Cursed to the Bone

59. Killer Instinct

With the closing of the chapter that was Lauvet, I returned from Spring Break the following Sunday with a strange sense of unease. There were at least three moments that morning where I had to remind myself it was over. All I could do was hope that my expectations of danger would one day cease.

As I opened the door to the dorm, I was confronted with the sight of Blake and Naomi hanging out on the couch.

"Vee!" Naomi jumped up and swept me into a hug. "It's good to see you."

"Hey, Nomi." Patting her back, I eyed Blake. She looked a little under the weather. Paler than usual with bags beneath her eyes. "You all right, Blake?"

A faint smile stretched her red lips. "Yeah. I got into a fight. It's stupid. Here." On her feet, Blake lifted a thick piece of paper off the coffee table and handed it to me. "This came pretty early."

Naomi released me and climbed into one of the chairs. "You think its good news?"

"Good news would be nice," Blake muttered, throwing her arms overhead as she returned to the sofa.

Curiously, I scrutinized the thick paper held in my fingers. He wanted to see me right away. That itchy paranoia reared its head again. Was something the matter? I hoped not. Shaking the thought from my head, I turned for the door. "I'll catch you both later, I guess."

"Keep us in the loop," Naomi called after me.

"Sure."

***

My arrival in the headmaster's office was met with a charismatic grin. Definitely good news. Tedric Halsey stood, dropped a hand on the desk, and swept the other to the seat. "I've received the most excellent news. Have a seat."

The tension in my shoulders eased as I sank into a chair.

"The council made a decision about my position as headmaster." Tedric plopped into his seat, his grin unwavering. "It's official. I control the region."

"Congratulations," I said, smiling easily. I didn't mind Tedric so much, so it would be nice having him around.

"Thank you. As my assistant, I'll need your help today."

Oh? I blinked at him. "You still want me to be your assistant?"

"Of course, you've done a fine job." Tedric leaned forward, cupping his chin in his palm. "Regardless of how it came to be, your position is very real."

"I see."

"I'll need you to pass out the exam schedules today, please."

"Sure," I said, climbing to my feet. There was no harm in continuing as I had. I only assumed he would have wanted a senior student. "Is that all?"

"One last thing." Tedric leaned back. "After piecing together what you were able to accomplish, I decided you are beyond the scope of this exam. Consider it waived and spend the week recovering, if you like. I'm sure Lucien would be pleased to help you catch up."

Unwilling to give him the satisfaction of seeing me flustered, I ignored the implication in his words and the teasing arch of his brow. "Thank you, sir."

"Of course." Tedric flicked his hand in a wave. "See you around."

***

The weather was perfectly sunny and warm come Thursday. There was a gentle breeze, too, that kept us cool as we mingled around the lake. Nix and Naomi were in the water, Rhett was asleep beside me with a book perched over his face to block out the sun, and Blake was gazing up at the puffy white clouds. It was a perfectly peaceful day to skip classes.