Beyond the Veil

05

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On Monday, Keefe, Fitz, and Biana sat with Sophie during lunch.

"Dex, can you come over after school today?" Sophie said, trying to diffuse the tension. "I was hoping you could tutor me in alchemy. I need help before midterms, and you're the best alchemist I know."

"Sure, if you really want me too." Dex beamed at the compliment.

"Aw, don't get too good at alchemy, Foster. Who else can we count on to destroy Lady Galvin's capes?" Keefe teased.

"Don't worry, I don't think Sophie can ever get good at alchemy." Marella told him. "Do you have any idea how many things she's exploded?"

"You guys have no idea," Valerie retorted, a small smile tugging at her lips as she remembered her own experience trying to teach Sophie alchemy. It ended with several things on fire and both girls scrambling to find water.

As Marella entertained everyone with tales of her practically weekly explosions, with Val occasionally chiming in, Sophie realized she had another reason besides Bronte to improve. Luckily, Keefe got detention a week later, so Sophie no longer had to listen to Keefe's relentless teasing.

Even with Dex's instructions Sophie couldn't understand alchemy most likely due to the fact she grew up as a human and alchemy deified all rules of chemistry. She kept lighting things on fire, so she and Dex moved their study sessions to a cave that was nearby Havenfield. It was perfect because rock couldn't burn and there was water nearby.

As the pressure of midterms approached, Sophie found herself tempted to cheat. The weight of expectations and the fear of failure gnawed at her. Despite her inner voice urging her otherwise, the thought of success was incredibly appealing.

At her next alchemy sessions she decided to delve into Lady Galvin's mind and read her thoughts. The moment she cheated, Sophie felt a pang of regret. It was as if a heavy weight had settled in the pit of her stomach, reminding her of the rules she had to uphold and the consequences of breaking them. Sophie knew that cheating was not the path she wanted to take, remorse soon washed over her.

That night, she admitted her mistake to Valerie, the confession weighing on her conscience. With a heavy heart, Sophie recounted the moment of weakness, she sought solace in the understanding gaze of her friend, hoping for understanding, but prepared for consequences.

"You have to tell Alden," Valerie urged her friend to tell the truth. "Maybe the punishment will be lessened if you admit to your mistake."

"I know. I will." Sophie replied with a sigh as she grabbed her imparter, ready to call Alden. "Show me Alden.

The girls were both called to Dame Alina's office at the top of Foxfire, where they saw Alden and Sophie's mentor, Tiergan. The sight of the two authoritative figures sent a shiver down Sophie's spine, her apprehension growing as she felt a shiver travel down her spine.

As Sophie explained what had transpired, Valerie watched the expressions of everyone around her intently. The weight of the situation hung heavy in the air, palpable tension radiating from each member of the group. Alden's stern yet understanding gaze, Tiergan's furrowed brow betraying his concern, and Dame Alina's measured response all added to the gravity of the moment, leaving Valerie acutely aware of the consequences of Sophie's actions.

Alden and Tiergan defended Sophie's actions to Dame Alina, who looked unconvinced. Eventually, Sophie spoke up and said, "I regret my actions and for breaking the laws of telepathy. I'm sorry for cheating and I take full responsibility. I'll serve the detentions."

"Good. Then I'm assigning you detention until the end of midterms, and you can't tell anyone why you've been punished." Dame Alina nodded.

Valerie smiled at Sophie from across the room, thankful she was allowed to stay at Foxfire Academy.

At lunch, Sophie has tried to slip away unnoticed, but Dex caught her before she could get away.

"Where are you going?"

"I have detention today." she said, looking away from her friends.

"For how long?" Dex asked.

"Until the end of midterms," she mumbled.

Jensi whistled, "Dude. What'd you do?"

"I don't want to talk about it," she replied before bolting out of the cafeteria, her hurried footsteps echoing in the emptying hall.

Later, Val and Sophie met up at their lockers. Sophie explained everything that happened during detention, except she didn't mention ballroom dancing with Valin. She figured Valerie would find out eventually, most likely from Keefe.

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"Good morning prodigies!" Dame Alina's projection chirped. "Everyone excited for midterms? Your thinking caps are in your lockers, and remember anyone without one will be disqualified for cheating."

Valerie couldn't shake the nerves fluttering in her stomach. The weight of expectation bore down on her shoulders, each passing second bringing a mounting sense of apprehension. Despite her diligent studying and preparation, doubt crept into her mind, whispering potential failure and the consequences thereof. She found herself second-guessing, the pressure to perform weighing heavily on her. With each tick of the clock, the looming specter of midterms grew ever closer, casting a shadow over her confidence and leaving her heart pounding with anticipation.

"Will you two calm down? You guys have been studying nonstop." Dex reassured them.

Valerie meticulously composed an essay about the Peace Treaty signed by elves and five other species, won a metaphysics debate about necessity versus possibility, and named countless stars and planets. She effortlessly mesmerized eight animals and two elves simultaneously, receiving a 100 percent from Grady for her efforts.

After lunch, her next exams were alchemy, multispeciesail studies, phys. ed., and elementalism. Instead of eating lunch with everyone else, Val decided to cram in a last-minute study session in the library. By the time lunch was over, she felt sick and couldn't stop shaking.

Her first exam was multispeciesail studies. She wrote another essay about gnomes and their history with elves. In phys. ed., Valerie had to levitate off the ground; she barely held her concentration for the allotted time but managed. Next was alchemy, unlike Sophie, she breezed through it and made an elixir, which somehow impressed Lady Galvin. Last but not least, elementalism, she had to bottle rain, two clouds, and a whirlwind. It took her a minute to bottle one of the clouds, but she scraped by.

When exams were finally over, Valerie was ready to breathe a sigh of relief and relax. The weight of weeks of studying and anticipation lifted from her shoulders, leaving her feeling lighter and freer than she had in a long time. She looked forward to spending time with her friends. And with a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, Valerie let out a deep breath she had been holding onto; hopefully, her efforts would pay off.

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