It wasn’t all bad news, though, as her friendships still remained intact (proof of just how shoddy the spell was, she thought). No sooner had Phantasia put her bag down when her arm was tugged away by Shelley. Kaori was in the middle of talking and glared in silence at the Hawk girl, as Phantasia allowed herself to be escorted around a corner to where Shelley’s friends were gathered. But just as they started their usual vacuous hellos, Phantasia was dragged away again, this time by Kaori, who wanted to finish what she had been saying. Moments later, Phoenie interrupted, insisting on her own private audience.

Unable to cope with everyone vying for her attention, Phantasia pushed her way out of the common room and fled into the fresh air. The bustling kaleidoscope of auras was fascinating to watch and wade through, but sometimes the clashing egos and chaotic emotions that rippled through mana were just too much for a faerie to handle. Phantasia took a deep breath and allowed the more peaceful aether to soothe her aching head. She stopped when she felt a familiar aura, and found Dante sitting on a low wall, his legs swinging back and forth as he studied the clouds above.

“They got too much for you?” he asked, not taking his eyes off the grey sky.

“Just a bit,” she said, sitting on the wall next to him, “I wish they could all just get on with each other,”

“Ah, well that’s human nature for you,” said Dante, “You’ve got a reputation, everyone wants you for something. They all want you in their group, but not in anyone else’s,”

“It’s frustrating,” she said with a long sigh, “Why are humans so complicated?”

Dante chuckled to himself. “You know, sometimes you sound like you’re not human…”

Phantasia’s thoughts froze for a second. She couldn’t quite tell from the faint smile on his face whether he meant that, or if it was just typical human hyperbole. “O-of course I’m human!” she said, hoping to cover herself, “I’m just different!”

Dante chuckled to himself. “Yeah, that’s why there’s such a fuss,” he said, “People get curious about new things. Then they get scared.”

Phantasia breathed easy again at the change of track. Dante shot a rare glance her way and frowned, then returned his gaze to the clouds.

“And if you’re too different,” he continued, “They’ll hate you,”

***

Rembrandt Payne looked up from his desk, first at the familiar red and white robes, then at the greying blond hair, and finally settling his gaze on the smug smile that deepened the wrinkles of Bishop Wotan’s face. He tossed a brown envelope onto Payne’s desk and waited in silence for the headmaster to peruse its contents.

“Interesting, wouldn’t you say, old friend?” said Wotan as Payne’s face fell at the sight of the auragraphs. He knew the story behind them, even if he had forgotten it briefly, but had no idea how the images could have come into the possession of Godhand. Phoenie was one of the top second-year students, and one of the most cautious.

“They certainly appear to be fine works of art,” bluffed Payne, “Were you hoping to set up an exhibition?”

Wotan cross his arms, his eyes fixed on Payne’s own. “Let’s not joke around, Siegfried. We have identified some of your students in these images. It would appear they were somehow involved in a dangerous ritual with demonic connections. As you are no doubt aware. Godhand takes such things with the utmost seriousness, especially in these darker days.”

Payne glanced at the pictures again. The real world was hazy and indistinct behind the auras and energies that dominated the images, but he could make out figures in the mist. Then Wotan handed him some more images he had been keeping under his robes.

“As you can see, these girls were easily identified,” he said, as Payne grimaced at the close-up shots of Shelley Edwards, Kaori Shimomura and what appeared to be self-portraits of the photographer, Katrina Ritches.

Chapter 14
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