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“You should talk to her, at least. There’s nothing inappropriate about that, is there? There’s a full moon party next week, right?”
Archer was nodding in agreement. The school had an old tradition of celebrating the full moon with a party down on the beach, when the weather permitted. Since Archer had taken on a part-time role as the school’s social director, the parties had only gotten more inclusive, with teaching staff and students alike taking the opportunity to blow off steam and mingle in a more casual, social setting. The parties did a surprising amount for unity and morale, and though Callan had never been much of a partygoer, he made a point of getting to the full moon parties whenever he could. The thought of seeing Kaya there hadn’t occurred to him… but now he was even more determined to make an appearance.
Not just to see her, he told himself firmly. But deep down, he knew he was bluffing.
Chapter 4 - Inota
As the first few days of term passed, Inota began to identify some structural weaknesses in her plan. That was fine, she told herself, determined not to let panic take hold. No plan was ever perfect, there were always bound to be a few cracks. The major crack at the moment was the name that she’d chosen. It was one of her go-to names, one that she used for short-term cons or brief encounters… if she’d known when she’d first met the representative from Brisant how in-depth her plan was going to become, she’d have spent a little more time choosing something unique. And it likely wouldn’t have even been a problem if it wasn’t for the Cato factor. She’d been able to do more research since her arrival here, and what she’d learned had made her heart sink. Morgan, the other student from the new insula. Her sister was none other than the dragon who’d captured Cato’s heart and caused his betrayal of Haspar.
Inota knew what that meant. Befriending Morgan was going to be a no-go. People tended to talk to their families and loved ones about their new friends, and she couldn’t risk Cato hearing about her. He could become a major obstacle to her getting what she wanted from the dragons of the Valley as it was, she didn’t need to tip him off any earlier than absolutely necessary.
Still, the rest of the plan felt like it was going okay. Her fraudulent academic resume hadn’t been questioned, nor had any of her references been challenged… she was particularly pleased with that little bit of deception, which had involved developing multiple unique styles of handwriting as well as fictionalized Mage Guild members. It felt good, using the Guild’s own laws of secrecy against them. She’d certainly suffered enough as a result of their ridiculous rules and restrictions, it was about time she got something out of it.
She ran into Callan a couple of times during the week, and even their brief interactions were enough to confirm her suspicions—he was definitely interested in her. Though he did a good job of remaining professional in the classroom environment, Inota had had years of practice observing the subtle signs. The way his eyes lingered a tiny bit too long on her face, the way he was a little quicker than everyone else to turn to listen when she spoke. The guilt was still troubling her, but as long as that didn’t affect her ability to carry through with the plan, she didn’t care. She’d have plenty of time to get over her guilt once she was free of this place and these people.
Besides, what reason did she have to feel guilty? She wasn’t the one who’d built a world so hostile that the only way to survive was to deceive and manipulate. These dragons had experienced nothing but luxury for their entire blasted lives. If the worst thing that ever happened to Callan was that a woman lied to him to get what she wanted, then he’d be leading a vastly better life than just about anyone she’d ever known. Anger helped, she reflected as the week drew to a close. Anger was a much easier emotion than any of the others.
He caught up with her midway through the second week of classes, half-running down the hallway as he shouted her false name. She turned, reflecting that she was more used to answering to fake names than her real one, and there he was, breathless and wanting to know if she was going to the full moon party that evening. Was he about to ask her out, she wondered? Surely not. There were strict rules about the nature of relationships between students and teachers… rules she’d glanced over, then resolved to ignore. Right now, though, the look in his eyes was giving her another idea. She’d been planning to ignore the rules here, but maybe she could use them to her advantage instead. What was more intriguing, after all, than something that was forbidden?
“I hope I don’t need to remind you about the school’s attitude to student-teacher relationships,” she said flatly, pleased to note the shock in his reaction. “I don’t need to tell you how inappropriate it would be to ask a member of the teaching staff to accompany you to a social event.”
“Of course not,” he said quickly. There was something very satisfying about his dismay, about the near-panic in his expression as he scrambled to regain his footing here. Dragons so rarely let themselves be anything but in control of a situation. They deserved to feel a little off-balance now and again. “No, I was just—it would be nice to spend time with you in a more—I mean, I’d like to hear more about your experiences of other insulas, that’s all. The full moon parties here are all about a more relaxed social environment for—for conversation. I do apologize if I gave you the wrong impression.”
Sure, she thought, hiding a smile. He definitely looked like a guy whose interest in her was strictly platonic. She let him suffer for a long moment, enjoying the agonized expression he was doing his best to hide. Then she let the tension break with a quick smile. “That’s good to hear. I’ll certainly try to make an appearance.”
“That would be—I’ll look forward to it,” he said, relief palpable in his voice. “And sorry again, if—”
She waved a hand dismissively, letting her lips curve a little in a warm smile she didn’t feel. “Quite alright. It’s just important to be clear about boundaries like that when a friendship’s developing, don’t you agree?”
He nodded, and she continued down the hallway without a backwards glance. She’d done this enough to know the power of a rebuttal like that. It seemed counter-intuitive, to tell someone that you were absolutely not a romantic prospect as a means of becoming one, but it had worked more times than she could count. It was a game she hadn’t played for quite some time, and she was surprised to realize that she was actually enjoying it. That hadn’t happened in a while. The thrill of seduction tended to wear off once you realized how stupid the majority of men were—she’d ended up finding other ways of achieving her purposes. It felt like an odd little trip down memory lane to be doing it again. And it was a lot less exhausting than she remembered. It helped, of course, that her target wasn’t the kind of reprehensible scumbag she was used to targeting… at least, not that she knew yet, she reminded herself firmly. It was best to remember that Callan was the enemy. An enemy could be handsome and charming, but they were still the enemy, and forgetting that could be deadly.
Still, she spent a little extra time on her appearance than she usually would have on the night of the full moon party, studying herself carefully in the mirror as she made minute adjustments to the color of her eyes. Gray had always been the easiest, partly because it was a color so susceptible to change in different lights. Even if she let the color slip and someone noticed, they’d likely chalk it up to the time of day. It had also been the color of her brother’s eyes, but she tried not to think too much about that. His had been the first face she’d learned to replicate, in the very early days of coming to grips with the power she held, but she hadn’t let herself revisit that subject since it had become clear she’d never be returning home. Too painful, to look in the mirror and see a face she knew she’d never see again.
Still, her gray eyes bore a slight resemblance to him, even now. Perhaps she’d had gray eyes too, before. That was common in families, wasn’t it? She’d grieved the forgetting of her own face for a long time, but it had been an unavoidable part of the transformation that had given her the power she now wielded. Her hair, swept effortlessly up into a bun, a couple of pieces hanging carelessly down past her face, her skin bright and luminous, her lips full and curved… did it devalue beauty, she wondered, to weaponize it like this?
No sense getting philosophical, Inota thought as she headed down the winding stone hallways towards the path that led to the beach. She had a job to do first. Once she was free and clear in the other world, then she could philosophize all she liked about truth and beauty. For now, all that mattered was what her carefully-crafted beautiful facade could do for her—or more precisely, make other people do for her.
It was a beautiful night, the full moon’s light glinting on the water from an almost-cloudless sky. Magic, she thought, glancing up and down the crowded beach with a faint smile. Did the students imagine that it was sheer good luck that allowed them to celebrate the full moon every month like this without the insula’s notoriously fickle weather spoiling the show? Sure enough, she could see a couple of figures at the other end of the beach, seemingly standing in casual conversation, but the glow of elemental magic around their silhouettes was palpable for someone who knew what they were looking for. Holding back the rainclouds, keeping the storm at bay. There was something oddly touching about it
Inota was surprised to discover that the majority of the academic staff were indeed at the party, many of them with drinks in hand and talking and laughing with fellow teachers and students alike. At one end of the beach, the clear stretch of sand lent itself well to a dance floor, where the other end was disrupted by rocks jutting out of the sand. This was where she headed, more interested in finding a rock to sit on than she was in entering the heaving fray of bodies and music. She’d arrived a few hours later than the starting time, a calculated move to ensure that Callan would have plenty of time to anticipate her arrival. He struck her as the kind of person who’d be at a party right on the dot of its starting time. She found an unoccupied rock with a pleasant view of the rolling waves and settled in to wait.
Sure enough, it wasn’t long before she saw a familiar figure making his way towards her from further down the beach, leaving a crowd of students behind him. His smile was broader than the contained version she’d seen in the classroom, and a few lightning-quick observations told her that he’d likely had a drink or two that evening. Perfect. Ever the gentleman, Callan wasted no time in hastening away up the beach to fetch her a drink from the bar that had been set up just clear of the tree line. Then he returned, hovering awkwardly for just a moment before he sat beside her on the rock. She’d chosen her place well—there was nowhere else to sit that would still be close enough to facilitate conversation.
“To your health,” she said softly, lifting the wine glass he’d brought her and smiling as he clinked his own against it.
“And to yours.” He hesitated a little. “I’m glad you made it.”
“Well, I couldn’t stay inside on a night like this.” She gestured to the moonlight dancing on the waves.
“It’s kind of the professors to facilitate these outdoor gatherings,” Callan said, following her gaze. She shot a sidelong glance at him, which he caught, surprising her again. “Yeah, I figured it out late last year. Storms blow up five times a week minimum, it seemed ridiculous that one had never interrupted a party.”
“Very perceptive,” she acknowledged with a faint smile, taking a quiet note that she should be careful not to underestimate this one.
It was surprising, how easily the conversation flowed after that. Was it the wine, she wondered? Dragons tended to favor very strong liquor… shifters in general, actually, had a much higher tolerance than the average human, and she made sure to pace herself whenever she was drinking with them. But it wasn’t just that. Callan was genuinely good to talk to. Unlike most of the men she’d run these games on, he seemed to take a genuine interest in what she had to say. It was a little frustrating, if she was honest. Her usual move was to ask a few questions and get her target talking about himself, but Callan, happy as he was to answer her questions, consistently brought the topic back around to her. She kept her answers vague, full of details that would be difficult to verify. Was he faking his interest, she wondered? If so, he was very convincing. Something else to keep an eye on…
She was startled to realize that the party that had been raging around them all night seemed to be winding down. Was it really that late? She hardly felt like she’d been here for an hour, let alone several, but they were almost alone at this end of the beach, with barely a handful of partygoers within earshot.
“I should be getting back, I think,” she said, glancing up and down the beach. “Well past my bedtime.”
