The principal shot up from her chair with alarming energy.
"Sit, sit!" she said, waving her hands enthusiastically.
Ryan glanced around. There were no chairs. Just stacks of books occupying every potential seating surface.
The principal didn't seem bothered. She flicked her wrist casually, and two stone chairs near the corner of the room lurched into motion.
They dragged across the wooden floorboards with a harsh scraping sound, carving shallow grooves into the wood as they slid toward Ryan and Eleanor. No incantation. Just a simple gesture, smooth and deliberate.
The chairs stopped directly behind them.
"There we are!" the principal said brightly. "Much better."
Ryan stared at the chairs. Stone. Solid grey stone, carved with simple designs along the backrest. They looked heavy, the kind of thing that would take two people to lift.
She moved them without a word.
