Page 105 of Echoes of the Banshee

“Do you have a copy?” I ask. She walks to the wall and starts pulling out scrolls to try and find what she’s looking for. “Is there anything older, something that says the original races are spiritborne?”

Pulling one out, she stops and turns to look at me. “Why are you asking?”

Should I risk it? She seems like a good teacher, but is a witch.

“A project for Spiritborne History got me thinking about it and I decided I wanted to know about the legal origin, that it would add an interesting layer,” I lie.

She studies me then passes me the scroll. I roll it out on her desk, scanning till I find what I didn’t want to find.

Spiritborne are classified as the original three races; Witches, Elves and shifters.

“Why are witches listed as an original race, we’re evolved from elves,” I ask. “And Goblins are an original race and they aren’t listed.”

“Well the document is from the fifteenth century, at that time we didn’t know about where species came from so they listed the three most prominent.”

“But goblins…”

“They were slaves and are considered below even nightblinds,” she tells me and my stomach drops out. Are, not were.

“Oh, okay. Thank you.” I walk to my seat and attempt to focus on my work, once again reminded that the world isn’t fair.

I corner every teacher I can over the next week, and they all give me half answers. No one will tell me why goblins aren’t considered spiritborne. The librarian Mr. Jordan doesn’t know anything about the spell that they use on the books. Only that he stamps them with a special tool when they first arrive.

Wednesday I’m in Advanced Curses, rethinking my decision to become a witch lawyer when my phone lights up with a GhostChat alert.

Prof-Tea:

Vero, Kai, Lennox and Thea. Meet me outside the Robins building ASAP.

All others, class canceled.

The Robins building? I discreetly open a map of the school and it takes me more than a minute staring at Otherfell to find it because I hadn’t thought to look. The small building is barely visible tucked in the back between the forge and the maintenance shed. The goblin building.

Thankfully all my work is done for class so I approach the Professor and show her the message from Tennant. She nods and I leave the class. Lennox is walking across the quad and I call out and say hello, falling into step beside him.

“Any idea what’s going on?” he asks.

“I was hoping you did. Is this normal?”

“No. Occasionally she’ll have classes that are optional for those who have the wrong type of magic, but she’s never called us out of other classes before.”

We reach the Robins building and both stand awkwardly by the door, unsure what we’re doing here.

After a few minutes Vero and Kai join us and we wait, talking of nothing.

A line of Goblins heads into the building as classes change.

“Thea?” Benson asks as he comes around the corner. “What are you doing here?”

“Not sure, my teacher just told us four to meet her,” I say gesturing to the three leaning against the wall. He follows my gaze and studies the other witches for a moment. Before understanding crosses his face. He looks at me again then starts to take his jacket off. “Put this on, it’s going to be cold.”

I slide it on. “Thanks. Do you know why we’re here?”

“Yes.” He turns and walks inside.

“Stupid useless goblin,” Lennox says and I spin on him.

“Excuse me?”