“Good evening, June,” said Hummingdoor in a singsong voice. “Miss Sinclair, Mister Peur, shouldn’t you be on Paragon duty? Has something happened?”
Madam Florence stepped forward. “Indeed they should be and indeed it has. I found them in The Restricted Area of the Library, Clifford.”
There was an awkward silence. Hummingdoor looked back and forth between Mal and Maeve; his brows pulled together. Larliesl took a swig of his dark colored drink.
“Whatever for?” Asked Hummingdoor, laughing nervously.
“I know!” Madam Florence said, raising her finger. “They don’t think the rules apply to them, Clifford.”
“They are Paragons, June,” said Larliesl sounding bored. “Two of Vaukore’s finest.”
Madam Florence cleared her throat.
“Pardon me,” she started, “but I believe they are entitled children who’ve never gotten in trouble for anything they’ve done wrong. They likely never imagined standing here, having been caught for breaking school rules. Never in all my years of education at Vaukore has a student dared to enter the Restricted Area of my library. I don’t even understand how! No doubt the Orator’s Office will furious.”
The room remained silent. Hummingdoor’s face had grown quite serious. Maeve knew it was now or never. The time to pull them out of this disaster had arrived.
Florence pointed at Mal. “They were simply up to no good.”
“No, ma’am, I’m afraid that’s simply not true,” said Maeve, her voice breaking.
Mal’s head shot towards Maeve, where she stood crying.
“Professor Larliesl, I’m terribly frightened, you see,” said Maeve, addressing the head of her house.
Larliesl’s attention shot to her as he quickly set down his drink and moved to the edge of his seat.
“My dear!” Hummingdoor flew to his feet and rushed to her, helping her to a seat in one of the squishy armchairs. “Whatever has caused you such distress, Miss Sinclair?” He looked over his shoulder at Larliesl. “Grab a hanky from my bag, will you?”
Maeve wiped the corner of her eye. “You see. . .surely you heard about my meeting with the Headmasters a few nights ago. And while I can’t divulge the details of that privileged arrangement, I was weakened after using my memory-” she wiped her face with her palms. “I even missed my exam the next morning,” she cried. “I’ve been weak for days now. But I was in the library studying, and I heard someone coming towards me loudly. It was already past curfew, and I was scheduled to meet Mal to begin our Paragon duties together. See, I’ve been scared to do them alone lately.”
Maeve took the handkerchief from Larliesl, thanking him. She dabbed her eyes gently.
“Heavens, why?” Hummingdoor asked her.
“Well, I’m afraid there’s someone who holds a grudge against me,” cried Maeve. “See, I beat him in a duel a few weeks ago, you remember sir, and we may have exchanged a few unpleasant words since then, and he’s been very hostile and trying to get me alone.” Maeve dabbed her eyes again, growing more frantic in her speech. “And I just knew he was coming for me in the Library! I ran as fast as I could and hid in the restricted area. I was terrified!”
Madam Florence’s jaw was practically on the floor. Hummingdoor patted her hand gently. Maeve continued.
“He followed me inside.” She sounded frantic now. “It isn’t very tidy in there, did you know, Professor? It’s rather unkempt. And since it’s so unorganized and dark, I lost my lux charm and lost my way at some point. If Mal hadn’t come looking for me, Grisham might have gotten to me.”
“Randolf Grisham, of Draconem House?” Asked Larliesl.
Maeve looked him dead in the eyes, a perfectly turned down frown on her face and nodded.
“Reiner wrote Grisham a detention last week for hanging around the entrance to Volatius tower past curfew,” said Larliesl. “And I personally witnessed his hostility.”
“My word,” said Hummingdoor. “I wish you would have come to us sooner, Maeve.”
Larliesl walked over to a painting of a short man.
“Leopold, visit your other painting, the one in the East Tower, not the one in the dungeon, and see if the boy is there now.”
The short man left without a word, leaving his portrait empty.
Larliesl crossed back to them. “Mal, my boy, always so selfless, always helping others. Vaukore is lucky to have you.”
Mal looked at Maeve. “I’m just glad she’s safe.”
