Paper Crowns [On Hold]

[13] Fire and Ice

Fear is the flip side of the coin on which pain resides. Pain keeps us alive. So does fear. They make us human. Which means Roosevelt was wrong and fearing fear is not all that healthy. To embrace life, sometimes you have to be a little scared, otherwise, how would you know you're human?

That's what Grams used to whisper to me as she ran her thumbs in tiny circles on the base of my scalp. She did this whenever I cried at night, scared senseless by the splashing noises I heard emanating from my bathroom. 

Right now, facing Principle Oliver, I wish I felt fear- I'm human after all. Instead, I feel an odd mixture of irritation and disgust. The two feelings dance with one another, painting a Picasso piece on my heart.

She had honey in her office, the murder victims were coated in honey. She went through great trouble to hide the honey. There was even that disturbing statue. I'm not one to judge, but... well, I'm judging anyways.

Principle Oliver walks towards the velvet couches to the right of the store, her movements mimicking that of a panther. Although, movement isn't the only thing panther-like about her. For this meeting, our Principle chose to don a sleek black suit with crisp collars on the black silk blouse underneath.

The entire outfit is a sharp contrast to her hazel eyes. It gives the illusion of yellow, like fireflies trapped behind the glass of her eyes.

"Olly dearest, take a seat," Ethan says with mock concern. Oliver looks him over once, before shifting her gaze towards John.

John clears his throat and crosses his massive arms. "Warmest welcome, Headmistress Oliver. We invited you today to introduce you to our two newest Guardians. This is-"

Oliver cuts John off with the swift raising of her right hand. For the first time since she arrived, she speaks.

"This is Justin Fides, Earth guardian. And this is Victoria Viris, Water guardian. Aqva and Terra. I'm aware. I sincerely hope this is not all you called me here for. I trust you understand the nature of my schedule?"

The muscles in John's jaw clench visibly, even underneath the scraggly mess of his beard. "I'm merely trying to uphold tradition." He opens his mouth further but immediately closes it, inhaling deeply as he glances at the ceiling.

"Tradition is outdated, I've already made that clear. Allegiance, however, is not. If anything, the least you can do is uphold your end of the agreement."

And by agreement, I'm guessing she means keeping her in the loop. It's the only thing coming to mind considering John's explanation of our current situation. But really, she already seems to be deeply 'in the loop' – at least more than me, and I'm a guardian (albeit a new one, but guardian nonetheless).

This time, it's Liz who speaks up. It takes one glance at the tightness around her lips to gauge how she's feeling. "Man, Olly, you've got to be clearer. This habit of speaking in tongues you have going on gets annoying real fast. What exactly do you mean?"

"Clearly civility is not a requirement for Guardians. It's a pity you're involved in this Mr. Fides, you deserve better," Oliver says, her gaze landing on Justin.

Justin offers no response, not verbally nor physically.

Oliver remains silent for a brief moment before she continues. "That cult the guardians are supposed to handle, the Servants of Korah? They made another hit. More violent than the previous ones. Suspicious, considering the nature of the killings in Neris right now. When were you lot planning on informing me?"

How does she know about those? Sheriff Lau assured John the situation was being kept hushed. And the cult?

"That's not your business," Ethan breathes, perching against the countertop.