[Rien's POV - the same day, evening.]
For the second time that week, I woke up on a hospital bed beneath glaring white lights. The magic lamps above me hung from the ceiling like glass lilies, their incessant glow flooding the small hospital room.
Fuck, my head…
God, I wish they'd turn those down just a notch… At least my bed was comfortable this time.
"The letter…" I thought back to what had happened. My voice was hoarse and dry. "I was writing to Fritz when I blacked out."
"The letter which we have here." A voice said.
I jolted toward the voice. A young woman wearing the black trenchcoat of the archmage's constabulary sat beside the bed, her long silver hair pulled into a neat ponytail. She held an envelope in her black gloved hands.
Behind her stood another officer with black hair who looked around the same age.
"Good afternoon, Ms. De la Fontaine. Do you mind if we ask you some questions?"
…Who—
Oh, inspector Aerel.
I glanced down at the envelope in her hands. Well, she had my letter, which meant she'd read it.
I grimaced but quickly composed myself. I'd gotten rather good at making poker faces during my time as a journalist. "...How may I help you, Inspector?"
Aerel tilted her head to one side in a curious motion. The movement made her ponytail shift like a curtain of silver silk. "You remember me. That saves me some time."
She placed the envelope beside my pillow. Then she produced a small notebook from her coat, followed by a brass pen.
*Ttal-kkak*
Suddenly, the room felt smaller and heavier, like the air itself had thickened. A burning cold bead of sweat trickled down my back.
Oh, fuck.
It was getting kind of hard to breathe.
With all the alphas I'd spoken to so far, none of them held a candle to what this was.
Aerel smiled, her pale snow-like lips curving upwards as she fixated her cold, grey eyes on my face. "I would begin with pleasantries, but unfortunately we're a little short on time."
Her pen hovered above her open notebook. "Could you please tell me about these three students that you described in your letter?"
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Ten minutes later of describing the weird three students, my throat felt like sandpaper. I wasn't quite used to being questioned—I was usually the one doing the questioning.
Aerel's pen scritched away at her notebook while I spoke. When I finished, she closed her notebook with a soft snap. "Thank you."
"Is there anything else that I can help you with?" I asked politely.
Aerel didn't answer immediately. My mind flickered back to the faceless girl's voice.
'So me on e Wi l l C om e . T r us t Th e m . Ba d T hin g s A re Com i ng . Be w a re.'
My fingers curled slightly in the bedsheets. Was this what she meant, or was Aerel the person I was supposed to beware of?
"I'll be honest with you, Ms. de la Fontaine," Aerel said at last. "Actually… may I call you Rien?"
"Of course."
Aerel smiled and leaned back, crossing her legs one over the other. She undid her silver ponytail, and retied it with slow, deliberate motions.
"Silencieux."
As the word left her lips softly, a faint ripple spread outward from the center of the room like a stone falling into still water, forming a shimmery film that hung over the room.
"I'd like you to keep an eye on those students for me," Aerel smiled.
"...Why?" I asked before I could stop myself.
"We would like to keep everyone safe."
Aerel's tone was gentle, but her presence was pressing down on me like a weight on my lungs. It soon became a struggle to even keep my head up.
I stared at her, and Aerel's cold grey eyes glinted faintly.
"We would also accept you into the cadet program," she added, smiling casually. "...And I won't arrest you for carrying that revolver in your waistband."
…Oop.
A bead of sweat slid down my cheek. I patted mother's revolver instinctively. "Well," I tried weakly. "Blackmailing students now, are we?"
"Just a suggestion," Aerel replied with a serene smile.
I sighed, flopping back into the soft, fluffy hospital pillow. Welp, that's karma I guess… After years of digging up other people's scandals, someone had finally found a convenient one of mine.
I thought for a bit before talking. "I have a few conditions."
Aerel tilted her head again, amused. "Let's hear it."
"I keep the gun."
"Done."
"The letter goes immediately."
"Of course."
I thought for a moment. "If I die or get injured doing this," I added, "I want hazard pay and condolence compensation."
Aerel blinked.
I smiled.
"And," I continued brightly, winking and making a little coin-shape with my fingers, "if anything I do ends up in the papers or helps you out, I want a percentage." (Hey, you can't blame me for wanting to make some money~ Besides, this was the same as what Majorie's gave me.)
The officer behind her made a choking sound that sounded like a half-decent attempt at covering an outraged cough. "You little—"
Aerel raised a hand and the woman immediately fell silent. "In return, you will report to me or my adjutant directly if anything unusual occurs."
"Well," I said dryly. "That's a given, isn't it?"
Aerel laughed softly and stood. "I suppose it is."
She left a dark grey package on her chair, along with what looked like two leather straps. "You'll need those. Now that you're a cadet, that means you're under my jurisdiction. Which brings us to your first assignment."
"I thought tailing these students was—"
"Not even close," Aerel laughed quietly. Her grey eyes gleamed.
"Ms. Rien, you will be attending the autumn ball."
…Ah.
Somewhere outside the window, the clock in the massive central spire of the academy began tolling across the campus.
Why did I get the distinct feeling that my life had just become far, far more complicated?