It was exactly as Anima had feared. Mirael was dangerous. Three years without so much of a whisper of any magical energy from her or her brother and now this. What professor Cora did was cruel but she had no way of knowing the power that Mirael possessed. Only a handful of people knew about the events that brought her to the Academy. So much raw power in such a young girl. She must be kept under close and constant supervision. No longer would she be allowed to interact with the other students, if she survives that is.
For the time being Mirael was being treated for her burns. The poor girl had burned off nearly half of her skin and all of her hair. If Jacob had not arrived when he did and pulled the emergency water release...
No point in worrying about what-ifs. There was plenty to worry about without creating make believe situations as well.
Thankfully no other children were seriously injured. A few blisters and singed hair here and there but nothing life threatening. Mirael was a different story. The best healers in the academy were working on her now and even they might no be enough to save her. Aside from the burns, she had channeled her magic so powerfully she had nearly torn herself apart. She had seen another mage die that way when she was much younger. A gruesome sight. His flesh ripping apart until finally his entire body shattered in a broken mass of blood and bone and flesh. The stench was the worst part, so strong she still nearly expelled the contents of her stomach when she thought on it for too long.
Maybe it would be better for everyone if the poor girl died today, she told herself, though she immediately felt ashamed for having thought such a terrible thing.
What have I become that I am wishing the death of a seven year old girl?
It was this place. It did things to the mind. Hardened the heart and weakened the soul. Only one out of every five children that came to this place were deemed suitable for advanced training. Those that were not were sent back onto the streets at age ten. Some had families and homes to return to, but the majority were orphans brought to the Academy only because they had nowhere else to go. She did not know what happened to them after they left but she was not foolish enough to believe that many of them survived. Those that did would likely not lead a very easy life.
It is a day for dark thoughts.
She needed some fresh air. She had been skulking in her room for too long waiting for word of Mirael's condition. She would go check on the girl herself. It was late and her eyes were not as sharp as they used to be, but the moon was bright tonight, nearly full. She made her way to the infirmary. It was not a long distance but the day and been long and she was not as young as she once was. Her whole body ached from the stress of the day.
Jacob was pacing back and forth in front of the door. The grass was packed down hard underneath him. It was clear that he had been pacing in front of the building for quite some time. When he noticed her he stopped pacing and walked straight toward her.
"Maybe you can help me," he seemed very frustrated. "They won't let me in to see her and they won't tell me how she is doing. She is my sister! I have a right to know."
If they had not spoken to the boy of her condition then it must not be clear yet whether she would live or die. "I will see what I can do."
"I need to be in there. I should be by her side. It's my job to keep her safe and I can't do that from out here."
"Your sister sustained very severe burns. It is not something a boy your age should have to see."
"I carried her here. I know what she looks like. Tell them to let me in. Please, I am begging you."
The desperation in his voice nearly brought tears to Anima's eyes. She choked them back. "Again, I will see what I can do. I am no more in charge of the healers than you are but perhaps they will give me word of her improvement. I am sure she will be fine." The lie came so easily to her lips that she almost believed it herself.
Jacob stepped out of her way and she opened the infirmary door. The room smelled of urine, excrement, anise, lilac and cooked meat. She would never get used to the juxtaposition. It was dark save for a few witchlights and green ribbons illuminating the area around Mirael's bed. Luckily she was the only child hurt badly enough today to be kept overnight. The other beds lay empty.
Eli, the most adept healer in the academy, noticed her and motioned for her to come closer so they could speak. He looked as if he had aged twenty years since she had seen him earlier in the day. Dark rings circled his eyes and his skin was pale and hung loosely over his face.
"How is she?" Anima asked, staring at the beautiful green ribbons sliding in and out of the girl's horrific wounds.
"We have been doing everything we can," Eli responded, his voice raspy and hollow when once it had been deep and profound. "Her wounds are extremely severe. More than once she has stopped breathing and we had almost lost hope, but she is strong. I do not believe that she is ready to leave this world, but we will not know until the morning. I assume you spoke with the boy outside?"
"He is understandably concerned for his sister."
Eli sighed deeply, but there was admiration in his sigh rather than frustration. "The boy is strong as well. The two are a good pair. I do not doubt that if he could trade places with her he would."
Anima nearly smiled, but looked again at the charred and broken child laying on the bed and any joy she had nearly felt washed away. "So young and already so powerful. The Elders will want to keep her separate from the other children. By now the entire academy must know and the other children will fear and hate her."
"We will worry on that when we know if she will survive. Until then I must focus on the task at hand. You know I always enjoy your company, Anima, but I am very tired and I expect I still have a long night ahead of me."
"Of course," she replied. "I will see about having some bread and water sent to you. Certainly you have not eaten in quite some time."
He did not speak but his expression showed his appreciation.
When she left the infirmary she found Jacob still pacing. He stopped and waited for her to speak.
"She appears to be doing much better," Anima lied yet again. "I am sure that by the morning they will let you in to see her. Until then you should go to your room and get some sleep."
The boy saw right through her but seemed to appreciate the lie anyway. He said nothing and went back to his pacing.
She knew that she would have more luck teaching a horse to speak than convincing that boy to leave his sister tonight, so she went back to her room. When she got there she found Valeria, one of the seven elders, waiting in front of her door. She seemed annoyed. The elders did not like to wait.
"Valeria, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
"I assume your were looking in on the girl. How is she doing?" Her voice was cold and devoid of emotion. It was always like that. Anima always felt uncomfortable in her presence.
"Eli believes that she will survive."
"That is good," said Valeria, though Anima could not tell whether she meant it or not. "If she does survive then we have a task for you." Anima had assumed this would be the case, though she did not understand why they could not wait until morning to tell her. "The girl will be placed in your care. You are to look after her and teach her to control her magic so that an incident like this never happens again."
This was no surprise to her. She had been expecting the elders to choose her for the task. She had taught many children that required special care over the years. "I am but a servant of the order. I will do as you request."
"You will no longer be teaching any other students. Mirael will be your only focus from this point on."
This did come as a shock to Anima. Her students were her life. She had been instructing at the Academy since she was only twenty years old. The thought of giving up all of her classes nearly broke her heart.
"Certainly I could give up one or two of my classes and work with Mirael later in the day, or perhaps myself and another professor could share in her instruction" she pleaded.
"You will do as you are told and that is the end of it," the words were a dagger in Anima's heart. "Mirael is a special girl and she requires constant attention which you will provide. Think of it as an honor that you have been entrusted with such an important task."
With that Valeria left.
Anima did not know what to think. Her students were everything to her. Many of them she had been working with for years. Never having any children of her own she considered all of her students to be her children. Now they were being ripped away from her. She wanted to scream, to throw things across the room, but she feared that someone would hear her and report to the elders. If they did she would be punished for insubordination.
Maybe the girl will die tonight.
She felt terrible for thinking it, and not just thinking it but wanting it so badly. She wanted the girl to die more than she had ever wanted anything in her life.
That night she cried herself to sleep for the first time since she was a little girl.
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