The Afterlife Academy Saga

Chapter 22

22

My breathing was loud in the deafening silence of the underground tunnel. The automatic lights flickered out once we passed them, creating the illusion of a handheld torch. Professor Brynhild’s footsteps clacked on the stone ground and the echo bounced off the walls, only adding to the claustrophobic space.

“I count on you to be discreet about the location of the headmistress’ private living quarters.”

“Her quarters? So this is not her office?”

“No.” She shot me a bemused smile. “Teachers need somewhere to live too, Ylva.”

The tunnel led to a small alcove with a couple of potted plants and a sturdy looking door. Made from a dark wood and decorated with metal studs and a golden door knocker with wings, it looked like it could withstand a small explosion.

Before we could knock, the door swung open and a slender woman appeared. Her stern glare rivalled Brynhild’s and the permanent silence only made it worse.

She signed a couple of things and Brynhild replied with some gestures of her own. It didn’t mean anything to me though. We didn’t learn Banshee sign language and there was no real reason for it. Besides the Academy, there were very few occasions were our work paths crossed.

“Close the door, Ylva."

The headmistress was wearing shoes inside, but Brynhild took hers off, as per Wind Child tradition. Not sure what was right, I followed suit and tipped my own shoes off. If my teacher was doing it, that was good enough for me.

The small hall opened up into an open living room with plenty of wooden features. The thick cross beams and earthen white walls didn’t make it look like it was underground. There was even a big window casting a lot of natural light onto the wooden floor.

The two women conversed with a lot of expressions and broad gestures. Professor Brynhild had to be very fluent to use sign language herself instead of just talking to MacKinnon. I wondered why?

“Take a seat over there. The headmistress is going to bring Bàs.”

“Okay.” I sat down on a brown couch, making sure to avoid the lengthy coffee table. “So how long is this going to take?”

The two women exchanged a strange glance, which I didn’t miss.

“What’s that look for?”

The headmistress signed something else and then walked away, leaving just me and Brynhild in the living area.

“Listen, there’s something I didn’t tell you.”

A bitter taste fell on my tongue. Of course. Just like Var said. They claimed to want to protect me, but this was all a ploy to steal my Shadow magic.

My teacher took a seat opposite of me and folded her arms tightly. “To erase the mark, Bàs has to lick your face. However, in very rare circumstances, a shadow catzel might refuse to do so.”

“And what if he does?”

“Then there’s nothing else we can do.”

I clenched my jaw. “So I might have to walk around with this mark for ever?”

“I highly doubt that’ll be the case—“

“But it’s possible?”

She checked her watch and straightened her robes. “What’s taking Thea so long?”

Great. So now she wasn’t answering my questions. Which brought me to my next grievance. “Did you talk to Master Ryuga about him attacking me?”

“His quarters were empty this morning. I assume he fled after his assault.”

“But you believe me?”

She looked at me, frowning deeply. “Of course, I do.”

Somehow, her faith in me was reassuring. She hadn’t asked for evidence or proof. My word was enough, which was how it should be. It was the truth, after all.

Maybe I was growing too suspicious of everything and everyone after all the secret keeping and sneaking around.

“Ah, she is back.”

The clacking of nails sounded on the wooden floor as the headmistress appeared with the catzel in tow. He was just as big as I remembered, with paws the size of my head. The white patch on his chest made it look like he was wearing a suit, but that didn’t change how terrifying he was.

MacKinnon made some more gestures and handed Brynhild a box of things. A candle, a length of green rope, a pot with purple goop. Certainly a strange assortiment.

“Okay, Ylva, this is how we’ll proceed. Smear this on your forehead and then we’ll go to the Veil.”

“We’re going to the Veil? Now?”

“No more questions. We’re losing time. Just do as I say.”

“Fine,” I huffed. Adults. They never took people my age seriously, even though I was practically of age.

The purple cream tingled as I applied it to the mark, but it wasn’t unpleasant.

“What’s next?”

Headmistress MacKinnon tied the rope around her own wrist and bound the other side around mine. The green threads sizzled as they fused together and burned into my skin.

“Ouch! What is—”

Curls of grey smoke rose around me, clouding my vision and erasing the living quarters. With the shifting of the Veil, the layer of cream on the mark became ice cold, however it didn’t hurt. And neither did the poisonous band around my arm.

“Hello?” I called, looking around, but there was only the emptiness of the Veil. Even if I’d been here a couple of times now, I still wasn’t used to the eerie silence. It always felt like someone was watching me, lurking from the shadows and smoke, waiting to strike.

“Professor Brynhild? “Headmistress MacKinnon?”

How was I supposed to find them if the headmistress vowed never to speak? Or did that rule not count here?

Ah, that didn’t matter. I’d been here plenty of times. I knew how to command the Veil and make it work for me. I just had to concentrate and think where I wanted to go, or who I needed to see. It was all in the mind.

Headmistress MacKinnon. Headmistress MacKinnon. Banshee. Old lady that sometimes looked young. Catzel owner. Ugh, stupid catzel. Stupid cursed mark. If Bàs hadn’t bit me, none of this would’ve happened. Things would really be more—

My foot caught behind something and I landed flat on my face. What? There were things to trip over in the Veil? How was that possible? There was literally nothing here except smoke and smoke didn’t make people trip.

I turned around to examine what made me fall, both curious and concerned.

“Huh… What is this?”

A dark log blocked my path. Almost like a tree trunk, but with hair. Weird…

Carefully, I gave it a little poke and it moved, swishing through the smoke and mowing just past my head.

That wasn’t a log. It was a tail.

What did Brynhild say about shadow catzels again? They had nine tails, but eight of those were only visible in the Veil?

It was really massive though. Bàs was big for a cat, but he only came up to my chest. This part of the tail alone was thicker and longer than me. Maybe catzels were bigger in the shadow world?

I gulped. I hoped not. He was terrifying enough already, but I couldn’t give into that fear. Following this tail was my best bet to find the headmistress and get the cursed mark erased. I had no intention of being a walking target for the rest of my life.

The tail curled through the smoke and shadows, leading up to a massive mountain of fur. A moving mountain.

Bàs was no longer pet-sized. He towered high into the smoke, his legs thick like pillars. His whiskers slashed through the air, his eyes empty pools of white. He was terror incarnated.

“MEOOOOOOW,” he screamed, looking down at me like I was a tiny ant he could squash, but chose not to.

In class, Brynhild had told us to stroke his white chest, but that was just a little out of reach. Instead, I patted his wrist. “Hello, you terrifying beast.”

Claws shot from his paws, almost slicing me in half.

“s**t. Sorry. I meant, you beautiful beast. Where’s your owner?”

One of his many tails swooshed past me, only narrowly avoiding my head.

“Sorry, sorry. Where’s your elemental?”

For a moment, he just stared at me. His vacant eyes big and round like moons in the darkest of nights. He examined me with an intensity like nothing else before bringing his monstrous head down and sniffing me.

His breath smelled of fish and his teeth were enormous compared to my head. If he bit me again, they wouldn’t have to bother erasing the mark. I’d just be dead.

“You’re a handsome catzel, you know that?” I patted his leg, hoping flattery would work. Instead, he yawned and licked his paw, teasing me with his curse-cleansing saliva.

“Can I get some of that?” I swiped my fingers across my temple and presented some of the purple cream to him. “Here. Not sure what it is, but yummy, yummy.”

I waved my arm, trying to catch his attention. I was quickly growing annoyed with this whole mark-ordeal and I wanted it gone. “Come on, you hairball!”

The moment I said it, I knew I made a mistake. The hairy mountain moved and Bàs brought his entire face down to my level.

“MEOOOOOW!” His breath stank, but I didn’t flinch. That would only insult him more.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it! You’re so amazing and smart. The best shadow catzel, yes, you are. Your fur is so nice and shiny too. Beautiful, beautiful.” I stroked his snout and massaged his cheeks.

“HISSSSSS.”

“Oops, maybe not there then.” I held out my hand out again. “Here, yummy purple cream.”

The smoke of the Veil changed as Bàs changed position. Smoke curled around his ears and limbs, making it impossible to tell where the shadow world started and he ended. Maybe there was no difference. Maye the Veil was just made up of gigantic catzels. Now that’d be a twist and a half.

Tentatively, Bàs sniffed the cream and took a little lick. His tongue grated my skin as he devoured the blob of purple. His wet nose pressed into the palm of my hand, searching for more.

“Here, I got some on my head.” I pushed his chin up and aiming his nostrils at my forehead. There were still copious amounts of cream smeared on my temple and if he licked it off, hopefully that would take the cursed mark with it.

“Meow.” Bàs lavished me with greedy licks, lapping up every fleck of purple goop. Satisfied he had it all, he burped and returned to cleaning his paw.

I touched my temple, which was all greasy and wet. It was impossible to tell whether the mark was gone unless someone looked at me. Or I found a mirror somewhere, which didn’t seem likely here. I’d just have to trust this did the trick. If not, there would be a Valkyrie hunt with me as the prize.

Something tapped me on the shoulder and I jumped around. “Woah!”

Headmistress MacKinnon held up her hands defensively.

“Oh, it’s you.”

She gestured at my forehead and stuck up her thumb.

“All good?”

With a nod, she tapped on her wrist. The green thread sizzled and sparked, disintegrating as we spoke. The grey smoke lifted and Bàs shrunk until he was his regular size again, which was still way too big for a cat.

Slowly, the shapes and edges of her private quarters materialised until I was standing in the middle of her living room again. The comfortable couch, the coffee table with the purple pot of goop, and Brynhild’s stern but worried expression.

She took hold of my face and studied my forehead. A smile stretched across her features. “It worked.”

Relief flooded me. I thought so from the headmistress’ response, but to have it properly confirmed was much better. Thank the gods. I wasn’t going to be an elemental harbinger of death.

“So, it’s all over now?” I asked.

“Well, yes and no. You’re safe now. But there’s still someone going to die in…” She checked her watch. “Two hours.”