Jace
Security was heavy, surrounding Mitch as he packed his car with a pinched expression. Patrol jeeps were parked on either side of Mitch. One would lead the way to the gate, another would follow, preventing diversions and any revenge Mitch might want to deliver.
He was banned from all university-owned property.
That included both colleges, the stadium, auditorium, and the animal barns north of town.
Notices with his picture would be posted in the dorms and on most of the buildings, that the police should be called if Mitch was seen trespassing, or attempting to.
It was highly likely that the vengeful elemental would accost Clarke and Logan Palmer if either of them dared set foot in Clementine. And they would. There was nowhere else nearby to shop, get a haircut, get drinks at a pub, or eat out.
Most of the students were somber as they watched Mitch drive away from the dorm between the jeeps. There was also an aura of relief as well as hope for more peaceful days. The thick tension in the air was already starting to diminish.
Paul and Brandon exhaled in unison when the vehicles disappeared around the curve. “When is the new monitor getting here?” Brandon asked. “I wish we didn’t have to move again.”
They both looked nervous. Considering everything they had been dealing with, Jace couldn’t blame them for feeling that way.
“He’ll be here Friday, and start the position on the following Monday,” Clarke replied.
“You guys will stay with me until early next week. That will give you and the new monitor time to adjust,” Ray said in a calm and bolstering tone. “But remember that you can hang out and visit anytime, as much as you want. Our doors are open.”
“Thanks, Ray. That does make me feel better,” Paul said.
Ray encouraged all the casters to call him by his first name. His role was more fun uncle than watchful monitor. Since casters as a whole tended to rebel against strict authoritarian figures, the approach worked for them.
Shifters responded best when there was a clear chain of command. That, combined with the fact that he taught classes, was why Jace didn’t invite casual address. Maintaining a teacher-student dynamic would be more difficult if the rules were different in the dorm.
“Dean Stanhope requested that I mentor Lane Matthews, and I agreed,” Jace said. “There shouldn’t be any issues, but if there are, I want you to speak up immediately.”
“Yeah, come to any one of us at any hint of a problem,” Ray insisted.
“All of you will be with the three of us for home games,” Clarke said. “We’ll take a bus as a group. That has already been cleared with admin. Lane Matthews may join us if he wants to, but you won’t be reliant on him.”
“Oh, ok. I wondered about that, since I heard that he’s also a student,” Brandon said. “He might not have a lot of free time, or want to go to games.”
Hoping to eliminate lingering stress, the three of them ushered the boys to the caster dorm. It was a good, central meeting spot, and made sense since Ray currently had custody of five of the twelve boys.
Jace drove into town for burgers and fries after getting everyone’s order and calling it in. The kids deserved a treat.
He rolled his eyes at the sight of a line outside the new automated fast food kiosk down the street from his favorite burger joint. There was even one on campus now, that he pretended didn’t exist. You couldn’t pay him to eat at one of those, let alone spend his hard-earned money to do so.
Jace supposed it was the trendy thing. But even if they carried meat and dairy dishes, he wouldn’t trust a robotic cook. The very thought creeped him out.
All the kiosks were vegan, anyway. Everything was plant-based; nuts, tofu, soy, kale, etc. The meal options were limited, from what he’d heard.
As a carnivore, the choice to be vegan baffled him. But vegans probably felt the same way about his meal preferences. Jace was also a traditionalist, preferring human interaction, and the option of sitting down in a restaurant to eat.
Averting his eyes, Jace steered past the ugly glass and metal box. When he walked into the diner, the order was ready, waiting at the counter. Jace thanked the waitress, paid, and carried the bags to the car.
A night of board games and greasy burgers seemed to be good for all of them. The mood was lighthearted, full of teasing and laughter.
Over the next few days, everyone seemed to settle into a routine. Elementals in his classes were more cheerful, heckling their sparring partners in good fun, like they had before Mitch got his crazy on.
Jace and Clarke were able to meet in the basement for at least a few minutes every night. That made a big difference for both of them. Just being able to hold her, and drop the pretense of only being coworkers, had him feeling like everything was right in the world.
As long as they had this refuge, Jace could be patient, and manage the distance. The bond wasn’t complete yet. He and Clarke hadn’t had the freedom to feed it for that to happen.
But it wasn’t struggling, either. Colors had begun to fill in the design, showing a deepening of their connection. It was slow, but positive progress, and would have to do for now.
As frustrating as it was to pretend they barely knew each other in public, Jace was certain they would have a strong relationship. Every moment he and Clarke spent together was precious, and cherished. They wouldn’t take that, or each other, for granted.
Friday afternoon, a tall, lanky guy with bright red hair in a profusion of messy curls, and wired-rimmed glasses leaned against a wall in the training center at the end of Jace’s last class. He was watching the students with interest.
The focus of this period was not combat, but situational. Students enacted typical scenarios they would encounter on the job, some as officers, others as citizens.
A caster strutted past one of the powered students, hips swinging, and eyelashes fluttering. It was hilarious. The ‘officer’ struggled not to laugh as he crossed his arms over his chest.
“Ma’am, do you have a current license for prostitution?”
The caster affected a look of outraged surprise, and spoke in a high falsetto, “Why, officer, what are you implying? Can’t a lady walk down a street in high heels without assumptions being made about what she does for a living?”
This performance was more dramatic and flamboyant than usual. Clearly, the guys were enjoying the day’s assignment. Their questions and dialogue were correct, even if they went a little overboard with it. Jace decided to let them have their fun.
When the buzzer rang at the end of the period, Jace dismissed his students.
“Nice work guys, but I don’t recommend letting the ladies in town see that performance.
” Laughter erupted from the students as they headed for the door.
“I’ll see you next week,” Jace said as he walked over to greet the redhead.
“Jason Smith, I presume? Lane Matthews,” the young man said, extending his hand to grip Jace’s forearm just below the elbow, in spite of his bare skin.
Jace returned the gesture. Hundreds of years ago, men shook hands when greeting each other.
Most men didn’t want other males to think they were trying to detect a mate bond, making traditional handshakes obsolete.
“That was entertaining. I’m glad I was early. ”
Matthews had a firm grip, looked him in the eye, and had arrived early. He was also dressed appropriately, in slacks and a button-down, despite not being on duty yet. Those were all good signs.
“Law enforcement isn’t just about restraining suspects and fighting techniques. I try to cover most aspects of the job in my courses. It’s nice to meet you,” Jace said. “You’re saving our bacon here.”
“That’s mutual,” Lane responded. “I’m drowning in student loans, and was told I had enough credits for my master’s degree, only to realize that I didn’t after moving out.”
“Mars has a great master’s program, and as a monitor, you can whittle those loans down. Maybe that screw-up was a blessing in disguise, and all of this happened for a reason,” Jace said.
“I wondered that myself when I was called for an interview,” Lane said. “Mars was at the top of my list when I applied to schools, but since I came into my element early, and never struggled with it, I didn’t qualify for government grants.”
Jace nodded. For evolved courses, Mars and Venus had a similar status to venerated unevolved universities like Harvard. It was neither cheap, nor easy to get in unless you couldn’t control your power, and were considered a danger to society.
“Let’s walk around campus, so you can get a feel for it,” Jace said, and led the way to the front entrance. “I’ll introduce you to the other monitors, but think we should do that last. Were you told why the position was open?”
Lane shook his head. “All I know is that the previous elemental monitor wasn’t fulfilling his duties.”
Jace snorted at that. “I understand admin not wanting to air our dirty laundry, but think you should know what you’re walking into. It will probably be tense in the dorm for a bit, and take time for the students to be comfortable.”
At Lane’s inquisitive look, Jace gave a concise account of each issue, starting with the first emergency drill. He was honest in regard to which were facts, and what was circumstantial.
“While we have no concrete proof that Mitch was behind the classroom attack, the faculty unanimously believes that he was responsible for it,” Jace said. “Keeping him on staff is a risk none of us were willing to take. Having the documentation to terminate employment, we did so.”
Lane had stopped walking, and stared at Jace aghast. “Damn! I figured it had to be something serious, but this is beyond what I imagined.”