33: Witches of the Seelie
Phoenie almost choked. “Mr Payne? The headmaster? He asked you to investigate? Why? He never asks us to investigate anything like this!”
Mr Payne knew about Veritas. He knew they were dedicated to investigation. He’d sent them on assignments to cover things like sports and community activities but why not this? Why not what they were best at?
“Because, Ms Rogan,” said Ceres, crossing her arms and trying to look like she was a teacher, “We are qualified. Now let’s stop arguing and get out of here before something bad happens. We gotta inform the authorities about the drug den and get it sorted before everyone in there wakes up,”
Phoenie found keeping her true feelings in check was becoming more difficult by the second. “Yeah, like they’ll do anything,” she said with an unintended snarl, “Most of ‘em were Inquisitors, and they’re gone,”
“I was referring to a different authority,” said Ceres.
“Oh, Mr Payne I bet.”
Korrigan’s eyes lit up. “Actually, Ms Chilte—”
Phoenie couldn’t bear to listen to these airheads any longer. “Well, whatever,” she interrupted, “Maybe we’re not as ‘qualified’ as you, but we will prove we’re superior.”
She turned her back to them and walked away. What had started out as the chance for Veritas to prove themselves – and the truth – had turned into a farce.
***
Phoenie turned and marched off, followed by her team. Dante scuffed his feet then darted forward to catch up with Katrina, leaving Phantasia with Ceres and Korrigan.
“That girl,” sighed Ceres, shaking her head.
“You’re being too hard on them,” said Korrigan, “They’re only curious!”
“Curiosity’ll get them killed sooner or later,” said Ceres, “What if they found that dungeon beneath the town? That giant would’ve killed ‘em!”
Since leaving the attic Ceres had admitted she was a witch, and that Korrigan was her ‘apprentice’, but they’d hadn’t elaborated on what they’d really been doing in the mansion. Phantasia was no Water faerie, but she thought she had it figured out.
“You two work with the Seelie Court, don’t you?” she asked. The two girls looked at her, then each other as if to confirm something between them, and then Ceres smiled.
“Yeah, we’re in SEELIE,” she said, “Should’ve guessed you’d heard of ‘em.
“We’re trainees!” added Korrigan, “Mr Payne was dead impressed with our rating over summer that he promoted us! We’re totally at the same level as the third years now. We get to go out on these errands and stuff and make sure the town is safe and people aren’t in trouble…”
“Know all about you,” whispered Ceres, eyeing the backs of the other students who were now too far away to hear them now, “Only us, mind. Hermia’s not got a clue. Kinda enjoyed that performance you’ve been putting on. Like a Fae wouldn’t ace that bloody course in a minute,”
“All that stuff with the shadow demons and Godhand too,” chirped Korrigan, “It’s a shame everyone’s oblivious ‘cause you’d be such a hero right now if they remembered!”
“You remember everything?”
“Oh, you mean that spell that keeps gettin’ cast?” asked Ceres.
“We’re totally immune to it!” said Korrigan, “Once you know it’s just a spell, it totally powerless! Course everyone else isn’t trained to notice that yet, so it fools ‘em every time! Looks like it’s kinda weakening though. People keep remembering things without realising. Whoever’s casting it must be pretty rubbish!”
“At least it keeps those lot safe,” said Ceres, “Imagine if they remembered everything that’s been happening. They would be dead from curiosity!”
Would they? How were they meant to learn if they forgot their mistakes? The spell appeared to be making things worse rather than helping protect everyone but Phantasia didn’t feel like arguing the point in such an inhospitable place.
“We oughta be off anyway,” said Ceres, “As Korrie so tactlessly announced, we gotta see Ms Chiltern about this assignment. She’s one of my tribe as well, ya know? Not many of us left these days…”
“And we don’t want to run into any nasty monsters!” added Korrigan, rolling her eyes around the shadows.
