Chapter 6
It’s in a haze that I follow Lorcan into the Lounge, hoping until the very last moment that I’ve imagined this all happening. Then I see most of the faculty already gathered there, so intrigued that they’re all standing around the table, waiting in silence.
I spot Bane leaning against the table with his arms folded, dead serious and with his eyes narrowed at me.
“What’s this all about?” Serra asks as the two of us come to stand before them.
“Miss Novak’s lies,” Lorcan says as he turns to stare at me, folding his arms. “O’Connor,” he addresses one of the shifter professors, but he doesn’t take his eyes off me. “Smell her,” he orders.
O’Connor frowns and I hear myself say, “Hey,” but he does as he’s told.
His frown growing deeper, he takes a few steps backwards, coming to whisper something in Serra’s ear. There’s a flash of surprise in her eyes.
The whisper spreads like wildfire, and all of a sudden, I have dozens of eyes on me. Narrowed, hostile eyes.
Fucking hell, Lorcan’s actually doing it. He’s finally managing to turn them against me.
I decide to take things into my own hands. I take a deep breath and I start, “I apologize for not saying anything sooner. It wasn’t my intention to break into the Lexarcanum. The book called out to me and I know I shouldn’t have touched it, but…”
His frown growing deeper, Bane tears himself away from the table. It’s the renewed look of surprise in everyone’s eyes that makes me realize this is not what they called the meeting for.
There’s a moment of silence before Serra says, in an unusually formal voice, “Miss Novak, how long have you known you were a shifter?”
I blink at her stupidly. “A shifter?”
“Yes.”
I hear myself let out a rough, helpless little scoff. “What’re you talking about?”
“Don’t play dumb,” Lorcan growls. “Need I remind you what I just witnessed in the Dining Hall?”
Fucking hell. “Alright, okay,” I start as I take a few steps closer to them all. “I admit I did lose my temper a little bit. Professor Bane…” I pause, searching for the right words as I ignore the fact he’s now staring at me even more intently. “We said some things and those things might not have been… nice. If you’d only—”
“She didn’t tell him anything,” Lorcan ruthlessly cuts me off as he glances around the room at the other professors. “She growled at him. Right before her marks showed.”
“Excuse me?” I demand, frowning.
Serra shakes her head. “I’m going to repeat the question, Miss Novak.” She pauses, looking into my eyes with even more intensity. “How long have you known you were a shifter?”
What the…
“I’m not,” I blurt out. “I’m human, as you all love to remind me every now and again,” I add with an awkward laugh.
I hear Bane let out a scoff.
“Miss Novak,” Serra says sternly and somewhat coldly, “need we remind you that according to statute seven of the Treaty, all Originals are required by law to attend the Academy. Refusal to do so is punishable by death.”
For a second, I remain speechless. What the fuck did I get myself into? “Of course I know all about the Concordium,” I finally reply. “But I’m almost thirty years old and I’m human. Been human all my life.” I let out a laugh, glancing around the room. “Trust me, if I had any magic in me whatsoever, I’d be the first to come pounding on your door to let me in.”
No one gives me so much as a half-smile.
Serra demands, “And yet you were caught exhibiting shifter behavior on the same day you got picked by a book in the Lexarcanum and chose not to tell anyone?”
I open my mouth to say something, but nothing comes out.
“Cat got your tongue?” Lorcan demands, a smug little smile tugging at his lips.
I shake my head. “I just…” Fuck, how do I explain it? “I apologize, what happened in the Lexarcanum was an unfortunate incident, but it just can’t be, what you’re saying.”
Then it hits me, and I don’t exactly like it, but what else am I supposed to do? “Look,” I continue with urgency in my voice, “there’s a very simple way for us to settle this misunderstanding.” I look at Serra, a plea in my eyes. “Have one of you use your powers on me. You’ll see exactly how defenseless I am, just like any other human.”
She shakes her head. “Miss Novak,” she starts in that same unyielding voice, “as a Librarian working at Grimm Academy, I’d expect you to know that books from the Lexarcanum do not choose Scions.”
“That’s true,” I rush to say, “generally speaking. But it’s not like it would be the first strange, inexplicable thing to happen here.”
“So you’re officially denying the fact of your bloodline?” she demands.
“Look,” I say, exasperation starting to affect my voice, “it just can’t be true.”
Serra turns to Lorcan. “Maybe she’s telling the truth. Maybe she really didn’t know.”
He lets out a scoff. “For a shifter not to realize they’re a shifter all their lives? I’m not buying it.”
“It’s the goddamn truth,” I snap at him, fighting not to raise my voice. “And I’m not a shifter, I’m not an Original, I’m Anna Novak, born in an all-human community to two human parents and into a family without a drop of magic in at least the last three generations.”
The very next second, I feel this breeze behind my back and see the Pied Piper materialize between me and the professors.
“You won’t mind if I settle the question once and for all?” she asks, her eyes boring into mine as she reaches for something inside her cloak.
The Flute. Finally someone making sense.
She slides the carved wooden object out of some hidden pocket. At first glance, you’d think nothing of the ordinary-looking instrument, but I’ve spent many nights reading about the Originals and their magic. The Flute is a tool to draw out Originals, originally intended for getting lost children to safe places, back before the Treaty was signed and when vampires, shifters and faes were still in hiding.
This will be quick, I think to myself.
I let out a pent-up breath. “Of course not. Please do, veneranda.”
She pauses for a second, everyone around me shifting in their places. Then she puts the tip of the flute to her lips and blows.
Beautiful ancient music starts emanating from the flute. Everyone waits with bated breath. The music is really unlike anything I’ve ever heard, but its magic only works on Originals.
I open my mouth to tell them all that I was right, but suddenly, I am stunned. The music is flooding my brain as my body starts dragging me to her.
A murmur rises in the room.
Even after the Pied Piper stops blowing into the flute and I’m back in control of my body, I’m too dumbfounded to do anything but stand there like a fool.
The Pied Piper keeps looking at me as she puts the Flute back. Then she turns to Serra and says, “I believe she really didn’t know. Go easy on her.”
With that, she disappears.
Serra doesn’t waste a second. She walks up to me. “Starting now, Miss Novak,” she says firmly, “you’re relieved of your Librarian duties—”
“You can’t do this to me,” I cut her off, anger in my voice.
“I can and I have to,” she says with determination. “First thing in the morning,” she keeps going, her voice drifting to me as if through water, “you’ll be reporting to your House’s Head Student for instructions and you’ll be starting class with the rest of first-year shifter students.”
There’s a moment of silence as the rest of the faculty starts dispersing, everyone throwing me funny looks as they do.
“Is that clear, Miss Novak?” Serra’s voice snaps me out of it.
“Yes, Professor Naehorn,” I reply, my own voice sounding unfamiliar all of a sudden.
Serra gives me a nod and walks away. Now there’s only Bane left standing in the room.
For a second, he stays motionless. Then he moves for the exit. “I guess I’ll be seeing you in class, Miss Novak,” he says in a low, serious voice, and walks out the door.
As soon as he disappears, running my hands down my face, I let out a frustrated groan. This is just what I needed.