And then I was grounded.

I'm kidding. I wasn't grounded.

But let's be real. If I didn't come from a family that kept getting dragged into some pretty random things because of magic, Intervention or prophecies, I would have totally been grounded.

Let me quickly catch you up on what happened while I spent a few days in the hospital.

First: Maddie was right. Kori did go to the Headmaster to try and blame me for Troy's actions. Fortunately for me, Kori chose the worst possible time to all but kick down the door and demand entry. She went while my mum was in a meeting. I wish I could've been there to see the look on her face. I bet it was hilarious. Anyway, from what I was told, Kori had her arse handed to her and was suspended (finally!).

Second: The prophecy deal. Mum was surprisingly chill about the entire thing and didn't lose her shit. The family has been set to work to figure out what it means and what my part in it will be. We've all decided to not avoid it because, well, that never works. Apparently Carmin will be coming to visit in a few days to talk to me about that stuff.

Third: Mum's talk with Headmaster Orion. I'm not allowed to know anything about that for some reason so we'll skip that.

Fourth: Apparently my aunt knows some people who know some people who know some things about Time Magic and the reliability of this book I've been allowed to keep. She'll be paying a visit, too.

Which brings us to the next thing.

The day after I was released from the hospital, I was called into the Headmaster's office. I won't lie, my first thought was "oh fuck", even more so because it somehow made its way onto II's Blog. I was so glad this happened on the no-classes day of the week otherwise I would've had some serious shit flung at me. My friends have decided to go all sleuth and have begun the hunt to find out who this Ivy Invictus person is so they can correct their information (re: get revenge on my behalf).

The Headmaster's office is pretty much what would you expect: An office with a desk, chairs, a big window, lots of bookshelves, and photos lining the walls. There's also a giant whiteboard on one wall covered in writing, and papers and holoscreens everywhere. It reminds me of my mum's office, only this one is a lot neater. An organised chaos compared to her actual chaos. Seriously, don't leave anything behind in my mum's office. You will never see it again.

The Headmaster's assistant was waiting for me when I arrived outside the office. His name is Dynez. He's a Water-Weaver-Lyriumian man with pale blue-purple skin, dark purple hair, and dark blue-green eyes. Dynez is a former student. He graduated two years ago and stuck around because of the job offer. He was my mentor for a while and we've stayed friends since then.

"Hey, Princess," he teased as I approached.

I waved him off and smiled. "Yeah, long time no see."

"How you doin' after the . . . uh . . ." He tapped the side of his head.

It took me a moment to understand. "Oh! Much better now, thanks."

"Glad to hear it." He glanced down at a holoscreen in front of him. "You're a few minutes early. Orion won't be done with his other appointment for another ten. Just take a seat until then."

"Okay. Thank you."

I swear, getting a meeting with the Headmaster is just like seeing a doctor. Even here they always run a little late. Yes, it's better than a lot of other medical places but still, everyone gets annoyed at the wait times sooner or later. Before you know it, ten minutes has become an hour. An hour has become three. It's nuts. Really it's a wonder more people don't go crazy with impatience in these situations.

Thankfully for me, I really did only have to wait the ten minutes. The door to the Headmaster's office opened and the Headmaster himself stepped out, leading a person I didn't recognise back to Dynez. They had a quick, hushed conversation that even I couldn't hear before Dynez led the woman away.

The Headmaster turned to me and smiled kindly. "Hello, Hathor," he said. "Please, join me."

Quick run down on the Headmaster. His name's Orion. He's one of the older people on Lyriumia, around the same age as my grandfather, but not old enough to be considered an Elder. He's both Lyriumian and Fae and has these spooky grey eyes. Don't ask me what his power is 'cause I have no idea. Anyway, he might look a little scary but he's actually a massive teddy bear. But never say that to his face.

I sat in the seat across from him and waited, admittedly nervously, for him to start speaking.

"I have been hearing some interesting things about you lately, Hathor," Orion said.

I flinched. It was going to be one of those conversations. "Yeah, things have been a bit nuts." I tried for a laugh but failed miserably. So much for trying to play it cool.

Orion made that 'hmm' sound he always makes when he's thinking about something. "You would have heard about Kori's suspension by now, correct?"

I nodded. "About time, too."

"Yes." He sounded almost defeated. "Kori has always been a bit of trouble but this is taking it too far." Orion frowned, as though realising what he'd just said aloud. He shook his worry away and sat forward, resting his chin on the back of his hands. "Now, what do you think we should do about your situation?"

I stared. "Which one?"

"You know which one."

Yeah, I did. I looked down at my hands. "Honestly, no idea. Even leaving won't do any good and I'd rather not do that." Leaving would be the ultimate sign of defeat, not that I was saying that out loud. I have this thing against losing to bullies. I'm stubborn.

Orion sat back, once again making his thoughtful sound. "The seasonal market is coming up this week. Many of our students are heading home for it. Perhaps a break would be good for you, and for everyone else."

Oh, right. I'd totally forgotten about that. "Wow," I laughed. "Is that this week already?"

"Time goes fast."

I usually went home for the markets anyway. My family always helps set up before things really kick off on the weekend. My friends usually stick around for it, too. A lot of people go. It's a pretty big event here. You'll see more later. But some people prefer to stay at home where there's less people. Honestly, after going as many times as I have, it's understandable why they'd chose to not go. Aside from the Freeze and Solstices, it's not often we have so many people in one place. Perhaps taking the entire week off wouldn't be such a bad idea . . .

"Do we still have classes until mid-week this year like last time?" I asked.

Orion shook his head. "We're trying something new and having the entire week as leave. Notice went out while you were on hospital. A few students have already left. Kori's suspension will continue after break," he added, sensing my next question.

I nodded. "Well, I guess everyone would be happy to see me a bit early."

Orion smiled. "Very well. It should be a fairly uneventful week."

I nodded again. "Is there, um, anything we can do about . . . you know."

Orion's smile turned serious. "As you know, rumours of this level are not permitted. However—"

"You can't expect the entire planet to change it's mindset in so little time, I know."

"Precisely. We are doing what we can for the time being."

So, in other words, there was nothing they could do on that front. "What about the whole 'someone tried to assassinate me' thing?"

Orion's eyes turned dark. I couldn't help my shiver. "We are looking into that."

Better than nothing. "Glad to hear it."

"I'm sorry I can't do more for now, Hathor."

I smiled lightly. "Don't worry. I know things are a bit weird this year because of what happened last year and the whole Time Magic thing. Maybe everyone will be chill after the market. You know, a break does people wonders."

"That is very true," he laughed. "Now, once you return, I would like to meet with both you and your mother together to discuss what to do next. Would that be okay?"

"Sure," I said. It was hardly a new thing. The joys of being me, I suppose. At least now I had the perfect excuse to not be on campus. Not only that, but I now had the perfect reason to avoid people—to an extent—and actually have some time to chill.

So long as my family was on board with it.