A Drop Of Haunted Blood

Chapter Five: Probation Pals

Talking to Helena didn't help as much as Felix had hoped. Once she was gone, all he had to keep him company was the weight in his chest. He'd been left alone with more questions than answers and no idea who he could really trust.

After a long, restless night of stumbling through his house in his dreams, he was awoken a final time by gentle rain on his window. Gray light spilled into the room through a gap in the curtains.

Felix dragged himself out of bed and threw on a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and his sneakers. Before heading to breakfast, he forced himself to type out a reply to Jace's text from last night. I'm okay, I'm with some family. I'll explain more when I can.

Felix was miraculously able to find his way to the dining hall, which looked to him like a glorified school cafeteria. A line formed at the front of the hall, a mix of adults and kids dressed in everything from suits to pajamas. Good. Maybe he could avoid drawing attention to himself. He slipped into line at the back.

He was given a tray and the opportunity to pick and choose from the wide variety of food set out. After settling on a scramble of eggs, cheese, peppers, and bacon, along with a mix of berries, Felix found an empty table in the corner of the hall to sit at and pick at his food.

He was lost in thought for what could have been minutes or hours, for all he knew.

"Hey, kid, how you holding up?"

Felix glanced up as Sebastian slid into a chair across from him. "Okay, I guess," he replied. "I talked to my sister last night."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I was able to summon her ghost for a few minutes."

Sebastian rubbed his chin. "Interesting. You like your room?"

"Yeah." Felix stabbed a piece of egg and held it up. "I mean, it's really nice." He stuck the bite in his mouth.

"So, you're not too bothered that the king didn't really give you a choice."

"Hm?"

"There was never any question about whether or not you would be staying at the castle," Sebastian said. "It was just a matter of whether they were going to put you in a dorm or a cell."

Felix swallowed and frowned. "Well, I don't have any family nearby. I don't really have anywhere else to go."

"Sure. But the king didn't ask."

"Guess not." Felix took another bite of eggs. He wondered how much he should let himself trust Sebastian. Kendra seemed to, but Archer certainly didn't. Then again, Archer hadn't exactly been the most supportive during the council meeting. Could Felix trust him?

Sebastian changed the subject. "Archer is insistent on supervising our first session, but he's in meetings until two. In the meantime, you'll get a tour of the place and meet your one and only classmate." His gaze moved to something behind Felix. "Oh, there's Kendra. Kendra!" He waved a hand.

Kendra approached the table and stopped next to Sebastian. "Still want me to take him to the library?"

"That'd be great. I talked to Arisa this morning. She said she could show him around." Sebastian stretched his arms out. "I have a few other things to take care of. Let Arisa know that Archer and I will meet them in the east courtyard at two."

Felix quickly shoveled the last of his food into his mouth and rose to his feet. "Cool. Let's go."

Sebastian smiled as he stood up. A moment later, his expression fell, and he cleared his throat. "Oh, one last thing. The Guardians have set up a funeral for your family. Tomorrow morning, at the cemetery near your house."