"What happened?" I ran after Byron. Henri had taken off towards the mail room to send a note home. "Is Henri's father, okay?" He was walking fast towards his office.
"His father is fine" Byron replied with a sigh. "We just got notice that the Duke has gotten permission to visit the school"
"Permission from who?" I turned back to Ezra and Thomas. They only shrugged at me.
"The Counsel" Byron replied. His office was a mess. He had papers and open books everywhere. "and one of the counsel members is stepping down. We are trying to find her replacement as quickly as possible"
"Who is stepping down?" Thomas asked. Byron closed his door. He pressed his hand momentarily on the door.
"Luciana Rogers, her cycle is ending in December." Byron took a deep breath. She was the women that had argued with my grandmother at my disciplinary hearing last year. "They are trying to find her replacement, if we get someone in- we would be tied. The Counsel would be-"
"Stalled" Thomas nodded. "In case King Phillip decided to go to war"
"Exactly" Byron rubbed his head.
"Are you in it?" I asked him.
"I'm too young" Byron replied, shaking his head. "I merely attend some of the meetings with the advisors."
"What about Professor Curt?" I suggested. He was my favorite person. I was supposed to start training with him on Monday evening.
"He or she has to be an Immortal" Byron answered. "We need approval from all members to put someone in including the King and Queen and the Guardians, Ronald is on our side and Charles is in prison so his input will not count."
"So what do you need from us?" Ezra shook his head.
"Rima is going to be leaving us" Byron sat down. "She is the only trustworthy person we know that can occupy that position."
"But if she leaves us, people are going to know that we exist. They are going to go after her"
"Rima has been taking care of herself for over 300 years. She will step down from her position of being the Counsel Keeper, and she will have no memory of who you are. She plans to be reinstated after the next cycle of Guardians comes in as a preventive measure."
"Who is going to take her position?"
My heart stopped beating. I know that answer.
"Me" Byron chuckled, he met my eyes briefly. "They are hoping that because I'm too young and lack experience, I won't be targeted as the Counsel's Keeper" he cleared his throat. "Dr. Nan will be taking over as Deputy Headmaster"
"Oh shit" Thomas muttered under his breath.
"Yeah" Byron laughed. "He isn't an easy man to deal with but regardless he is one of the best swordsmen and has seen two previous Guardian trainings so he will be supervising me. He just can't become the Counsel's Keeper, it is too risky being in the Counsel and being the one person that can release information about the Guardians which is why Dr. Nan, and Dr. Langston didn't want it."
"That means you lack one other person, you have to recruit someone else" I muttered. I searched his eyes. "Henri?"
"It can't be Henri. If he joins, he can't get involved with you not until after you have been presented to the Immortals"
"But he knows who we are" I told Byron. "Someone could figure out that we are the Guardians"
"As long as he doesn't admit he knows who you are. We are perfectly fine and as much as I hate Henri, he is trustworthy and I'm sure he would never expose you. He really cares about you" Byron nodded with an irked expression. "We were thinking of adding a warlock"
"Are you kidding me?" Thomas jaw dropped. "They are trying to go to war with us"
"It won't just be any warlock, it will be Mrs. Curt. Professor Curt's wife, she is a powerful warlock. She is taking up a teaching position here"
I couldn't help smiling. He had suggested her and the Counsel of Keepers had agreed.
"So why did you need Henri to call his Dad" I asked.
At that moment there was a knock on the door. Byron went around quickly and opened is door.
"Charles has escaped from prison" Henri barged in with a paper in his hand. "He is seen heading towards Russia, warlock territory"
Byron lifted his eyebrows.
"That means Rima needs to get in now" Thomas got to his feet.
"The next meeting is on Tuesday" Byron replied, he let Henri through. "Dr. Langston and Dr. Nan are leaving tomorrow night. We hope that because Russia is a no Travel Zone she will be accepted before he arrives."
Henri had to leave tonight to join his father at the meeting.
"I'll see you in a week or so, hopefully I bring back some good news" Henri took my hand. "be careful tomorrow" We were standing outside, a car was waiting to drive him to London.
"You too" I leaned up and kissed him. "Please be careful"
"Always" he grinned. He returned the kiss. I wrapped my arms tightly around him. "You too, send me a message if anything happens and I'll hurry back"
I went back to Byron's office. Ezra and Thomas were waiting for me in there.
"Tomorrow, I would you three to not be seen together" Byron looked like if he had a headache. "If our suspicions are correct, he is coming to snoop around and come see you Iris"
"Great" I grumbled. "So what am I supposed to do?"
"Spend it like any other Sunday, go to the library but don't hide in your room."
"Got it" I gave him a thumbs up. "Anything else?"
"Just be careful. It is visiting day so there will be plenty of people around and lots of talk. Try to make new friends" he suggested. He was smirking at me slightly.
"I'll try" I shrugged with an eyeroll. "Maybe Brenda will want to hang out with me. I think I have been in the girls dormitories, once"
"Really? I've been in there multiple of times" Ezra's voice trailed off. "Just kidding Professor Enden" he tried to laugh it off.
Byron rolled his eyes.
"I heard nothing and don't get caught after hours. I don't think you want Dr. Nan finding out about your excursions in the girls dormitories. He's in charge so that means repetitions with him."
We all cringed at the same time.
After our meeting we headed for our rooms. Byron's new room was held close to the girls dormitories.
"Why didn't you tell me that was the reason we couldn't date?" I asked him. I was curious what he was going to say. "I would have thought that you would have wanted Henri to become a Keeper." He knew what I meant. If Henri would have been a Keeper, it would have kept him away from me.
Byron sighed. He looked at me once.
"Assistant instructors date all the time since we are students as well. I just didn't want people talking about you since I am the best swordsmen and it would have been seen as favoritism if I would have became a professor. I didn't know I couldn't date you when I became a keeper. It seems it never crossed their mind." He chuckled.
"Who told you?"
"Rima" Byron shook his head slightly. "She told me to break off whatever was going on between us and so I did or at least I tried. She understood completely but warned me that it would be dangerous for you and for me especially after what happened that night. She hasn't told anybody" he added quickly.
"Why didn't you just tell me that?" I took his hand.
"I should have and I'm sorry but it was easier to break it off. It was easier to become a Professor because there is a line drawn now, you are a student and I'm your professor" I nodded. "and now that I'm the Counsel's Keeper there is a bigger distinction." Byron replied. "I am sorry, Iris."
"Why did you not want Henri to become a Keeper?" I asked him. Byron squeezed my hand.
"Because you are happy" Byron whispered. "Happier than I have ever seen you. I know you sleep better and you eat more. You don't take sleeping potions anymore. I couldn't take that away from you. I'm a jerk but I couldn't bring myself to make Henri a Keeper so I suggested Mrs. Curt or I guess Professor Curt." He leaned forward. His hand slipped up my arm. "I do care about you and I can't show it to you any other way so I'm going to become your Keeper, Iris. I told you that I would watch over you, Ezra and Thomas. I plan to do it."
There were lots of things that were running through my head. I wished he would have said something but it was too late. I was with Henri and I was not going to hurt him in any way. He didn't deserve to be hurt.
So I leaned on my toes and kissed his cheek.
"He does make me happy, Byron. Thank you" he released my hand.
"Good" Byron touched my cheek briefly. I held still because even though I was with Henri, I still wanted Byron. He just couldn't know that. "Good night"
"Night" Byron took off for the far tower.
I made my way to my room. He did care about me but he was showing it the way he knew how. I pressed my hand to my chest and took a deep shuddering breath. Ares was seated on my bed, he tilted his head slightly.
"No, there is no more Byron" I answered. Ares chirped loudly. He had gotten attached to Byron. He had been spending time with him.
"Traitor" I shook my head at him. He let out a sharp chirp telling me to shut up that I was busy with Henri and I ignored him. "No, you take off to go with Byron and besides Henri can't see you" I stroked his head. He put his head on my lap. "It would give too much away even though he knows"
He started to sing. I laid down besides him and kept stroking his head. Ares turned his head slightly and stared at me with wide eyes.
"You are being ridiculous" I laughed. He was telling me that I should just dump Henri and wait until I was done to date Byron. "You have gotten too attached to him. Ares!" I exclaimed. He had just shown me a vision of us kissing. It was the last time we had kissed in the infirmary. "Have you been watching us?" he chirped innocently.
"I won't hurt Henri" I told Ares, he yawned turning away from me. "You'll like him. Maybe grandma will let Henri see him" I smiled at Ares who chirped at me to go to sleep and to stop talking to him. "Fine but stop going over to see Byron he is a Counsel's Keeper" Ares sounded like if he was laughing at me.
"What?" I responded. "What do you mean you have to keep seeing him since he is the Counsel's Keeper because you tell him how I'm doing" I grumbled at him. I poked him slightly. "You are a traitor, Ares." He snuggled closer to me. He started to sing softly so it could put me to sleep.