Chapter 2: In Session

       Melancholy descended over Shiori the moment she had set foot back in her dorm.  As a top-ranking senior student, she didn’t have a roommate and the room had collected a layer of dust in her absence.  She kneeled on the chest in front of her window and plopped her chin down on her forearms where they rested on the white wooden windowsill. 

       She missed Reyn.  He had gotten much better at pleasuring her and it had built such a hunger for more.  He was gentle and attentive, shy and eager to please.  In bed, at least, because the moment they were back to studying the strange metal, he had been an insufferable ass again.  He rarely let her near it and he wasn’t getting very far with finding anything new.  She had to admire his sort of mad scientist fervor when it came down to it, but it didn’t win him any social points. She had needed to say goodbye to him the night before school would be going back in session and when they parted the next morning ushered into different cars, they had sent each other loaded looks and that had been that. 

       She wished he had let her take a piece of the metal since she had felt a strange connection with it that felt empty now too, but Reyn had insisted it was far too dangerous for anyone to find out its reaction to her.  She couldn’t disagree with that, but it didn’t entirely feel right either.  Her first reaction had been bad, but she seemed to have more control over it after the fact.  Still, perhaps it would be easier for him to learn more with as much of the sample material as he could muster, which admittedly was very little at the moment.

       She held her cell phone in her hand, the cherrykin dangle jingling with her anxious grip.  Her fingers hovered over the keyboard.  It seemed trite just to send him what was on her mind: I miss you.  Still, she couldn’t think of what else to say.  She didn’t dare ask him about the metal and they really had so little in common.  If the schools caught wind of them being lovers, their parents would be the next to find out.  She typed out “Don’t study too hard” and sent it.  It seemed like a lame message and she groaned aloud, knowing he’d just take it literally and scold her or ignore it altogether.

       Shiori nearly jumped when the text bleep sounded and fumbled to read the message: I miss you too.  Her eyes blurred with tears, her heart aching as she clutched the phone to her chest.

       Turning off the tones on her phone and shoving it into her school bag, she slung the bag over her shoulder and hurried off to her first class.  She didn’t start the day as early as most of the students since first period was a free period for her and she had already been reprimanded by the dean for the incident at Scryshaw Caverns.  The dean had been kind enough to ask if she were feeling better.  He had known about her passing out for nearly a full day.

       She headed to her civics class when her cheerful best friend, a pretty lion Felisfolk named Kasha, bounded up to her, that tawny hair of hers still bouncing in its ponytail when she had come to a stop.

       “Oh, Shiori!  I was so worried about you!  I must have texted you a thousand times, but you didn’t reply.  I guess you were in trouble though, huh?” Kasha said in a breathless rush.

       Shiori smiled and nodded.  437 times, to be exact, but she had been preoccupied both with her strike and then sneaking into Reyn’s bedroom to tempt more trouble.  She would have loved to giggle about how she wasn’t a virgin anymore, but Kasha was a gossip and Shiori couldn’t bear for it to make the rounds.  Not that Kasha would intend it to spread, but she was a little too trusting with the wrong sorts of people.

       Civics class was more of the same.  Duties and obligations were Shiori’s cup of tea if you were to ask anyone that didn’t really know her.  Knowing how convoluted history really was as opposed to the toe in the water layer of gloss that was taught in schools made this class insanely boring for her, although she had sat up straight and answered the bullshit questions like a good little girl.

       In truth, Shiori had spent most of the class debating whether she should tell Kasha about Reyn or not.  It was extremely lonely not being able to share anything with her best friend and realizing that there was not one little bit of her break that she could talk about left her feeling miserable with it.  When the bell finally rang, Kasha had grabbed Shiori’s arm and leaned close to talk quietly.

       “Hey, we’ll talk at lunch.  You really look bummed out,” Kasha promised and Shiori nodded numbly, forcing a smile.  She wondered if she would be any closer to figuring out what to say after her Calculus class.  Kasha headed off to her Social Sciences class and Shiori waved at her before taking off for her next bell, her mind everywhere at once.

       This class had passed by in much the same fashion and Shiori had only been able to summarize her break with minimal success: after she had been caught at Scryshaw, she had gone on a hunger strike.  She had been sneaking out of her room and eventually had called an old family friend about a job after college.  Remembering that, her mood had picked up.  Yes, she could definitely talk about that a bit more.  She would have to lie and tell Kasha she would be working at Galek-C Corporation to fulfill her educational scholarship requirements, but it was definitely off-limits ever bringing up the shadow corporation with anyone.  Hell, double lives were becoming second nature to her, so why stop there?

       When the bell rang, she had fled down to the cafeteria to meet up with Kasha.  Once they had both purchased their lunches, they took it out onto the Commons and ate under the shade of a tree.

       “You’ve been bottling something all day, Shiori.  Are you ever going to tell me what’s bugging you?” Kasha asked, looking hurt.

       Shiori smiled and patted Kasha’s hand and naturally poured through the allowed topics, which had relieved her friend immensely.  She felt a little better by the time they split off to their separate classes again.

       When she decided that she needed to be in a better mood and with her head out of the storm clouds, she finally noticed that a few of the girls seemed to be shooting her nasty looks.  She tried to make some sense of that.  Shiori was always careful not to cross anyone and she had very few problems with classmates, but she couldn’t help but feel that these girls seemed overly dissatisfied with her in some way.  She wasn’t sure how she could be rubbing anyone the wrong way when she mostly kept to herself.

       Shiori replayed over everything she said to Kasha, but she couldn’t think of anything that might have merited such a reaction or that even Kasha could spread anything that fast if she had.  That wasn’t exactly fair to say.  Shiori hadn’t exactly been quiet and it was possible she could have been overheard.  As much as she had rehearsed the exact things to say, nothing at all came to mind in retrospect.  She could only try to keep her mood light and attempt to avoid the glowering looks.

       Still, on the way out of class, someone had bumped her, purposely slamming her against the lockers, but it had been too crowded to pick out who had done it. 

       When Kasha saw Shiori for their next shared class, Ethics, her natural smile fell away seeing that Shiori seemed despondent again.

       “Hey, what’s wrong now?” Kasha asked, looking around worriedly.

       “Lora and her friends seem to have an issue with me, but I’m not sure why.  They were giving me dirty looks and someone slammed into me after class,” Shiori admitted, wondering if Kasha might know why.  Unfortunately, Kasha shrugged with a helpless apology.

       “Probably upset they didn’t get permission to go on leave.  Or know that yours was cut short.  If I hear anything, I’ll let you know.  Oh!  I do have news for you though!  The new English Lit teacher is really hot!  They still haven’t found professors for the freshman history class or the junior life science course, but they’re supposed to be filling those in this week.  Still have substitutes.  Anyway, wow.  I didn’t think they hired male teachers that hot in an all-girls school.  He’s going to have to beat them off with a broom,” Kasha said dreamily, giggling.  Shiori smiled crookedly at the old expression; no one ever used brooms anymore.

       Shiori had English Lit next, but was only a little interested.  In truth, all she could think about was Reyn where that was concerned.  She certainly didn’t have any interest in ruining her scholarship by trying to seduce a teacher.

The teacher wasn’t in the classroom when it was time to see what the fuss was about, but that wasn’t unusual.  The teachers all had private offices off of the back wall of their classrooms.  Shiori had filed into her seat at the front of the class and waited for the bell to ring.  Really, it would be nice to have an actual teacher instead of a substitute handing out a thick packet and droning at them to work from their books.

       Her eyes narrowed as the new professor made his appearance.  Even with the horn-rimmed glasses and the stiff three-piece suit, she would know Merik anywhere.  He normally let his shaggy hair hang loose, but it was slicked back much like Alder seemed to like wearing his hair and rather than his usual carefree swagger, he had elected to adopt an elegant stuffiness.  Merik caught her eye, his own cobalt eyes twinkling with a knowing look before fading into formality.  She had narrowed her own into angry slits that he treated with all of his usual concern for someone’s approval, which was none.

       He enjoyed her tight-lipped answers as he called on her to answer questions.  She barely registered that they would be starting a new study tomorrow and had run out of the room the moment the bell had rung.

       Similarly, the last class of the day had met her in the worst mood of all and she had simmered through it in no mood to play the good girl, barely avoiding snapping at the teacher when called on to answer an anatomy question. She had become resolute to track down the new “teacher” now that school was out and the classroom was cleared out by the time she reached it, the office door closed.

       It wouldn’t be usual for a teacher to take off so soon, but then she doubted Merik was taking this job very seriously despite how capably he had taught her class.  She tried the door, frowning to find it locked despite the fact that she could hear mellow music coming from inside.  She dug out her lockpicks (no undercover troublemaker could go without them) and jiggled the lock loose.

       When the door swung open, Merik was in his chair and she heard a gasp as Lora’s head popped up from his lap.  Lora was trembling in fear and hurried out as Merik calmly zipped up.  His suit jacket was off and his dress shirt was rolled up at the cuffs, the first few buttons undone, the vest still on.  He raised an eyebrow at Shiori as he stuffed a pipe and lit it.  She closed the door calmly and locked it behind her, standing on the other side of his desk, her expression cool and unreadable.  She leaned forward, her hands braced on the desk as he reclined in the leather seat, not even bothering to look guilty as amusement pulled at his generous mouth.

       “What the hell are you up to?  We both know you don’t give a shit about teaching.  Are you really that hard up that you’ve resorted to screwing school girls?” Shiori finally said, glaring at him coldly.

       “Oral sex isn’t screwing and you know better than to think I’m ‘hard up’ on anything.  You should be more grateful.  I’m putting a far more interesting career on hold to babysit you,” Merik told her, the usual grin splitting his handsome face, but his eyes as cold as hers behind it.

       Shiori leapt up on the desk and grabbed his collar in her hands, the ice-cold sloughing away under the heat of her wrath.  After the emotional turmoil of today, she was in no mood to endure his shit.

       “You son-of-a-bitch!  I don’t know what your game is, but you’re not playing it here!  I’m months away from graduation and I won’t let you ruin it!” Shiori screamed as she shook him.

       Instead of pulling away, Merik pulled her into his lap, pinning her arms to her sides as he pressed his mouth behind her ear.

       “Your anger is misplaced.  Lyric asked me to look after you and you already know I’ve got Anisa’s problems to contend with too.  Normally, I’d trust a subordinate with this sort of thing, but your sister seemed really anxious about anyone else knowing.  Would you stop squirming?  Haven’t you been told how that excites a man?” Merik said, but he let her go and she got up and turned on him indignantly.  She glared at him as she righted herself.

       “You’re a pervert.  If you’re going to stay here, keep your hands and other body parts off of my classmates.  And the other teachers.  What is my sister up to anyway?” Shiori mumbled, putting her hands on her hips.

       “Your guess is as good as mine, but she wouldn’t ask anything of me if she wasn’t out of options.  I’m not exactly the pinnacle of reliability.  I had to pull a favor from Darien to get in here and I’m probably going to have to make a blood sacrifice to pay him back,” Merik mused, only half-joking.  Darien was a businessman and he knew how to get the most out of his investments.

       This didn’t satisfy Shiori in the least.

       “I told you already, I’m not interested in virgins,” he added when her frigid gaze didn’t thaw.

       “Yeah, well, no deflowering throats or other holes either.  I mean it.  Someone’s going to find out how we’re connected and you’re going to be on your best behavior,” Shiori ordered, causing Merik to laugh.

       “You really enjoy bossing people around, don’t you?” Merik mused, puffing on the pipe.  “You hate it when I call you a virgin too.  You know finger-banging with your lesbian friends doesn’t count.”

       Shiori slapped him, using the distraction to grab and hold a letter opener to his throat.

       “And you like baiting others into anger when they steal your toys.  Don’t cross me, Merik.  I can kill you and no one would ever know I did it,” Shiori warned.  She wasn’t going to be baited into telling this creep about her and Reyn either.  He’d find some foul way to belittle it or worse, pursue her himself.  He’d already insinuated he wouldn’t mind a go at her once she did away with the minor issue of her virginity.  Once again, she wondered where that sort of stupid mentality came from but was grateful for it anyway.

       Merik’s eyes were far too excited.

       “You never cease to surprise me, Shiori.  You win this one.  I promise I won’t be a bad boy.  I’ll be on my best behavior, little lady.  We’ve started this out on the wrong foot, I’d say.  I do need you to come to me if anything out of the ordinary happens, all joking aside,” Merik told her seriously now, his eyes searching hers for doubt.

Shiori tossed the letter opener on the desk and stepped back against the wall now, keeping her distance.  With Merik, sometimes violence was a turn-on.

       “You couldn’t have picked a worse person to ‘be on your best behavior’ with, then.  Lora and her friends were glaring at me today and someone slammed me into a locker.  Unless someone…” Shiori began but stopped herself.  She was almost wondering out loud if someone objected to her tryst with Reyn.  She didn’t want Merik suspecting there was anything going on between them besides what was common knowledge.  To most people, they had just been bored and played hooky.  Merik knew that her and Reyn had been investigating something but when she had talked to him that day, Reyn and her hadn’t been intimate at that point. She hurried to pick up the dropped thought.         “Unless someone just doesn’t like my face, I can’t think of any reason why I’m suddenly being targeted. I pretty much keep to myself.”

       In truth, Shiori was curious how Merik had roped Lora into going down on him so effortlessly.  She might be impressed if she weren’t livid about him being here.  She didn’t want any part of Skyloft being here in her school life though and it was nothing personal.  Well, maybe a little personal.  She knew he and Lyric had something going on and he clearly had no scruples about messing around with schoolgirls.  Not to mention, it couldn’t be due to some virtue that he had a ‘no virgins’ rule.  Even no longer being one, she felt oddly offended that he seemed to think virgins presented a special problem.  Merik roused her from her thoughts, by reclining in the squeaky chair again and watching her.

       Shiori folded her arms over her chest in a self-conscious gesture.

       “What?” Shiori asked, hoping she wasn’t blushing.

       Merik shook his head.  She wasn’t used to him looking so solemn and he puffed on his pipe thoughtfully.

       “It was careless of me to be so flippant.  I don’t know if that’s anything to worry about just yet, but come to me immediately if you suspect anything else.  There’s a small room off of this one that I’m staying in.  Doesn’t matter what time it is, find me if something is wrong,” Merik told her.

       Shiori folded her arms.

       “The school’s off limits at night,” Shiori reminded him.

 

 

       “A minor detail for someone so talented at picking locks!” Merik pointed out, oddly proud of her despite the interruption.

       “Can’t you just… hide a ladder outside your window?” Shiori asked in her sudden annoyance.

       “I did.  Still, you should keep your options open,” Merik said, the amusement returned.

       Shiori nodded and stood up straight again.

       “Don’t pretend like you don’t know me, but don’t act like we’re friends either.  I don’t need anyone suspecting anything,” Shiori added stiffly.

       “Oh, you mean to pretend like I’m actually an adult that just knows you based on where you’re from and you’re the typical teenage girl that thinks I’m old and gross?  Like we’ve actually been doing?” Merik teased, earning a wan look from her.

       “Don’t make it weird,” Shiori warned.  She didn’t think he was old and gross but she’d let his ego suffer for not knowing that.  The age difference wasn’t even that much.  Shiori started for the door and Merik caught her wrist.

       “Get the upper hand with Lora.  If you don’t make her afraid you’ll tell, she can use it against us later.  At some point, she’ll suspect she can use it so don’t put it off,” Merik said, apologetic but firm.

       “Don’t say ‘us’ like that’s a thing.  No more thinking below the belt either, I mean it,” Shiori commanded. 

       Shiori knew she wore a lot of faces, but despite her bravado, it wasn’t really that easy to ‘get the upper hand’ or assert herself on this matter.  He didn’t know how she was the immaculate student, quiet and studious.  He might have thought her two-faced, letting her parents think her angelic in that respect, but he might not have guessed that she was mostly guarded against her own peers.  In truth, her bravado was probably the sincerest part of her and even that was a defense against her own insecurities.

       “Cross my heart,” Merik said, only he motioned over his groin, laughing at her disgusted look.

       Shiori left and he mulled over his impulsive actions.  Something was different with her and he could tell she was hiding something. He had seen her a few times over the course of the day, her and that Felisfolk girl Kasha, but Shiori had looked isolated and distracted.  Her friend kept trying to cheer her up and it must’ve worked a little, but then her foul mood returned.  He didn’t think it was something he could chalk up to just hormones.  Like most young girls, she probably thought no one really noticed.  He only came here to look after her.  He had no intention of shaking her up any more than she already was.

       Merik knew that he was a hard person to trust and he certainly had never endeared himself to Shiori, but he had to find a way to remedy that.  The girl was in danger, although he wasn’t even sure what kind himself. He was frustrated that he was coming off as Lyric’s errand boy and had been so quick to antagonize Shiori by implying he was a babysitter.  It was childish to do this as a way to shock Lyric, but he was at least sincere in his desire to protect Shiori. 

       Aisen was busy but he had a few other players up his sleeve that could do some digging while he figured this part out.  Lyric might have thought keeping everyone in the dark was keeping them safe but he didn’t intend to let her regret that.  Lyric had the typical flaw that most people in positions of authority had—the idea that she could protect everyone by taking the burdens on herself.  Maybe he ought to give Alder a call and have him straighten her out.  He had a few ideas on how if the doctor was going to play clueless.  As much as he liked his pow-wow sessions with the lady cop, he wouldn’t mind Alder taking the reins.

       The phone on his desk rang, jumping him out of his thoughts.  He frowned and answered it.

       “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” came Lyric’s grainy voice in the receiver.  It was an old phone, the kind with a cord connecting it to the box, so the sound quality wasn’t great, but he would know that voice anywhere.

       “Wow, you do a great impersonation of Shiori,” Merik teased.

       “I don’t know how you managed to pull this off, but you’re quitting right now and staying away from her!” Lyric said, trying to sound authoritative, but he could hear the edge of fear there.

       “You told me to look after her,” Merik reminded her, his voice bored.

       “I didn’t think you’d actually do it!  Merik, you can’t do anything that draws attention to her!” Lyric pleaded.

       Merik leaned forward in the chair now.

       “I don’t know what you know and you are very dear to me, Lyric, but right now you are pissing me off.  I sure as hell can’t leave Shiori alone now, not when you sound so damn scared,” Merik hissed.

       “I do not sound scared,” Lyric mumbled, losing the wind in her sails.

       “The hell you don’t.  I know you, Lyric, inside and out and you’re terrified.  If you’re not going to tell me and give me a damn good reason to leave, I’m not going anywhere.  For now, you’re just going to have to trust that I’m taking this seriously,” Merik said, mentally omitting the rough patch with the whole blowjob incident, of course.         Shiori had already laid into him on that and he stood corrected.

       Lyric sighed on the other end, surrendering.

       “Keep her safe.  And keep your hands off the students.  You better know what you’re doing,” Lyric mumbled. Lyric swore she wasn’t, but he sometimes suspected she was a bit of a mind-reader.

       “I know I come off as a fuck-up, dear, but I promise I have a few cards up my sleeve,” Merik assured her.

       “Really?  A gambling joke?” Lyric shot back, attempting to inject humor before hanging up on him.

       Merik was in no hurry to return the phone to its cradle. He smiled bitterly and snuffed out the pipe, steepling his fingers in thought.  He usually preferred to be outside of the drama, only stepping in to push things into play.  Running headfirst into the storm wasn’t his usual game and he was regretting it now.  He couldn’t back out now, not with no one to watch over Shiori.  It would be far more suspicious to back out now than it would be to just ride it out; he suspected it was why Lyric had given up so easily.

 

       Harlok stood restlessly in Darien’s office.  Pierait sat calmly in a leather chair, Kerys opposite him looking like a bundle of nerves as they waited.  Darien had not been pleased that Lyria and Ash had disappeared when he finally arrived.  He didn’t have the time or inclination to go chasing them down.  Cole leaving had not surprised nor troubled him either.  Pierait had been tight-lipped about where Ash and Lyria went and he held his ground about keeping them hidden even against Darien’s iciest glare.  Harlok had bounced some pretty scary-looking guys from bars before, but Darien could easily freeze his blood.  Darien wasn’t even in full icy blast mode, which told him two things: Darien was posturing and he wasn’t really mad.  He almost seemed relieved, although Harlok could only wonder about that.

       With nothing else to be done, Darien had just insisted they return to HQ.  Pierait might look younger than him, but then so did Korus and there was no beating their actual experience in years.  With Lyria somewhere safe, Pierait had obliged.  He would call for her only if he could be sure she would be safe.  Clearly a bullshit vagary—they were up to something, but Darien let it pass.

       Pierait would not budge until Darien coughed up his ‘Shadow.’  Darien was annoyed by Pierait’s demands, especially since it was clear he had every intention of answering questions.

       Harlok was abuzz with nervous energy, knowing what was coming, but not quite guessing how the others would react.

       When the door finally swooshed open again, it wasn’t Darien that came through the doors, but a short pale man with white hair and soft peach eyes, dressed in a satiny grey suit with a silk tie the same color as his eyes.  Kerys gasped as she stood up, thinking it had been the ghost of her own father and Pierait had stood as well, tucking her behind him protectively as he glared at the man.  Pierait’s eyes held such turbulence, looking at a man so closely resembling his estranged son. The man kept his distance, reclining on the wood of the desk and keeping his eyes on Kerys.

       “It is my fault that Darien has had to be so secretive concerning this mission.  I am disappointed that Lyria couldn’t make it, but I will explain things and you can decide for yourselves what to do next,” Korus told them as calmly as he could.  He spoke quietly, knowing the rasp in his voice became more menacing if he tried too hard to raise it.

       Pierait drew a sword from his robe and pointed it towards Korus.

       “You’re a Shadow,” Pierait hissed in accusation.

       “I am.  Or, rather, was,” Korus said plainly, not bothering to deny it.  “Contrary to what you think, I am not here to harm you or your wife.  In fact, Lyria is very precious to me.  Even when my blood ran cold, I could not bring myself to kill her as I was instructed to.  We live in dangerous times and I will feel much better if I can keep my family closer.”

       Kerys, in her usual reckless fashion, sailed across the room and wrapped her arms around Korus’s neck.  He could have easily avoided it, but he allowed the emotional girl her moment.  He didn’t embrace her back, just kept his eyes on Pierait in their silent staring contest.  Pierait lowered the sword but stayed wary.  Pierait mused that Korus might have been mistaken as Soulless long ago.

       “You’re her father!  I’m so relieved!  I thought you were a ghost,” Kerys admitted freely.

       Korus emitted a harsh laugh and he looked over at Harlok, the casual observer in this group.  The Kitfolk man masked his excitement with an amused yet calm expression.  Harlok had always been fascinating to Korus, so primal yet so elegant.  Only Darien could pull off that look so effortlessly and it had taken a lot of training to do so.         Harlok looked like he was born regal.  Korus also knew that Harlok was everyone’s favorite gossip.

       Harlok stepped forward.

       “So this was the big secret?  That Darien’s right hand is Lyria’s father.  What is it with you all looking like you don’t age past 25 years?  Are you some sort of vampire? Or are you seeking to fill in as the new gods since the seat is vacant?” Harlok asked, wariness beneath the teasing tones.  This seemed like the perfect opportunity for a bit of interrogation.  Harlok often labored for Darien under a layer of secrecy, especially where Korus was concerned.  Harlok knew Korus a bit, but it wouldn’t do to admit it and have anyone turn on him for it.  Still, he wouldn’t pass up the chance to do some digging under that pretense.

       “I have been seeking those answers and more since before your grandfather was in diapers,” Korus snapped back as Kerys pulled away to look at him.  “When the old gods lived, I assumed our mingled blood was simply keeping us looking young.  I had thought that my oath to the God of Death kept me from falling under his blade and he was my only true god.  When the Goddess inherited their gifts and magic had disappeared, many of my gifts and those of my people vanished, but still we didn’t age.  It had to be wild magic, the roots of the world, that preserved us.  I was never more certain and never more wrong.”

       “And now?” Harlok pushed when Korus’s eyes became distant.

       “And now there are humans among us that cannot let the old gods go, that insist that the Diviners were always intended to be vessels to house the bodies of the revived gods.  There are even zealots among my own people that kill or capture what remain of us, either in sacrifice to appease them or to keep us whole to revive them.  Which, the sane among us can surmise, is impossible.  There are no remnants of the gods or the supernaturals before them.  I can be sure of that because all of the Goddess’s magic, and wild magic as well, dissolved its hold on the world when it vanished.  When Lyria and Pierait were photographed, I suspected they wouldn’t be safe for long.  I tried to keep everything secret, including my existence, but with their discovery, I knew I was running out of time.  I thought by staying hidden I protected my bloodlines, but fate appears to be closing in on us despite that.  I needed to know if they were truly back in this world, but the less people who knew, the better,” Korus explained. 

       Pierait bristled at the possible threat in that statement and Korus shook his head. 

       “No, I do not mean we intended to make you disappear.  At least not permanently,” Korus amended.

       “That doesn’t explain what exactly you are,” Harlok pushed, sauntering towards Korus boldly.  Harlok wasn’t referring to him being a Diviner or a Shadow.  He knew there was more driving Korus.

       “That is still a mystery, but… I do not think we are originally from here,” Korus murmured.

       “Not from here?  You’re not just talking Vieres or Stoneweld or Wheryf, are you?” Kerys said, nervously clasping her hands in front of her.

       “Correct.  Not from this world at all.  I am one of the oldest of my kind but I am not… what you might consider the purest form.  Whatever my people were before whatever old god fathered me I cannot say.  The old gods must have known instantly that they were not of their own creation, that their gifts were something they did not have.  The cults were correct in assuming that the old gods were after those gifts at least, that we were to be vessels, not just offspring.  It’s the absence of the old gods that they refuse to accept,” Korus continued.

       “Why would these people go after the Diviners then?” Kerys asked sadly.

       “Because some people cannot handle the concept of being alone in the universe.  There is an old saying among my kind that if gods did not exist, it would be necessary for man to create them.  Humans always seemed to worship the gods as a whole, but Diviners approached it differently.  Although we never knew which gods fathered us, we attributed our gifts to one and revered them.  The Shadows were thought to be the children favored by the god of death.  The nine gods were never named, so we called them the Nameless.  When I learned of the elementals, learned of the one called Mot, I considered him my god, the one that decided not to take me another day.  I always told myself to stay a step behind him, and only one step, and I would live. It was my mantra,” Korus added.  Even        Darien’s eyes softened; it had been one of the first things Korus had ever said to him when he was a boy.

       His voice was getting harsher so he stepped away towards the side table where Darien kept a pitcher of ice water and clean glasses.  He filled one to the top and gulped it down greedily.

       “You killed Lyria’s mother,” Pierait finally said, breaking the silence.  All eyes were already on Korus and he nodded.

       “That is true as well.  Whatever enmity you feel towards me because of it, I can assure you, I have felt it in spades.  Cela was the only woman I ever loved.  The Elders wanted me to kill Lyria as well, but I did not.  She was the child I was never allowed to have and I loved her from the moment she drew breath.  If you have ever had the pleasure of seeing her, you would know.  She is no Child of Death like me.  She was warm and beautiful like her mother,” Korus added, weighty words despite the lack of emotion behind them.  His face gave nothing away, as it had been schooled to do.

       “I would not have allowed him to reveal any of this if I thought he meant to cause any more damage,” Darien said, slipping into the room and making his way over to his desk to sit down.  “Understand that revenge is not a business I profit from.  Korus has never asked anything of me but to keep his secrets and look after his family.  Of his great grandchildren, I was most worried about Shiori, even had plans to employ her after she graduates but wasn’t sure how to look after her in the meantime.  To my surprise, it is Merik who will be taking care of that.”

       “Merik?” Harlok chimed in, his eyebrows arched in genuine shock.  “You put a womanizer like him in an all-girls school?”

       “He has the credentials, so it would have been much more difficult to find a better candidate, I’m afraid.  I trust he’ll have the common sense to behave himself,” Darien added coolly, though he didn’t trust it and honestly didn’t care about Merik’s moral code as long as he was successful.

       “He’s street smart, but you should never trust him in a room full of girls wearing plaid miniskirts,” Harlok shot back.

       “Really, you would have been better off sending Harlok in,” Kerys added with a smirk.

Harlok rolled his eyes, still smiling.

       “Right, right, because I’m gay.  I doubt that would stop a school full of girls from thinking they could turn me.  And what would I teach with my credentials?  Bartending?” Harlok purred back, amused but annoyed.  Kerys had that effect on people.  She seemed ready to continue quibbling over it.

       Darien sighed with annoyance and stood up, halting any notion she had of doing so.

       “Are you satisfied with the information, Pierait, or is there anything more you need to know before you will send for Lyria?  It would really be peace of mind to have her guarded until we can be certain these cults are dealt with,” Darien said, his tone kind as he offered.  He could easily trace where Ash had taken her, but he wanted to exercise good faith as well.  If Pierait didn’t want to accept their help, it wouldn’t win him any points to force it on them.

       Pierait shook his head.

       “For now, I think it is best that she stays where she is.  I hope you will trust my judgment.  There are things she must do that she can’t do under your wing,” Pierait told him with the natural command of a king.

       Darien did not look happy, but after a moment, he nodded his assent.

       “For now, I will not insist.  However, there is a time limit on my patience.  She is both at risk and a liability if she is not careful.  Neither of you are familiar with this world and you have already seen it is vastly different,” Darien warned.

       Pierait nodded, satisfied.  He had entrusted her to Ash because of that fact.

       “I understand.  I will not act recklessly, I can assure you,” Pierait added.  He could not vouch for Lyria—she had her own means that, rash or no, were always effective.

       “For now, Korus would be happy to show you to your accommodations.  Kerys, you are also welcome to stay, but whatever you choose to do, you are not to notify the rest of your family about what you’ve learned here, nor will you be permitted to come and go as you please,” Darien added, his face maintaining its aloof detachment.  She frowned.  She hadn’t expected any special favors just because of one bout of amazing sex, but she hated the way he set conditions as if she were another of his pawns.  She would do as she damn well pleased.

       “I am already in contact with Lyric while she works on a case pertaining to these cult events,” Korus informed the others.  Darien’s face flickered in annoyance, having not known this.  In fact, he had told Korus to keep his distance from such high-profile cases.

       Korus bowed apologetically. 

       “I was not keeping this from you.  I contacted her when I found out she was leading the case and she met up with me last night to find out what I know.  My name and the names of associates were written in runic letters with blood and if I didn’t get involved to tell her to hide those details, the results would have been catastrophic.  Needless to say, what I have told her is already known to you.  This case falling on her necessitated a lot of sudden actions I had planned to put off for later but could not.”

       “You’re lucky she didn’t shoot you in the head,” Harlok scoffed with his usual amusement.

       Korus’s eyes met his squarely.  Harlok was so well known as everyone’s favorite social butterfly that blunt morbidity always sounded far creepier coming from his mouth.

       “She could try. And fail. Do you think any assassin can live as long as I and not learn how to dodge a few bullets?” Korus said with cool confidence.  Harlok’s eyes seemed to glint with the challenge.

       Korus bowed to everyone and gestured for Pierait to follow, which he did.

       Darien had thought everyone had left so he was caught off-guard when Kerys was glaring up at him.

       “You don’t get to tell me what to do,” Kerys grumbled.  Darien cocked an eyebrow.  He knew she was stewing over his commands—she never failed to telegraph her displeasure, but he decided he wouldn’t press it if she wanted to drop it and go sulk somewhere.  Right now, it was clear that she was not going to do things the easy way.  Harlok watched with keen interest.

       “That wasn’t my intention, but our options are limited and I already have your grandmother to contend with.  Believe it or not, my abilities to monitor everyone do have limits and I expect some cooperation,” Darien tried to level with her.

       From Kerys’s expression, he could tell that he had failed.

       “You singled me out specifically!” Kerys shouted, her rage unraveling rather quickly.

       “You have not given me any reason to trust you,” Darien provoked. 

       Kerys’s quick hand reached up to slap him but he caught her wrist.  When she swung the other, he used that momentum to turn her off-balance, pinning her arms and holding her back against him to restrain her.  He bent to rest his chin on her collarbone so she couldn’t use her head next.  It would look like an embrace to anyone who walked in.

       “I don’t owe you anything, Darien,” Kerys hissed coldly.

       “Fair enough. If you don’t see the opportunity I have given you, I won’t be offended, but your grandfather may have a lot of useful information.  If you don’t intend to share it with me, at least take the opportunity for yourself,”        Darien tried again, releasing her and pushing her away gently.

       Kerys cocked her head at him suspiciously.  She knew he was still trying to manipulate her, but she felt better after yelling at him, so she smiled, deciding she’d let him think he won for now.

       “I’ll be a good girl, just this once.  Try and use your hand against me and you’ll regret it,” Kerys warned, her voice saccharine, her eyes steely.

       Harlok tried not to laugh at how maddeningly entertaining they were.  He watched Kerys saunter out proudly, reserving his opinion.

       Darien turned his attention to Harlok where he still reclined against the wall, looking out the windows as if he hadn’t been paying attention.  Darien knew better.

       “You’re free to leave, if you have no other business with me,” Darien finally said.

       Harlok turned and smiled broadly.

       “My father always marveled at all the mischief humans get into.  He was convinced that my brother and I are a product of that madness, of all the things that Kitfolk in Sionnach could never pull off with the Archon Assembly breathing down their necks.  He set them free just to have them most of them just slink off to where the ogres once lived so they could hide among their own kind again,” Harlok mused.

       “Not all of them.  It is no different with the Felisfolk.  Some of them took too much pride in the isolation of their tribal systems to blend in with other societies,” Darien pointed out, patient with Harlok’s lingering.

       “The Diviners did the same, but they never grew in number as the Folk did.  Why is that?” Harlok asked and Darien met Harlok’s eyes when he turned.

       Darien stood and joined Harlok at the window.

       “They culled their own kind,” Darien said softly.

       This shocked Harlok visibly.

       “Culled?  You mean murdered the ones that didn’t meet some criteria?” Harlok asked in disbelief.  Humans had the habit of breeding animals to their needs, but not their own kind.

       Darien nodded, his expression turning somber.

       “Very strict criteria.  It was why Korus was ordered to kill his own lover and their child.  Their powers were always checked at birth for potential.  Weak powers or children with none were killed.  Lyria was marked as a volatile power, but the real reason was that Shadows were not permitted to have children.  Some children were born under the mark of death anyway and they were always Shadows.  The Elders could not ascertain the powers of a Shadow’s child and that is why they were always killed.  Trying to leave was punishable by death as well.  It was a society of strict roles and rules for existing and many were killed simply being unable to live under such restrictions,” Darien elaborated.

       “Do any of them know who their ancestors were?  Other than the old gods,” Harlok added.

       Darien smiled one of his rare smiles.

       “If they did, Korus would know. No, it was actually the old gods killing off the First Ones that led to their panic.  The Elders had been afraid to use the Eye of Balor, knowing that it destroyed the world once before, but if they didn’t, they feared losing their bodies to the old gods anyway,” Darien answered.

Harlok frowned at this vague answer.

       “The… First Ones… they never told their children who they were?” Harlok wondered doubtfully.

       “According to Korus, the First Ones could only communicate to each other telepathically in their own language as it had no actual sound and they had great difficulty learning vocal language. It was also quite possible that they didn’t even know how they ended up here.  It’s only a theory though.  Regardless, he had been taken from his mother at birth to be trained as a Shadow,” Darien added.

       That struck Harlok as off too.

       “You said that the old gods fathered the Diviners…  Specifically, using the term ‘fathered’… The Old Heroes were quite clear in saying the old gods were not all male,” Harlok brought up.

       Darien nodded.  His father Krose was one of the Old Heroes and had written the definitive books on the subjects of the old gods, the elementals, and the adventures that led him to directly meet those beings himself.

       “The old gods could not bear children, so the females were infertile.  They did lay with the males but produced no offspring.  I imagine it was more about sexual indulgence than procreation and it might have been a surprise they could cross-breed at that. It was only the females among the First Ones that grew the seeds of the old gods,” Darien clarified for him.

       Harlok grew silent as he thought this over.

       “There… seem to be way too many convenient holes in this theory.  Everyone believes that the Diviners were hiding secrets, but you seem to think it’s possible that they just didn’t know anything either,” Harlok finally said.

       Darien nodded, seeing that Harlok was catching on.  Diviners had mostly operated around their own superstitions and fear, without any guidance or knowledge of what they really were.  Harlok sighed deeply and looked over at Darien who was watching him openly.

       “You look like you could use someone to take your mind off of things,” Harlok murmured suggestively.  He was offering, but something told him Darien had other ideas.

       Darien smirked but shook his head.

       “As much as I enjoyed it last time I accepted your offer, I’m declining it this time,” Darien returned.

       “Ah, yes.  Perky young women seem to be your flavor now,” Harlok teased, knowing full well he had consoled Kerys before they left.

       Darien let out a sigh of exasperation.

       “I sometimes forget just how effective your social skills are.  Is there nothing you don’t find out about?” Darien asked.

       Harlok shrugged.  “Normally, I’d let you feed my ego, but that little scene between you two was rather enlightening.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen you sweat like that.  She’s not going to make things easy on you,” Harlok reminded Darien.

       Darien sighed again.

       “Which is why I’m hoping she will stay here under watch,” Darien supplied, his annoyance growing.

       “Oh, I’m sure you could keep her mouth busy,” Harlok teased again and Darien pushed away from the window and headed back to his desk.

       “Get out, Harlok.  Get laid.  And if you run into that brother of yours, tell him to keep his hands off the school girls before I end up following another lawsuit,” Darien added.

       “Another?” Harlok asked.

       Darien waved it off impatiently.

       “Anisa’s.  You don’t really think I’m not keeping an eye on her, do you?” Darien asked with a raised eyebrow.

       Harlok laughed.  Did they know any women that weren’t always keeping them on their toes?

       “You know, I’d be more charmed by your philanthropy if you didn’t fuck half of us at one time or another,” Harlok said, heading for the door.

       “Get out,” Darien growled, his mood darkening quickly.

       Harlok chuckled, knowing better than to keep teasing him.

       “I’m going, I’m going…” Harlok complied, the automatic door whooshing closed behind him. 

       He was willing to bet that Darien sometimes wished for an old fashioned hinged door just for times like these. where it would be satisfying to slam it right on their ass.