by Mana Sol
As I turned and walked away, I pulled my books to my chest and held my head high. My heart was racing, my pulse thundering, but he didn’t need to know that. Nor did he need to know that long after I turned the corner, the Nephilim mark on my wrist continued to tingle…
30
Genie didn’t return, and when Addy and I went to look for Olisanna, we found out she hadn’t come back after leaving in the early morning, either. There was no news of when she would come back, either, and there was no doubt in my mind she’d taken Genie with her even though the Third Form student who was her assistant insisted she knew nothing. Of course she didn’t.
“We need to talk to Octavius,” I said once we were coolly evicted from Olisanna’s office. “Or find a way to talk to the Headmaster himself. I heard he’s back, but it won’t be for long. Pompey was talking about it this morning with one of the vampire students because he’s come back to check on them or something, but he’s leaving again in a few days.”
“Either one,” Addy agreed. Her eyes flashed, incensed beyond measure. “Split up. You pick one and I’ll go find the other.”
“We should stay together if we can, Addy. What if they take one of us again, we wouldn’t know.”
“We’re wasting time!”
“If we’re going to do this, we have to do it right. Don’t forget, we’re all Genie has. She doesn’t have family who’ll ask questions like we do. If we drop the ball on this, no one will ever look for her again. Right?”
She struggled for a moment, mouth opening and closing. It was the look of growing betrayal on her face that made me reach out and shake her by the shoulder to bring her back to her senses. “Addy. We both want the same thing. We have to stay calm. And smart.”
“You’re only good at staying calm and smart when it’s about someone else. But if it’s you they screw with, you have a meltdown and say it was all under control the whole time.”
“Addy.”
“Whatever, forget it. Where do we go, then.”
“We’ll go see Octavius first. It’s closer, and he might be more receptive.” As we walked, I was still smarting from her bitter remark, both because I hadn’t expected it but also because maybe I deserved it, too. She didn’t even know how many times I’d truly come close to stepping over the line, like when Zedekiel had interfered that first day in the dining hall before I could blow the green-mouthed fae girl and her friends sky-high. Iaife, I remembered…then stopped myself. I was doing it again, worrying about my own grudges while Genie was still missing.
When we reached the door of his office - so modest he didn’t even have an aide to greet us - we paused at the sound of voices. Someone was already in there, talking to Octavius. A male voice? Older. One I didn’t recognize. Addy and I exchanged looks, and I knew then she had no idea who it was, either, so it wasn’t one of the instructors for the integrated courses. We both leaned in to press our ears to the door.
“You should have told me first!” Octavius snapped. “I could have found another way.”
“We’re out of options. The Nether beasts have learned to attack in daylight when the vampires are weakest. We’ve lost too much ground, Cato.”
Addy frowned. “Octavius’ first name,” I mouthed, and she frowned even harder as if she’d never considered how he must have one. Typical. We returned our attention to the muffled argument inside.
“- making unprepared children fight will only make things worse, Ezrafil!”
“We have no more options. We can’t lose an entire outfit to the Nether without at least trying to rescue them. She’s our best chance of regaining lost ground with her fire magic. We have too few pyromancers as it is, but only hers can purge the corruption -”
The voice stopped speaking suddenly, and after a beat, I realized why. I leaned back in a swift retreat, dragging Addy back at the same time just as the door clicked open. There, Octavius stood before us in his elegant blue and white attire, though missing the usual dark cloak that went with it. “Ladies,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting you. Is there something you need?”
Damn it. I’d forgotten yet again that vampires could sense humans. No doubt he’d been too distracted to notice at first, but we were out in the open now. And since we were here and I had a good guess as to the identity of the other man in Octavius’ office, we might as well ride the momentum.
“We’re looking for Genie,” I replied. “And it seems like you know where we’d find her. So, if you don’t mind?”
“Now’s not a good time, Miss Blair. We can speak tomorrow -”
“Who’s that guy behind you?” Addy demanded. “Where’d he take Genie? It’s him, isn’t it? Only one pyromancer I know who’s gone missing in this trap of a fish tank school, don’t lie to - oh, no. You’re one of those.”
Those. Yes. I was echoing the same dismayed sentiment in my head when a shape loomed over Octavius’ shoulder. We’d never seen this man before in our lives, but we knew what he was: Nephilim. There was nothing of the inherent predatory aura about him like with a vampire, but a similar presence of inhumanity radiated from him nonetheless. It reminded me of Zedekiel suddenly even if this one felt more rugged somehow - or maybe I only thought that because I was looking into the man’s lined face and marveling at the gruesome scar that slashed from his forehead and over his eye down to his chin. The knotted, raised scar was tinged with a purple glow, laced with minute threads that ran through it all from top to bottom.
“These are the ones Olisanna selected?”
Octavius stared at us, and for a second I thought he was going to move to obstruct the other man’s view and dismiss us. But with a sigh, he relented and stepped aside against the open door. “Yes. This is Miss Blair Kaine, this is Miss Addison Dorne. Ladies, this is Headmaster Ezrafil of Seraphim House.”
Seraphim House. Figured the headmaster of an Arcane Institute would not only be a Nephilim but hail from the highest branch among them. The aura he exuded was already sinking into my bones. But, I told myself, Zedekiel’s was worse. More annoying. I could handle this. Maybe not Addison, who had stepped back and was visibly twitching. I took up the lead again.
“We came looking for Professor Octavius since we just learned Deputy Headmistress Olisanna has been gone since this morning. She seems to have taken Genie with her, and we’d like to know where they are.”
Silence. A long silence. “I think,” the Nephilim said ever so slowly, “you will want to return to your rooms. Right away.”
His words, low and controlled and so, so effortlessly cold, sent an arctic rush through me that almost made my bones creak. Next to me, Addy froze, and I knew I wasn’t the only one.
But if there was one thing I’d discovered about myself after enrolling at Jupiter Gate Academy, it was that I didn’t give a damn about Nephilim auras.
“You could have lied to us to satisfy us for the moment,” I said. “But you didn’t. So you’re both honest and have nothing good to tell us.”
“Your friend is serving a great need.”
“She’s outside the Wall, then?”
“A great need,” he repeated, and his green eyes gleamed bright in the dim corridor. “One that neither of you can assist her with. I can see in your faces that you intend to argue otherwise, but I’ve received more than enough information to know she is the only one among you three who can be of any use to the People now. If you want to join her so badly, I suggest you prove you are ready first.”
“You send Genie out alone but you leave us here?” Addy demanded, finally free of the intimidation that had locked her tongue. Now she was all but shouting, her voice echoing and bouncing against the stone walls like a living thing. “We’re all she’s got! None of you give a shit about her!”
“Watch your tongue. Your friend came willingly because she understood what was at stake. And she’s far from alone. She’s fighting with some of our best soldiers to bring our men home, and you two are far from deserving that distinction. As I said, improve yourselves and we
’ll trust you to carry that burden with Watts.”
“You’ve never even met us before! You don’t know a thing about us!”
“I know what I’ve been told, and I trust the eyes and ears of those who’ve served the Citadel far longer than either of you. I won’t tell you again. Return to your rooms. Now.”
His aura swelled, and although I grit my teeth and bore it, I heard a small choking sound from Addy that made goosebumps race along my arms. Without another word, I grabbed her hand and dragged her away, ignoring the frustrated grimace I glimpsed crossing Octavius’ face.
“Stop it!” Addy seethed, but it was too late. I pulled her around the corner and didn’t stop, didn’t slow down. She stumbled after me, and it said something that she hadn’t flipped me on my back like a beetle yet. Despite her anger, there was still that: she trusted me.
“Blair!”
I skidded to a stop and whirled around to grab both of her upper arms. “Listen to me,” I hissed. “She’s outside the Wall. I was only guessing but he just confirmed it. She’s there.”
“So, what, you’re okay with that? You’re going to drop it and just go to class tomorrow like nothing’s happened! You’re always on your own anyway, so you don’t need her, is that it -”
“Addy!” I shook her, glaring. “We’re going to go get her. Tonight.”
She was still breathing hard as she stared at me, and we held the silence for a long moment just like that. Quiet. Cold.
“Sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean that.”
“It’s okay.”
“When are we leaving?”
“After curfew. You remember what they were talking about before Octavius realized we were there, right? How the vampires are weakened during the daytime so they need to compensate? Genie’s probably still out there in the Wastes right now, which means looking for her now is going to be like a needle in a haystack. We have to wait until they return to wherever they regroup, which is going to be after dark. All we have to do is figure out where she is. Or hunt her down the hard way.”
“She could die out there! Olisanna told us those Nether shits are -”
“We have to hope she makes it back to the Wall. If we think of a better plan, then we’ll go with that, but right now, we have to figure out a way to get out without being noticed first. Okay?”
“But -”
“Without. Being. Noticed.” I sent a furtive look over her shoulder, and she understood. “Let’s go back. If we hang around and they catch us here, they’ll have more reason to be suspicious. The less attention they pay us, the better.”
“But we’re leaving tonight. You mean it?”
“Yes. I mean it.”
“What I said before -”
“Forget it. It doesn’t matter. Let’s worry about Genie right now.”
It was the truth. It didn’t matter. Her words stung and hooked into me like stubborn barbs, but we had both done that to each other plenty. It hurt, but this wouldn’t be the last time, and I preferred an angry Addison to a passive one.
Because angry got shit done.
“Let’s go figure this out.”
31
We had no choice but to go get dinner if we wanted to seem normal. Not that we were mistaken about our importance - rather, it was that we would be missed by the students who spent their evenings loitering in the dining hall waiting for the humans to show up so they could get in their evening dose of gossip and blistering insults at their tables. They rarely had a chance to do anything since we were in and out so quickly, but today especially, they seemed to keep their distance. No feet stuck out in our way or people ‘accidentally’ jostling us as we moved around the serving tables. Lots of staring, though.
“You think they’re being less ass-y because they got their fill with you yesterday?” Addy muttered under her breath as she heaped spicy soup in her clay bowl. “Or is it because they know we’re going to get them back for it sooner or later and they’re worried.”
“They’re not worried about us.”
“Then what?”
“Zedekiel had words with them yesterday, apparently.”
“What kind of words?”
“To keep away.”
She gave me a sideways look. “You sure you two aren’t having some kind of forbidden thing going on?”
“Forbidden thing.” I pursed my lips. “He’s worried about his friends. Because he knows with a little preparation and the will, I could do awful things to them they aren’t ready for. And we’re protected, at least a little. If they do anything permanently damaging to us, the Citadel’s human population would tear apart everything they could touch. They’re not a threat, but it’s still trouble they don’t want on their hands.”
“Assuming anyone ever finds out. They could bury our bodies in the woods,” Addy pointed out. “Buy off everyone who says otherwise with an armful of ration tickets. Even the rich and powerful have to eat, not that we have anyone rich and powerful on our side.”
“Don’t forget what Octavius said. As much as they hate us, they need us. Or they hope they need us because if we can’t come through for them, they’re out of options.”
“You can’t really believe all that stuff he said about…” She fell silent when a trio of vampires glided up to the other side of the serving table. Good, she was remembering finally that we needed to be careful around them and their all-hearing ears.
“I do believe it,” I said after they left. “He’s the most trustworthy one in the entire faculty.”
“What!”
“He was arguing with the headmaster, for one. He may not be on our side, but I think he was telling the truth as far as that conversation went.”
She grumbled something about bloodsuckers under her breath, and I raised my eyebrows at her.
“I thought you had a thing for vampires. Our first day here on the tour. You definitely showed your cards.”
“I think they’re hot, not that they’re trustworthy. Two totally different things. Just because I hook up with one doesn’t mean I get mushy with him. Easy.”
I gave her a suspicious look. “Is that present tense or is that hypothetical?”
“Don’t worry about it until I bring one into our dorms.”
I rolled my eyes. I couldn’t tell whether she was trying to divert the conversation or brazenly threatening me, but at this point, I couldn’t worry about whether she had an ill-advised relationship with one of the other students or not. Though she had to know better, right?
I gave her another sharp look.
“Leave it alone. I’m telling you, I’m not going celibate until graduation. Two years without getting dicked down? Get out of here. If you can get some action in a closet, then I’m sure as hell entitled to something of my own.”
“First of all -”
”First of all,” she mocked. “Yeah, whatever. Come on, let’s get back.”
We made it to the hallway without incident. Whatever Zedekiel had told his friends - had he really demanded they stay away from me? - news of it must have spread like wildfire. Now the worst of it was just the staring, nothing more for now. I could deal with eyes.
And for the first time, I genuinely hoped they would do nothing more. I couldn’t let anything get in the way of Genie’s rescue tonight, not my ego, not even common sense.
“I didn’t mention it because I thought it was obvious, but on second thought, maybe I should make it clear. You do know what’s going to happen if we bring her back, right?” My voice was measured and calm as we walked back toward our wing. “We need to take what we can with us.”
“Wait. I should have brought more food, then.”
“Not a chance. Everyone’s always watching us. You don’t think they’ll find it odd if you take five times more than you usually do back to your room?” She grumbled something that I didn’t care to ask her to repeat. “We can’t hoard anything they’ll notice. And anything that will get us noticed on the streets. Or slow us down -”
“I know. I’m not dumb.”
“Just making sure.”
We said nothing more the rest of the way to our dormitory wing; we could speak there at length about the other details of our hastily cobbled together plan. I was still numb at the prospect of leaving Jupiter Gate before we had even been here three weeks, but maybe I should have known we would never last here. The odds were too stacked, my temper too volatile - and I was supposed to be the calm one. But I couldn’t sit here on my hands while they did this to us.
I would figure out what to do about my family once this was over, figure out a way to reach out and provide for them even if it was through extralegal means -
“Blair?”
“Yeah.”
“We’re gonna be fine.”
“I know.”
I was lying, but that was all right. She needed to hear it as much as I needed to say it. All we had was our determination, anger, and the human propensity for fighting to the bitter end, for warring…and it would have to do.
The tingling along my wrist and palm was the only warning I had before we turned the last corner. The wooden tray creaked in my grip as I came to an abrupt stop with Addy doing the same next to me. In silence, we stared at the Nephilim leaning against our door with his arms crossed and the corners of his mouth turned down in a mild scowl. What was that expression for? As if we should have been here ages ago to receive His Majesty on our hands and knees.
“You’re going to trip the wards,” I said with a smile. I didn’t come any closer, but my voice carried well enough down the short hallway. It was only us three, after all. “The doors are protected.”
“I don’t need to get inside. We should talk.”
“You sure you don’t have something going on with this dude?” Addy asked out of the side of her mouth, and I ignored her sarcastic question in favor of flashing Zedekiel a smile.
“We’re a little busy, but I can make the time. Can you take my food in? I’ll make sure we’re done here before it gets cold.”
