3 The Escape: Part I

"What did you take the magic exam for?!

Kerensa cowered under her mother's verbal assault. Spittle landed on her cheek and she hurriedly wiped it away.

"Don't you want us to get the best education we can?" she protested.

Elias's held back his wife's furious retort instead offering Kerensa a look of sympathetic understanding. "You are exactly right. But studying at a magic school will only distract you from studying the things that truly matter. You'll be going to the Madame and Monsieur finishing school to study etiquette, accounting, and politics. That is the best education you can get."

The proclamation seemed so sincere that Kerensa would've been inclined to believe he had the best intentions for her well-being if she didn't know better. He didn't want her to learn those things to prepare for life as a wife. He wanted her to learn those things to put on the facade of a perfect wife while manipulating her new family into the Fors' control. That way he could gain more credibility to hide his constant dirty dealings and illegal projects that fed their absurdly extravagant life style and his wife's desire for control.

"I understand." Kerensa just had to maintain her dutiful daughter facade for a few more months. A few more months and then her plan would go into action. When the lecture finally ended, Kerensa went to Robin's room where she found her younger sister lying on the bed watching a movie.

"Turn up the volume."

"Wha?" Robin tilted her head in confusion. "It's loud enough already."

"We need to talk."

"We need to talk? Oh. Oh!" Robin pointed the remote at the television and raised the volume by a couple bars. She rolled over and sat on the edge of the bed.

"I got top score in the class yesterday!" she said eagerly as Kerensa sat down next to her.

"That's my sister." Kerensa proudly ruffled Robin's hair giggling as the latter pouted in protest. "You remember the plan?"

Robin nodded eagerly. "We sneak out at night. Then you take the practical exam for the Killmore Magic Academy and we fly away together."

"And you have your fake identity ready?"

"My hair dye, contacts, and card are all ready."

"Good."

-|-

3 months later.

In the dead of night two dark figures slipped out of a side door of the large mansion and darted across the pitch black grounds. Tracing a very specific path to elude the patrolling security, they clambered over the iron fence and slipped away down the wooded road leading over the nearby hill into the city. The security didn't notice. Their job of course was to keep unwanted people out. Not one of them was expecting someone who shouldn't be leaving to be leaving.

Light was already breaking when the two tired figures made it into the city proper. Augsburg was mostly quiet but here and there the bustle of early risers could be heard. The two darkly dressed figures made their way into a just opened coffee shop where the employee at the counter gave their odd outfits a questioning look.

Both of the strange figures removed the cumbersome outer garments revealing a brunette and blond similar enough to be sisters. They seemed quite young to be out so early in the morning.

"Two slices of coffee cake and two hot chocolates," said the older brunette authoritatively walked up to the counter as the younger blond took a seat at one of the tables and sleepily lay her head on her arms.

"Coming right up. What're the cloaks for?"

"Oh, we're planning a hike up in the mountains and wanted to see how warm they were."

'Silly kids, there are easier ways to do that,' thought the amused employee as he fulfilled their order and brought it over to them. The younger one had actually fallen asleep snoring softly while the older one had pulled out a laptop and was typing away at a rapid pace.

"You're taking the magic practical?" asked the employee curiously accidentally noticing the page she was currently on.

"Yup. Did you take it?"

"Nah, I never even took the written test. One of the regulars is taking it this year. Tulane I think his name is?"

"Tulane Sanders?" Kerensa looked up in surprise. She did not expect his name to come up, especially not in this generic out of the way joint.

"Think that's the one. Always the same order, one medium hot chocolate no whip. Shows up at seven every morning like clockwork and then leaves immediately."

"Huh."

-|-

The practical exam was being held at the largest of the local public high schools. Kerensa recognized several of the Fors family informants and servants combing the area. She crossed her fingers hoping that the change in hair color and eye color would keep them out of trouble. As if to answer prayers a person showed up next to the two of them, a person with chocolate colored hair and eyes.

"Oh hey! Its you again!" Kerensa whirled in surprise to face Tulane. He gave her his trademark grin and gestured grandly. "Come on, let's head in. Is this your sister?" Grateful for the cover, Kerensa engrossed herself in the conversation as they casually passed the Fors family agents, just three teenagers chatting away.

"How did you recognize me?" asked Kerensa as they headed for their respective rooms.

"I didn't." Tulane jabbed a finger towards his ear. "My PA did."

Kerensa noticed the black earpiece half hidden by his thick hair and her eyes widened. Automated personal assistants weren't exactly new tech, but they also weren't easy to obtain. The earpiece itself just served as an interface connecting the user to any device with sufficient computing power. Since his PA recognized her presence it must be several generations better than those currently on the market meaning the Sanders had connections in high places. For the first time, Kerensa looked at him as more than just an eccentric handsome rich boy.

They arrived at Kerensa's room first. Since his last name started much later in the alphabet, Tulane was in a different one. He bade them farewell leaving Robin waiting for her older sister to take the test and return.