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He kissed his mother’s cheek and clapped his hand on Roderick’s shoulder before extending a hand to Claire. Claire squeezed it as Desmond stepped through the portal first and they followed behind. Everett and Puck brought up the rear.
They landed in the quiet front hallway of the Academy’s administrative building right outside the Headmaster’s office. Gwen was writing something on a piece of paper when they emerged from the portal. “Ah, I wondered when you four would show up. Your friends are in with the Headmaster now.”
Their friends? Holly and the others? They were supposed to be safely with their families, not at the Academy.
Desmond frowned, just a flash of the expression crossing his face before he smiled at Gwen. “Thank you, we better get in there.”
He held the door for Claire and Malcolm placed a hand at her back.
“Claire!” A hurricane called Bethany crashed into Claire and would have sent her sprawling if it wasn’t for Malcolm’s hand at her back.
“Geez, Bethany, the Council should just hire you to take Claire out.” Cody ribbed her as Claire recovered from her shock. All four of her friends including Andy and Helene were sitting in the Headmaster’s office.
“What are you all doing here?” Claire asked as her brain started working again. “You’re supposed to be with your families staying safe.”
Holly placed a hand on Bethany’s shoulder, tugging the lion shifter backwards so she could slip in and hug Claire. “Desmond sent the message about the Council coming to the Dragon Mountains and their continued insistence on you coming to the Capital. He asked me to warn the others and I did, but I had this strong feeling that we all needed to be at the Academy instead of at home.”
Claire bit her lip but nodded. Holly was an empath and if her strong feelings were anything like Claire’s, they were usually not wrong.
“The Academy offers a neutrality that our packs can’t,” Cody added. “It was best for everyone if we faced the Council here and not at home.” Meaning that if the Council pressed, their packs might not have the resources to say no and risk the Council’s wrath like the dragons did. Claire frowned and Holly poked her in the stomach.
“Hey! What was that for?”
“For trying to take on too much of the guilt. You didn’t do this, Claire. The Council did. We are all comfortable with our decision. No guilt.”
No promises on that front, Claire thought but changed the subject. “It’s so good to see you all again though.”
“Agreed,” Zack pushed up his glasses and gave Claire a quick hug, mindful of her mates at her back. Cody had no such reservations and wrapped her in a bear hug and swung her around. Claire laughed and he grinned down at her when he set her down, ignoring Malcolm's growl or the way he placed an arm around Claire while Desmond and Everett greeted the Headmaster. Growly dragon.
“What brings you all back?” Andy asked, sitting on the armrest of the chair that Helene sat in, their hands clasped together.
“We are looking for something my mother left for me here,” Claire said, keeping how they found this information out of it.
“Okay, what is it?” Zack asked.
“We don’t know that.”
“Where is it?” Cody asked.
Claire shrugged. “Don’t know that either. Except it needs to be found. And quickly.”
“Is it an artifact?” Andy asked.
Claire shrugged again. “It could be.”
“So you’ve basically got nothing to go on,” Bethany surmised with a grin.
Claire laughed. “You knew this wasn’t going to be easy when you signed on to be friends with me.”
“Totally worth it,” Bethany shot her a wink. “You know I get bored easily.”
“I think we all know that,” Cody griped and Bethany shot him a death glare. There was something deeper between the two of them, a layer that hadn’t been there before.
Before Claire could analyze it too deeply, Holly broke in. “What do you need from us?”
Claire rubbed her temple. “Ideas? We are truly flying blind here.”
“It’s okay,” Holly comforted. “You said your mother was the one who left it?”
