Projection

Chapter Eleven: Show of Strength | Part 4

Inside the dining hall, the main buffet table had been replaced by a stage. The tables were stacked neatly against the far wall, and the chairs now stood in neat rows. The twins strode confidently up the center aisle and took seats at the very front of the room, directly in front of professors Dexerro and Bavarren, who were setting up the projection orb.

Before the professors could mask their reactions, Thirtyx noticed the same unguarded fear Professor C had shown.

Shame you weren’t feeling up to this, Thirtyx, Rhea said with amusement. You’d love the energy in here.

Thirtyx snorted. Believe me, I got more than my fill last night. 

As they waited for the broadcast to start, Thirtyx settled onto his bed, reclined against his pillow, and, after plenty of hesitation, closed his eyes. The act of vulnerability sent a shiver down his spine, but he trusted Rhea. The room was sealed. No one could hurt him.

Thirtyx felt a crackle of mental static—like the familiar itch that accompanied telepathic communication, but with a muffled, distant quality. Rhea accepted the intrusion, and Professor Bavarren’s voice filled her mind.

I hope your dear father is prepared to field questions about the earlier attack he tried to cover up. You can rest assured that the media has been informed.

Rhea very much wanted to turn the tables and invade Bavarren’s mind, but Benn reminded her that it would cause more problems than it would solve. Instead, Rhea collected her emotions before responding.

You mean the protected government information you stole from a student’s mind, Headmaster? The venom in the final word was palpable, even mentally. Grimmary is well aware of the leak, and he knows exactly how it happened, too.

Rhea severed the connection.

Thirtyx very nearly chuckled at the bulging, twitching vein visible under the green scales of Professor Bavarren’s neck. But when the acting headmaster turned away from the broadcasting orb and started toward the twins, the fear surged back. Thirtyx pressed his palms against his eyes. He needed to get a grip. He’d see them all in person tomorrow, and he absolutely could not show this sort of weakness when he did.

Benn was halfway into a standing position to confront Bavarren when the professor halted at the front of the stage. After a final, taunting look at the monarchs, he drew a sigil on his chest.

“Thank you for coming, everyone. Please, take your seats. The briefing is set to begin in a fraction or two.” His voice boomed across the room, silencing the pre-projection chatter. “We advocated strongly to be approved as an official broadcast point, as we believe it is important for our students to remain informed on current events—especially considering the privilege we have of counting our prince and princess among our student body… a point they have so elegantly emphasized with their attire today.”

Thirtyx wasn’t sure Rhea intended for him and Benn to see the horrifically violent scenarios she imagined befalling Professor Bavarren, but he enjoyed them nonetheless.

“It is our great honor to witness King Grimmary’s address live and unedited, and I hope you all will reflect on how such moments can shape the overarching story of our world,” Bavarren continued. “Normally, I would host the projection myself, but as I have been so recently appointed acting headmaster—” Rhea suppressed a gag at his showboating “—Professor Exelta will act as our conduit today.”

Exelta stood behind the massive glass sphere at the center of the stage—easily three times her width and supported by a wooden frame. She stood at attention, hands behind her back, watching Bavarren with a neutral expression. “The sigils are set, and the broadcast should start shortly,” Bavarren continued as the courtyard clock began to chime. “I’m sure King Grimmary’s press team is managing hundreds of broadcast points, and— ah, there we go.”

A web of glowing purple lines appeared on the sphere. Professor Exelta placed both hands against the orb and bowed her head, taking care not to scratch its surface with her horns. Her body went still, her tail limp as her closed eyes began to glow.