“Don’t be ridiculous,” my mother scoffed. “Your health is far more important than any exams or swim meet. You’re coming home.”
“No! I’m not going!” I shouted, trying to pull myself away from her.
But my father was faster than me. With a few muttered words and a wave of his hand, an enchantment washed over me. In an instant I felt myself lose control of my own body.
My limbs turned heavy, like they were suddenly made of lead. I tried to fight against the spell, but it was useless. My father was too powerful, his magic honed over decades of practice. I could only watch helplessly as my body betrayed me, becoming pliant and obedient.
“That’s better,” my father said, his voice cold with satisfaction. “Now, let’s go.”
I glanced back one last time, desperate for a final glimpse of Nerion, but he was already gone, both him and the Deanswallowed by the darkness and rain. A sob caught in my throat, trapped there by my father’s magic.
The Elder Council member stepped forward, her white robes somehow remaining pristine despite the downpour. “I’ll handle the transportation,” she said, drawing a complex sigil in the air. “The Council chambers are ready to receive him.”
My mother fussed with my hair, smoothing it back from my face with trembling hands. “My poor boy,” she murmured, her eyes filled with tears that might have been genuine concern. “We’ll make you better, I promise.”
I wanted to scream, to tell her there was nothing to fix, but my lips wouldn’t move. The paralysis spell kept me silent, trapped in my own mind as they discussed me like I was a broken toy that needed repair.
The Elder completed her spell, and a shimmering portal opened before us. Through it, I could see a stark white chamber with stone columns and a circle of high-backed chairs. The Elder Council’s judgment chamber.
“After you,” the dragonkin said, gesturing to my parents.
My father’s hand on my shoulder pushed me forward, guiding my unresisting body toward the portal. As we crossed the threshold, I felt a rush of ancient magic wash over me, cold and impersonal. The rain-soaked grounds of Widdershins Academy disappeared behind us, replaced by the austere grandeur of the Elder Council chambers.
Seven figures in white robes identical to our escort’s sat in a semicircle before us. Their faces were partially obscured by deep hoods, but I could see enough to recognize they weren’t all human. One had the scaled skin of a dragonkin like our escort, another the luminescent pallor of a vampire. There was even one with antlers sprouting from beneath their hood. They must’ve been a forest spirit of some kind.
“Elder Brina,” one of them spoke, addressing our escort. “You’ve brought the afflicted student.”
“Yes, Elder Calaxos,” she replied with a slight bow. “Theodore Voss. We believe he’s been under a siren’s enchantment for some time.”
“I am not enchanted,” I managed to say, suddenly finding my voice despite my father’s spell. The magic of this place was older, stronger than his. “Please, you have to listen to me.”
The Council members exchanged glances.
“We want this correctedimmediately,” my father demanded. “And I formallydemanda full investigation of Widdershins Academy and those that run it. Clearly this new board of education doesn’t care about putting its students in danger by letting in dangerous monsters!”
Elder Calaxos, the one with the antlers, stepped forward, pulling her hood back. There was a stern expression on her face, but even through her carefully contained visage, I could see the fury in her eyes at my father’s insinuation.
“Mr. and Mrs. Voss will leave these chambers to let us do our work,” she said, leaving no room for argument. “Your son will be returned to you once we have freed him of this enchantment.”
My father’s face contorted with rage. “Now see here?—”
“You will leave,” Elder Calaxos repeated, her voice taking on a resonant quality that seemed to vibrate through the chamber. The antlers on her head briefly glowed with a soft green light. “This is not a request.”
My parents exchanged glances, clearly unused to being dismissed. My father looked ready to argue further, but my mother placed a restraining hand on his arm.
“Very well,” she said tightly. “But we expect to be informed immediately when you’ve finished the cleansing.”
“Of course,” Elder Calaxos nodded. “Elder Brina will escort you to the portal that will take you home.”
As Elder Brina led my parents away, I felt my father’s paralysis spell begin to weaken. My fingers tingled as sensation returned to them, though my legs still felt leaden.
When the heavy doors closed behind my parents, the atmosphere in the room shifted. The Council members seemed to relax slightly, their rigid postures easing.
“Now then,” Elder Calaxos said, turning her attention to me. “Theodore Voss. Let us speak plainly.”
“Please,” I said, my voice cracking. “I’m not enchanted. Nerion never sang to me.”
One of the other Elders, a witch with red hair and fair skin, leaned forward. “How can you be certain?”