"Trust me, you shouldn't want anyone like me on your back."
"Maybe I don't want anyone like you on my back," His eyes darkened as he stepped closer, confining me tighter into barely any space as my back pressed against the wall.
"Maybe I want you. U...
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CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
THE STARE WAS SO LIFELESS—so utterly devoid of an emotion but that of the mildest intrigue, that I wondered if Angus' had been the same. I doubted it somehow. Angus, enslaved as he was, did not share the same look that was now embedded in this creature's eyes.
Viktor Krum tensed in his embrace of me as I did, sensing briefly the trouble at hand. Then before I could say something to him, Viktor Krum, ever the efficient wizard—trained for battle with swords alongside wands—whipped around to face the creature, his thick wand pointed high in defense, the muscles in his back tensing through his dark formal suit.
The creature's stare didn't falter, instead, I could see it vaguely register Krum's presence, before focusing on me again. Although, there was no way to tell, devoid of irises as these blank cream eyes were.
"Viktor, don't," I managed, swallowing my shock.
The Durmstrang didn't move, his stance remained firm as he only tilted his neck cleanly to a side and shifted his shoulders, readying himself for something he imagined was coming.
"It's one of those things isn't it?" He spoke, addressing me, his eyes refusing to leave the target.
"Yes," I affirmed slowly. "They can sense heuristics."
Krum stole a quick glance at me over his shoulder, his expression was determined, only the barest hint of hesitance as he fixed his face towards the creature.
"So, what? He's going to take you to Fontaine?" Viktor scoffed, his tone etched with the superiority he felt over the creature at present. "That isn't what that fucker hired these things for."
"Krum," I hissed, "Shut up for a moment, will you?"
I stepped out from behind him as he grabbed my elbow with his free hand.
"Stay back," He let out, eyes brimming with firm caution. "We don't know what these things can do."
"Stop calling them that," I narrowed my eyes at him, "And I know what they can do."
He considered for a moment, and then reluctantly let go of my elbow. I turned to face the creature, its form still only reserved to two large eyes in this dark Ilvermorny classroom. I thought of Angus. He was a slave, and had been trained to recognize Grindelwald's mark on me. Angus was trained amongst acolytes, he had belonged to acolytes. He belonged to me now, but that didn't change everything he had been through, and everything he had been taught.
This was one of the free les dorés. He knew neither of the things Angus knew, except for their ability to sense heuristics.
"Show yourself," I said, my eyes fixed on the creature's as I stepped a little closer, still maintaining a distance.
