A hand rose at the back of the class. “Miss Miller, my mom told me we used to use oil and electricity for power, not magic.”
Larissa nodded. “That is true. In the Great Collision the Human Realm absorbed the Magic Realm. Earth is the same physically as what it was before the collision. What changed is now Earth can sustain magic, which was something not possible before. Once the chaos from the collision began to settle, wizards and mages were able to figure out how to supply our energy needs magically.”
“What’s the difference between a wizard and a mage?” a female voice interrupted. Taneasha Jackson reminded Larissa of herself at a younger age, too smart by half and surrounded by family who protected her to the point of suffocation. The young woman was more likely to be found in a library than at any of the school events.
“Good question,” said Larissa. “A wizard is someone who channels magic from the Earth through spells and different items. A mage is someone with an inborn gift for magic and channels magic from themselves. Mages are much rarer and more powerful, but they usually are more limited. They have a gift for a certain type of magic and can only create spells that use that classification of magic. Different classifications include transmutation, illusion, conjuration-”
“Necromancy. Are we going to talk about necromancers?” asked Jason, in a sly voice with a little too much enthusiasm backing it.
“Not as much as you probably want,” Larissa said. Not at all, if she had a choice. An eye hanging out of its socket, and she rubbed the heel of her palm against her forehead as if the motion could erase the image. “Why are you not supposed to be so excited over necromancers?”
In the tone of someone who is humoring you and wants you to know it, Jason said, “They derive their power from death.”
“Exactly,” said Larissa.
“But all the girls love vampires, and I’d look hot with red eyes,” Jason said, causing some girls to giggle and smile in his direction.
“Yes, well, while all vampires are necromancers, not every necromancer is a vampire. Only the strongest of necromancers become true vampires.”
Jason leaned back in his seat, a satisfied smirk over his mouth. “Gives me something to work for, then I’d have an eternity with the ladies.” The guys all started high-fiving amongst themselves, and Larissa shushed them before the words got too far out of hand.
Taneasha spoke again. “I want to learn more about the fantastical creatures that we thought were myths until they appeared after the Collision. I really want to see a unicorn one day.”
“Ever see any, Miss Miller,” asked a voice from the back.
Not until three days ago. “No, I’ve lived in the city all my life and never traveled outside of it.” Maybe it was time for that to change, though.
Another male voice from the back said, “Unicorns are too girly. I want to see gryphons, basilisks, dragons, like that.”
And from the doorway came the response, the voice a smooth feminine growl. “There are no dragons.”
Larissa hadn’t heard the door open and turned to question why someone was interrupting her class.
The textbook Larissa was holding slipped from nerveless fingers, causing a sharp crack as the second silence of the morning fell over the classroom.
In the open doorway stood the redheaded woman from Friday night, her gaze locked on Larissa as she leaned against the frame, her arms and legs crossed in what would have been a relaxed posture for anyone else, but on this woman it seemed more akin to leashed watchfulness.
The woman continued, “Dragons were as much myth in the Magic Realm as in ours, disappointing as that seems.” She smiled then, the barest trace of a dimple in her grin. “Or maybe not. Having a dragon fly overhead would not be my idea of a good time.”
She was the very definition of an Amazon – taller than some men with broad shoulders and long limbs displaying muscle, but her evident strength only highlighted how very feminine she was. She had classic features most women would kill for and hourglass curves her musculature enhanced.
A higher-pitched feminine grunt came from behind the redhead, and the redhead’s body shifted as she glanced behind her. “Move your ass, Fallon. I want to see her. I missed all the excitement, remember?”
“If you quit poking me, I will,” the redheaded woman said to whoever was back there, and took several steps into the room.
Larissa’s mouth gaped as she beheld the person coming in behind the amazon.
This woman was short. Very short. So short even the platform heels on her shoes only brought her to average height. She was wearing an elaborate jade green kimono – except unlike a traditional kimono the skirt ended mid-thigh – with matching jade hair styled in three rolls and piled so high it added an extra half-foot of height to the woman.