Insidious Winds by Rain Oxford Page B

just a wolf.”
    I stood up and grabbed my bag. “Well, as exciting as
dog fights are, I don’t think it’s good for my health. I have to get to my next
class. Darwin, think of what your father would tell you. I imagine he has to
deal with what Alpha Flagstone goes through every day.” I left.
    Darwin was brilliant, but not all that wise, since he
still had a lot of growing up to do. However, I knew Flagstone wouldn’t hurt
him and he would see reason before growing furry.
    According to my schedule, Advanced Divination took place in the north tower library, where Vincent taught me on Saturdays in
the previous semester. When I found the stairway with every other step missing,
there were two students pondering it. I recognized them as fifth year students,
but I didn’t know their names.
    “Hey, Devon,” one of them said. He was about my age,
build, and height with dark brown hair and hazel eyes. “You lost?”
    “Nope.” I headed up the steps easily, since I was
used to them.
    “You’re in the advanced class? I don’t remember
seeing you in any of the prerequisites, and I know you’re only in your fourth circle,”
he said, following me up the steps.
    “I’m the professor’s assistant, so I get a fast-pass
to the advanced class.”
    “How could you be the professor’s assistant? He’s
new.”
    “He’s my uncle.” Vincent and two students were
already in the library when we arrived. Three long study desks were set up in
the clearing to the right with five foot-by-foot boxes. “Hunt wouldn’t even
give you a classroom?” I asked.
    Vincent smiled. “I requested the library. Everyone
sit and we will begin.” We all sat down and Vincent made a motion with his
hand. The room dimmed.
    “There’s only the five of us?” I asked. Aside from
myself, there were three men about my age and a woman, in her mid-twenties.
    “Most of the C-Five classes are smaller for more
personalized instruction,” the same man from earlier said. “I’m Ben, by the
way.”
    “Take the supplies out of your boxes.” Inside our
boxes were two thick candles, a small wooden case that contained a crystal
ball, three different packs of tarot cards, a hunk of crystal, and a mirror. “You
have all the most standard supplies, along with the books in the library to
use. You will not all do the same thing every day, as each of you has a
different reason for being here.
    “As you all know from your previous studies,
divination is the practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by
supernatural means. I will not insult or bore you with rudimentary information.
Many who took the precursory divinations classes did so because they were
merely interested or wanted to use foresight to achieve riches. Those with such
shallow intentions should have either been frightened off by terrible visions
or lack the skill to begin with. Thus, I will assume you are all prepared. In
my class, you will see things you will wish you never saw. Get over it. Life is
not easy, and magic comes at a price.”
    “We’ve heard that every semester here,” Ben said.
    “We learned about balancing our magic. Contrasting
elements, passive and active, and all that,” the woman said.
    “Yes; an eye for an eye, a love for a love, and a
life for a life. Balancing the elements is rather easy. Most of the pure
elemental magic is so basic that balance is second nature. Deeper magics that
require the use of elements must have a greater force of balance, but you can
usually use the contrary element to prevent any accidents. Then you get into
dangerous magic, where you can curse your enemies or get personal riches.”
    “Professor Ashwood said that even if you do something
good for someone else, the balance will be bad. Why? What about karma?”
    “No good deed goes unpunished. Have you ever done a
spell for someone that is at your detriment? Not for their thanks, to make them
appreciate you, or to impress them, but to actually help them when it is