Chapter Twenty-Three: Senior Trip | Part 3
Thirtyx sucked in a breath through his teeth and went into desperation mode. “Headmistress, how could I have lied to you about how they were leaving campus when I can’t physically lie?”
Azirenne’s tail flicked even closer to Thirtyx this time—close enough that she massaged the brand on her left wrist. “You forget that I’m old enough to have interacted with Veriths before they defected. My skills at seeing through their deception are clearly rusty, but they’re not gone. So, did Benn and Rhea Grimmary leave campus last Sorspane by tampering with Wydewood’s security field and exiting through it?”
He picked through every word of her question, but it was air tight. Beads of sweat formed on his neck. “They did not.”
“But they did leave campus?”
“I don’t know that for a fa— f—” Thirtyx screwed his face up in mingled frustration and discomfort. He’d tried to convince himself that the twins could have lied about where they went, but the massive bag of coin and stash of acclimation potions couldn’t have been acquired inside Wydewood.
Azirenne laughed a musical chuckle, and it rankled Thirtyx’s nerves even more. He couldn’t think of many worse situations to lose his tongue. Benn and Rhea’s sympathy echoed through their mental connection, but it did little to calm him. “Then how did they do it?” Azirenne asked.
“Headmistress, I still have to pack for the senior trip.”
“Oh, I hope you enjoy it, Venmagalion.” Her airy cockiness turned to a snarl so quickly it made Thirtyx flinch. “But you’ll be back sooner than you think. And I’ll have the board here, waiting for your return and what might be the simplest expulsion trial I’ve ever witnessed.” She leaned toward him, her breath uncomfortably warm on his face. “So you’d better do a lot of thinking while you’re gone. Perhaps some time away will help you realize how much easier it would be to tell me what the Grimmary twins have been up to.”
Despite his pounding heart and clammy palms, Thirtyx answered evenly. “Am I free to go?”
Her grin showcased the sharpness of her Devilish teeth. “Yes.”
Thirtyx retreated calmly but swiftly through the door.
When he reached Rhea’s room, she was folding clothing into a suitcase with a wide-eyed, haunted look. “We didn’t even think about our essences. Thirtyx, I am so sorry.”
“You shouldn’t have to!” Thirtyx sank into the desk chair and rubbed his eyes with his palms. “Tracking your location? She isn’t even pretending this is about your safety anymore. She only cares that Grimmary had the audacity to keep protected information from her.”
“And if she goes through with this expulsion trial, Grimm will make that clear,” Benn said. “Don’t forget—he has a lot of evidence against her to counter the evidence she has against you.”
Rhea leaned her full weight onto a pile of sweaters in an attempt to close her suitcase over them. “Maybe we can still avoid that altogether. We have three days to figure out what you can tell her that isn’t a lie but isn’t the truth. You don’t have to do it on the spot like last time.”
“But she’s a lot more prepared now,” Thirtyx groaned. “It’s a Twins-blessed miracle I fooled her once. She just proved she can engineer her questions so it doesn’t happen again.”
Thirtyx put his forehead down on the desk. It wasn’t long before Benn’s hand settled on his shoulder. “We won’t go down without a fight, okay? But for now, let’s focus on getting to Vursanne. Maybe some space, rest, and new scenery will help us figure this out.”
“So much for that lovers’ retreat,” Rhea sighed. “Azirenne really knows how to ruin your happiness, doesn’t she?”
It was hard for Thirtyx to stay in a bad mood when reminded about his promised time with Seerla. He fought his grin halfheartedly. “I don’t know… Seerla may have more fun helping us solve this conundrum than sneaking off with me… although I bet we’re enterprising enough to find time for both.”
Rhea threw a sweater at him before magically shrinking the rest of her sweaters until her suitcase closed without hassle. She then followed Thirtyx and Benn to their room to keep Thirtyx’s mind off of Azirenne while he finished his own packing. By the time they headed toward the gates, Thirtyx was in much higher spirits, back to thinking he might manage a few moments of relaxation on this trip after all.
