Saving the school would have been easier as a cafeteria worker

Romero was agreeable to setting time aside for him. The trick on Cal's end would be making sure no one on his end tagged along. A prospect that got increasingly more difficult, as it seemed everywhere he went there was someone who wanted to accompany him.

"Lucas is on the prowl, huh?" Lily commented from the chair across from him. She was hugging her knees, chin resting atop them.

They were back in the dorms, and Alice was in the bathroom, undoing what Lily had inflicted on her. They'd split off from Sebby, the kid having some appointment he needed to get to. Cal had taken the opportunity to fill Lily in on his encounter, given that it directly related to her.

"He backed off pretty quickly," Cal said, head propped up on the headrest as he lay across the couch. "Whether that's for good or not, who knows?"

It was a minor issue in the grand scheme of things. That wasn't to say Cal would outright ignore it. He'd learned better than that.

"Lucas has no real teeth," Lily said contemplatively. "His one move would be to cry to his family, but he won't because that would make him look pathetic." Her face scrunched up, and she continued in an almost pained tone. "I guess I can drop by the clinic and see William to make sure something stupid doesn't happen."

Cal tilted his head, choosing to stare at the ceiling. Ferguson, William, Basem, and now a Hand. That was a significant amount of firepower at the Academy.

"Are they still keeping him here?" Cal asked, remembering there was talk about moving him.

William had fought with the Whistling Death, and while Cal liked to think he concealed himself well, he didn't want to push his luck.

"Mmhmm," she hummed her confirmation. "They can't move him yet. If it were just a break like mine, he'd be up and about, but his insides got all mushy."

It was self-defense.

"Worse than Ferguson then?"

Cal hadn't seen or heard of the man since coming back. He wasn't sure if that was by design or simply a lack of initiative on his part.

"Not even close," Lily replied swiftly. "The drunk is old and missing pieces. I've heard of transplants working before, but he's not getting whole anytime soon. Unlike some people."

The last part was pointed, and he turned back to her to see her steady gaze on him.

"Can you show me?" she asked almost hesitantly. "The thing you told me about."

Cal didn't need further prompting to know what she was referring to. He sighed, wondering about the choices he had made. The cushion underneath him seemed to get less comfortable, and he shifted in place.

Eventually, he raised a hand. Sticking out his pinky, he gripped it with his other hand, twisted, and then yanked.

Lily's sharp inhale could be heard over the sizzling of flesh as he destroyed any evidence of his former finger. The pain he felt was brief as his body went to work, replacing his missing appendage. Soon, the only hint of what occurred was the flaking blood clinging to his skin.

"Ancestors," she breathed, not moving from her spot. "That only took seconds. And it's been like that since forever?"

He nodded, but it didn't translate well lying down, so he added a thumbs-up to make his point.

Lily's flinch caused him to freeze.

"Don't—" Her feet hit the floor, and she was halfway out of her seat before she caught herself, awkwardly sitting back down. "Sorry, I thought you were going to… ugh, never mind."

Cal didn't make any sudden moves, slowly lowering his hand and resting it on his stomach. She'd taken it better in the cabin, but seeing it was very different from hearing it.

Well, she hadn't labeled him an inhuman monster bent on destruction, so it wasn't the worst reaction he'd ever gotten.

He tried not to let the lull get to him while waiting for her verdict.

"That is such bullshit!" Lily exclaimed in a raised voice. Her eyes darted to Alice's room before she continued in a more subdued tone. "I mean, you can pretty much push yourself to the limit every time and not care about the consequences. Hells, I can't even be mad about your half-assed spearmanship. Why bother defending or parrying when you just need to get close and grab them?"

Cal shot into an upright position. His fingers snapped before pointing both at her like guns.

"Exactly, you get it."

He was ready to dial back his exuberance when she started nodding rapidly.

"Worst-case scenario, just grab a few cores and make them go boom."

Cal could now see why Lily was near the top of the Academy. She had a solid understanding of tactics.

"The cheat code to fighting beasts is letting yourself be swallowed and working from there."

Lily's mouth hung open, whatever she'd been about to say getting stuck. She crossed her arms and frowned while looking at the floor.

"That's kind of gross," she decided, dragging her sight back to him. "Have you actually done that?"

The sudden reversal had him backpedaling, and he whistled an innocent tune, not meeting her eye. Perhaps he should have been more stringent with the details.

"How many times?" she asked, an all-too-serious expression on her face. "Are we talking ten, twenty, thirty… more than thirty?!"

He felt a distraction was needed, and so his arm extended toward her. The bracelet of twine on his wrist unfurled, lashing out at her. Lily was unfazed, smoothly rolling out of the chair and ending in a crouch beside it.

"I'll have you know my spearmanship is perfectly adequate now. As you witnessed in the Waste."

His new weapon would make up for any deficiencies. Being able to adjust its reach and proportions on the fly was a tremendous aid, and he couldn't help but wonder why everyone didn't just use one of these. The best he could come up with was that it didn't function as a focus.

Did Craven have a way around that?

"Keep telling yourself that," Lily said with bemusement, rising from the floor. She leaned over the extended twine with interest. "That's an interesting choice of weapon. Are you sure it's a good fit?"

Honestly, he still felt his fist was the best option. Cal suspected that would earn some snide comments and opted for a display instead. He held out his palm, allowing the twine to wrap around it.

Flames sprang into existence, licking at the open hand.

"It doesn't really burn," Cal said, intensifying the heat for a brief moment. "See? No issues. Otherwise, I would have destroyed it while we were fighting."

It was a reasonable, if ultimately silly, observation on her end. Even if it wasn't fireproof, he had enough control to avoid burning it. His point made, he extinguished the fire and settled back against the sofa.

Lily chewed on her cheek, visibly struggling with something.

"Are you sure you're not a growth mage?"

Cal blinked at her. Where had she gotten that idea? Was it the weapon? Just because it was made of plant matter didn't mean you had to be a growth mage to use it.

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"I'm definitely not," Cal said with confidence, only to then shift to skepticism. "Where's this coming from?"

Lily's eyes narrowed just a smidge before relaxing. Her attention drifted to Alice's room again before she retook her seat.

"A meddlesome administrator," Lily said angrily. She inspected her fingernails, sparks dancing from one to another. "It must be mind games to get between you two. Speaking of, you should tell her about the whole not dying thing. Preferably without the demonstration."

An administrator who wanted to screw him over?

"Evergreen?" he asked, receiving a nod. "She has been weirdly friendly since we got back. The headmaster tried to keep us on campus, and she put a stop to it."

"She's up to something then," Lily replied with increased aggravation. "I had a meeting with Vic too, and he was pretty clear that I was meant to stay put. It should have been after yours as well."

Cal tried to think of why she might be incentivized to have them off campus, but he came up empty.

"Odds she burns something in the city and blames us?" Cal asked, thinking out loud.

Lily started to laugh, stopping when she realized he was being serious. Her brow knitted together before she shook her head.

"That's not her style," she said, her voice distant as she contemplated the question. "The Evergreens are a proud house. You'd probably have to ask Claire, but I've heard that their oral history encompasses and predates the Fall. They would have been a dukedom if they hadn't spent a century held up in Anumb Forest. The Empire didn't even know they existed until they walked out, largely intact. With that type of lineage, their members aren't going to run around framing students and committing arson. They'd trap you with existing rules."

Based on what he experienced with her personally, he'd be inclined to agree. However, he didn't put any faith in the pedigree angle. Rolland's family was the most prestigious in the land, and he was duplicitous by nature.

"I'll be sure to ask," Cal said, not knowing if he'd ever meet the woman again.

The oral history interested him, but they were essentially multigenerational games of telephone—not the most reliable of accounts.

A knock at the door attracted his attention, and he looked to Lily, who appeared just as confused as he was. She motioned for him to get it, and he rose, pacing toward the door.

Opening it was easy. His attempt to slam it shut right after? Not so much.

"Wow, this is uncomfortable," Lily spoke her mind from the crowded table, of which Cal was reluctantly a part. "Someone say something, please."

Under normal circumstances, he would have responded with 'something.' These weren't normal circumstances.

Of course, the cause of this was currently reading a book. Cal glanced to his right, where Alice was sitting, wondering if she'd say something. Unfortunately, the girl appeared to be tongue-tied. That meant the job fell to him.

"Mia," he addressed the troublesome girl directly across from him. "I think I speak for everyone when I ask: what are you doing here?"

Alice definitely didn't know. He could tell it was taking every fiber of her being not to openly disparage the girl.

"Waiting for dinner," Mia replied simply, ignoring the tension in the room.

Right, dinner. The dinner they were apparently having. The dinner Olivia was bringing them.

It was another surprise he wasn't thrilled about. From their brief encounter at the door, he gathered his handler was here of her own volition today.

"I'm not saying you're unwelcome," Cal hedged, knowing Alice would be upset if he said otherwise. "But, and excuse me if I don't know noble etiquette well, aren't you meant to give the host a heads up?"

If he could recall correctly, that wasn't actually the case. Higher-ranked nobles could drop in on their vassals and expect to be cared for. It was another way to hammer in the hierarchy.

Cal just didn't think Mia was into those kinds of games.

"Yesterday," Mia said, as if that was explanation enough.

Alice and Lily shared a look, both eyeing him with undisguised suspicion. It made him feel like he was on trial for a crime he didn't commit.

"Did something occur yesterday?" Alice's measured voice asked.

Cal gave it some serious thought. Their dinner with Sebby stood out. Was she expecting to be fed every day now? That didn't mesh well with his schedule.

"We had class and ate with each other afterwards," Cal admitted, seeing little reason to lie at this juncture. "I don't see how either leads here."

Mia stopped reading, regarding him with a tilt of her head.

"Your suggestion," she intoned slowly. Her sight shifted to Alice before moving back to him. "Research."

Research? He didn't see how that had anything to do with dinner, but Wyatt was the impatient sort. Cal was just thankful the man hadn't invited himself over.

"What do you have for me?" Cal probed, expecting a stack of files shoved into his face.

Strangely, he didn't see her carrying anything but the book. His eyes roamed over her, attempting to confirm that fact.

"I have no idea what's happening," Lily voiced her confusion.

Cal blinked, realizing the girl he had been talking to was gone. If this continued, he needed a way to stop her from randomly disappearing on him.

"She came by to drop off work from our class," Cal explained to those present. "The teacher is pushy."

That was enough for the girl's return, but she wasn't the same as when she left. Her largely indifferent exterior had cracked, and there was an air of embarrassment around her.

"Forgot," she said, returning to her book. "Tomorrow?"

Cal didn't hesitate to shake his head.

"Can't do it. I'm booked solid." At the looks from Lily and Alice, he continued. "Benny and I are geeking out about produce."

If that wasn't enough to discourage interest, he wasn't sure what was. Alice gained a slight frown, but she chose another avenue of approach.

"Magical engineering," Alice mused, seeming to taste the words. "I must confess, I didn't think he had the aptitude for it. Can that be attributed to your tutelage?"

A small smile came to his face, and he rolled his eyes at the girl. Leave it to Alice to latch onto academics.

"Not in the slightest," Mia replied smoothly, regaining what little composure she had lost.

Four words. Higher than her average, but lower than what she used yesterday. It didn't take him long to realize what the difference was.

"There's no reason to be nervous around these two," Cal said, pointing his thumb at each of them. "They're harmless."

It wasn't lost on him that Alice felt much the same way, but at least she could string a proper sentence together.

"Now, that I don't agree with," Lily said, crossing her arms and huffing. "I'm plenty harmful. Tell her, Alie."

"Only if you get attached," Alice's off-the-cuff response surprised herself, and her cheeks matched her hair. "Lilliane can be known to be vexing."

Lily took that as an invitation, placing both elbows on the table and leaning closer to Mia. The girl tried to return to her reading but was stopped by a prodding finger. There was a mischievous yet evaluating expression on Lily's face as she pressed the book flat on the table. Cal felt a flash of danger as a certain glint entered Mia's eye.

"Remove," Mia uttered.

The room stilled, and Lily's finger pulled back. She was leaning back in her seat when a snarl overtook her. Her hand blurred, and the table shook as she slammed down on it, fingers splayed over the pages. Cal nearly sprang out of his seat at the turn of events.

"Let's understand each other," she said, standing over Mia. "These are my people. Mess with them, and I mess with you. Got it?"

Any pretense of civility had been stripped away, and Cal couldn't comprehend how they had arrived at this point. He was coiled, ready to intercede at any hint violence might actually break out. For some reason, it seemed like he was the only one alarmed.

"Got it," Mia echoed. "Now sit."

Lily nearly missed her chair with how fast she tried to retake her seat. She fumbled into it with a distinct lack of grace, and Alice watched her, lips pressed thin.

"Lilliane," she said, frustration apparent in her voice.

There was no need to explain the source of her irritation, and she let the word hang by its lonesome. Lily didn't immediately respond, blinking a few times while staring at a wall.

When she recovered, there was no trace of shame on her face. She shrugged, offering no apology.

"Call me a hypocrite. Call me selfish." Her heated tone mellowed as she took a breath to steady herself. "But don't call me uncaring."

She was right. He couldn't.

Sadly for her, there were plenty of other things he could call her in this moment. Not many of them were nice.

"That's not… fair," Alice griped, falling short of rebuking her friend.

Cal softly clicked his tongue. That would only encourage Lily. Then again, there wasn't much she could do to encourage the opposite. He kind of liked that about her.

"What did I tell you?" he said lightheartedly, gesturing to the pair. "Nothing to worry about."

He wasn't sure it came across right, because both girls gave him a sharp look. The door cracked open before anything more could come from it.

Olivia glided into the room, a white-clothed cart in tow. She stopped beside the table, and with a speed he was fairly certain exceeded what was normal, the silverware and dishes were set.

Cal's critical gaze fell on the bowl in front of him. It was a bubbling grey concoction that looked to be a better fit for a witch's cauldron than human consumption.

"Apologies for the wait," Emily said with a curtsey. "I heard Callum created a stew yesterday, and I thought to try my hand at it as well. I hope you enjoy."

The newly born monstrosity stared back at him, daring him to make the first move. Was this revenge for not speaking to her yet? He had planned to drop by tomorrow. Somehow, he doubted that saying so would be of any help.

Mia, in an act of unparalleled bravery, took a spoonful of the miasma cosplaying as dinner. She naively stuck it in her mouth, and Cal was ready to perform life-saving measures when she went for a second.

At the third, he pushed his augmentation to the limit, zoning in on the utensil. Time passed agonizingly slowly as he waited for the trick to be revealed.

There was none to be found. He couldn't even sense an illusion being used.

Was there something wrong with him? Was his taste the one that was off?

The grave expressions on Lily and Alice's faces told him he wasn't crazy. They were staring into the abyss with him, silently warring over whether to break politeness.

He imagined they would have if the server were someone other than the cheerfully smiling Emily. She wore pride heavily on her face, and Cal didn't know how a Federation agent could be so delusional.

"How?" he questioned the madwoman now on her fourth scoop.

Mia had the gall to finish it before responding.

"Magic."

Was she burning her taste buds off? That was a possibility, but he found it unlikely. Was it a secret branch of augmentation? That held some credibility. If he could stop his heartbeat, who was to say others could not turn off their senses?

"Can you teach me?" he implored, unwilling to face this crisis in his current state.

As if to mock him, she ate the fifth.

"No."

The image of the girl transformed in his mind. Troublesome? He'd been a fool. Mia was clearly a formidable opponent.