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“What the hell? No! I use it for homework.”
“You know, when I was a student here, way back when, we didn’t have any fancy technology, and we managed just fine. Much better than this new generation, for sure. I’m doing you a favor, daughter, believe me. These things are distracting you from your work. You’re on them every minute of every day, probably at night, too. Texting and messaging, wasting your time on trivial crap instead of burying those big, stubborn heads in a couple of books for once and actually taking your future career seriously. So, hand it over. I’ll make it official tomorrow. New rule: no phones, laptops, tablets and whatnot on school grounds, and no access to the Internet.”
“You’re insane! How am I supposed to call my parents if you take my phone?”
He chuckled darkly. “That’s your concern? Mila, those two fools are not your parents. I am your father and I know what’s best for you.”
“Those two fools, as you call them, raised me when you abandoned me. So, yes, that’s my concern. I want to keep in touch with them because they’re the only parents I’ve ever known.”
His features darkened. “I’ve made my decision, Mila, and trust me, it’s for the sake of this institution, its students, and our future Grim Reapers. There will be no communication with the outside world as of today. Too many distractions. There will be no vacations, either.”
“No winter vacation?” Okay, it was all clear now. Valentine Morningstar had gone completely and utterly insane.
“Not when practice benefits you more. You’ll all be reaping on the holidays. Death doesn’t take vacations, and neither should you. It’s time for this new generation of Reapers to show everyone that they’re dedicated and ready to follow their destiny.”
I shook my head. “I don’t believe this… You can’t do this.”
He grinned. “Oh, but I can.”
“The Council will never agree to this.”
“The Council has appointed me Headmaster because they know I’m the only one who can restore the reputation, integrity, and prestige of Grim Reaper Academy. That’s exactly what I’m doing. Now, will you please…”
I turned on my heels and went to place a possessive hand over my laptop. My phone was safely tucked in my pocket.
“No. You’re adding new rules? Fine. When I see them in print and approved by the Council, I’ll hand over my phone and my laptop. Not a second before.”
His hand turned into a fist, but he controlled his anger.
“As you wish.” He stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
I waited two minutes to make sure he was gone, then poked my head through the door to glare at Crassus.
“Traitor.” He didn’t move a muscle. There was so much more I wanted to tell him, but it wasn’t worth it. As long as he had Morningstar’s money in his pockets, he was going to do his job. Fuckin’ Unseelie…
I ran myself a bath, and as the tub filled with hot water, I texted my boyfriends, as well as Francis, Sariel, Klaus, and Patty. I had to warn them about what was coming.
“Delete everything. All the messages we’ve ever exchanged.”
I did the same while I soaked in the bath.
“How the fuck are we going to talk or meet now? Fuck. He’s got us trapped.”
There had to be something, though. This couldn’t be the end. I should have taught them all how to teleport on their own. Morningstar had taken everyone’s teleportation pins, saying they didn’t need them if they weren’t reaping. Mrs. Charon still wasn’t allowed to teach us how to teleport on our own. I was the only lucky one, but that also meant I was alone now. Who was I going to have secret meetings with? Patty, Joel, and… Lorna? Yeah, right. Lorna hated me, and Patty and Joel couldn’t do much to help me bring Morningstar down.
There had to be something, though.
I let myself sink deeper in the hot water, until only my nose was above the surface. I held my breath and immersed completely. Water rushing in my ears, all outside noises dulled. Little by little, my muscles relaxed and my thoughts slowed down. I came back to the surface and let my head rest against the tub as my eyes closed. I was so tired. So, so tired.
* * *
I felt my body buzzing and vibrating, louder and faster, until instead of one body, I had at least two. One physical and one non-physical, and I was aware of both. There were more bodies in between, but they were so subtle that I could barely grasp the concept of their existence. The body made of flesh, blood, bones, and skin was in the tub, lulled to sleep by the warmth of the water and the sweet scent of orange blossom soap. The body made of vibrating ether was floating up up up until it hit the ceiling, then down down down until it went through the floor and landed on the next one. I opened my eyes in this body.
I’m lucid dreaming. No. I’m having an out-of-body experience.
But I wasn’t the one behind the wheel. Or maybe I was. It was still me. I was still me, but a more knowledgeable me. I floated down the corridor. It was empty. No Unseelie guards. I found my way down my old corridor, but it looked different. Usually, it was sunken in darkness, dusty and unkempt. Now, lights were hanging from the ceiling, the walls were painted a pleasant shade of green, and the doors had numbers on them. Eighty-three was written on my old door. I pushed it open. No. I wanted to, but my hand went right through it. I dragged in a breath that my body made of light and vibration didn’t need, and went through the door.
There he was. Valentine Morningstar. Years younger! I couldn’t tell how many. Time was such a fickle thing to supernatural creatures. Most laughed at it. He was hunched over a notebook, writing feverishly.
