by R K Dreaming
Percy shot Octavia a look that silently said, imagine what she’d say if she knew you were half-sentinel.
Octavia glared at her.
Percy quirked her eyebrows snarkily before looking away.
Percy had spent some of her time at the library last week looking up stuff she could find on sentinels. They were a deeply private group, so much of what Percy had found had written about them was from the perspective of the eldritch, who regarded them as dangerous hunters.
But one dusty old book had given examples of the sentinel lineages that claimed to be descendants of the valkyries themselves. And that the sentinels in general did not consider themselves fully human, but did act as protectors of the community of Humble human beings. There was evidence that certain renowned sentinel warriors throughout history had been exceptionally strong, even fighting off entire packs of werewolves by themselves. Personally, Percy thought these tales might have been made up by the sentinels to inflict fear in the hearts of the eldritch. Sometimes fiction really was more powerful than facts.
Percy thought Octavia was arrogant enough to consider herself part valkyrie without a shred of proof. Percy wondered what the valkyries had looked like. Because all that Octavia looked like was a vampire with her exceptionally pale skin and her haughty features.
Bella had grown bored with the conversation at her table. She had scooted her chair over towards Percy’s own table, and was whispering with Delphine, who was also a succubus.
The Queen Bee was blond haired, grey eyed perfection, irritatingly so, just the way one would expect a succubus to look like.
Delphine wasn’t quite so perfect. She looked like a young Celine Dion, a Humble singer whose heartfelt ballads Percy’s mum had once played all the time. With her long face, her hollow cheeks and deep-set eyes, Delphine should have looked averagely pretty, and yet there was that strange overall sense that she was very attractive indeed that made people keep looking her way. It was part of a succubus’s Allure, Percy supposed.
Bella and Delphine were whispering furiously, and had not bothered to disguise the frequent sneering glances they kept shooting in Percy’s direction.
“Enough with the leering,” Percy snapped. “You’re not my type.”
“You wish,” Bella hissed.
The teacher hurried over to urge Bella back towards her own table.
Whatever Bella had said to Delphine had clearly made an impression on the latter, because Delphine spent the rest of the lesson making snide remarks about Meeks.
“I mean, I don’t really see the difference between a Meek and a Humble,” she said. “I think the Meeks should be educated with the Humbles, and see no reason for them to be at these Eldritch Community Studies classes at all. What exactly do they add to the community? They’ve got no magic. They’ve got no extra strength or speed or powers or weird bodies like the finfolk with their underwater gills and whatever. What exactly is a Meek good for anyway?”
“What are you good for?” Percy snapped back. “Succubae literally have to feed off the life force of other living beings to survive. Don’t you die if you don’t feed on someone’s life force for long enough? How long does that take? How does that make you any different from a parasite?”
“Our community feeds responsibly, I will have you know,” Delphine snapped.
She scowled, and took a furtive swig at her bottle, after glancing at the teacher in a way that made Percy sure whatever was in it wasn’t just soda. Then quickly stuffed the bottle back into her bag.
“I can see that,” Percy said with disgust.
“Shut up!” said Delphine. “We baena help those who help us. Succubae and incubae have been famous businessmen and philanthropists and judges and mayors. We contribute to society. How many Meeks have done the same? Can you even name one?”
Percy rolled her eyes. “The only reason I can’t name one is that we are not full of ourselves like you. Your people can’t bear to live without the hero worship. You’re just dying to be celebrities, every one of you.”
The bickering continued until the end of the lesson and spilled over into Sports which came next.
Percy groaned when the Sports teacher told them that they would be playing hockey. She hated hockey, with the hard sticks and the even harder ball, wielded by super strong superfast werewolves and other eldritch students.
Any eldritch students who weren’t as strong, including many of the finfolk and all of the Meeks and Nan, simply did their best to stay out of the way.
This lesson staying out of the way became impossible for Percy, who found herself the target of Delphine’s hockey stick for the entire duration. Delphine seemed to have decided that Percy’s ankles were the ball, and she chased them as often as possible.
“Are you blind?” Percy snapped at her.
“You’re the one who’s blind. Blind and Meek.” Delphine sniggered. “You can’t even see me coming.”
WHACK! Her hockey stick thwacked into the bony ball of Percy’s ankle. Percy did her best not to scream.
She gritted her teeth, dodged another whack, and said, “Better a Meek than a desperate glory-hungry succubus. You’re so busy panting after being one of Bella’s Bees that you’ve lost your senses.”
Delphine took another swipe. Percy managed to jump out of the way. Panting for breath, she zigzagged while Delphine pursued her.
“It must hurt to not be good enough to be a Bee,” she taunted. “Imagine coming in second to Bland Barbie. And all because your name doesn’t fit. D is for Dunce. B is for Beautiful and Bitchy and Bonkers. Have you considered changing it? Maybe Bella will let you in.”
The hockey stick swiped at her. Percy managed to kick it out of the way, but her big toe paid the price. Pain went screaming down it.
Delphine gave a jubilant screech.
“You think that hurts?” she taunted. “Wait until I really come for you. You’ll hurt so bad you’ll never come to school again!”
The succubus was faster than Percy, and it was impossible for Percy to give as good as she got. She ended the lesson feeling like everything from her knees down was one big bruise. It hurt so much she feared her ankles might be fractured.
As Delphine stalked back towards the changing rooms looking satisfied, Percy hobbled behind the class with Nan lending her a shoulder for support.
“You shouldn’t have goaded her,” she said.
“So this is my fault?” said Percy. “Are you sure it isn’t Lucy’s?”
“Oh shut up,” said Nan. “You need to go to the school nurse.”
“No time for that,” said Percy. “I’ll put some ice on them when I get home. I need to find Headmistress Glory before she leaves for the day.”
“Why?” asked Nan suspiciously.
“She told me to keep her updated on the Lucifer situation,” said Percy.
Wincing, she stopped to lean against a wall and give her ankles a break.
“And you’ve decided that you need to update her right this minute, have you?” said Nan skeptically.
“Don’t you think that we should show her the letter and the train ticket from Frank’s locker?” said Percy.
“No I don’t. Why can’t you just leave this alone?” moaned Nan. “It’s none of our business. We don’t even know that the letter and the train ticket mean anything. Maybe Frank felt under so much pressure that he just couldn’t handle it.”
“So now you think it wasn’t Lucy’s fault after all?” said Percy snarkily.
“You know I didn’t mean it like that,” said Nan.
“The fact that Frank was shortlisted for such a major prize was obviously important to him. Maybe he was looking forward to having some success for once in his life. Something he could gloat about. Don’t you think someone should look into it at least?”
“They are looking into it,” said Nan pleadingly. “Octavia and Felix are investigating on behalf of the Eldritch Council. You yourself said they were good at their jobs, so why can’t you trust them to get o
n with it? And do you always have to be so snarky with them? Do you want them to think that you were involved with this? Do you want them to think that you really did do it and that you’re gloating?”
“How are they supposed to investigate if they don’t even have the full facts?” demanded Percy.
“You just want to show them that letter. You want to rub it in their faces.”
“You’re darn right, I do. I want to see the look on Octavia’s face when she realizes I found something she missed.”
“You always have to be involved,” said Nan despairingly. “Can’t you just live your life and let others live theirs? This isn’t your job. And it isn’t your job to have to look after Lucifer all the time. Don’t tell me that you didn’t get involved in this whole thing because you weren’t worried about him in the first place.”
“If I don’t look out for him,” said Percy, “who else will?”
“I just think that you need to start living your own life, and let him worry about his.”
Percy looked suspiciously at Nan. “Is that how you felt about me? That you were always having to look after me when I was Demonling?”
“What do you think it felt like to be a cherub on your shoulder for all those years in Hell?” said Nan. “Did you think that I never wished for a life of my own? A life where you weren’t running around creating havoc and me always trying to stop you but always ending up having to clean up your messes? It wasn’t fair!”
Percy crossed her arms stiffly. “Well if you feel like that—”
“I don’t,” said Nan quickly. “It was just frustrating is all.”
“Fine,” said Percy. “All I’ll do is hand the letter over to Headmistress Glory and she can make up her mind what she wants to do about it, and she can give it to Octavia and Felix if she wants to. I’ll stay out of it. You happy now?”
Nan heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness,” she muttered.
She offered her arm to Percy again to lean on. With her help, Percy continued to hobble towards the changing rooms.
“We can go back to Magicwild Market tomorrow after school, if you like,” said Nan consolingly. “You know, to show your photo around again.”
Percy nodded. By the time they had both showered and changed, all of the other students were long gone. Nan was apologetic about having to hurry off. Her mum was waiting to pick her up outside of the school gates.
Percy limped towards the headmistress’s office, and as she turned the final corner she was surprised to see Octavia and Felix up ahead, loitering not far from the headmistress’s door. They were in a huddle with Shara Greyshale.
Percy quickly ducked back around the corner, and strained her ears to listen.
“Can you please just tell Councilor Strickt?” Shara was saying.
“What makes you even think that we know him?” said Octavia sounding very annoyed.
“Because I saw you both talking with him at the Beauty Pageant,” said Shara. “I know he would do it if you would just ask him.”
“No,” said Octavia.
“Maybe we could,” said Felix. “There’s no harm in just asking.”
“Yes there is,” snapped Octavia. “There are official channels she can take, but she wants to skip them!”
“I’ve tried, but they take months for approval,” pleaded Shara. “I don’t have months. I need it now.”
Sounding regretful, Felix said, “I’m really sorry Shara. But you can always try Madam Strickt, the new Eldritch Student Liaison Officer? See if she will help?”
“Madam Strickt?” Shara sounded doubtful.
“She’s his sister,” said Felix.
Percy heard Shara thanking Felix and then the sounds of her footsteps retreating.
Percy waited a few moments and then to turned the corner. Octavia immediately saw her coming and her eyes narrowed.
“Come to report a murder have you?” she said.
Clearly she expected Percy to say no, and her eyebrows rose in astonishment when Percy said, “Maybe I have.”
“We already looked into it,” said Octavia heatedly. “And our report confirms a ruling of suicide. Or are you going to tell us that you saw a black cloud hanging all around Frank’s body?”
“What black cloud?” Percy said, opening her eyes wide.
“You know, your stupid black cloud of doom that you told us about before the Beauty Pageant,” said Octavia making a face. “You made yourself sound ridiculous. Councilor Strickt said he’d never heard of such a thing, and he’s been working at the council for decades.”
“I think you might have imagined this whole black cloud thing,” said Percy, deadpan.
Octavia glared, but Percy saw the corner of Felix’s mouth twitch as if he was trying not to laugh.
Clearly it was no use telling Octavia that Percy had indeed seen a black cloud of doom hanging around Frank’s satchel, and there was no point asking what the contents of the satchel had been either. There could have been anything in there, and Octavia wouldn’t have been able to see which one had the cloud of doom on it.
“Well?” demanded Octavia. “What are you doing here?”
“What are you doing here?” demanded Percy just as impertinently.
“We are here to report our findings to the headmistress, of course,” said Octavia snootily.
“I’m here to report my findings too,” said Percy equally as smugly.
Octavia looked at her suspiciously, and then laughed, “You’re just here to snoop. You’ve got nothing.”
Percy took Frank’s envelope out of her bag and waved it in front of Octavia’s face. “Haven’t I?”
Octavia tried to snatch it, but Percy whipped it away and put it into her pocket.
“Trying to steal my glory again, Octavia? You really should be more thorough in your work.”
Octavia seethed. She seriously looked like she was considering either snatching the letter out of Percy’s pocket or exploding in frustration.
Headmistress Glory’s secretary saved Percy from either of those outcomes. That stalwart old battle axe, Mrs Preem, came out into the hallway at that moment. Seeing Octavia and Felix, she said, “There you are. Don’t keep the headmistress waiting!”
She allowed the three of them into the headmistress’s office. The first thing Octavia did was try to persuade the headmistress to eject Percy from the office. She looked miffed when the headmistress refused to do so. Then she proudly gave her report, speaking over Felix any time he tried to add anything. Her overall conclusion was that Frank had been lonely and friendless for his entire school career, paranoid about his looks given his goblin heritage, and had finally decided he had nothing to live for and succumbed to his sadness.
“Gosh,” said Percy. “Imagine if there is a serial killer at work in Humble High and your incompetence gives them the chance to get away and kill again.”
Octavia glared. Felix frowned and looked enquiringly at Percy.
Headmistress Glory said coolly, “What proof have you, Miss Prince, to back up such an inflammatory statement?”
Percy handed over the envelope. “It looks like Frank Eaton-Phillips did have a reason to live after all.”
The headmistress read the contents. She raised her eyebrow. “Where did you get this?”
“Found it in his locker,” said Percy.
“You did not,” snapped Octavia. “We already emptied it.”
“Missed it, didn’t you?” said Percy.
The look Octavia gave Percy could have withered a blue whale.
“Well done, Miss Prince,” said Headmistress Glory.
“But… But she shouldn’t have even been interfering in this case!” said Octavia in disbelief.
The headmistress looked impassively at Octavia. “And yet, if it weren’t for Miss Prince, you wouldn’t have this new information at all, Miss Smythe-Smith.”
“What new information?” demanded Octavia. “As a representative of the Eldritch Council at this school, I demand to see it.”<
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Headmistress Glory skewered Octavia with her flinty aquamarine eyes, and under that searing gaze Octavia struggled to maintain her equilibrium.
“Sorry, headmistress,” she muttered. “Please can we see it? It might be relevant to our report.”
Percy did her very best to not say, Ha! But she did throw Octavia a victorious look.
Octavia gritted her jaw, and looked horribly grateful as the headmistress handed over the envelope. She read the contents, and then said, “But this doesn’t mean anything.”
“How stupid are you?” said Percy. “It means that he had every reason to live, and you have not dug deep enough, so why don’t you do your job and look into it?”
“Enough,” said the headmistress coolly. She indicated her door, and said, “I suggest you do look into it Miss Smythe-Smith and Mr Fiori. And keep me updated. Now, I’d like a word alone with Miss Prince.”
Octavia and Felix left, Octavia marching out stiffly with her chin up in the air. Even Felix shot an admonishing look at Percy over his shoulder. She opened her eyes wide and shrugged as if to say, it’s not my fault that you didn’t find it.
She felt a tad guilty. She hadn’t intended to drag Felix down with Octavia. Perhaps she should have just given the letter to him in the first place.
When the door had been closed firmly behind them, the headmistress wasted no time in saying, “It’s you who should be digging deeper, Persephone. Or do you want the two of them to find a connection to Lucifer before you do?”
“I already know the connection to Lucifer,” said Percy. “The boy Frank was following him around trying to get some tips on public speaking, clearly because he was worried about having to go to this book prize ceremony that he was hoping to win.”
“And did you ask Lucifer where he was when the boy died?” asked Headmistress Glory.
Percy froze.
No she had not, because she had not thought she needed to. But now she recalled that before she had found Frank’s body, she had gone to the library and Lucifer had not been in his office. He had come in a few minutes after she had, smelling of smoke and saying that he had been for a walk.
But no, Percy told herself, it could not have been him. There had been no smell of smoke around Frank’s body. Lucifer must have been exactly where he said he was…
