“Memento,” said Ambrose softly, and the soldiers relaxed once more.
The Headmaster’s received his message fully. They eyed one another briefly. Elgin gave Rowan, Ambrose’s ex-spy, a look of subtle judgement.
Ambrose turned on his heel. The Portal vanished behind him.
“Well, no surprise there,” said Hendrix Fawley, gesturing to their badges as they entered the Dining Hall.
“Suppose everything will be terribly different now,” said Abraxas dramatically as Spinel rubbed against his legs.
Abraxas reached for him, but he took off into the castle.
Maeve laughed. “As if you’ve ever gotten in trouble for anything.”
After the traditional back to school feast and Cauldron Ceremony, Maeve and Mal made their way up the stairs, assisting new students in finding their way to their Court Paragons and Dorms.
The castle was quiet just before curfew. Mal and Maeve strolled the darkened corridors in solitude. Head Boy and Head Girl had no curfew.
As they reached the third-floor landing, a Draconem Paragon ran towards them. Her face was flushed and her mouth was pulled in a thin line.
“Hi,” she said, winded. “I’m Grace. I’m a-”
“What’s happened?” Maeve interrupted her.
She sighed loudly, “Well, there’s was a party in the Draconem Dorms. I came to find you two, and something’s got out of hand and-”
Maeve and Mal listened to Grace no further, and they flanked her on either side and quickly made their way to the seventh floor.
“Surely Harquinton is already there,” said Maeve.
Professor Harquinton was the Head of Draconem Court.
“Let’s take the passage off the fourth floor,” said Mal. “It’ll be quicker.”
They rounded the corner and slipped behind a tapestry of Merlin, where there was a narrow spiral staircase. Wordlessly, light flickered into existence before them, guiding them in the darkness. The stairs led straight to a secret door on the seventh floor, which appeared to be a painting. It was much quicker than taking the grand staircase of the castle.
They hastily pushed through the painting and rounded the corner. There were several new students outside in the corridor crying.
Mal strode towards the door and demanded entry.
Maeve asked the girls if they were alright. They nodded and wiped their tears. One of them hiccuped. Maeve surveyed them all one by one. They were drunk.
The bronze statue of a dragon hunter from centuries ago would normally refuse them entry to the Draconem Common Room and Dorms and attempt to sword fight with them, but Maeve and Mal’s positions granted them entry to all the Common Rooms and Dorms at Vaukore.
As soon as the door swung open, yelling and screaming from inside the Common Room filled the corridor behind them. Mal emerged ahead of her, and they immediately spotted the issue.
There was a boy on the ground, unconscious. Another, named Henry Rowle, was screaming with his fingers drawn, pointing it at various students. He was shaking.
Mal stalked over to him and placed one hand over his fingers, curling them into a closed fist. He placed his other hand on the back of his neck.
“Stop,” was all Mal said.
Shock rang across Henry’s face. He relaxed, and Mal grabbed one of his shoulders and forced him to his knees.
Maeve kneeled beside the one unconscious student on the carpet and felt for a heartbeat at his throat. The boy was, at least, alive.
“What happened here?” Mal asked quietly.
A few around them fell silent. Those farther away hadn’t heard him.
