Aymee Parker B2 - The Cursed Mark

Chapter 12 : Handling secrets

At the end of the day, before supper, Aymee knocked on Professor McMahon's office door. The door opened by itself, as if an invisible servant was standing behind it. The teacher was sitting behind his desk, feet on the latter and an old yellowed book in hand. Aymee looked around the octagonal office. There were all kinds of strange objects on the shelves or the dressers. Aymee also recognized a slight odor of old dried blood, which confirmed her impression that the objects were not there for decoration. They looked more like war trophies. Among the various objects, Aymee recognized one that caught her attention. Percy Jackson had shown her a similar one during the summer. Aymee approached and brushed her finger against it.

"Is it from the Minotaur?"

"Ah!" smiled the teacher. "I recognize a sister there! Exact. We had a slight... altercation, in 82, in Chicago. He didn't really appreciate my comment on the Bulls."

Aymee chuckled before replacing the horn in its place. There was a small glass exhibition box next to it. In each section was a tooth, a claw or even a hoof. There must have been around thirty. Aymee watched them with big eyes. Her gaze then stopped on a vase placed on the ground. Spears, swords and even a mass of celestial bronze were stored there as if it were a kind of umbrella stand. Most of these weapons were old, but in excellent condition. Aymee could see her reflection on the blades.

"Do you have a favorite weapon?" asked McMahon.

He got up from his seat to come and stand near Aymee, who was still examining the different weapons. Aymee shook her head.

"Not really," she confessed. "But I manage."

"Yes, so I heard. I was even told that you were an instructor. At your age, it's remarkable."

Aymee blushed at the compliments. She looked away.

"I'm just an old camper... I have more practice."

"All the same. Some train for several decades without ever mastering a single weapon. You get there in just six years. You have to admit that it has merit."

"I don't have real mastery yet. A true master would beat me without problem."

"Yes, because you are young. You don't have a lot of tone or strength yet. However, that does not mean that it would be an easy fight."

Aymee closed her eyes. The conversation made her uncomfortable. McMahon sighed. He returned to settle behind his desk and took out a parchment sheet with something to write.

"Let's go back to our business. I would like to know everything you saw that afternoon."

Aymee finally breathed. She smiled, nodded then settled on the chair in front of the desk. He asked her various questions about events and the order of things. Oddly, he even went so far as to questions her about what happened before the incident.

"You had class with me just before," he remembered. "You seemed to hesitate to ask me a question after Miss Koumba. What was it?"

Aymee pinched her lips. She pretended to try to search her memory.

"I don't know anymore. It goes back too far."

McMahon smiled before crossing his fingers.

"You still have lessons to have, lies wise. How do you hide your parantage? Anyway, what was your question?"

The teacher surely had not suspected how right he had been. Aymee was in pain, as if he had pierced her with one of his spears. Aymee slumped slightly under shame.

"Right... It was in relation to that. How do you hide everything... all that? I mean, if another student came into the office, he would see all of your weapons and... your trophies. Mist does not affect wizards like other mortals. They are too used to being around the implausible. What are you telling them?"