CHAPTER 03:
I studied Jensen during classes, it had already been the second day and Genevieve had gone to bed after we finished a shared essay in chemistry. Athena got me the blueprints I needed of Jensen's office and based on his schedule, he was in the supervisor dorms outside of the castle. Opening my laptop. I hack the cameras in the area, not just his room, in case a glitch occurred, which has happened before. Tying my hair back, I grab my phone and teleport straight into the office.
I clench my jaw and run my eyes over the scope of the room. It looked like a general office, but he had more twisted things in here that I could detect in the fake back door to a wardrobe, I had gloves on too, my hair up so I made sure I didn't leave any potential DNA in here.
Running my hands over the fake end of the wardrobe, I pull out a chest, roaming through cash, and a gun of all things, but what was even more interesting was a piece of jewellery, remnants of the same blood on it. I take pictures, showing where it was put, I send them through to Athena. Already having evidence from the man.
All before a siren goes off once I close the wardrobe door and I curse like a sailor in my head, teleporting the moment footfalls echo. I teleport onto the ceiling boards in the archways above with a direct line to the two corridors along with Jensen's office. Guards begin moving in and to my irritation, Rowan was rounding the corner, gesturing to Creed and Credence, who's first name I found to be Loki.
Loki gestures to the remaining guards, "We'll need to do a check that each student are in their rooms."
I raise an eyebrow when Headmaster Hale and Athena step down the steps. Rowan stills when he sees her, "Athena?" He says, confused.
Headmaster Hale forces him aside, she kicks open Jensen's door, "Someone go fucking find Supervisor Jensen. Bring him to my office." She barks out, Athena steps into the office with her and based on my pictures, her and Athena find that bracelet immediately.
Loki and Creed, along with the four other Legion team members step in a line, surprised when Athena steps out with Headmaster Hale giving the bracelet to another guard, both holding gloves for the evidence, "I believe we've identified the killer of Hannah." Hale spits out.
"Good job, Professor Athena." She praises her.
Rowan stares at Athena, like he truly can't look away, "How did you know..." He trails off and I teleport quickly when he sensed me, he was about to look up too. I removed my gloves, stepping towards the bin in order to burn them controllably within the dome of my hands, the evidence gone in seconds.
The next morning was an immediate assembly with Hannah's family and Jensen in the middle. Guards surrounding the stage while the charges against Jensen are clear and he's sitting there with a clenched jaw, looking both shock and pissed, but he tries to hide it. Athena was standing behind him, probably holding his mind while Hale asked him public questions. Athena forced the truth out of him and there were shouts and cries in the student audience. The family though, Hannah's father and two brothers stood. One a lightning bearer and the other two were water wielders.
I stare closely while her Father sends an electric shock so painful into Jensen that he roars at it. He doesn't beg for death though, the fire manipulator was tortured in front of us all. I still when everyone is forced to get to their classes. Genevieve walks next to me, "I can't believe it was him." She whispers.
I look to her, "I know right, I had him for two of my classes and met him on the first day. At least he was caught, I don't even want to think about what would have happened if he wasn't." I murmur, plaiting my hair on the side.
I'm annoyed when Professor Ella is standing next to Rowan, her eyes alight with adoration for him while Rowan's five hundred or so students were moving to the opposite side of the room. Genevieve frowns, "What's going on?" She murmurs, in her own sports gear.
"Professor Rowan didn't like the fact there were students in a separate yoga class. Based on Professor Ella's hesitant excitement, he's convinced her to get us to train with whatever props are in here. Wanting to know why specific students get out of combat, it pissed him off when he found out." I tell her. Knowing full well Rowan was listening, in fact the entirety of the class was watching. I didn't realise Genevieve was as popular as she was.
"Hello, my lovelies! We are going to be doing something special today!" Professor Ella's enthusiasm was beyond ridiculous. I blink at her, the other students so hesitant and scared, terrified of the audience we had because each of them were known between their other schools.
The ten students in her yoga class, and me, stare up at her, "So, Professor Rowan here wishes to share the equipment his students use. Given the circumstances, no matter disability or effort or prescription from your designated schools, the act to defend yourselves is extremely important. And the remaining students have agreed to sit back and wait while you look around the equipment and find something that you are most interested in. Then you'll be sorted into groups. This not only builds social communities, but also character, okay. So, you all have props in front of you. I want you all to try something. The trainers behind you will help you as well. But only once you signal for one." Professor Ella initiates, her eyes still glittering as the ten other students hesitantly look around, getting studied by the crowd of students.
I stare at Professor Rowan, he folds his arms and watches me, "You may look around, Miss Caesar." He says aloud.
Glancing at the others in the specific class, the lot of them go to the punching bags, one to a bow and arrow and the other to the swords, I glance around between the beam, a trampoline in the corner, they were directed more to the side. I felt the side of my lips twitch up, before I move towards the trampoline and students start cracking up laughing when I lift up before I start jumping on it.
I overhear Genevieve's laughing and Rowan looks ready to knock my teeth out. Even the trainers chuckle and look amused, "MISS CAESAR! I MEANT A WEAPON!" Rowan's frustrated voice loses its usual composure.
I saw the way Creed and his team were watching all amused too, watching as I jump. Twirling around, I raise my hands as music begins playing and I sensed Athena close, in one of the tinted rooms. The music plays louder and my hair pulls out of its braid as I drop on my back and laugh, Professor Ella giggles, "Celeste, honey, try one of the punching bags, maybe." She calls out, I sit on the trampoline, tilt my head like a puppy and pout.
Laughter gets louder from many students. Professor Ella smiles and gives Rowan a soft look. I smirk as I look at them and Rowan gestures for me to get off. Huffing, I step down, blowing out puffs of air just to blow out my cheeks. Rowan gestures for me to step up to a punching bag, "Give me a fist."
I show him a fist with my thumb tucked inside and Rowan gives me dark look, his cold fingers grab my hand and fix it for me, my lips form an 'O'.
I could feel Athena's laughter in my head as Rowan taps my feet and moves me, I squeal when he touches my hips, "That's ticklish." I lie, laughing at his look of annoyance, Athena was watching in intense enjoyment from the tinted windows, considering this was live entertainment for her.
Rowan punches the punching bag, then tells me to do the same. I punch it lightly but roll out my fist and squeak, "That hurt." I mumble.
He slaps me lightly on the side of my head and the students can't hold it in, laughing so hard while I look up at Rowan with my lips parted, "Ow." I gasp out.
He points to the punching bag, "Give it a fucking punch. This isn't a kitten, Miss Caesar. Punch the fucking bag." He orders.
"But I just did." I grumble, punching it again. Lightly, once again. In irritation, he shakes his head before he moves around me, he grabs a sword and hands it to me. I grab the handle and make a show of it dropping straight to the floor like it's the heaviest thing in this realm.
Rowan grabs my arms, "You are too lanky. You need to grow some muscle. Start lifting some of the weights." He orders, grabbing the sword from me.
I look at it, "Can't I try again?" I ask him, softly.
He spins me around by the shoulders, "No, for fuck sake. No," He growls, before pushing me to the weights, people watch as he checks which weights are best for me, the music changes to one of a groovy one and I realise it's one of my playlists. I lightly shake my hips to it and he looks at me like he wants to kill me, "Stop it."
I stand still and whistle like a bird.
He reacts and so do I, when his fist curved and aimed for my shoulder, I dodged it with a squeak and cover up the fast move with a glare, he narrows his eyes at me and tilts his head, before he reacts and I duck again, grabbing the dumbbell and I dumbly drop it on his foot. He grunts and spins around. I raise my hands in surrender, "I'm so sorry, Professor. That...was instinct." I mumble, eyes wide while the dumbbell rolls to the side.
I watch it and Rowan had gotten into position to hit me again when I go to pick up the dumbbell and I jolt up, swinging the dumbbell up in shock at his closeness and it hits him right between his legs. His growl resonates as guys in the room wince and cringe and I 'accidentally' drop the dumbbell back on his foot in shock, "Oh god, Professor!" I blurt out.
He yelps.
The dumbbell drops onto his other foot and the vampire yells his profanities.
"Holy shit!" Another Professor calls out and Rowan stands upright and eyes that glare at the weights as another Professor steps up.
"Did she seriously just beat you accidentally?" The guy says in shock.
I cry out, "I'm so sorry, I told you, I suck at this stuff. Are your balls okay?" I ask Professor Rowan and the teacher above him can't hold his surprised laughter.
The doors open and in steps Headmaster Hale, Professor Arya and Athena, who almost looks flushed as she stares at me, unable to hold her laughter. Hale slides a hand over her lips, "Professor Rowan, I heard there was commotion in the gym, but I never thought one of our yoga students would be able to accidentally knock you on your ass." Hale laughs, wiping the corner of her eye while I flush my cheeks and cringe, wincing with it while Rowan shoves the other Professor away and straightens in his gear, pursing his lips.
"Professor Ella, you can take your students back to their room now." He orders harshly.
I hurriedly move with the others as Athena murmurs, "Genius." In my thoughts. The entire room was watching and their laughter surrounded the room. Each of the guards were watching wide-eyed, looking so overjoyed by the whole situation.
Professor Ella can't concentrate during yoga, "I'm so sorry, that was just too funny to see." She cracks up laughing as others in the class giggle and laugh my way.
"I've never seen Professor Rowan get beaten, I guess he was just really caught off guard." She adds during the near end of class. I changed and went downstairs just to see if Genevieve was still there, they were all still training but a lot of them were unable to focus because everyone was grinning so wide any time Rowan moved past. Athena was seated to the side, watching the students.
She glances at me and steps up, grinning wide, "Miss Celeste, I'm Professor Athena, you're main history teacher and Dean. Well done on before." Her voice was graceful and elegant and I knew Rowan was looking over here because is stepping in not a second later.
"Professor Athena, I did not know you would be down here for this session." He mentions, partially glaring at me.
She smiles, "I haven't been here in quite some time. I am glad I didn't miss it. This student wanted to check to see if you were alright." She says, looking to him with a glint in her eyes.
I give him a look of worry, "I'm so sorry, Professor. I can't believe I did that." I gasp out as I look at him with a wince.
Credence snorts by the wall and I look over, he and the other trainers there were watching, "No one can believe you did that either, kid. Professor, maybe her clumsiness isn't something your aura can calculate when in combat." He smirks as I catch Lucian Reigns, another male in their group, step up next to Creed who wasn't far behind, listening.
"Do shut up and get back to work, Credence." Rowan orders, gesturing that the rest of them back off. Athena places a hand over her face and giggles, shaking her head. My moves shocked her, but I had to think of something to get him off my back and feigning clumsiness to beat his ass worked like a golden ticket to heaven. His expression was blank but when he saw Athena laughing at this, he relaxed his stance.
"Are you done, Athena?" He asks her, raising an eyebrow.
She wipes the corner of her eyes, "This will go down in history, word has already spread and I just—I'm glad I did not miss this lesson. Lord, Professor Rowan. The specific students chosen for yoga classes instead of combat hold true reason, no one, not even you should mess with that reason. That was karma right there. Celeste, after dinner please come to my office, I'll be discussing your next assignment as you've requested." She tells me, moving away with laughter still on her lips.
I trail my eyes to Rowan, who stares at me blankly, "You may go now, Celeste." He sighs.
"Again, I am so sorry." I whisper.
"It's fine, it was an accident." He mutters, shaking his head.
The Professor also teaching combat scoffs, "Multiple accidents that shoved you on your ass." He snorts, chuckling louder and Rowan slams his head on the beam, it heals immediately and the guy is back to laughing, dodging Rowan's next attack while Genevieve runs over to me and shocks me by hugging me and laughing.
"Holy shit, you were fucking hilarious out there," She exclaims, eyes wide and sparkly.
I flush, "I'm so embarrassed."
She holds her stomach, head thrown back in wild laughter, "Watching you duck each moment he tried to punch you, you dumping the dumbbell accidentally on both feet and then right between the legs, holy heck—you're my idol, his face is planted all over our hilarious teacher moments accounts. He was so shocked because it was all normal and clumsy and oh my god—I can't breathe." She laughs louder. I roll my eyes and she pulls me to the changing rooms as other students immigrate what happened and ask for my name, laughing and clapping me on the shoulder.
Genevieve walks with me up the hill, wiping the corner of her eyes, "I'm not going to be able to stop laughing. He's the harshest teacher around and the way you just immediately got under his skin. The trampoline, I mean—shit, where have you been all my life? Did you see the Legion's faces when you chose the trampoline?" She gapes at me when I shake my head.
"Then at the punching bag, he looked freaking hilarious, but you just took the cake with the dumbbell." She laughs harder.
I giggle as we move to chemistry, "Want to hear a secret?" I ask her, giggling.
She nods, I lose the giggle, "None of that was me being clumsy." I tell her straight up and she pauses.
"Wait, what?" She asks.
I tilt my head and gesture to my ear, "Remember the earpiece. Taking a vampire off guard is harder than it looks. But this was the best way I could get out of intense combat. It would give me migraines all over the place but that doesn't mean I'm not useless. Showing me how to close a fist should have been a dead giveaway, but looking lanky—I'm wearing less compared to you guys during training. Plus, the dumbbell thing, had to do something to teach that Professor a lesson. I knew each time he'd move, once you calculate that, you can make something like that look all completely accidental, just by chance alone. And I used the props to my advantage. Being clumsy makes them underestimate you." I whisper to her during class as her eyes widen.
"You're a freaking genius." She gasps out, looking at me with newfound respect.
I fist bump her, "I'll show you one day. You can trick the hell out of your enemies with it." I wink. She holds a hand over her lips and shakes her head, unable to not hide how impressed she was.
"Alright students, I know physical education and combat training was probably the greatest hoot of a decade, we should be getting into potion time!" Professor Noris chuckles at the front of the lecture room, before making notes. Today there was no lab, just the lecture.
We move to the cafeteria for lunch and I was clapped on the shoulder by a ton of students, so much for staying under the radar. But Athena didn't seem bothered, she found it too good to throw me a slap on the way of making myself too out in the open. Genevieve giggles next to me, "Tomorrow night, we're all swimming by the pools. Does Professor Ella's class permit that?" She asks me.
I shrug, "Pretty sure we'll be joining in on that. How's your soil and root classes going?" I ask her, ordering a burger as she does the same. I grab a bottle of water too and we sit by an empty table to wait. I ignore the looks I receive from all over the place.
Serenity steps up to us, "So, Celeste, do you want to sit with us? You know, instead of Genevieve the trashy bitch over here?" She asks me sweetly.
I frown at her, "Uh, no I'm good, thanks." I tell her.
She stares at me, "You're going to need powerful, influential allies around here if you want to survive. Making a few clumsy mistakes in gym gives you your five seconds of fame, that won't last long." She warns me.
I study her, nodding once, she leans forward so she's level with my eyes, "I'd watch your back if I were you." She threatens.
"Back the hell off, Serenity." Genevieve spits, shoving her away from me. Serenity goes to hit her but Elrond stops her, grabbing Serenity as they step away, "Are you alright?" Genevieve asks me, softly.
I nod to her, "I'm fine, she's just overly intense." I mumble, hiding my face from students looking over here. Taking our seats for lunch, Genevieve tells me about that particular group, her high school life practically run through a meat grinder because of them. After each class, I make my way to Athena's known office and step inside, closing the door behind me.
Athena doesn't glance up from her paperwork, "Well done during gym." She murmurs.
I glance over her staircase, "I need him off my back, Athena." I mutter, my British accent soothing out and the relief that floods through me is sad.
She looks up from her file, "I'm almost too certain that did it." She raises an eyebrow at me when I grab a book on. I drop against the couch, opening it, she sighs, "Thank you for identifying Jensen. They located the bracelet and many other things that could connect him to other murders as well." She tells me, standing from her desk.
I click the page, reading over the spine.
Athena studies me, "I'll get Rowan to focus on his students. He's only doing this because that group has already taken a natural interest toward you."
"I didn't do anything to provoke it." I tell her.
"I know you didn't, but when you're naturally gifted at being spotted in a crowd, that can't be helped." She shrugs, moving towards the student seat in front of her desk.
"The guards got an alert on the area much quicker than I would have liked, hacking those cameras wasn't difficult, but them detecting it should have been difficult. The influence of new security on a school as large as this one, and yet it was Rowan in the area. My gut says he suspected Jensen long before I did, they just couldn't get proof. There was more than one person in this. I have no doubt." I tell her.
"Do you like it here?" She asks me, tilting her head at me.
"You're not answering my question." I argue.
She doesn't look away from me, "This place is a fresh start. While perhaps putting you in the yoga and Pilates class was a potential mistake, it was to remove the possibility of you having need to enter the tournaments at the end of the year. Rowan would choose you easily and we cannot have that right now." She explains.
"Then why make me play detective, huh?" I ask her, standing up and moving the book back into place.
"Because you found what we needed and what we could not detect. It has been months since I'd seen Rowan, he's not meant to be watching this closely. I don't know why he's doing this. Him approaching you on the first day must of been purely a coincidence. But he's not going to become a problem. If anything, you sorted that out during your gym session." She smirks, clearly amused.
"I'm surprised the bloodsucker bought it. Always underestimating the little one. He sounds no different from all those I've met." All the men I know.
She sighs, "Make sure not to give out your common hatred to all vampires. Not all of them are the same." She murmurs, rounding her desk again while I drop in the seat in front of her.
"He thinks I'm a clumsy, typical teenage girl with no clue as to what she's doing. I haven't stepped outside much." I mutter, running my fingers through my hair and leaning on the desk.
She lowers a secure box in front of me. I open it and see the vials of blood, specifically three of them. I look up to her, "We'll find it first, but we have what we need. I promised you I would help." She looks sincere. I close the box and lean back in my seat.
"Do you have a secure place for it? Nothing in this school has any safe spots." I tell her, moving it back to her. She nods and moves it aside, lowing a folder in front of me.
"The Legion team is the most sophisticated and advanced team in the scope of this academy and many others. You helping Genevieve with the serum can potentially make it difficult for her." She points to Genevieve's scoreboard.
I look at her, "What is so wrong about these tournaments? Not that I'll ever enter another one, but I helped her with one round, Athena. Why the bloody hell are you on my neck about it? If I want to make a friend, have a normal life here then I'll do it my way. I'm forced to hide everything else, get the hell off my back about this." I tell her, shoving the file back in front of her.
"You will be noticed here if you sight with popular students. That's why I put you with bloody Clarissa." She snaps at me.
I look at her incredulously, "Clarissa doesn't talk to me. She stays in her room most of the time and I'm honestly fine with that. I get along better with Genevieve. Are you bloody kidding? Popularity? Amongst students? You think that's a problem."
She gestures to me, "It's becoming a problem with Rowan. He is respected here, while that stunt at the gym was funny, it put you on their radar." She stares me down.
"No, Rowan did that all on his own because he looks at you like you're one day of sunshine after centuries of his darkness!" I snap at her.
She rears back and stares at me, "No, he does not."
I give her a flat look, "I'm not blind and while you can read minds and all that shit, you won't read the vampire's mind. When actually, I've come across enough vampires to know that pinhead of a gym teacher would gladly devour you in a second. Never mind using the nanobots on him, you say jump and the pup says how high." I gesture to her.
"He's not a pup." She rolls her eyes.
"He's a bloody pit-bull, literally like a dog to a bone. Professor Ella fell for his defence bullshit because that fucker is trying to find out why I was put in yoga classes. He spotted me at the entrance only because he detected the scent of you and like I said, he's obsessed with you and unless you're going to tell me why you hate the guy, I'm going to immediately assume that the reason he won't leave me alone is because he's in love with you." I whisper-yell.
She drops in her seat, "He's got a knack for locating potential." She mutters.
I close my eyes, "We both know he doesn't give two shits about me." I tell her.
"Do you want him too?" She wonders.
"No, I want him to shove his corpse nose elsewhere."
She chuckles under her breath, "Corpse nose, gosh if I could say that to his face." She says under her breath, looking through her window out to the forest that ran down to the village-like markets not far from here.
"I need him to back right off me, Athena. I didn't do anything to get the vampire's attention and right now, I just want five minutes of not needing to look over my bloody shoulder." I mutter to her, urging her to do something.
"I can't do that without specifically stating your name and request."
"He might already know after purposely shoving a dumbbell into his balls." I say, eyes pointed as I look at her.
She chuckles again, shoulders shaking, "I've never seen him look so shocked and annoyed. But you made the crowd notice you because of your antics which posed to be hilarious." She points at me.
"He was getting on my nerves. If I looked clumsy, he'd either get pissed and teach me a lesson, or shake it off and leave me alone to avoid more embarrassing confrontations on his count, but either way, he'd back right off." I inform her, rubbing my temple.
She leans back in her chair, "I'll speak with Professor Ella first, tell her to just stick to her room, no matter Rowan's pressurising manners or persuasive tendencies." She offers.
"Persuasive tendencies? You make him sound like a playboy." I snort.
"Oh, he's anything but that." She mutters, eyes distant.
I study her, "So, a prick not worth fighting for then?" I wonder, tilting my head.
She looks over to me, before pausing, "When is any of them worth fighting over?" She asks me, leaning back in her seat.
I move to the cabinet where whiskey and red wine lay. I pour two glasses, "The ones who will bend at the knee for the women they respect. Tell me, will Rowan bend at the knee now? Or will he fall with every other disappointing man we've been forced to meet?" I ask her, shrugging as I down my drink and hand her hers.
She looks up to me, "He may just fall." She whispers.
I look to her, she takes a gulp of her drink. I lower mine down, "Cheers." I tell her.
She salutes me, "I'll get to work on the location." Location of the rune pool. I nod to her and step out of the room, she handed me a slip since it was past curfew and I don't bother teleporting as I move towards the elevator and step inside. Taking it down to the first floor. I show the slip to the first set of guards and move up the steps.
"Curfew slip." Rowan's fucking voice behind me.