Page 55 of Facade

“I’ve been waffling over whether I should start classes now, and make up the missed work, or sign up for the next semester,” Lane said. “Now, I think I’ll wait. Studying constantly won’t help build a rapport with the students. Attending games and events would be more difficult, too. But it would be nice to do that, and actually have a social life.”

“Good choice,” Jace said with a nod. “There’s no need to put so much pressure on yourself. You’ll be here until June no matter what.”

Lane was quiet for most of the tour, but he listened attentively, and asked intelligent questions. They made a brief stop at each dorm, so Lane could meet Clarke, Ray, and the boys. Lane was pleasant and friendly, telling Brandon and Paul that he looked forward to getting to know them better. Jace felt like it went well.

There was a home game that night, which proved to be an excellent distraction. Heath texted that he and Nadine were saving seats. Everyone had a good time.

Lane began moving in on Saturday. Ray reported that Paul and Brandon were more comfortable with the idea of returning to the elemental dorm. Lane had stopped in a few times to check on them. He kept the visits short but friendly, and seemed like a nice guy. That approach worked for the boys, who were more at ease.

On Sunday, Jace, Clarke, Ray, and over a dozen students, worked on the cat shelters in the basement. Mitch’s bullshit had slowed them down, but they were making up for lost time. The nights were getting colder. They wanted to move the cats inside before the weather turned severe.

Upon realizing what they were doing, Lane joined the effort with a few older elemental students. The project was perfect for all of them to get to know Lane in a casual setting. By the time the last structure was built, everyone was joking around like friends.

Jace returned to his dorm in good spirits. Tidying his apartment and doing laundry didn’t deflate his mood. He was feeling like everything was getting back on track when Clarke texted that she needed to see him in the basement as soon as possible.

Replying that he would be there in five minutes, Jace shoved his feet into shoes, texted his prefects to keep an eye on the boys, and raced for the stairs. Something was wrong. He could feel it.

Clarke looked extremely upset when Jace met her at the halfway point in the tunnel between the dorms. Her face was pale, and her lips trembled. His eyes scanned her from head to foot, searching for injuries. Physically, she looked fine.

“What is it? What happened?”

Wordlessly, Clarke lifted her hands that were clasped around a long cylinder, and began unrolling a large sheet of paper. It revealed a drawing of Heath Halston.

Jace shook his head in silent refusal of what he was seeing. Obviously, Clarke had gotten a vision. But he couldn’t believe that Heath had kidnapped Charlie, or colluded with the person who did. They weren’t pals, but Heath was a good guy.

“I know. It doesn’t make sense, and I’m freaking out,” Clarke said. “My visions have never been wrong, and this is what I drew.”

“Ok, let’s take a couple of deep breaths, and figure this out,” Jace said. “You’ve been trying to get more visions for weeks, and Heath’s been here the whole time. If Heath knew about Charlie all along, I’m positive you would have drawn him before now. What question or feeling were you focused on?”

“You suggested asking different questions, or rephrasing them,” Clarke said. “That’s what I did, and it worked. I was so excited when I came out of the trance, but now I feel sick to my stomach. The question was, ‘Do we know someone with information that could help us piece together what happened to Dad?’”

Jace went over it word for word in his head twice before speaking, “That doesn’t mean Heath was involved, Clarke. And I don’t think he was. Somehow, he knows something useful. So, we have to figure out how to get this information from Heath without revealing ourselves. This is going to take some brainstorming.”

“How? How can we do that?”

Jace stepped forward, and cupped her face in his hands. “We’ll come up with a plan. We can do this, and soon we’ll know more about what happened to Charlie, maybe even get enough clues to find him.”

Clarke closed her eyes, and released her breath in a long, shuddering exhale. “Thanks. I was falling apart for a second, there. But you’re right. We got this.”

Jace waited until she opened her eyes again, so she could see his sincerity when he spoke, “Hey, this may be a strange time to do this, but, I love you. I always liked and respected you, but now? Seeing your courage, your kindness, the way you won’t give up on searching for Charlie, and putting the kids first? I am so proud to be your mate. You have my heart, Princess Primrose.”

Clarke’s eyes looked glassy with tears. She threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. “You’re my rock, Jace, and probably have no idea what that means to me. You are supportive, thoughtful, and sweeter than I ever would have guessed. I love you, too.”

Warmth bloomed in his chest as Jace savored the moment. Together, they would conquer any hurdles thrown in their path.

Clarke

It seemed like the minute she started to feel more secure with Mitch off campus, the universe decided to throw her another curveball. Being calmer than she’d been in over a week, and having some free time, Clarke had tried for a vision. She succeeded, only to draw Heath Halston.

Wondering if thoughts of him had snuck into her mind like with the basement vision, she wracked her brain. But she had chanted the question repeatedly, and knew her concentration hadn’t wavered. Clarke felt guilty enough for drooling over the hot professor when she had an incredible mate who deserved all of her devotion.

Now, she was starting to doubt herself, and her intuition. Clarke would have bet a month’s salary that Heath Halston was a good person who would never harm another deliberately. And, she wasn’t a gambler. But he apparently had information she needed.

Unlike the drawing of the entrance to Mars College, there was nothing in the background that could hint at clues elsewhere. It was simply a portrait of Halston on otherwise blank paper.

Clarke was calmer after discussing the vision with Jace. Knowing that he also rejected the thought of Heath Halston being a bad guy helped. That meant her belief in the caster professor’s character wasn’t a product of her guilty, lustful infatuation.

Both of their instincts screaming that Halston was innocent meant that he probably was. That was a tremendous relief. Thinking she couldn’t trust herself was a terrible feeling.