Hale Academy: Unversity of Sui Generis

Chapter 6 (b): A Wolf's Howl (...Contd.)

The room had descended into silence for barely a few seconds, before a raucous yet oddly chilling laugh reverberated around them.

"You're right", she answered, and "You're not anything like your father", she laughed a manic sound echoing. "You're exactly like that stupid girl my daughter was. Headstrong and stubborn", she huffed pinching the bridge of her nose, she sighed again. "Knocked up by that asshole", she muttered recalling a past he had no way of knowing. "Ah... how hard I tried to school you against him, killing all those people", she sighed disappointedly. "What a waste of time, and when I finally thought I'd bought that wenches trust to raise you, she went and told him where and how to find you", she sighed looking to where Bartimaeus pulled the dagger out of his body and set it on fire, "And now this man is your guardian, ugh... don't make me laugh", she huffed, "How much money will it take to get rid of you?" she demanded.

Bartimaeus hummed and turned to Sasha, "Is she asking to buy me?" he asked confused.

Sasha nodded wordlessly, mentally he was looking at every memory he had with a whole new perspective, on a certain level he felt something akin to shock.

"Ah", Bartimaeus, "I can't take it though", he answered confused.

Sasha nodded, "Because of Zen", he noted absentmindedly.

\\ Why did he have to be right? That Brat... \\

"Well", he paused, "And other factors", he answered simply despite how the rune burned on his shoulder.

Sasha hummed, "We should go", he said eyeing his grandmother.

The woman laughed, "If you can", she said taunting him snapping her fingers amused.

Sasha and Bartimaeus blinked exchanging a startled glance; they turned just in time to see his grandmother leave through a door Sasha had always believed was a closet. Running to it, he opened the door hurriedly only to be met with a brick wall.

"We've been locked in", Bartimaeus informed not moving from the spot and looking at everything in the room.

"That old woman tricked us", he gruffed, "I always knew there was something off about her, but to think she was hiding me from her daughter's husband—my father?" he wondered.

"Well she was mostly telling the truth, though there were a few lies thrown in, to sound truthful", he answered.

"Well she's a very good actor", Bartimaeus muttered.

"She was acting, well yes, even I can see that, now. But how do you know?" Sasha asked searching the room for any additional hidden routes.

Bartimaeus hummed, "She didn't sound different the whole time she spoke, I mean her pitch, not the sudden transformation from strict formidable grandmotherly persona into apparently crazy psychopathic serial-killer", he added still shocked. "I wonder why she wasn't found out before though? No one is that good an actor", he looked around the room and walked towards the desk searchingly. "Then again, it wouldn't have. She's a pathological liar", he hummed. "Her entirety is made up of lies", he answered simply.

"I don't understand, 'her entirety', what does that mean?" Sasha asked baffled.

"Well", Bartimaeus paused, "I can see people's souls, auras", he corrected and then seemingly nodded to himself, "Yes, auras", he repeated and then continued, "When a person is telling the truth, the aura around them is lit up", he paused, "Do you understand what an aura is?" he asked curiously.

"Uh... yes, a supposed emanation surrounding the body of a living creature and regarded as an essential part of the individual", he answered almost dutifully.