Five to Love Him (Phoenix Immortal: Hive #1)

35. FARROW

thirty-five

S ummer was the worst. It was the season during which all the young ones liked to forget that we had a dress code, and there were several members of the faculty who, too, let lapse their good habits of wearing ties. If they had necks to wear them around, that was.

The telephone on my desk rang, and I was overjoyed to see this landline still in use, no matter what my insolent manservant said about landlines being for old people who lived in the past. I looked around briefly before picking up, but I knew that my secretary wasn’t here yet to take the call for me and inform the caller that I had a secretary, a status symbol still, even if a certain manservant had a different opinion.

“Hello, this is Headmaster Farrow speaking. How can St. Auguste help you with your educational goals today?”

“Principal Farrow.”

“Oh, Leopold. It’s so sweet of you to call, but did I not share my cellular phone number with you?” I cocked my head. “Have they fallen out of fashion already?”

“Uh, no, it’s just I know that you’re at your desk usually, and you don’t always have your cellphone on you. Or unlocked.”

“Ah, Leopold, you know me so well. So what is the reason for your call?”

“Right. Erm, I can’t come in today, I’m sorry.”

He did sound rushed, as if he were holding down some pilgrim because he’d been interrupted in the middle of feeding. Such a bother, really, when those pilgrims struggled.

“Whatever is the matter, Leopold? Anything I can do?”

“It’s the hive… He’s sick. I’m staying home with them, you know, being a good mate and everything.”

I sat up that much straighter, drumming my fingers on my desk.

“I see. Oh, that poor darling. They may count themself lucky to have you. Please, Leopold, call again should you need anything. I would happily dispatch one or both of your interns to assist you in any way they are able.”

“No! I mean, no, thanks, we’re fine.”

“Of course. Do take care, Leopold.”

“I will, thank you.”

I put the receiver back, considered my next actions for approximately a minute, and then picked it back up, dialing Conrad’s cellular device.

“Does calling me from your landline get you off, Farr?” the little cretin said. “Are you asking me to come there now? It’s not even noon, and I had you against the window this morning.”

Indeed he had. I allowed myself a smile at the memory before saying, “Something is wrong with my secretary and his hive.”

“What do you mean?”

“Leopold, that sweet human whom you made me banish into his own office, called me just now and said his hive was sick. He said he couldn’t come in because he wants to take care of them.”

“Well, hives don’t really get sick as far as I know.”

“Indeed they don’t, hence my deduction that something is amiss.”

“You sure you’re not just being a nosy, stuck-up bitch who can’t let two horny people be?”

“No, I know how someone sounds when they are horny, and Leopold didn’t sound like that at all.”

“Right. Okay. An emergency of some sort then. Hold on.”

There was paper rustling in the background. Conrad was in his office, I should think, amidst his very disorganized files. Likely he was wearing nothing more than boxers, a habit he clung to with unseemly stubbornness even when it wasn’t the height of summer. I had yet to find a way to train the boxers out of him.

“Well?”

“Hold your horses. Here it is. The hive works at the Dazzle and at Wolf Lotus Yoga Studio, which is run by a werewolf. Not that the name isn’t on the nose. Do you want me to call them?”

“No, I will do that. Send me the telephone numbers presently.”

“Right, on it. Want me to go over to your secretary’s place, check around the house?”

“Hmm, not yet, but mayhap put on some trousers.”

“I’ll do board shorts, that’s about how fancy you’ll get.”

“You are representing this school and its rich history, Conrad. Do you think that board shorts are a garment appropriate for sharing the St. Auguste refinement with the world?”

“Don’t give a fuck. I’m not on your fucking payroll, sweetie, so you don’t get to enforce your dress code on me. You know you like it that way.”

He hung up on me. It was his lacking breeding that made him behave thusly, and being near me was the best panacea I could think to give him in order to cure him of his atrocious manners.

Two minutes later, I was on the phone once more.

“Hello, am I speaking to the owner?” I asked the soft voice that answered when I called the yoga studio, this time from my cellular phone because it was easier, seeing as how Conrad had sent me the contact information through there.

“Yes, that’s me. Why’re you asking?”

“Ah, delighted. This is Principal Farrow from St. Auguste.”

“Oh! Principal Farrow! I knew the voice was familiar. This is Xander from the Star-Garbed Wolves.”

“Xander, were you not a tiny ballerino just the other day?”

He chuckled. “That was a while ago, Principal Farrow. What can I do you for? Want to organize an extracurricular yoga class for the school?”

“Well, that’s not why I called, but it actually sounds like a good idea so long as everyone wears their approved school exercise attire. Anyways, you have a hive working for you, have you not?”

“Yeah.” His voice took on a concerned quality. “They’re not in today though.”

“Right, that would be why I’m calling. Their gleaming one—their mate called and said they were sick.”

“Yes, that’s Leo. Fuck, Principal Farrow, he’s really cute, and I’m so glad he and the hive got together. They’re like a double chocolate cookie together.”

“One would assume a sextuple cookie, but as you say. Did you think anything was odd about your phone call with Leopold?”

“He was totally stressed out about something, but he said he didn’t need anything. I offered to run over there. I mean, I can tell the hive was here this morning, but they left. Must’ve been in a hurry because they’d never not shut down their computer. They’re always turning mine off for me, you know.”

“I see. Indeed. Can you tell when they left and why?”

“Nope. Was getting flooring samples for them today. They’re doing a bit of remodeling back at their house, and I was helping.”

“Of course. Well, Xander, if I remember correctly, you were one smart youngling wolf. Might I task you to look around, see if you can find why the hive might have left so suddenly?”

“Well…sure, why not. You got it, Principal Farrow.”

I called the Dazzle next. The proprietor had not attended our honorable school, but he seemed a reasonable fellow.

“I thought that was strange too. I mean, I figure they just want to spend the day in bed, but Leo sounded a little…hmm, not sure. But something’s up with him. Maybe a family thing. If that’s it, then the hive probably just wants to be there, and—I don’t get why they wouldn’t call themself, you know.”

And there we had the outline of the problem, though it was an outline that lacked the colors and shading that would paint the entire picture. I called Conrad once more.

“Conrad, fetch my chariot.”

“Fuck, no. That shit doesn’t vibe with my board shorts, Farr. You want me to pick you up in the Porsche though?”

“You prick. Yes, I shall bear it.”

“Bearing it means you don’t get to bitch about it constantly. Think on that until I get there, sweetie.”

The tribulations of caring for the faculty and the school while suffering the burden of unqualified help should have broken me, but it did not. If anything, this strife made me the stronger for it.

Although, all said, I did consider taking a vacation and going the pilgrim paths again.