We headed deeper into the building, the way lit by flaming torches. My skin prickled with heat and a deep tingle flooded my body. “I hope Geraldine's alright,” I said then chewed anxiously on my lip.
“She's tough,” Tory said firmly. “She'll be okay.”
We reached a long corridor of doors and I spotted a woman in full length blue robes stepping out of one of the rooms.
“Excuse me?” I hurried toward her and she looked up. “Is Geraldine Grus here?”
“Oh, yes, she's in here. She's been through the healing process overnight and has just woken up. She's still a bit drowsy, her injuries were quite extensive,” she said sadly.
“What happened to her?” I whispered, my heart lurching uncomfortably in my chest.
She glanced up and down the corridor. “I can't talk about it. I'm bound by Healer confidentiality.”
“Can we see her?” Tory asked and the woman gazed between us uncertainly.
“I'm not supposed to let anyone in until the Fae Investigation Bureau have spoken with her.” She glanced over our shoulders then leant closer, rolling her lapel back to reveal a shiny A.S.S badge. “Her friend gave me one of these this morning. I know it's not the time but…I'm so humbled to meet you both.” She bowed her head and I glanced at Tory awkwardly. “Just a few minutes,” the Healer whispered with a conspiratorial smile, pushing the door to the room open.
“Thank you,” I said brightly, heading inside. For once, being a Vega Heir had paid off.
The room was dark and smelled of a sickly sweet incense. Warmth washed over me from a fire behind a grate on one side the room and seemed to rush under my skin with its intensity. The thick curtains were drawn and the room looked more fitting for a Downtown Abbey character than an injured student.
Geraldine groaned, rolling beneath the crimson sheets, her hand falling to hang over the side of the bed.
“Hi Geraldine,” I said gently, pulling up a wooden chair beside her.
Tory perched on the bed, giving her a sad smile.
Geraldine rolled toward us and her pale face was revealed between the nest of sheets.
“Gambolling gooseberries!” she gasped. “What are you doing here, your majesties? Surely you haven't come to see me?”
“Of course we have,” Tory said firmly, patting her wrist.
“Ohhhh!” Geraldine wailed. “I feel so tired.”
I frowned, my chest tightening as I gazed at her. “Are you okay? Do you remember what happened?”
She nodded, pushing herself upright and revealing the old fashioned white nightgown she was wearing. I wondered whether it belonged to her or the infirmary and I had a feeling it was the former.
“I took a shortcut down an alley toward the Odyssey bar, I figured that’s where you would have headed. But as I was walking, I heard this terrible noise. A sucking, rasping, rattling noise. And I got such a fright I dropped all of the my badges. So I knelt down, gathering them all up when this horrible dark shadow fell over me.” She shuddered, gazing between us and guilt wrapped my stomach in knots. She took a measured breath, shutting her eyes for a second. “Then something cut into me right between my shoulder blades. Like a knife or -or a pitch fork, I'm not sure. But the pain was unbearable. Then everything fell dark and someone was kneeling over me and my magic was draining away so fast like it was being sucked right out of me. And all I remember is this scent…cinnamon.” She shook her head as if she'd gone mad but my heart beat harder and harder. I looked to Tory and her brows pinched in a question.
“We'll leave you to rest, Geraldine,” Tory said gently, rising to her feet.
“Yes, perhaps when I'm better we'll have breakfast again soon?” she called as we moved toward the door.
I glanced back at her, nodding firmly. “It's a date.”
She squealed, raising a hand in goodbye as we stepped out of the room. The corridor was quiet and Tory immediately looked to me, her eyebrows hiking up. “What is it?”
“It's Orion,” I hissed. “He smells like that.” Heat crawled up my neck at the fact that I knew that. But it wasn't worth hiding out of embarrassment. “And if she felt drained, maybe he bit her?”
“He said he helped Geraldine,” Tory whispered, but her face was painted in doubt.
“But what if he didn't? And what about Darius? The two of them left the bar together. And whoever it was must have been after us before. We heard the same weird noise.”
“How can we be sure?” Tory asked, pushing a hand through her hair.
“We confront them,” I said, my tone surprisingly fierce. “The next time we see them.” My heart thumped a mad tune at the idea of me saying any such thing to Orion. But for the sake of Geraldine, I'd do it. We'd let her down by leaving her alone last night. And I was determined to try and make it right. Even if that meant facing my Cardinal Magic Professor in his foulest mood.
My magic returned. I wasn't sure how or when, but Sunday morning I'd noticed the keenness of its presence and was fairly sure it had replenished at some point on Saturday.
By Monday, I was growing even more anxious about facing Orion. I had my Liaison meeting with him that evening and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to broach the subject.
The FIB were currently visiting Geraldine and I was anxious to hear their latest report. After Friday, the news had been vague, not revealing many of the details. But today they were expected to announce their findings. And I hoped that meant arresting the perpetrator. Preferably Orion before I had to face him one on one.
I was gifted no such luck.
I stood outside his office at a quarter past seven in the evening, my throat tight as he appeared. Late as always. He wore a black sports kit with all four Elemental symbols printed on the front of it in white. He was splattered in mud and soaked through from the rain which had been descending on campus all day. His face was carved with stern lines and my heart beat a warning tune in my ears.
Oh shit, he's gone full asshole. I was joking when I said I'd face him in his foulest mood, universe. Give me a break!
He didn't look at me as he jammed his key in the lock of his office, pushing it open and stepping inside without a word.
I ground my teeth as the door swung closed in my face, taking a measured breath.
I am Darcy Vega. Heir to the throne of Solaria apparently. And I'm not going to be phased by a moody teacher.
Who might also happen to be a psychotic murder.
Holy crap.
I steeled myself and shoved the door open. A gust of wind left my palm in the same moment and the door slammed back into the wall.
Woops.
Orion didn't even seem to notice as he dropped into his ottoman chair and proceeded to siphon the mud off of himself with a wave of his hand.
I cleared my throat, wanting some damn acknowledgment before I started throwing around accusations.
He lifted a hand, whipping it sideways and the door slammed shut just as hard as I'd flung it open. My pulse went from nought to a million.
Should not have come here alone. Terrible plan. Abort abort.
“Stand on the desk,” Orion suddenly commanded, his voice dripping with Coercion.
The power of it slammed into me and I threw up a mental shield at the last second, just as I'd been learning to do all of last week. The command tried to burrow through my walls and I shut my eyes as I focused on keeping it out. My leg muscles twitched but I didn't budge, fighting the order with all my strength until eventually it fell away.