Page 43

And a guy asked, “And can we control them?”

Undergrove’s expression turned serious. “Excellent questions. Vampires exist in a unique state between life and death. Most necromancers can sense their presence, but controlling them?” He shook his head. “That requires exceptional power. The kind not seen since…” His eyes flickered to me for just a moment before he caught himself. “Let’s focus on what youcando.”

“Your father,” Raven whispered, low enough that only I could hear. “He could control them, couldn’t he?”

I didn’t answer. I didn’t know. Not really. I’d only learned his name ten days ago—learned he was a witch, a necromancer, a traitor. A man I’d never met, never even heard a bedtime story about. Just whispers. Accusations. Shadows shaped by other people’s grief and fear.

So I kept tracing the protective diagram, letting the motion settle me. This, at least, I understood. The shape of the lines, the flow of intention. This was mine. Something solid. Something I could build with my own hands instead of inherited doubt.

“Vampires resist necromantic control because they retain a twisted form of life force,” Undergrove continued. “They are not truly dead but exist in a corrupted state. This makes them uniquely dangerous. The key to defending against them is precision—your magic must create an unbreachable boundary.”

I pressed my palm to the floor, focusing on the symbols. Keane’s voice flickered in my memory:Magic needs a clear path.I exhaled slowly and let the power flow.

The circle responded instantly. Mist coiled along the edges, energy layering in a way that felt structured and solid. The dead things whispered their approval.

“Excellent, Miss Grimley,” Undergrove said, stepping closer. “You’ve reinforced the boundaries naturally. A well-formed protective circle repels before a creature even reaches it.”

“Show off,” Raven whispered, but her grin was proud. Boris, her skeletal beetle, abandoned her carefully drawn circle to investigate mine, clicking its approval.

Lucas was already making notes. “Your energy distribution is incredibly efficient.”

Warmth flickered in my chest. Praise wasn’t something I was used to, but here, it didn’t come with a catch. I had earned it.

Across the room, upperclassmen whispered, their words barely audible.Half-breed. Traitor’s daughter.My spine stiffened.

“Ignore them,” Raven murmured, her protective charms clinking softly.

Undergrove moved on, instructing us to erase our circles and prepare for the next exercise. “A summoning circle functions differently. Instead of repelling, itinvites. Instead of rejecting the dead, it calls them forth. Precision remains key.”

Summoning had always come easily to me, but this time, I followed the method carefully.Clear path. Structured flow.The energy formed a perfect lattice as I reached out—not forcing, butrequesting. A presence stirred.

A skeletal cat emerged, its form well-defined, energy weaving naturally into place.

“Well done,” Undergrove murmured. “Summonings should be stable, not chaotic.”

For once, my magic wasn’ttoo much. It was exactly what it needed to be.

As the lesson ended, Professor Undergrove approached. “Your natural affinity is clear,” he said quietly. “But the trials will test more than just necromancy. Have you been practicing the basic magical forms?”

The memory of my failed illumination spell made my cheeks burn. “I’m… working on it.”

He nodded understandingly. “Your father struggled with the traditional forms at first too. But he learned to adapt, to find his own way of working with different types of magic. You will too.”

The mention of my father sent a confused ache through my chest.

“You knew my father?” I asked.

With a conspiratorial look, Professor Undergrove tapped the silver skull on the lapel of his black suit. “All of us necromancers stick together. You should stop by my office hours—we can talk more.”

“Thank you,” I said.

Whatever my father had done—or hadn’t—it didn’t change what I had to face. I couldn’t carry his past and survive mine at the same time.

“I’ve got to work harder,” I said under my breath.

“Hey, we’ve all got Third Week Trials to prepare for,” Raven said. “We’re in this together.”

“I can help review the trial requirements,” Lucas offered. “I’ve been researching past challenges—”