by W. J. May
Dorian’s eyes darted from one friend to the next, though his face showed no change. He simply nodded slowly, waiting for her to continue.
“The assassin who killed Professor Dorf...they went straight for the history building. But we don’t think they got the person they were looking for. It was dark, it happened quickly, they could have easily come up from behind and assumed Dorf was someone else.” She spoke quickly, staring down at her hands. “The only other teacher there was Uncle Luke, but we don’t think that he would be the target either. Not considering, well...his other job.”
Ironically enough, Luke Fodder’s ‘other job’ was infinitely more dangerous than his time spent at Guilder teaching upper level history. The guy had fended off assassins too many times to count. But those times were usually in an industrial plant in Ukraine, or a crowded street fair in Greece. They very rarely happened in the rolling English countryside.
“...and you think that leaves me?”
The words fired out quickly, but it was impossible to tell whether Dorian was angry or not. If he was, he was doing a good job hiding it. But the question still remained.
“You taught history in Sussex,” Benji said quietly, glancing up to meet his eyes. “If anyone knew you were coming here...it would be the first place they’d look.”
Dorian flashed him a look and he bowed his head quickly, waiting for the axe to fall. But, as it turned out, he would be waiting for a long time.
The professor opened his mouth to answer then fell silent, staring somewhere past them with a vacant expression in his eyes. A second later he pushed to his feet, looking more troubled than he had at any point during their comical rescue.
“I thought I was being paranoid,” he murmured, making his way to the window. “I didn’t even think to file a report...”
Aria shot a look at the others, too breathless to speak. The man was quiet for a long moment before turning back to them with that same troubled frown.
“My office was broken in to yesterday,” he said abruptly. “At least I think that’s what happened.” He gestured briskly around the cottage. “I don’t know if you can tell, but I’m not exactly the most organized person in the world.”
Aria followed his gaze with the hint of a smile. His blunt way of speaking reminded her of her parents, as did his tendency to take his work home with him. She’d been too anxious when they’d first arrived to notice, but every available inch of floor space was filled with a charming array of clutter. Everything from books, to boxes of clothes, to so many more books, she wondered why he didn’t just ask if he could store some of them at the library. The office was a different story.
“What makes you think someone broke in?” she asked hesitantly, still wondering whether they were going to be drawn and quartered for trespassing.
“My car keys were missing,” he answered quietly, speaking more to himself than to her. “As well as a few other things of little consequence. But the door was locked when I left, and open when I arrived. I didn’t think much of it at the time. I found the keys on my desk this morning.”
The friends shared another look, excited beyond belief but trying very hard to rein it in.
“And you didn’t find any clues?” James blurted. “Any idea as to who might have done it?”
Dorian blinked and looked up suddenly, as if only then remembering they were there. His eyes swept down the line with something that bordered on affection.
“So let me get this straight.” He gestured for them to take a seat. “All eight of you snuck out of your dorms to stand guard all night on the off chance that someone decided to attack me?”
Aria paused, not knowing what to say. “Uh...yeah, I guess.”
Dorian’s eyes twinkled and he nodded slowly. “And there was no plan besides if you saw something going wrong, you were going to attack and rescue me in the nick of time. Is that right?”
The friends blanched at the same time, feeling more than a little ridiculous. This time Aria nudged Jason, who self-consciously dug his toe into the carpet.
“Well, when you phrase it like that...”
Dorian laughed aloud, taking off his glasses and wiping them on his shirt. This time, the affection was undeniable. It lingered long after the laughter was over, softening into something more serious as he looked each one in the eye.
“Thank you. All of you.” He chuckled again at their incredulous faces. “I mean it. While there were definitely a few flaws in execution...it’s the thought that counts. Thank you—sincerely.”
Benji lifted his eyes hopefully. “So...we’re not getting detention?”
Dorian leaned back with another laugh. “Oh, no—you’re definitely getting detention. You’re also going to make sure I don’t get charged for any damages done to that door. But I still thank you.”
Aria bit her lip, thinking it over. Yes, the punishment sucked, but if the night had proven anything it was that they weren’t wrong in thinking Dorian was the intended target.
Now if they could just figure out who the attacker was...
“So you really have no idea who would come after you?” she pressed coaxingly. “A disgruntled former student, or employer, or landlord, or even a wife—” She caught herself quickly, paling on the spot. “Not that it’s any of my—I mean, our—business...”
Benji’s right. I have to stop watching so many crime dramas.
Dorian’s eyes twinkled as he slipped the glasses back onto his face.
“No, it is not.” He let it hang for a moment, walking to the kitchen to put on the kettle for more tea. “But as it happens I got along brilliantly with my students, owned my own house, and received a glowing reference from my former employer for this job.” His eyes flashed up with a wry smile. “And I’ve never been married.”
She blushed to the roots of her hair, vowing to never speak again.
“Was there a particular reason you thought I’d have so many people out to kill me?” he asked curiously, pulling down a handful of mugs and then looked at Benji. “You know, instead of your father?”
Benji smiled self-consciously before lifting his shoulder in a shrug. “Only two people taught history, and they say Dorf had no social life outside the school. If he’d made any enemies it would have been sometime in his teens, and I highly doubt they’d be hanging on to a grudge this long. And when it comes to my dad...” He trailed off a moment, shrugging once again. “To be honest, I’d be more worried for the assassin.”
The three shifters looked at him strangely, but the rest of them understood. There had been several close calls over the years, but the Kerrigan gang lived up to their legend. It would be a fool who’d choose to cross them now. Those few times it had happened ended very badly—for the attacker. Angel had once retaliated with such vengeance Molly sent flowers to the guy’s grave.
“But you’d be worried about me?” Dorian asked with a trace of humor.
Benji flushed, staring down at the floor. “I-I didn’t mean...”
“Our parents have years of training,” Lily ventured tentatively. “And they always act like someone’s after them—whether they are or not. You were the librarian. We wanted to help.”
The second the words left her mouth, she looked like she immediately wished she hadn’t spoken. But Dorian softened with an instant smile, offering a mug of tea.
“Like I said, it’s the thought that counts. That was very...considerate of you.”
“But we’re still getting detention,” Alexander muttered.
Dorian lifted his head with a sharp smile. “Yes, Mr. Hastings. For sneaking out after curfew and breaking down a teacher’s door, I am obliged to give you at least one detention. Unless there’s anything else you’d like to add to the list?”
The shifter paled, and dropped his gaze quickly. “No, sir.”
A silence descended on the room. One broken only by occasional sips as the friends attempted to drain their scalding tea. In hindsight, it would look quite comical—kicking down the door onl
y to be rewarded five minutes later with a cup of Earl Grey. In the moment, all Aria could think was how the Council had already failed. The man who’d attacked Dorf had been on campus not once, but twice. A third time seemed almost inevitable. But would it be the last?
“Is that a halberd?” James said suddenly, pushing to his feet.
Aria watched as he crossed to the bookshelf, tugging lightly on a wooden handle peeking from the side. Sure enough the spear fell into his hand a moment later, glistening and new.
“Yes, it is.” Dorian pushed to his feet as well, setting his cup on the saucer. “I’m surprised you recognized it. Most people wouldn’t. It’s a bit old-fashioned now.”
James gave it a cursory twirl, catching it lightly in his hand. “No—these are awesome,” he answered excitedly. “My dad used to let Arie and me play with them in the backyard. Then my mom came home early one day...”
The others chuckled as Dorian approached him with an appreciative smile. “You handle it well. Looks like the lessons sank in.”
James handed it back with a blush. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to push in.”
“Not at all—these things are meant to be used.” Dorian flipped it effortlessly in the air before lunging with a playful thrust. The blade grazed the front of James’ shirt. “My schedule’s so busy now with the school, I barely get the time to practice.”
James let out a breathless laugh, stepping carefully out of reach. Jason walked up behind them, staring at a pair of mounted scimitars on the wall.
“Sixteenth century,” he murmured. “Perfect condition.” He cocked his head as he spotted a chip in the handle. “Well, almost. Where did you get these?”
“From my sister,” Dorian answered, taking them off their hooks and placing them in Jason’s reverent hands. “She was a bit of collector. When she died, her things all went to me.”
Jason sliced one quickly through the air, listening with a grin to the deadly hiss. “These are fantastic. Your sister had really good taste.”
Dorian flashed a quick smile. “She’d have been pleased to hear it.” His eyes flickered without thinking to a chest in the corner, one that assumedly held more of the collection. “At first, I didn’t see the point of lugging it with me wherever I go. Now, with someone breaking in to campus, I’m glad I did.”
The friends looked up slowly as the implication slowly sank in.
“But you wouldn’t...” Aria trailed off nervously. “You wouldn’t fight them yourself, would you?” She happened to know the attacker was gifted with some kind of supernatural speed. All the weapons in the world wouldn’t help with that. “I mean...we don’t even know your ink.”
The teacher lifted his head in surprise, and her cheeks flamed with a blush. It was the second time she’d crossed a line without thinking. If possible, this was even more personal than the first.
You never knew how someone was going to react to that question. Most people grew up knowing exactly what was coming and wore their tatù with pride. But others found it difficult to talk about—especially if it was a set of passive ink. Most times, it was best to let it come up naturally.
“Dude,” Benji chided, elbowing her sharply in the ribs. “Shut up.”
The rest of them looked similarly mortified on her behalf, but Dorian was studying her face with a curious smile. A second later, he started rolling up his sleeve.
“I’m a telepath.”
Aria nodded apologetically, eyes flickering to the ink on his arm. It looked similar to Catalina’s, her roommate. Just with a bit more shading and complication around the edges.
“That’s cool,” she said quickly. “I got that from my mom as well.”
Dorian’s eyes twinkled as he rolled down his sleeve. “I’m sure you did. I’m sure you’ve gotten all sorts of things.” He cocked his head curiously to the side. “No limitations, right? You can absorb, retain, and use anything simultaneously?”
She nodded again as Benji lowered his voice to a comical whisper.
“We try not to talk about it. Her ego’s impossible enough as it is.”
The teacher smiled, taking the halberd resting against the desk now and slipping it back behind the shelf. “I would imagine it hasn’t been easy for any of you. Once they lifted the ban on hybrids, your generation was always in for a bit of a rocky road. Fascinating, though. Endless possibility.”
Given how much controversy there still was in the supernatural community, it was nice to hear such a refreshing take. Yes—endless possibility. Why couldn’t most people just leave it there?
“Even you,” he added suddenly, giving James a nudge. “You must be terribly excited.”
James looked up in surprise, then froze uncomfortably. Since the day he was born the question had weighed heavy on his mind. But he almost never talked about it.
“I don’t know,” he mumbled. “I mean, chances are I won’t get anything.” His eyes flashed resentfully to his older sister. “Arie already got the gene.”
The others glanced self-consciously at their feet, but Dorian remained completely immune.
“Oh, I don’t know about that. The more people with ink are intermarrying, the more that’s starting to change. Take these two, for example. Brother and sister, but they both have the gene. Right, Sophie?”
Aria’s head snapped up, following his gaze in surprise. Yes, things were technically starting to change, but not that fast. It was almost unheard of that two children in the same family would possess the gene. She’d just assumed that they were only half-siblings, like her mother and Kraigan.
“Is that true?” Benji asked incredulously, having assumed the same thing. “You guys are fully related, but you both shift?”
Alexander and Sofia exchanged a quick glance.
“Yeah, we do. But we’re twins,” he added suddenly. “So maybe that’s different.”
The hopeful smile slipped off James’ face as his eyes dropped to the floor. Aria was about to say something, when the spotlight suddenly shifted back onto her.
“So we’ve covered marital status and ink.” Dorian lifted his eyebrows, turning towards her with an amused smile. “Anything else you want to ask me?”
Every instinct told her to stop. She absolutely should have stopped. But she kept going.
“How were you planning on stopping the murderer?”
This time it was too much.
“What is that matter with you?” Lily hissed.
“Shut up,” Jason added under his breath.
Benji shocked her in the ribs for good measure.
“Sorry about my sister,” James deflected apologetically. “Ever since the accident at the zoo, she hasn’t been herself.”
Dorian stared at them incredulously, then let out a sudden laugh—easing the tension in the room. When he was finished he was still smiling, eyes twinkling as he looked them up and down.
“You want to know what I was planning?”
All eight of them froze, then nodded in perfect unison.
“Let me show you...”
Chapter 14
Some kids grew up at daycare, looking at picture books and playing dress-up. Aria and her friends grew up in the Oratory—watching trained agents try to beat each other to death.
There wasn’t an inch of the giant training circle they didn’t know. There wasn’t an inch they hadn’t sparred on themselves. Since they were four years old and gave each other boosts up to reach the weapons, they’d made the space their own. Sparring on the upper levels, filling the secret lower levels with finger-paintings and empty juice boxes from their time spent below ground.
The point being, when Dorian led them to the Oratory that night they shouldn’t have been surprised. They shouldn’t have frozen in the doorway, or watched with wide incredulous eyes as he turned on the lights. It made sense for the three shifters to be acting that way, but not the friends.
And yet, from the moment the door swung open, they found themselves completely stuck.
“This way,” Do
rian cocked his head towards the training mats, still carrying the giant chest of weapons under his arm. “Why so nervous? I would have thought you’d been here tons of times.”
“We have,” Aria said carefully, stepping over the threshold. “Just...not like this.”
Truth be told, she wasn’t exactly sure what ‘this’ was. As a member of the Guilder faculty, Dorian was perfectly entitled to use the facility any time he wanted. The key had been presented his first day, and the doors were open day and night. That being said, he wasn’t a member of the Privy Council. Furthermore, no other members of the Privy Council happened to be training there that night. The place was completely deserted, save for the eight teenagers lingering by the door.
Dorian glanced over his shoulder, then dropped the chest onto the mats with a chuckle. “You feel another detention coming on?”
A smile flickered through the friends as they relaxed ever so slightly, filing inside and shutting the door firmly behind them. Yes, it felt strange to have come uninvited. Especially without an agent. Especially given that all eight of them were breaking curfew after dark.
“You’re allowed to bring students?” Sofia asked lightly.
Dorian glanced up again and seemed to sense that reassurances were required. “I might be new, but I’m fairly certain I can invite whomever I choose. I’m also certain that you charming truants are allowed to break curfew as long as it’s within my supervision.”
When they continued to hesitate he leaned back on his heels, staring at them in surprise.
“I’m sorry if I misread your interest. If you’d rather go back to the dorms—”
“No,” Benji said quickly, crossing the mats to join him. “This is cool.” He knelt down tentatively, fingers grazing the edge of the chest. “May I?”
Dorian smiled, and gestured him forward. “Be my guest.”
The second the mystery box was open, the others flooded towards it. In an ironic way, the supernatural community bred a bit of a warrior culture. While the PC’s doctrine was to promote peace and harmony, they did so through a blinding show of force. The children had been born into that mindset just like the rest of them. Weapons weren’t just dangerous...they were toys.