The Headmaster nodded towards me. “Headmaster Lien. Pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Lien let me go, and pulled out a notebook. “Let us talk. I have received notes from the truant officer, your homeroom teacher, several chefs from the cafeteria. A total of seventeen demerits thus far. There is also witness testimony of your leaving the school without permission, another two.” The corner of her mouth twitched in what might have been a smile. “Attempting

I glowered, and stamped my staff on the ground. “Lady, you have no clue what you are dealing with.” “No,” She said. She cracked her fingers. “It is you who have decided that one small taste of the truth defines it all. “But as words have little worth to you,” she bowed to me at the waist. “Come. Show what you can do.” Who was she? Mayor’s guard? A contracted assassin? Didn’t seem to be

I was fuming now. “I didn’t even want to go to that school. And then that stupid boy started being mean to Lana for no reason, so I blew up the window and walked on out of there.” The birds were quiet. They looked at me, considering. Then they turned to Lana. “Someone was mean to you?” Lana tried to disappear. When that failed, she nodded. “Uh huh.” “What did he look like?” Nahc said.