Dark Mirror by M.J. Putney Read Free Book Online

name is Victoria, but I’m called Tory.” After half a dozen steps, she asked hesitantly, “What did you do to get sent here?”
    “We don’t talk about such things.” Elspeth gestured toward the pamphlet Tory carried. “That tells you the official rules, but new students are always given a tour by an older student who can explain the unofficial rules.” Her fleeting smile was visible more in her eyes than her face. “I’m often called on because I’m a useful bad example.”
    “Why is that?”
    “The average stay at Lackland is about three years. I’ve been here for five.”
    Five years? That was forever! “What did Miss Wheaton do to me? It was awful. ”
    “The school governors claim magic doesn’t work at Lackland, but that’s not quite true,” the other girl said. “People with very strong power usually retain some magic, so Miss Wheaton blocks that. You must have a great deal of ability to feel it so much.”
    Tory bit her lip, not wanting to believe she had strong power. “Since I now have no magic, am I cured? Can I go home?”
    Elspeth shook her head. “You’re not cured. If you left the abbey grounds, most of your power would return immediately, and Miss Wheaton’s suppression spell would fade very soon after that.”
    Puzzled, Tory said, “She must be very powerful to be able to suppress students when the abbey grounds block most magic.”
    “She has a way of resisting the dampening effect Lackland has on everyone else,” Elspeth explained. “She needs that to evaluate students and teach magical control.”
    “Is there a male teacher like her on the boys’ side?”
    Elspeth nodded as she swung open the oak door at the end of the passage. “Yes, Mr. Stephens. He and Miss Wheaton were both Lackland students. They chose to stay and help cure others. Very noble of them.” There was unmistakable sarcasm in her voice.
    They stepped outside into a cloister garden. Roofed walkways ran around all four sides of the courtyard so students could stroll protected on rainy days. “This is the heart of the girls’ school,” Elspeth said. “The boys’ school is a mirror image.”
    Tory studied the ancient, weathered stone walls. Bright beds of blooming flowers and a softly singing fountain in the center of the courtyard made a lovely, serene garden.
    Yet every student in this school was here against her will. All were trapped and frantically trying to find a way out. The knowledge increased her feeling of suffocation. “How do you stand it here?” she burst out. “I arrived less than an hour ago, and already I am desperate to leave.”
    Elspeth sighed. “One can learn to endure almost anything. Even Lackland.” She pointed to her left. “Classrooms are on that side and our living quarters are on the right. Teachers have separate rooms in another building. The section opposite has student public rooms like the dining hall and library and kitchens.”
    “What subjects are taught besides magical control?” Tory asked as they stepped into the garden.
    “There are different academic courses, depending on how well educated a girl is when she arrives here.” Elspeth’s eyes glinted. “You’ll also be evaluated for ladylike ‘accomplishments,’ like music and drawing and embroidery.”
    “Anything that makes a girl more marriageable is useful,” Tory agreed. “Especially since having magic makes us less desirable.”
    “Marriage is not the only possible path for a woman,” Elspeth said calmly.
    Tory stared, so shocked she didn’t know how to respond. Marriage was the goal of all normal women, though it wasn’t always achieved.
    Of course, Elspeth wasn’t normal. Most people would say Tory wasn’t normal, either. “Why have you been here so long?”
    “You want to know so you can avoid my failings?” Elspeth asked with another fleeting smile.
    “Exactly,” Tory said, not smiling.
    “Mrs. Grice would say I’m uncooperative.” Elspeth’s pale green eyes narrowed like a