Wedding Hells (Schooled in Magic Book 8) by Christopher Nuttall Page A

but I will go through them just to make sure you all know what you need to know,” she continued. “You will be escorted from here to the examination section, where you will be completely isolated from the rest of the school until you have completed your exams. There is no barrier preventing you from leaving, but if you leave without completing all of your exams, the ones you miss will be marked as failed. You may take nothing into the examination section without special permission. If you feel you need to have something with you, speak to one of the tutors during the passage through the entrance corridor. Bear in mind that they will err on the side of caution, so I suggest you make your arguments convincing.”
    Emily fondled the snake-bracelet on her wrist and scowled. Lady Barb knew what it was, but no other tutors knew. The snake would have to stay with her or she’d have to tighten the spells and hope she could recover the bracelet before it reverted to its normal form. A magician’s familiar wouldn’t try to hurt someone who found it, but a Death Viper would certainly be seen as a threat. She’d probably be able to hear the screaming through several layers of silencing wards.
    Someone coughed, loudly. “But what about our revision notes?”
    “It’s a bad idea to cram right up until the final moment,” Mistress Irene said, coolly. “You’ll have the information you need provided on the exam papers, if necessary.”
    She cleared her throat and continued. “You will be separated into two groups, male and female. Once you reach the entrance corridors, you will undress and don examination robes. You will be scanned by protective spells as you pass through the doors; again, if you are caught with anything, you will have to explain its presence. Everything you need will be provided. If we catch any of you trying to slip notes through the doors, you will be barred from taking the exams and quite possibly expelled. These exams are serious .
    “Inside, you will be given your examination timetables. You will sleep in the dorms provided, be escorted to the examination rooms when the time comes and - when all of your exams are completed - you will be allowed to leave. Until then, remember that your fellow students are trying to rest when they’re not in the examination rooms. Any of you who make a noise, or a disturbance, will be frozen until the start of their next exam. There will be no further warnings.”
    Emily shivered. Mistress Irene meant it.
    “If there are no further questions,” Mistress Irene concluded, “we shall begin.”
    No one asked anything, not entirely to Emily’s surprise, but there were dozens of pale faces surrounding her. They’d known the exams were about to begin, yet they hadn’t truly comprehended that they’d be separated from their revision papers. Emily sighed inwardly as Lady Barb started calling for the female students to follow her, then fell into line behind Alassa. She waved goodbye to Caleb as they made their way through a hidden door and down a long corridor into a changing room. There were so many wards buzzing over the compartment that her hair threatened to stand on end.
    “You’ll find robes in the lockers,” Lady Barb said. “Place everything in the lockers, unless you feel it deserves special permission. Do not waste my time.”
    Alassa opened one of the lockers and pulled out a long dark robe that looked several sizes too small to fit her. Emily frowned, then realized it was charmed to resize itself to fit its wearer; Alassa pulled off her robes and underwear in one smooth motion and pulled the robe over her shoulders. It fitted tightly - too tightly - to her body. No one could be in any doubt she wasn’t hiding anything.
    “I don’t think I can keep the knife with me,” Alassa said, pulling it from her ankle holster and holding it up to the light. “I’d be too tempted to bury it in an examiner.”
    “I think that would be an automatic fail,” Imaiqah