Chapter 4
I kept my telepathy looped close to my students, allowing a meager manifestation to float by them throughout the open space of the offices.
This kept my mind mostly calm in the presence of hundreds of eager thoughts and the busy bustle of the city.
Seriously, since the expansion of my telepathy, things had become even more chaotic in my day-to-day.
They’d cleared out all the cubicles belonging to the acolytes to make room in this space for the interns’ arrival.
It’d all get sorted back soon enough, but Cerberus Guild likely wasn’t used to hosting several hundred students for announcements such as this.
The room was cramped and stuffy and filled with far too many people, from eager interns, annoyed acolytes, and bored enchanters.
Guild Master Campbell stepped up to the podium, introducing herself, the importance of guild work, and how honored she was to be a part of this process before graciously stepping aside and making way for the new coordinator.
Chanelle practically floated as she approached the podium.
Much like Campbell, Chanelle came out in a sleek business suit.
The vibrant yellow of her blazer and pantsuit accentuated her deep brown complexion, and the gold of her blouse framed the jewels around her neckline.
Since stepping up into this position, Chanelle had done everything in her power to match the prestige of the elites she worked side-by-side with each day.
Even if it seemed to eat into her meager budget.
Comparatively, at least. She might’ve left the classroom, but she was still far too close to education to make any real money.
The crowd of students cheered her on with almost as much excitement for her arrival as they did for Milo’s.
I rolled my eyes. She’d never survive outside the classroom.
She liked building student connections far too much.
It was annoying how she treated them like friends.
At least she didn’t do it in a pushover way; she merely used some tragic technique to make kids feel like equals through connection and blah, blah, blah.
I took a tense breath and let go of the thoughts. I was no longer a teacher. It was like carving out huge chunks of my identity, but I needed to stop dwelling on who I was and focus on who I needed to be in order to stop the Celestial Coven.
“It’s wonderful to see all your faces this morning,” Chanelle said.
“Most students will be meeting their enchanters here this morning, but a few of you will be going to another guild for your internship. The purpose isn’t that we couldn’t find a placement for you in these wonderful halls, but rather that we found a more suitable mentor elsewhere.
We want what’s best for your magic and potential.
It’s important to ensure that everyone is paired with a compatible enchanter. ”
“Oh, who cares about the speeches and bullshit,” Gael said, tuning out Chanelle’s speech. “I just want them to get to the part where I’m working with Evergreen.”
Kenzo tsked. “As if, bird brain. A moron like you? Yeah, right.”
“I happen to know I will be working with Evergreen,” Gael said with smug satisfaction, followed by a confident cluck of his rooster.
Based on his buzzing thoughts, he seemed quite confident in the fact.
“Sure.” Kenzo nodded mockingly.
“You don’t believe me?”
“I believe you believe it, but I also believe you’re an absolute idiot, so there’s that.”
“Oh yeah?” Gael dug through his book bag. “Would an absolute idiot get one of these?”
He held up a crinkled form.
“A waiver excusing the guild for any injuries you might have during your internship?” Kenzo skimmed the form, letting out a light chuckle. “They’d definitely give you one of those. Of course, Cerberus is worried you’ll injure yourself. Extra layer of legal protection.”
“It’s not from Cerberus,” Gael said.
I closed my eyes so I could focus purely on the sight of my manifestation, who glossed over the messy, stained form. It was a waiver of liability and far more detailed than the standard waiver that Gemini Academy had students sign for attendance or internships.
“Wait,” Kenzo nearly gasped. “Global Guild sent you a waiver?”
“Yep.” Gael had this arrogant smirk. “And there’s only one enchanter at Cerberus I know of that works at the Global Guild.
So, looks like I’ll be teaming up alongside the best enchanter in the whole world, while you probably get assigned a custodian or some shit.
Maybe they’ll teach you how to clean up your bitch attitude. ”
Kenzo balled a fist, creating a small burst of gray static before allowing the rage to fizzle away with his pent-up magic. A dozen or so quickly fleeting images of Kenzo bashing in Gael’s face flooded through the angry teen’s mind before he composed himself.
“You’re not the only one with a waiver.” Carter strolled up, revealing a pristine form unlike Gael’s stained pages.
“Wait, Evergreen wants to work with you, too?” Gael stared suspiciously.
“Ba-ba-bawk.”
“You’re right, King Clucks.” Gael nodded. “Totally, just bringing him on ‘cause he helped Frosty way back when.”
Wait, what? Did Milo seriously recruit Carter as an intern because he saved my life? And why the hell would he ever recruit Gael as an intern? Why would he recruit any of my students as an intern?
It didn’t take long before they projected all the internships, and I searched for my students among the very crowded roster.
Mentor: Enchanter Evergreen
Intern: Gael Martinez
The way Gael’s aura lit up, radiating bright orange, it nearly outshone the streaks of envy clouding the edges.
His spikes shrank a bit when his peers eyed him.
Normally, he enjoyed attention, not a spotlight hog, but definitely in a goofy extrovert way.
However, the jealousy etched onto a lot of expressions made his stomach twist in knots, and in turn gave me sinking, sulking secondhand symptoms. His emotions and thoughts surged with insecurities, outweighing everyone else.
“Way to show everyone up, porcupine.” Kenzo shoulder bumped Gael, stealing his focus from the gawking crowd, and making him sheepishly smile.
I took a deep breath. Suddenly, the stress and fear withered away. All it took to calm Gael was a simple gesture of support from Kenzo.
“I mean, I didn’t really do anything to land the internship.” Gael’s sharklike teeth glistened as he fought to keep his smile.
“What the actual hell?” Gael shouted, accompanied by a loud cluck. “They clearly put the wrong last name.”
“Um, pretty sure it’s not a typo, dude.” Gael pointed further on the board. “Found you with another Global Guild enchanter.”
Mentor: Enchanter Diaz
Interns: Gael Rios-Vega; Tiffany Sparks; Wesley Monte
Gael sulked, dwelling on this horrid placement. Even Tiffany’s brief smile didn’t lift his spirits, though he mentally noted how the gesture must’ve meant they weren’t fighting this week, so he’d try his luck at flirting later. Christ, that kid had a one-track mind.
No wonder he had to sign a Global Guild waiver.
Gael hadn’t been assigned to Milo, but instead the very famous Texas Daddy—ugh, how I loathed that stage name—since the enchanter had set up roots in Chicago until the Celestial Coven mission was resolved.
One would think Gael could appreciate interning with an enchanter so famous.
Mentor: Enchanter Lawrence
Interns: Carter Howe; Vik Smythe; Zoya Khan
Wow. Carter beamed with delight at seeing he’d work under Gladiatrix, one of the world’s most renowned enchanters, and the pinnacle of trans activists among industry witches.
His excitement was overshadowed by the elation swelling inside Katherine.
She spotted her name under Guild Master Campbell and buzzed with eagerness to learn everything about running a guild, but disappointment clung to her when she saw she’d have so many other top-tier students alongside her. She’d have to work incredibly hard to stand out and make a name for herself.
Mentor: Guild Master Campbell
Interns: Katherine Harris; Layla Smythe; Amani Williams; Jennifer Jung; Tatiana Owens; Olivia Flores
Last semester, Katherine’s internal drive to learn more about the role of a guild master encouraged me to broach the topic with Campbell.
She seemed rather aloof at the prospect of mentoring a student despite my determined pitch, expressing how Katherine noticed how few women take on the mantle of guild master.
Glossing over Campbell’s thoughts, it became clear she took that message to heart, even if she pretended to placate me with utter disinterest. Campbell researched the most adaptable female students at Gemini and handpicked an entourage of interns she’d teach how to run the industry one day.
I continued skimming through the names projected in search of my homeroom coven students. Correction, my former homeroom coven students. Even if I’d stayed at Gemini, even if I’d continued teaching, they wouldn’t be my students anymore.
“Mel, sweetie, you need to request a transfer.” The disgust in Layla’s voice cut through the air. “Seriously, Kraken is second-rate, and while you’re not impressive, at least you’re not sloppy like the rest of your group.”
With that, Layla sauntered off and abandoned her friend so her clique could continue exploring the who’s who of Cerberus Guild.
Melanie clammed up and read the name of her mentor and fellow interns.
Mentor: Enchanter Ortiz
Interns: Jamius Watson; Melanie Dawson; Yaritza Vargas
That was rather surprising. Most Gemini Academy students had landed with Cerberus Guild enchanters, but Chanelle had outsourced more than a few other guilds to work with a small chunk of the student body.
“What a bitch,” Yaritza said in regard to Layla’s comment. “Hellrazer is top-tier. Way better than interning for some office snob.”
“Interning for a guild master is the most prestigious opportunity anyone could ever ask for.”