Saving the school would have been easier as a cafeteria worker

"You failed to mention others would be joining us," the pint-sized prince said with a slightly put-out expression on his face.

Cal mirrored his feelings but, out of common sense, kept it off his face.

His conversation with Sebastian yesterday had fizzled into lighter subjects. Somewhere along the line, Cal had let it slip that he was planning to check out the stables today, and the kid had invited himself along.

Taking the prince to see a core dealer was, by all metrics, a bad idea. Unfortunately, Cal had come down with a bad case of sympathy for the kid. Sebby's eagerness to accompany him came off as an attempt to brush off the vulnerability he'd shown earlier, and that was a difficult thing to deny. Somewhat naively, he told himself he'd be able to distract Sebastian when the time came.

Naturally, that plan was in the process of falling apart.

"Illusion," Cal urged, placing his hands on Sebby's shoulders and pushing him to the front. "Hide us now. It's not too late."

It was definitely too late, considering the pair were already walking towards them. Sebby tried anyway, a shaky veil of light coming into fruition.

"We can see you," Lily jeered at them from afar. She took another step and then blurred toward them, dissipating the budding illusion as she came to a stop within their midst. Her face promptly shifted from bemusement to incredulity. "Are you seriously trying to use the prince as a human shield?"

That was not his original intention, but Cal was happy to take suggestions.

"Is it working?"

Her eyes narrowed at him for a fraction of a second before she exploded forward in a burst of speed. Sebby yelped as Cal hoisted him up and into her path. Lily managed to skid to a halt before she could collide with the member of royalty. She didn't hesitate, dipping low and to the right, but it was a feint, and her next approach came from the opposite direction.

It didn't matter either way, as Cal was fast enough to ensure Sebby remained between them.

"Cease that at once," a harsh shout reached his ears. "Callum, put him down before someone sees."

Cal didn't immediately comply, watching his aggressor carefully.

"Lilliane," Alice said with palpable aggravation. "That includes you."

Lily winced at her words, putting on an awkward smile and stepping back. Seeing her retreat, Cal set the prince down.

"We're fine," Cal said while patting the kid on the back, causing him to stumble. "And it's not like we're at the main entrance."

They'd moved past that, traversing the stables to end up at a terrace overlooking a group of pens. The area below was enclosed on three sides, with each having a balcony like the one they were currently on. Sunlight poured through the open roof, and Cal had noticed a rolled-over tarp that could be extended over the space if needed. The individual enclosures hugged the walls in a wide U-shape, tended to by a mixture of students and staff. They seemed too absorbed in their tasks to notice the gathering above. That included Romero, whose presence he dimly felt.

"Even away from prying eyes, there's a base level of etiquette I expect you to observe. Waving a member of the royal family around like a sack of flour falls below that."

Flour? Like that time she—

"My past misdeeds do not absolve your current," Alice ruthlessly stamped out his train of thought before turning to the prince. "My apologies for my brother's… well, by this juncture, I'm sure you understand."

It dawned on Cal that he was actually the polite one. Alice was just better at hiding her rudeness.

"Allowances have been made in consideration of his eccentricity," Sebby said in a proper tone. "I would ask how you two came to be here."

Cal's eyes went from the prince to both girls, sensing weakness.

"The kid has a point. Don't you need special permission to be here?"

Alice's lips pursed, and Lily took the lead, strolling ahead. She bent forward, resting her hands on her knees.

"I'm going to tell you a secret," she said while at eye level with the prince. "Rules only matter if they can catch you."

"Lilliane!" Alice hissed—only for the girl in question to rise and offer the prince a curtsy.

"Arcutien," she said as if finishing Alice's sentence. "Third daughter of House Arcutien. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Your Highness."

The mixture of formality and casualness must have thrown Sebby for a loop, because his mouth was left hanging open.

"On behalf of the prince," Cal said imperiously. "We were hoping for this to be a guys-only thing."

A polite smile formed on Alice's face, one that didn't reach her eyes.

"And I was hoping my brother would inform me before making the decision to take on a beast, but I suppose that was too much to ask."

Cal grimaced, unhappy emotions welling up within him. He'd forgotten to tell her about this, hadn't he?

"I genuinely forgot to mention it," Cal said, seeing the way her expression tightened. He raised his hands in surrender. "And I wasn't going to take anything home today. This is a fact-finding mission." That the fact-finding had nothing to do with the beasts was better left unsaid.

"He speaks true," Sebby backed him up, recovering from Lily's Lilyness. "Callum shared that he was uncertain about the obligations around rearing them."

'Uncertain' was a charitable way of admitting he knew nothing about the subject.

"May I ask why you are accompanying him today?" Alice asked with the same smile on her face. "I understand this was an arrangement made with your older sibling."

"It was," Sebby confirmed. "I'm here as an impartial observer to ensure your brother is treated fairly."

Cal noted that it was left ambiguous whether he was referring to Rolland or the people who were meant to provide him a beast.

Alice crossed her arms in front of her, holding them close. Her eyes darted around the terrace, searching for something.

"And are you the only member of the royal family escorting us today?" Her question was posed innocently enough, but Cal caught an undercurrent of apprehension.

"Yes?" Sebby answered, his voice tinged with perplexity. "Are you implying something?"

Lily's boisterous laugh responded for everyone, and she shook her head in an exaggerated manner.

"Let's stop talking and go cuddle with things trying to bite our faces off," she said, approaching the balcony and leaning over it. "I've never had a chance to interact with hatchlings. They're usually kept under lock and key."

That sounded like a fine idea—if he were by himself.

Lily, however, wasn't keen on waiting for their agreement and vaulted over the railing, falling to the plaza below.

"That absolute…" Alice's words bled into incomprehensible mutterings.

Cal let her get it out of her system while he headed toward the nearest stairway, shepherding the prince beside him.

"Is that her normal behavior?" Sebby asked in a bewildered tone.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with avoiding stairs by jumping off ledges. Cal would have vehemently defended that point if there hadn't been a brooding fake sister behind him.

"Don't take her too seriously," Cal advised before thinking better of it. "Unless she means whatever it is she's doing or saying. Then treat her very seriously."

Yeah, that sounded right.

"That logic is flawed."

Cal nodded in approval. Sebby seemed to understand perfectly.

Nothing more was said as they traveled down the steps and out into the space housing the pens. Sloped beams of warded metal formed the cages, shaped like eggs and evenly spaced from one another. Several had been left open, students directly interacting with their occupants.

Cal's attention was drawn away from them and toward Lily, who had been surrounded by a group of students. They'd shed their uniforms in favor of full leathers, each wearing thick gloves that reached the elbow.

"There you are," Lily said, exasperated. "Tell them I'm with you."

He considered pretending he'd never met her before, but doubted his acting skills were up to par.

"She is," Cal confirmed, removing a letter he'd received from Rolland. "And I have this thing. I'm pretty sure it's fancy talk for 'I can do what I want.'"

An older student took a half step toward him, peering at the writ in Cal's hand. It was geared toward giving him access and didn't mention granting him a beast. Rolland would handle that after Cal settled on one.

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"This is out of the norm," the student said without getting closer. "And the details here are sparse. However, I think I speak for the rest of the Beast Husbandry Club in saying that we wouldn't feel comfortable allowing non-members unescorted access to our nurseries." The student's eyes traced toward Sebby, and his tone became a tad more respectful. "We'd never forgive ourselves if something were to happen to His Highness. The beasts here are infantile and not sufficiently trained."

The stables were not the sole property of a single club. Several claimed stakes in it, but the largest portion was under the control of the Academy itself. It would be easy to choose a section where they'd meet less resistance, but he hadn't stumbled here by accident.

"Please," Lily rolled her eyes at the student. "We can take care of him just fine. No babysitters needed."

Cal disagreed. He very much did need one. If he had his choice, it would be Romero, but life couldn't be that—

"Alice, it's wonderful to see you," Romero fucking Venito said, slinking out from behind one of the enclosures. "It's been too long."

Thankfully for everyone present, Cal quickly realized that separating Romero's upper half from his lower would not be the best resolution to this encounter. It was an instinctive reaction to hearing the friendly address directed at Alice.

"Romero," Alice said politely, if guarded. "It has. There hasn't been a need for our paths to cross recently."

Cal glanced between them. Alice's posture was the picture of noble propriety, while Romero stood with both palms turned outward, wearing a roguish smile that Cal thought would look better scattered across the field.

He didn't like this. Not one bit.

"Lamentable," Romero said with a flourish, brushing his shoulder-length dark blond hair back. "And rectifiable. I'll gladly oversee your time among us."

That clinched it. There was definitely a god still mucking about. This was exactly what he wanted, in the worst way he could have thought of.

"We don't require minders," Sebby said, lowering his voice. "In truth, I feel this place is beginning to be claustrophobic. Should we relocate?"

Cal was nearly too busy contemplating how one went about tracking down and slaying meddlesome deities to properly react to that.

Nearly.

"We can protect the kid," Cal said, referencing the supposed danger these beasts presented. "And yeah, too many people. Do those yards outside also belong to your group?"

Cal gestured toward the gap that led to a field of fenced-off areas. Beyond that was a tree line, signaling the start of the forested area of the stables.

"Our club has no use for that much space," Romero responded smoothly. "And while I appreciate the capability and authority your group possesses, there is no shame in having an expert at hand. To sate your curiosity, if nothing else."

The man was making this so easy, and yet, Cal didn't want to take him up on it. His eyes migrated back to Alice, searching for her thoughts on the matter. Her gaze was steady on Romero. There was familiarity, but no fondness. Neither did it tip into outright hostility.

Controlled was how Cal would describe it.

"Hungry one, aren't you?"

Lily's voice didn't come from where he expected it to, and he turned to find she had entered one of the cages. A creature that was little more than a furry ball with teeth hung off her extended arm, gnawing at it.

The student who had been caring for it had backed up into a corner, seeming to want nothing to do with the girl.

Cal couldn't find fault in that.

"Please don't electrocute it," Romero called out. "The gentleman in the pen should have the smelling salts needed to have it disengage your limb."

Lily considered that with a tilt of her head before shrugging and waltzing out of the enclosure.

"Nah," she said without a care. "Its teeth aren't sharp anyhow."

Considering it was still trying to pierce her shell, he'd take her word on it.

Heedless of his internal conundrum, she continued walking toward the building's large exit.

"Should we follow her?" Sebby questioned dubiously.

"Generally, no," Cal imparted. "In this case..."

Cal couldn't decide if Lily was acting out more than normal, but it was another reminder that she didn't need any coddling. That feeling extended to Alice.

"Yeah, why not?" Cal decided, turning to Romero briefly. "You okay joining us in case she decides to let something else snack on her?"

Alice offered to share his burdens. She didn't have the foggiest idea of what that entailed, and so Cal wouldn't take it as a blank check, but talking to a guy was harmless enough.

Especially when the girl could likely obliterate the conspirator if given the chance.

"Of course," the man said, falling into step with him and Sebby. "And pardon my late introduction to your highness. I'm Romero Venito, seventh year."

Sebby glanced at him, not offering an introduction of his own. That was a clear snub, and Romero's face grew rigid.

Huh, the kid had good instincts.

"How do you know Alice?" Cal asked sharply, bypassing pleasantries. Slipping into the role of a nosey brother was surprisingly easy.

"We had similar classes," Alice swiftly answered. "And took to trading notes on occasion."

Her rapid response wasn't lost on him, and he tried not to jump to conclusions about the nature of their relationship.

"Don't we still?" Romero questioned, his smile wavering.

Alice frowned at that, sending Romero a look Cal couldn't decipher.

"I'd prefer if you didn't make presumptions about me," Alice said in a neutral tone.

There was an unmistakable tension between them that made Cal feel like a third wheel. Which was saying something, since Sebby was here as well.

"What's your club about?" Cal asked, attempting to steer the topic in a more fruitful direction.

Alice's attention shifted to him, and a troubled look washed over her. That was curious, but before he could delve deeper, Romero spoke.

"The breeding and raising of beasts," he said, accepting the supposed olive branch. "The latter isn't the kind of training most expect. It's more about acclimating beasts to humans, with a few basic commands thrown in. The deeper training falls to others."

Cal nodded in understanding, intrigue on his face. He glanced ahead, where Lily was strolling with the beast on her arm.

"Are they expensive to care for?" Cal followed up, hitting on the driver Gregor informed him of.

Romero masked his reaction with an artificial chuckle, sweeping a hand across the facility.

"The investment in infrastructure can bankrupt most houses. But it all depends on the beast, or beasts, in question. Magic to beasts is mutagenic, meaning it changes them in unpredictable ways. This lack of uniformity makes their care very specialized and expensive. However, through careful breeding, we've been able to establish more stable breeds. Take that Gnawble on your friend over there," he said, pointing toward the beast Lily may have stolen. "Due to its lack of limbs, it requires a small area to roam. In addition, its magic is directed towards regeneration and not exterior effects. This limits the risk they pose."

Cal was reminded of the horse-like Terraeus he had to leave behind in the Waste. It hadn't been realistic to go back for them, but he hoped they made it out okay.

"What use is it then?" Sebby piped up from beside him, eyeing the creature. "Is it the fur?"

It did look soft, but Romero shook his head. He held a finger up, requesting patience, and they walked a short while more before coming upon a fence Lily had stopped at. She was leaning against it, observing a galloping beast in the pen.

"May I see your arm?" Romero asked Lily, who shot him a glance before holding out both it and the beast.

The man approached her slowly, poking at the needle-like teeth. One of them wobbled and, with a few more pokes, fell free. Romero caught it, holding it out to the prince.

"The teeth are used in the construction of hardened glass and can be harvested by leaving them stone to chew on. With a regrowth window of three days, they can be profitable to rear."

That was actually pretty cool. It was a pity that Cal hadn't been able to take any classes related to the subject. He had a feeling he would have enjoyed them.

Well, up until they had him shoveling shit.

"As cute as it is," Lily said, stroking the fur. "You're not getting one of these. It would be a waste."

Cal examined the pastures, scanning for anything that might pique his interest. They were small things compared to what he'd dealt with last weekend, and, more importantly, none of them resembled cows.

"I didn't realize House Ardere was in the market," Romero ventured curiously. "Let alone keeping company with the royal family these days."

It did surprise Cal that Alice hadn't commented on it when seeing him with Sebby again, but she'd likely realized concealing his involvement with them would become increasingly difficult.

"It's explorative," Alice said, not clarifying what part she was referring to.

Sebby eyed her with caution, shifting slightly away from her. Cal lightly pushed on the kid's shoulder, rolling his eyes. He finished with a small smile before turning back to his target.

"Do you feed them cores?" Cal asked. "I've seen wild-born ones fight for them, so they must be a feature of their diet."

With the quantity of beasts held here, they would need to import from off campus. It was possible that demon cores could be smuggled in with them.

"Some, yes," Romero readily explained. "It depends on the breed. A beast whose line had bred true for ten generations would be able to safely consume cores to grow their strength, while a fourth generation may revert or take on undesirable traits. The type of core also plays a part. They can have bad pairings with beasts or simply be inherently unstable."

Lily paused in her petting, glancing at Cal thoughtfully. She held out her free hand with her palm facing upward. Her fingers curled in a 'gimme' motion.

"Lend me a core," she said expectantly. "I want to see how big we can make it."

Romero chuckled, likely assuming it was a joke. His laughter tapered off as he witnessed everyone's lack of humor.

"I would ask that you don't," Romero said with a slight bit of nervousness. "Any core must be reviewed and potentially modified before being fed to our beast."

Modified? That was an interesting choice of words.

"I didn't realize you could do more than make them blow up," Cal said, lying through his teeth. "How's that work?"

"It's too complicated a subject to discuss casually," Romero deflected, his tone casual but firm. "Tell me, do you have any type of beast in mind?"

The two-legged type that summons demons.

"You'll want one capable of flight," Sebby eagerly stated. "Those are the most valued. It should match your affinity as well."

Did that even exist? He'd never run into one, but he did kill them pretty quickly. He also might not have noticed the attack.

"That might be complicated," Lily mumbled to herself, realizing a second later that she was now the center of attention. "Ah. I mean, I can totally see it setting your mo— the Lady of House Ardere's gardens on fire."

That was odd phrasing.

"I was going to suggest aquatic," Alice added, seeming not to notice Lily's strangeness. "Our house borders the Great River. It would provide an ample hunting ground for it."

"They're unreliable," Sebby added, a note of confidence in his voice. His cheeks turned slightly red as he noticed the scrutinizing gazes on him. "I've heard it proposed to my father before. There have been attempts before to train them to contest shipping, but they return to their base instincts in short order."

They were doing what now?

"I won't doubt the words coming from His Highness," Romero said respectfully. "However, we've made recent strides in controlling their behavior. If you're interested in procuring one, there is a clutch that will hatch any day now."

That must have been what Romero was doing the day Cal fed Marcus to a giant squid.

"I'm not jumping into anything today," Cal said, tempering expectations. "I wanted to spend some time around here and observe. Maybe learn about what obligations would be associated with them."

"Boring," Lily declared, snapping her fingers together. "Just pick the meanest—"

"It's showing responsibility," Alice interjected with a pointed look. "A trait those of us not determined to drain our family's coffers appreciate."

Lily smiled softly at the rebuke, moving to scratch the back of her head before pausing in the action and staring at the beast she was holding.

"Prudent as always, Alice," Romero offered, earning a downturn of the girl's lips. "However, it would be best if these visits were scheduled ahead to ensure an escort."

Hook, line, and sinker.

"Can you do it?" Cal asked, mustering the best of his acting skills. "If not, I'll take someone you trust."

Assuming that trusted person would know a good deal about his operation.

"Callum," Alice said with a note of trepidation. "As you've said, there's no reason to be rash. The Beast Husbandry Club is not the only one that offers these services. It would behoove us to consider alternatives."

It was a completely reasonable point, and Cal wanted nothing to do with it. His retort went unsaid as Lily's curious voice sounded.

"I just realized what else this little guy is good for," Lily mused, sending the beast a jolt and causing it to release her arm. She grabbed it firmly with both hands, holding it at arm's length. "A hat."

His assumption that she was about to brutally kill the thing was proven false as she held it, teeth first, toward them. Her eyes jumped between them, considering potential victims. Cal stepped in front of Sebby protectively, not confident in the kid being able to erect his shell quickly enough to avoid earning a crown of bite marks.

"Lilliane," Alice warned, taking a step back. "Don't you dare."

Lily locked onto her. A tense second passed before she leaped at the girl, beast held up high. Alice raised a palm, flames flickering to life. They puttered out just as fast, and a look of shock came over her before she scrambled backwards, attempting to avoid the crazed girl.

Cal ignored the byplay, focusing on Romero. He put on his friendliest smile as he asked an innocent question.

"So when is good?"