"I was this close to losing it!" Zola whispered harshly as she was packing her bags to go home.
"Which point?" I lamented. "Because there were a few for me."
Azar chuckled dryly as he joined us, glancing over at Zachary as he did. "Same."
"Ms. Massey, can I speak with you for a moment?"
I looked up to see my History teacher Mrs. Wilson waving at me. I glanced nervously at my friends who all hesitated in their packing. The last time I talked to a teacher alone it hadn't ended well, but I knew my bodyguards would be right outside the door this time. I waved back to Mrs. Wilson, letting her know I saw her. After I gathered up my meager belongings I walked up to the teacher's desk, clutching my borrowed pen and paper in my hand. There was already a student waiting to talk to the teacher so I hung back, watching my group of friends slowly filter out of the front door of the classroom. I tried my best not to listen to the conversation in front of me, instead overhearing Zachary and his cronies as they passed by.
"So are you still having your Halloween party at the Crescent Club?" Scott asked.
"Yeah, I'm going to check it out later today, before they open," Zachary replied smugly.
"Best Halloween ever," Will declared with obvious excitement in his voice.
Zachary laughed loudly, causing me to look over at him as they walked by. "Only if we can sneak in some booze."
I glared at him, astonished at his nerve to talk about underage drinking so close to the teacher, but that was classic Zachary. I was still glowering in his direction when the teacher called me over.
"Ms. Massey," she began, glancing around before continuing. "I just wanted to see how you were doing."
I was shocked, as Mrs. Wilson had never really shown interest in me before. "I'm doing... as well as can be expected." Which is pretty terrible, I thought.
"You're a bright girl and a good student," she said earnestly. "I know it seems bad now but you can get through this."
I smiled at her because I could tell she meant well. Although she was only aware of some of my problems, it was still nice that she wanted to reach out.
"Thanks," I replied finally. "I appreciate that."
Mrs. Wilson proceeded to update me on my grades, letting me know I could do some extra credit to catch up on anything I missed. She made one last push to get me to see a counselor before letting me go. I ran out into the hall to find just Casimir waiting, leaning against the lockers across from the door.
"Sorry for the wait."
"It's no problem."
I glanced around as I asked, "Where is everyone else?"
"Zola and Sunita had to get back to their dorm so Azar and Maya went with them to make sure they stayed safe," Casimir reported. There weren't many people left in the hallway as it was Friday and most of the students had left as quickly as possible to enjoy the weekend.
"That's nice of them," I said, folding up my few sheets of notes to stick in my skirt pocket.
"Unfortunately since they are your friends, they might become targets for the Dark King," Casimir reasoned. His words caused me to stop short, gripping the edge of the railing near the staircase. Casimir's face fell when he realized how I had reacted. He stopped next to me, waiting for a pair of girls to walk by before speaking again. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. I'm just adding to your worries."
"No, you're right," I whispered. "I never thought about it, and I really should have."
We made our way down the stairs and out the front door without any further incident. It wasn't until we got to the train station that I realized I didn't have my train pass. Casimir paid for two tickets and we boarded the train heading toward the dorms. Since I had been held back by my teacher our car was less crowded and we could grab a seat away from the other commuters, allowing us a chance to talk. I was zoning in and out as I watched the city pass by, glad that it wouldn't be too long until our stop. A small part of me wanted to just keep traveling, far away from my troubled school life. Casimir's words about putting my friends in danger due to the simple act of being my friend filled me with unease. Grandpa Enki was being targeted for protecting me, and now he was rotting in a jail cell.
Why would someone do this to me or grandpa? I don't understand their motives.
"Are you doing okay?" Casimir asked, pulling me from my thoughts.
"Huh? Yeah, I suppose," I responded, looking up from my window. The expression on Casimir's face told me he was unconvinced so I shook my head. "Okay, no, I'm not okay."
"I wish I could do more," he said, looking down at his hands which were resting in his lap.
I sat up in my seat, turning to face him better. "You do more than enough," I insisted with a smile. It was true, Casimir already did so much for me and Grandpa and yet I was surprised he still felt this way. I watched his face, still full of doubt and I sighed. "I don't know why you bother sometimes."
"It's never a bother," Casimir said bluntly, looking up at me. "Master Enki is my mentor and has done so much for me, more than I could ever repay even in two lifetimes."
I was shocked into silence at his emotional confession, my cheeks flushed red.
"Grandpa has?" I finally responded.
He nodded and a faint smile crossed his lips. "He was there for me during one of the lowest points in my life. Master Enki helped me find purpose, kept me focused, and for that, I will always be grateful."
"Wow," I murmured. "I can relate to that." We have to save him, I thought firmly.
I was reaching over to touch his hand in an attempt to reassure him when an announcement blasted overhead, our stop was next.
We hopped off the train and made our way up the street to the student apartments. Maayan was standing outside the front door, waving at us as we approached.
"Joel's gone for the weekend so we can meet in Azar's dorm!"
"Joel?" I asked.
"You know, Joel... Azar's roommate," Maya responded. "I thought everybody knew Joel."
"I-I don't," I stammered, glancing at Casimir.
"I'm pretty sure you've met him before," Casimir responded.
"If you say so," I muttered, unconvinced.
Casimir began herding us all upstairs to Azar's room, glancing around suspiciously as he did. I wondered briefly if I should text Sunita and Zola but decided against it, afraid of involving them in any more Terra/Wraith shenanigans.
The three of us walked into the barebones apartment, with only a leather couch, armchair, and a small table in the living room. Upon further inspection, I found that the kitchen contained almost no food or utensils and the bathroom was even sadder. After all of that, I was afraid to even look in the bedrooms. I was examining the bare walls and the almost pristine room with mild fascination when Casimir gestured for me to take one of the three seats in the room. I shook my head, choosing to stand instead.
"No, I've been sitting all day, I need to move around. Preferably to wherever Zachary is lurking so I can give him a piece of my mind."
"Why do we need to see him?" Maayan asked as they tilted side to side nervously.
"Because it turns out, besides being a giant pervert, he also filmed Mr. Burke attacking me and then gave it to the police," I snapped, shaking my head angrily. Maayan and Azar both looked confused so Casimir stepped in to explain.
"You both know about the arrest this morning," he began. The pair nodded solemnly, listening closely as Casimir continued. "Well, when Diana was interviewed by the police they showed her an 'anonymous' video of her attack."
"Anonymous translating to Zachary Evans," I spat out.
"They saw Burke transform and everything?" Azar asked, his face incredulous.
I shook my head. "No, the video cut off before the big transformation or Casimir's appearance."
"So Casimir is safe?!" Maayan said cheerfully.
"Yes, whoever planned this decided to pin the murder on Master Enki instead," he said, pushing up the bridge of his glasses.
"Bold," Azar replied simply. He pulled out one of his okashis, lighting it quickly before taking a long drag. This scent reminded me of bacon. I wondered if Azar had taken the batteries out of all the smoke detectors since I was pretty sure smoking was not allowed in the dorms.
"What did you tell the police when they spoke to you, Casimir?" Maayan asked curiously.
"Nothing," he replied with a shrug.
"So the princess was the only one who talked?" Azar sniffed.
"Please don't call me princess," I grumbled. I felt bad that I had said anything, but I wasn't used to talking to the police. I had no idea I could just keep quiet.
"Diana is fine," Casimir reassured. "I'm impressed she kept it together in the face of all the information the detectives threw at her."
I nodded my head at the young man, thankful for his praise. Looking back on all they showed me, not reacting would probably have been impossible for me. Now I was actually proud of myself for staying as calm as I did.
"So what's the plan?" Azar asked.
Casimir glanced over at Maayan as he spoke. "Maya, have you used any portal magic today?"
"Nope, we're good!" they replied with a smile.
"Excellent. You and I are going back to the police station. We will sneak into the evidence room and destroy all of the evidence pertaining to Master Enki's case."
I made a face at Casimir's comment because I still felt weird about them destroying evidence, even if it was fake, but I didn't say anything.
The fairy paused, thinking deeply for a moment. "Hmm, I don't know the layout of the police station, it might be tricky," Maayan admitted.
"We can scout the place before making our move, but we need to move quickly, although we can't be too hasty either," Casimir said, his tone indecisive.
"Too bad you can't smash and grab," Azar lamented. "It's not like the humans can really stop you."
I laughed at the idea. "Yeah, I'm sure that wouldn't draw any unnecessary attention."
Azar waved my comment away with a shrug of his shoulders.
"What are we doing?" I asked Casimir, getting excited.
"You will remain here and stay safe," he replied.
I raised my eyebrow slightly. "By myself?"
"No, Azar will stay to protect you."
"What about Zachary?!" I insisted.
"We can deal with him later," Casimir said, his tone serious. I hoped 'deal with' didn't involve murder. As much as I hated the guy I really didn't like the idea of killing anyone.
"I just hate sitting around and doing nothing," I grumbled.
"You and me both, kid," Azar said, only slightly under his breath.
Casimir let out a small groan. "I know it's hard but please stay with Azar and we'll be back in a few hours."
"I will but I just..." I trailed off, not sure how to express how I was feeling. I wanted to help my grandfather but I guess that staying safe was the best thing I could do for him. Casimir was staring intently at me, his eyes pleading. "I won't leave Azar's side, I promise!"
The young man seemed satisfied with my answer so we left the conversation there. Maayan ran upstairs to their dorm to grab me a change of clothes, a loose-fitting floral sundress which I was betting would be much tighter on me, along with a matching cardigan. I went into the bathroom to change, deciding to keep my dark tights on to cover my legs due to the cold weather. I was buttoning the top few buttons on the dress when my cell phone beeped, signaling a low battery. I groaned, setting the phone to low battery mode. I was still staring at the screen when I pushed the door open to the bathroom, stopping suddenly when I realized Azar was standing directly in my path.
"Jeez, what are you doing lurking like that?!"
"Who are you texting?" Azar asked, glancing down at the phone in my hands.
"No one, just a low battery," I grumbled. "Don't suppose you have a charger?"
"Probably, check Joel's room."
"If I have to go into his room then it's not really yours is it?" I said, raising an eyebrow at him.
"I suppose," he remarked with a yawn.
"Did Casimir and Maya already leave?" I asked, peeking around the Fire Elemental's shoulder.
"Yeah, they're gone."
I walked past Azar, glancing at the clock in their kitchen. It was barely five o'clock, plenty of time before the Crescent Club opened. I turned to look at my bodyguard, who was watching me curiously.
"Azar, I have a proposal," I began, placing my hands on my hips.
He chuckled, pulling another okashi from his pack. "Okay, but I'm not really interested in you that way."
"What? No! Gross," I shouted, my face turning red. "What I mean is that I have an idea and I want you to help me."
He lit his snack cigarette, letting it burn for a moment before taking a drag. "You want to go find Zachary."
"H-how did you know?"
"You're somewhat predictable," he reasoned with a small shrug. I made an exasperated face and he laughed. "It's not a bad thing Diana. You have a goal and you focus on it, I can understand that."
"I want to find Zach's cell phone and figure out if he has any more copies of that video," I explained. "Even if Casimir and Maya destroy all of the evidence in the police station, Zach can still spread that video around."
"Which would be bad," he said.
"Edited or otherwise, it would all be bad."
"I don't think his masters would let him leak information about them like that," Azar offered. "We're probably better off letting Casimir handle that stuff. He's better at sneaking around."
"I don't want to sneak around, I want to punch that jerk in his rude face!"
"I guess a four-day suspension wasn't enough for you," Azar joked.
I stood there for a moment, trying to process my feelings. "He just sat there and filmed me while Mr. Burke... while he attacked me." I made a mad dash around Azar, heading straight for the front door. The Fire Elemental was close on my heels.
"Woah, where are you going?"
"To the Crescent Club, I have to confront him. He thinks he has the upper hand, that we don't know, but we do!" I pressed. "I want to get his phone before he can do anything else." I pushed off Azar's hand, reaching out to stop me. I was grabbing my jacket when Azar stepped in front of me. "Don't try and stop me," I commanded, attempting to step around him again. The Fire Elemental rolled his eyes and matched my pace, blocking me from getting around him several times. I huffed loudly, glaring into his hazel eyes.
"Let me get my coat," he finally said, sliding past me to return to his bedroom.
"W-what?"
I watched him go into his room and return, shrugging on his heavy peacoat with a sigh. Azar returned to the front door, jangling his keys in his hand.
"You got enough juice in your phone for an emergency call or two?" he asked.
"Yes," I replied, still in shock that he was going along with my idea. This is good Diana, it's not like you could have overpowered him.
Azar looked down at me, shoving his hands into his pockets. "What, you gonna open the door or are you all talk and no action?"
"I'm just surprised. No lecture about how I should be careful and stay home? You're not gonna rat me out to Casimir and then knock me out so I can't go anywhere?"
"Look, we'll go down there and check it out. If we can catch him alone you can confront the guy, yell at him, steal his phone, whatever," Azar proposed, opening the front door himself. "The day I can't handle a single human, is the day I give up fighting forever."
I grinned at him and we ran out the door and into the early evening night.