Work Experience (Schooled in Magic Book 4) by Christopher Nuttall

Author:Christopher Nuttall
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Young Adult, magic, alternate world, fantasy, magicians, sorcerers
ISBN: 9781606193037
Publisher: Twilight Times Books
Published: 2014-10-23T13:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-One

“ONLY YOU, EMILY,” LADY BARB SAID, when Emily had finished. “Only you.” The older woman shook her head in disbelief. “A Death Viper as a familiar. I don’t know if you’ll be allowed to keep it at Whitehall.”

Emily winced. Somehow, the thought of being separated from the snake was unbearable. She knew, logically, that it was part of the bond she’d formed with the creature, but it didn’t matter. There was no way she wanted to leave the snake behind when they left the mountains.

“There are students with other dangerous pets,” she said. First Years were rarely allowed animals, but she’d seen older students with large dogs or other familiars. “Why not a Death Viper?”

“Because,” Lady Barb pointed out sarcastically, “none of the other pets are lethal to the touch.”

She shrugged. “You are immune to the snake’s poison. You may be immune to the rotting touch. But, for anyone else, your pet is a deadly menace. And you do know how the bonds work? If you get angry at someone, the snake might attack them.”

“The snake was going to kill me,” she said. “I didn’t have a choice. And I like him...”

She stopped. She hadn’t had any sense of the snake’s gender before. It had honestly never occurred to her that it had a gender.

“That’s the familiar bond talking,” Lady Barb said.

Emily shuddered. She could understand why Lady Barb was concerned, but at the same time she honestly couldn’t get rid of the snake. There were ways to break the bond, she knew, yet she’d never heard of them being applied willingly. The snake was effectively part of her now.

“I will have to give the matter some thought,” Lady Barb said. She motioned for Emily to sit down at the table, then produced yet more bread and cheese from the kitchen. “What happened between you and Rudolf? I hope it wasn’t he who took your shirt.”

Emily flushed. Lady Barb had seen right through the glamor. “It was damaged,” she said, shortly. If she went into details, Lady Barb might destroy the snake at once. In hindsight, she’d come far too close to death. “It wasn’t his fault.”

“Glad to hear it,” Lady Barb said. She put a piece of cheese on bread and nibbled it slowly. “And what actually did happen between you?”

“He told me that he was running away from an arranged marriage,” Emily said, softly. “Is that actually true?”

“It isn’t uncommon,” Lady Barb said, thoughtfully. “Why didn’t you stop him?”

Emily hesitated, then pushed forward. “I thought we weren’t meant to get involved in local politics.”

Lady Barb gave her a sharp look. “And the answer?”

“I felt sorry for him,” Emily confessed.

“His father was unhappy,” Lady Barb said. “But there was something odd about him, something that bothered me.”

She looked down at the table, then back up at Emily. “What were your impressions of him?”

“The father?” Emily asked. “I think he is the sort of person who will ignore his son’s feelings when he stands to benefit.”

“Something most aristocrats have in common,” Lady Barb said, dryly.

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