Fall in love in a weekwe get by

“It’s simple, she couldn’t,” Dougal shrugged his shoulder irritably as he ran. – You could. Miss Blair could, if she could find a way to somehow communicate with me. Nobody else. Curses do not tolerate outside interference. As a rule, the consequences of such interference are extremely sad for everyone. My mother did everything that a person not directly connected to the curse could—had the right—to do. She, fortunately, is smart enough and knows when to stop and rely on fate. Besides, she was sure that I would find out the main thing without outside help, that you are not Miss Blair. ? After such a wondrous discovery, given my character, which she knows very well, the whole truth will only be a couple of steps away.

And again he ran headlong, as if hinting that there was no need to answer this.

The run from the department to the lecture hall was reminiscent of yesterday. Apparently, Dougal simply did not know how to move at normal human speed when something was bothering him or greatly occupying him. But today he at least sometimes slowed down, waiting for me. Mainly when I wanted to say something.

– By the way, while we’re walking, listen to your feelings. In departments and classrooms the security is tighter, in the corridors it is less reliable, there is almost nothing to guard there. A dome of any kind and any intensity can be supported directly by magicians, but human resources are expensive, especially on an ongoing basis. Therefore, magic is usually supported by artifacts. The Academy has a fairly powerful material and magical base, Maskelyne cannot be denied this, and the place itself is one of those saturated with power, so everything is more than good here with the saturation of enchantments.

Listen to your feelings? Everything seems to be the same as always.

– What should I feel? at least roughly?

– Only you yourself can answer this question. You have been given a body capable of sensing, assimilating and transforming magical energy. Your previous experience does not give anything even remotely similar, and the human brain is designed in such a way that it tries to find familiar analogues for everything new and incomprehensible. Which ones exactly? Listen to yourself and you will understand. You physically feel magical vibrations, sources with strong or weak magic, the difference between them. And, of course, danger of any kind. A protective dome is reliability, on the one hand – when, fueled by your own magic, it protects a house, for example. And danger on the other.

– But I didn’t notice anything like that! Nothing special, not once in all these days.

– Most likely, you just weren’t up to it. Too much new information, shock, tension, nerves…

He suddenly stopped and fell silent without finishing. He suddenly raised his hand, stopping me. He asked tensely:

– And now you don’t feel anything?

I didn't feel anything! Absolutely. My Charlotte body felt exactly the same as always. But the outside world…

The same howling, either of the wind or not, that surprised me immediately after appearing at the academy. It became louder and clearer. In my opinion, it went into infrasound: the low, barely audible notes chilled me to the bones and covered me with unaccountable panic.

“I don’t feel anything,” I responded irritably in response to Dougal’s questioning and expectant look. “I can’t even concentrate on my feelings!” What kind of howl is this, can you tell me?! Are they keeping a pack of hellhounds in the Academy's basements?

“You feel it,” he objected sharply. – Exactly this. Such sounds are sometimes caused by a directed effect on ritual stones. But now… The flow of force from the other side is too powerful.

– Ritual stones? – I asked again. – I don’t remember any stones where I was transported. Just a lot of candles and some signs on the floor.

“Paul,” Dougal explained briefly. – Onyx, jasper or jade, depending on the focus of the ritual. Sometimes it’s obsidian. The feeling that now is everything at once. Is there something wrong. – He suddenly grabbed my hand. “We need to find out what’s going on.”

“Isn’t there anyone who…” but Dougal had already taken off. – Stop! Why you? Where is the security?!

– Dome! Artifacts! This is security! Stay strong, stay focused.

I was jerked and… A-A-A! Is this the same thing that will “smear”? It almost rolled out into a thin layer. An eerie and unexpected feeling of being squeezed between two presses. But we were already standing in a completely different corridor. And now I definitely felt this damn dome! My breathing was labored, my legs were giving way from weakness.

Now is definitely not the time for weakness!

Probably, reflexes turned on, that same body memory. A hot, almost burning wave passed from the top of my head to my feet – and I was filled with vigor and strength. Dougal glanced sideways and chuckled:

– Great. Stay close, don't push forward.