279
Lucy
I met Daedalus' gaze as he leaned on his podium.
"Why don't you come on down and solve the first problem?"
Would the talisman still protect me if I was that close to him? I didn't know, but he probably was expecting his watch to be more effective up close. I didn't want to chance it, but it would be weird to refuse. Most of my classmates were human.
Then, there was the chance that I could see through his illusion easier if I was closer.
"Sure."
Sarah pouted beside me as I stood up and headed towards the stairs. I gathered my magic and took deep breaths as I reached the ground floor. He offered the dry-erase marker to me. For a moment, I met his gaze. There was a challenge in his eyes. I took the marker and turned to the board. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him adjust his watch. It started flashing. The talisman warmed against my skin like a warning.
The glow grew brighter out of the corner of my eye, but nothing happened. I felt no different. I solved the problem quickly and headed back to my seat. When I sat down, I noticed the tension in his jaw.
He'd expected the change in distance to affect me. He had to have noticed my spell-casting, which meant he was going to do everything he could to make sure I didn't see it.
That meant I had to because if he was trying that hard to hide it, it was something I needed to know.
It reminded me a bit of living with my adoptive parents. Every time they lied and kept lying, even when they were caught, it meant trouble. It meant the water was going to get cut off, that there wasn't any food left in the house, that they had done something they didn't want to take responsibility for, and ultimately, I would have to pay the price for it.
I clenched my jaw. I never wanted to go back to living that way, especially not now when I was just starting to live for myself.
"Let's play a game, hm?" He said. "Split up by row, one spokesperson per row. The winning team gets one free A on a homework assignment."
Sarah purred. "He's making my whole year."
"Middle seat is the spokesperson."
My gut turned. That was me. His lips twitched into a challenging smirk, and I gripped my fist before turning to a blank sheet of paper.
He pulled up a slideshow, humming as if it were completely innocent, but his eyes kept glancing up at me. If I fell behind, Amy and Sarah would know something was wrong, but trying to answer the questions and see through his illusion was going to be heard.
Then, the first problem popped up. I scribbled down the work, solving the problem and gathering my magic again before raising my hand to give the answer. I pushed hard to try and break through the illusion, but it just made the whole room flash bright with the amount of energy his watch and all the other glowing objects were pulling in. It was so bright, it was blinding, and for a few moments, all I saw were stars, and my eyes hurt.
He went to the next slide, looking cocky. I solved the problem, listening to Amy's guidance on the part I was stuck on before getting ready for another push.
Time was running out for the class, and who knew how much stronger the illusion would be when I came back the next week? I could lose my chance to see what he's hiding for sure.
I worked through the problems, trying to focus on the incantation, focusing on honing my vision through the spell to just him, like a scope. With each correct answer, the glow from the watch seemed to pulse in frustration. The moment arrived when the last equation appeared on the screen, and Daedalus directed his attention toward me once again.
His eyes bore into mine, daring me. I felt a surge of power so bright and hot I thought my eyes were going to start shooting laser beams, and then the layers shimmered. A second later, they cracked and shattered, and I was stunned.
I heard myself say the answer seconds before another team did, winning us the prize, but I couldn't believe my eyes.
Daedalus Faust was the old man who taught at my elementary school. His glasses were perched on his nose, and his eyes were the same cold brown they had been before. Nearly every wrinkle from then stared back at me. Our gazes met as I let the flow of power ease. The cockiness had turned to fury.
A chill ran down my spine as I realized that he had realized I'd seen his real face. The air seemed frozen as it settled on me. The watch's glow dimmed. I felt a bit tired but not nauseous. Daedalus looked away, but not before his eyes met mine for another moment. He congratulated us and took the note down before wishing us goodbye.
For a few moments after the closing announcements, I sat in stunned silence.
Why was he here? Had he always been Daedalus Faust, or was this a completely new identity? Had he recognized me, or did he just know I was a werewolf because of his watch? My name had officially been changed, so maybe not.
A mix of emotions swirled within me – surprise, curiosity, and a tinge of apprehension. How many of my old teachers would show up in a similar way? Had I always been surrounded by hunters? Had that restraint on me really been protecting me all this time?
I'd have to ask Lucian. I still wasn't sure who exactly put it on me and how they'd known it would be dangerous for me.
The question followed me out of algebra all the way to my next class. Sarah pouted as she shuffled away, disappearing into the crowd with a slouch to her shoulders.
"She seems sad."
Amy shook her head, looking after her. "She acts like she just got the rejection of a lifetime."
"Try not to be too hard on her, hm?" I asked, patting Amy's shoulder. "I know.... it's hard."
Amy
I chuckled and waved her goodbye before heading off to meet up with Duke. He was waiting where we usually waited, backpack, cooler, and all.
"So, how was your morning?" Duke asked.
"Sarah is disappointed that her outfit didn't catch his eye," I winced. "But I think she might be happy about that if we decide to tell her."
Duke's eyes crinkled at the corners as he grinned. "Sounds like an eventful morning. You got to see what he's hiding, hm?"
I nodded. "More than that, I think we should be concerned..."
As we walked, I told him about what I saw, not just Daedalus' real face but about all the other devices in the room.
Duke eyed me. "You're feeling alright, though?"
I nodded. "The talisman worked even when I was close to him. I'm just worried about... well, the rest."
He nodded and pulled out his phone. "I'll send a message. No doubt someone is looking into him... And whoever else is new to the area."
I nodded.
If he's up to something, we'll find out what it is."
As we walked, I looked around at all the students walking past. Part of me wondered if any of them were hunters. If they were people I had met before.
"Maybe they should look into the town where the orphanage was."
Duke hummed. "It was odd that you were the only one left there... No one else was adopted that I remember."
I nodded. "Knowing that he's a hunter now and the fact that there was that auction there."
I shook my head. "How much of the world is really just what it seems?"
He chuckled and opened the door to the classroom. "Almost none of it."
The thought felt unsettling, but I entered the room and tried not to think too much more about it.
Then, I frowned and looked at him. "You called David."
"No, I didn't."
"You knew he was coming, and you didn't warn me."
He beamed. "That might be true, but it was all in good fun. I thought he deserved to see the cats."
I nudged him as he laughed. "That's not funny, Duke. I was so embarrassed."
"But it made you feel better in the long run, didn't it?"
I plopped down in my seat, still grumbling as I started pulling my notes out for class.
As I sat down, I noticed a woman staring at me from across the room. The air seemed to go cold around us. The murmur of the classroom seemed to fade as if we were being brought somewhere else entirely. I turned and went still. I felt Duke go still beside me as our eyes landed on the same familiar figure.
It was Selene.
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