Apprentices: Waxing Crescent

How It All Began

History has always painted witches as villains. They were thought of as the most dangerous beasts because they were walking around in daylight, without anyone knowing their true nature. Humans thought they could be anyone. The old woman at the market, their neighbour, cousin, even wife. Women, thousands of innocent women, were burned alive from the sheer paranoia of humans.

In reality, things couldn't be farther from the truth. Witches aren't trying to hurt humans because of their evil nature. In fact, we are trying to help save their stupid asses from the actual evil, that is lurking in the shadows of their world. And yes. I am one of those women. I am a witch. But contrary to common belief, men in our families are gifted with magic as well. Wizards are just as real as witches. Blood doesn't choose. You are born as you are, and nothing can ever change that.

No one knows how our bloodline began, but there is data about magic, leading all the way back to ancient history. So, to put it lightly, we are quite old. But we age, die, and can be hurt as easily as humans. Well, not that easily. We are magical folks after all.

However, we aren't the only supernatural beings that live in this world. We coexist with werewolves and vampires. Which is more of a necessity rather than a choice. The problem is, we are all dying out. All three races. Throughout history, we have all lived independently, trying not to cross each other’s paths too often. But that all changed after a terrible war. It took a big a toll on everyone and despite our victory, the losses were massive.

That is when the leaders of each race gathered and established a joined community of supernatural beings. We even got our own school. The Elite, Lycans and Strigons Joined Seminary. It's like kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, high school and college all in one. Sounds fun, right? Well, it isn't. At least not for everyone. Just like in the human world, high school sucks for magical beings too.

Remember what I said about protecting humans from evil? We all have one big enemy. The same enemy that pushed us to the brink of extinction. Sadly, there is nothing we can do to stop it properly. The creatures that we are constantly fighting are called the soulthieves. And they are the ones that should be truly feared in this world.

They are creatures unlike any other. Invisible to the plain eye of humans, but the worst kind of monsters in the eyes of all supernatural beings. I’ve never seen one up close, but they all look like some sort of disfigured shadows, with blood red eyes that can see everything. Literally everything. If you try to hide from them, you don’t stand a chance. They will notice you through a wall.

As their name already tells, they feed on souls. I know, doesn’t sound that scary if you avoid them, right? Well, it doesn’t end here. Every soul they eat, stays inside them for a few days. And then they birth it back to the world, creating a new soulthief. To make matters even worse, they are unkillable. The only thing that at least chases them away is life in the purest form. Our magic.

Funnily enough, soulthieves aren’t as strong if they feed on humans. But we are trying to prevent them from feeding at all. From time to time, soulthieves seem to disappear. Their numbers decrease, or at least so it seems. But I don’t think they just vanish. If our magic can’t kill them, nothing can.

There are witches, who dedicate their lives into trying to stop the soulthieves. They do research about which spells hurt those monsters the most and go outside our safe haven, when people of our kind are in danger. They’ve been protecting everyone for centuries, even humans. We call them warrior witches. And I am aiming to join them one day.

But witches, werewolves and vampires aren’t the only supernatural beings to exist in this world. We also invited fairies, mermaids and many others to join our pact, but they refused. Mermaids aren’t in danger that much because I haven’t heard of a soulthief, who would be willing to get themselves wet just to feed. Not when there is so much food waiting on land. Fairies on the other hand … We haven’t heard from their king in a while. It has us wondering if there are even any left in this world.

“You’ve phased out again. What do you keep thinking about so much?” a soft whisper brings me back into reality. I blink a few times, trying to concentrate. The truth is, I’m bored. So bored that I would rather stab my eye than continue listening to whatever our dear Mrs. Fritz has to say.

I look at Katie with a dramatic eye roll that makes her shake her head in disapproval. Well, that’s what I get when I make friends with a goody-two-shoes.

“Have something to say, Miss Pierce?” the teacher suddenly speaks up in a cold tone that would make a middle schooler shiver in fear. But not me. I turn my head towards the old woman, smiling sweetly.

“Yes, I do actually Mrs. Fritz, thanks for asking. I was wondering if we could maybe be listening to something from this century? Just a friendly suggestion,” I speak up confidently, not feeling even a shade of embarrassment. The lady’s face turns bright red, while some of my classmates snicker.

“Quiet!” she barks, then narrows her eyes at me. I stare back at her calmly, still smiling. “If you’re so knowledgeable, then why don’t you suggest what I should teach about?” she asks, clearly trying to challenge me. I can tell she’s on the brink of sending me to detention.

“You could start by letting us discuss what happened in Cincinnati yesterday,” I still decide to drop the bomb, making the entire class shut up instantly. Mrs. Fritz goes pale, the change oddly contrasting her previous tomato-like face.

We all stare at her in expectation, wanting her to explain why something so horrible could happen. “I’m afraid I can’t discuss that with you,” she finally says, her voice shaken, but determined. I press my lips together. Bullshit. She only doesn’t have the balls to talk about it. It’s easier to pretend that everything is normal.

“Witches died. We always discuss witches that died in this class. Isn’t this the point of it?” I hear myself saying, my tongue being quicker than my mind. Mrs. Fritz looks at me, her facial expression screaming that she’s pissed at me.

“Out, Miss Pierce. And don’t you dare roam around the building. Wait outside until the end of class, so I can come up with the proper punishment for you in the meantime,” she commands, trying her best to remain calm. But I am good at reading people. I can see her hands trembling despite her trying to hide it. A vein traitorously standing out on her neck.

I pack my things with a polite smile on my face, trying to ignore my best friend’s disapproving gaze. I hope Mrs. Fritz keeps me long enough that I don’t get scolded by Katie.

Before I open the door, I turn towards our professor once again. “With all due respect Madam, my words might’ve been harsh, but they were true. Witches did die yesterday. And they’re going to keep dying if we don’t so something about it.” I disappear without waiting for an answer.

I am usually very loud and highly opinionated, but I don’t fight the system. Was interrupting the class wrong? Not entirely. But did I cross the line while doing it? Hell yes. Although I never said diplomacy was my strong point. Therefore, I kind of deserve whatever punishment I’m going to get. So, there you have it, loud and righteous, that’s just who I am.

I wouldn’t normally provoke our History teacher like that. I’ve lived through my fair share of Mrs. Fritz’s boring classes. But everyone’s been so dismissive about yesterday’s events, that I can’t cope with it.

A group of warrior witches responded to an emergency call from Cincinnati yesterday. The city is about an hour’s drive from the Seminary. They’ve been told that there is a mother with four children, being chased by soulthieves. She was supposed to be a witch and has been trying to fight them off, but there were too many.

So, five of our warrior witches came to her aid. They were in contact with the warrior headquarters the whole time, until something went wrong. They heard the entire fight, until the connection was broken. The warriors were proclaimed as deceased. But you see, the thing that irritates me the most, is that everyone is just moving forward like nothing significant happened!

In that moment, the bell rings, the loud sound making me flinch in surprise. The door across me opens and reveals a bunch of bulky kids, excited that the lesson is finally over. Great. It’s the same class that I’ve been meeting throughout today. I immediately spot a few familiar faces, making me want to bury my head into the wall behind me.

“Look who’s here!” one of them immediately alerts his friends, which is completely unnecessary in my opinion. They’re all already staring at me like hungry dogs.

“Ooh, Pierce, don’t tell me you’ve been sent out again!” a familiar voice speaks up from behind them, making my lips twitch. I forgot about that douchebag already. At least I didn’t have to look at him for about … Well, I haven’t seen him since the last break. To explain my feelings shortly, I would be perfectly content if I never saw him again.

“No, I left voluntarily. Not that it’s any of your business,” I respond, crossing my arms against my chest just as I meet Marcus’s provocative gaze. He smirks and reaches the bench in a few quick steps, plopping himself down next to me. I roll my eyes, not even attempting to slide away from him. I know he would just corner me again.

“Don’t be so mean. Or I’ll never let you touch this,” he remarks, gesturing down his body. Gross. Like I would ever want to. Don’t get me wrong, Marcus is extremely attractive. He’s tall, muscular, just like every other werewolf. But it’s his face that makes the difference. With his messy sand-colored hair and deep blue eyes he has the entire school swooning over him. Even the seniors. The only problem that I have with him is his attitude.

“Want me to barf all over that?” I offer, making fun of him by making the same gesture on his body. He’s about to say something, when I feel someone sit down on my right side, so I turn my head.

“Please do, he’s been impossible today,” Jake practically begs me, before flashing his million-watt smile at me. It makes my stomach flutter. “By the way Evelyn, are you setting up a personal record or something?” he asks, his smile fading a little. I find myself furrowing my eyebrows in confusion.

“What? Why would I be doing that?” I respond, trying to figure out what he means by that. I can hear Marcus laughing quietly beside me, but I decide to ignore him. But I can see Jake locking gazes with him in amusement.

“Well, it’s the third time we’ve caught you sitting outside a classroom, while everyone else was still inside. In one day,” he explains as he finally looks back at me. I shake my head at him in disbelief.

“So what? I get sent outside often,” I try to fight for my dignity, or whatever’s left of it. But the boys are both laughing at me, making me throw my hands up in frustration.

“Yeah, you do. But you’ve settled your weekly number in one day and it’s only Thursday. Are you sure you’ll survive until the weekend?” Marcus jokes, making them both laugh even harder.

I lean my head on the wall, hoping that Mrs. Fritz finishes her boring lesson before I start using magic on the hallways. “Hilarious,” I remark dryly, making the boys tone down a bit. Jake throws an arm around my shoulders and ruffles my hair playfully.

“We’re just trying to cheer you up. You’ve been in a horrible mood today,” he tells me. Like I’m not aware of that. How can I be cheerful when witches have been killed yesterday and no one in the school is lifting a finger? Or at least shedding a tear, damn it.

“And my mood will only get worse if you keep ruining my hair,” I mumble, unable to speak properly from his strong grip. He chuckles and I can feel the sound coming from his broad chest.

“Why are you so grumpy? Seriously, are you on your period or what?” Marcus remarks, making me stiffen. I don’t know how Jake realizes that he needs to loosen his grip, but I am turning around in a nanosecond, glaring daggers at his friend.

“No, but would you like to get it? From your nose, maybe?” I grit through my teeth. I truly can’t stand this i***t. Not even with his mouth shut.

“Relax, Maleficent. Or would you like to touch me after all?” he keeps provoking me with a childish grin on his face. I narrow my eyes at him. I won’t let myself be trolled anymore.

“Not even in your dreams,” I answer as calmly as I can, before turning back to Jake. He seems amused by our banter, but quickly turns serious as he sees the look on my face.

I’m about to open my mouth, when the door beside us finally opens, a queue of my classmates rolling out of it. Oh, here we go again. Katie sends me a sympathetic look as she passes by, discreetly signaling that she’ll be waiting for me in the cafeteria. I hope Mrs. Fritz won’t be keeping me long, or else I’ll have to wait in line like a loser.

“Ahem,” Mrs. Fritz suddenly announces her presence, making the three of us look up. “I believe you boys have something better to do now. Like attending lunch,” she then remarks, sending a meaningful gaze at my companions.

Marcus stands up first, offering the teacher a cheeky grin. “Of course, professor.” I hold my peace, not wanting to pick another fight with him today. But he just can’t leave in silence. He looks at me and winks, farewelling with the next words: “Laters, baby.” I roll my eyes at him, almost missing the meaningful gaze Jake sends me.

“Later?” he asks, but in a much different way than Marcus. We both know what this word means, especially with how he says it. So seductively. I let my eyes stare at him hungrily for a moment before nodding. He then smiles, turns to Mrs. Fritz and quickly bows his head in respect. Then, he disappears down the hallway after Marcus.

I take a deep breath before turning to the teacher, knowing that I’m about to break the record on school’s longest punishment. But if it meant getting to know one part of the truth about what really happened in Cincinnati … It would all be worth it.

“You must know, that trying to completely rob me of my authority in class is not only disrespectful, but also against the Seminary’s guidelines,” she speaks up after a long moment of silence, watching me sternly. I shrug, completely nonchalant about her words. What am I supposed to say in my defense? I did what she’s accusing me of. She has every right to punish me.

“I know. I was trying to use all my sources to finally hear the truth. The school shouldn’t be silent in a moment like this,” I declare, deciding to stand my ground despite being in a bit vulnerable position. She is after all looking down on me. Because I’m sitting on a bench.

Mrs. Fritz watches me for a long moment, seeming conflicted. “You are one of the Seminary’s best students, Miss Pierce. One of the best, but also one of the most rebellious ones. I don’t want to punish you, but I have to,” she speaks again, making me shrug. I know she’ll do what she has to. No one else hesitated either. And I’m done explaining that there’s a difference between being rebellious and being opinionated.

I sit there in silence for a few long moments, waiting for her judgment. But it doesn’t come for a while. Okay, is my punishment making me miss my lunch break? Because that’s just plain mean. How will I survive the rest of my classes hungry?

“Get up. I’m taking you to the place where you’ll be serving detention for the next two weeks. In the evening, of course. After the main detention, which you’ve already earned yourself today,” she finally decides, making me look up in surprise.

“Aren’t you just going to elongate my existing punishment?” I ask, a bit bewildered by her words. She scoffs, now gesturing me to get up more quickly.

I put myself on my feet just as she says: “Then I would have to keep you there for the entire year.”