as he slapped him on the back nearly choking him.

Lauren just rolled her eyes.

As soon as Lauren gave anything the-all-clear, he and Quinn stuffed it unceremoniously into their mouths and laughed when Lauren gave them a disgusted look.

He couldn't help himself everything looked so good and tasted even better.

Zach looked around again between mouthfuls and noticed that there seemed to be nearly twice as many students here then were in his training class.

He bent down to Lauren's ear to ask her, "Where did the other kids come from."

Lauren just gave him a perplexed look and asked, "What do you mean?"

Zach pointed then to a cluster of five kids on the other side of the dance floor that were standing around and not dancing. They wore full face masks in the shape of the Greek tragedies." I mean those guys and the other guys and the other fifty or so guys on the dance floor I've never seen before."