“Excuse me!” she called out, waving her hand in the air as if asking a question in class.

“What’s wrong?” asked Ms Shimomura. Phoenie listed the students that were still missing and asked if they’d been found yet.

“Don’t worry. Theseus, John and Andromeda were found beneath the manor by Azarat Haan and Ms James,” explained Ms Clarke with a smile, “They’re being treated at the scene.”

Phoenie breathed a sigh of relief, but it was only a temporary comfort. By the looks on her teachers’ faces as they glanced at one another she had a feeling the rest of the news wouldn’t be quite as positive.

“We’ve don’t know about the others,” said Ms Shimomura, “We think they might be in the church section. The defence there hasn’t been breached. Ms Chiltern is looking for them as we speak.”

Quite what Ms Chiltern, the fashionable Nature Studies teacher and hyper-environmentalist, could do to find them, Phoenie didn’t know, but given what she’d seen from the other teachers she wouldn’t be shocked if they told her Ms Chiltern was master thief or secret agent!

A young man came blustering into the room. The teachers turned their attention on him in an instant.

“Report from Commander Haan. The Crusaders have regrouped to protect the Patriarch,” he said, panting, “The Inquisitors are helping them in whatever ways they can, but the surprise attack meant they couldn’t arm themselves with the weaponry they’d been hoarding underneath the manor.”

Ms Clark gasped. “They were hoarding weapons?”

“Enough to supply an army,” said the messenger, “Lieutenant James has dealt with the situation.”

The two teachers exchanged wry smiles.

“No doubt she’s collected a few samples for herself,” said Ms Shimomura, “The rest is probably sludge by now. Bet she hated that job.”

Then another messenger came bursting in, almost running into the first.

“Chief Payne has given the order to retreat from the grounds!”

“Is he insane?” said Ms Clarke, “There are still students unaccounted for!”

“He says we have to regroup before we decide to attack the Patriarch. He wants to discuss the options before declaring outright war against Godhand.”

“But what about those poor kids?” asked Ms Shimomura.

Just then, the two messengers were motioned aside by the staff of Sage Khandro and with respectful bows they shuffled aside to allow the monk in. He coughed to make sure he had the room’s attention, then made sure to make eye contact with everyone, from teachers to students, before speaking.

“Payne is right. We cannot just attack a Patriarch openly. If we do that then Godhand will send everything they have on us. Even if we pulled in every cell and every ally we have, we couldn’t defend ourselves against the full might of the Patriarchs’ wrath.”

There was no argument from either Ms Clarke or Ms Shimomura.

“We must continue to believe that—”

A fourth arrival almost tripped over the stooped form of Sage Khandro, who moved aside with the reaction of someone a quarter of his age. This time the newcomer was Ms Chiltern.

“Phantasia Celeste and Katrina Ritches have broken through the church barriers.” she said.

Phoenie squealed her relief, then remembered the final missing student. Though she didn’t like the boy, she knew what he meant to Katrina. “What about Dante Orpheus?” she asked.

“Dante is…” Ms Chiltern shuffled her feet. “He should be okay. My familiar is leading Phantasia and Katrina to him now…”

***

Chapter 22
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