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My nerves have settled down now I've seen someone else and talked about something other than the Shadow Association. Hopefully, I'll be able to relax when I go back to my room.
I finish my coffee and get to my feet to go rinse the cup in the sink in the bathroom.
"Thanks for the talk, Tobias," I say.
"You're welcome. Message us if you need some company," he says, a serious note in his voice. "Jules or I will come."
A grateful smile stretches over my face. What did I do to have these kinds of people around me? I'm lucky, I know that much. "I will do."
I leave Juliet's room feeling a bit better than when I arrived, both about the Shadow Association, and Mathias. Though I guess this means I now have to have a potentially awkward conversation with him.
That's a problem for another day. Probably tomorrow. It'll be better to get it over with quickly, even if it isn't something I want to do.
But first, some time to recoup from the stresses of the day.
And to obsess about the coming conversation.
9
I dump my bag on my desk and flop into my desk chair. I've got about twenty minutes before I need to be at my next lesson. I'm not sure why the teachers are trying to cram as much as this into my schedule, but it's becoming exhausting. I wonder if there's someone I can talk to about it. Not necessarily so they can pull me out of classes, but just to help me manage things a little better. I don't want to burn out.
I wiggle my mouse to wake up my laptop so I can check my emails. One from Mathias sits at the top unopened. I frown. That's odd. I saw him in the class before last and he didn't say anything about an email. Of course, that's probably because he's still wary of annoying me more. I haven't managed to get a moment alone with him since I talked to Tobias last night.
I'll try harder today.
I click on the email and bring it up.
Syxe,
We have news on Erica's case. I've attached a postcode. Come asap.
Mathias
Sure enough, an address is scrawled on the bottom complete with the postcode. It's weird that he's emailed me, but maybe it's because I've been cold to him and he doesn't want to have to get through all of that in order to communicate that we're needed. I hit the print icon, sending the email to the shared printer down the hall. I'll pick it up before I leave.
I pull up a new email tab and send off an email to the teacher of my next class. We're allowed to not go if there's something that comes up in one of our cases, and I assume part of that system is automated, but I want to make sure I'm covered just in case.
Satisfied I'm done, I slip my phone and purse into my jacket pocket and unhook my scythe from its holder. Within minutes, I'm ready to go.
It's weird to be leaving the academy on a ghost mission without Mathias already by my side, but he asked me to meet him somewhere, so I have to assume he has a reason for it.
No one pays any attention to me as I make my way down the corridor. The scythe over my shoulder lets them know I'm either heading into town to do the same job we all do, or I'm going to the grove for a scythe lesson. Neither of them are out of the ordinary. I like that about this place, I can't imagine being at a mixed academy instead.
The portal room is unsurprisingly empty, so I don't waste any time stepping through. The familiar tingles assail my body as I step through and onto the same street as always.
A quick scan of the street shows no one around. I'm a little surprised Mathias isn't waiting for me already, but I don't question it. He must have a reason for summoning me this way.
I slip my hand into my pocket to pull out the email and my phone, but only come away with one of them.
Ah. Damn. I forgot the printout of the email. That's annoying, I hate copy and pasting things on my phone, it always takes far longer than it should. One of the reasons I printed it off in the first place.
I sigh. Oh well, at least I can still access the email. After a few tries, I manage to get the address plugged into my maps app.
Fifteen minutes on foot.
Not bad, but it could be better, especially when I'm alone and don't have someone to talk to while I'm on my way.
But it's good weather, and it won't do me any harm to walk.
