SpellShocked (SpellShocked Saga: Book 1)

Chapter 14 - Merlinian Preparatory School

The bright orange light faded and the feeling of being thrown around in zero gravity subsided a few seconds later. I wobbled on the spot for a second, feeling dizzy, before I was able to look at my surroundings. I was amazed to see we had teleported into a strange hybrid of a room; it was part office and part lounge, the style a mix of modern and old design with wooden walls and a stone fireplace giving off a historical vibe, but a large mahogany desk, comfortable leather chair, soft couches and computer on the desk bringing the room into the 21st century.

A fire was burning in the grate, filling the room with light and warmth. Almost every inch of the wall was covered by bookcases, filled to bursting with old, leather-bound books. The four of us just stood there, looking around the room curiously. Eventually, my parents chose to sit on the couch – looking as awkward as I felt – while Zac ran his fingers along the spines of the various books on display, reading the titles of those in English. I stood by the fire, staring into the flames and replaying the nights events in my head, wondering just how my life had gone so wrong so quickly.

"Charlie," my dad said, pulling me from my thoughts, "Come and sit down. Tell us what happened." With one last look into the flames, I sighed and joined my parents. I told them the whole story, obviously leaving out the part where I had almost had my first kiss. Tonight wasn't the time for that particular can of worms.

"How dare he give you this...seed thing without your permission!" my mom yelled when I had finished, "He had no right to do that! I should report him!"

"Report him to who?" I questioned, mildly amused despite my worries.

"Well I don't know," she threw her hands into the air, "Aren't there some kind of magic police?"

"There are, but I'm not sure how you'd go about making a complaint. Besides, the whole magic thing aside, he's been a good friend to me and I promised we wouldn't tell anyone about him."

My mom frowned and opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted when the door to the office opened suddenly. A man entered the room and looked around at each of us in turn. He looked to be in his fifties and had long, light brown hair tied into a pony tail at the back, and a closely shaved beard. The natural contours of his face were deeply demarcated, his eyes sunken in, giving him gaunt, serious look. He wore a smart three-piece suit that clung to his slim frame perfectly. The man just screamed authority.

"Mr Hill. A pleasure to meet you," he reached out with a bony hand, "My name is Cyrus Kittridge, Headmaster of Merlinian Preparatory School."

"Um...it's nice to meet you too...sir?" I replied, shaking his hand; it felt unnaturally cold.

Mr Kittridge strode across the room and took a seat on the leather chair behind the desk. Leaning forward on the desk, his hands clasped together, he said, "I must admit, it is rather unusual for us to play host to so many humans at this school. Nevertheless, you are all most welcome to stay here until such a time as it is deemed safe for you to return to your home. Your belongings will be brought here soon and will be delivered to your guest chambers by morning.

"Thank you, sir," I replied, "So...um...you know what happened then?"

"Indeed. I am aware of the entire predicament surrounding you, Mr Hill." Something about his tone of voice made it seem as though he disapproved of my very existence. "While we do not fully understand the nature of your Gift, rest assured that we welcome you here. We welcome all with the Gift."

"However, I understand that you have rather extraordinary abilities few here possess, and it would not do well for you to make a spectacle of yourself whilst you study here. We enforce a zero-tolerance policy for bullying, but nasty things have been known to happen to those who are too...arrogant."