Holding Onto Stars | Lady Lesso

Eighteen

Dovey's POV

It was reaching late afternoon when Hort arrived, being dropped on the bridge. I rushed over to him. 'You said you needed to talk in person.' I said urgently. 'What's wrong?' 

'Where's Katherine?' Hort asked. 

'Working in her classroom, why?' 

'Because the assassin is in the schools!' He burst out. 'Katherine's in more danger than she realises!' 

'Slow down, Hort, what are you talking about?' I frowned in confusion. 

'You sent me that information on the dragon-raisers and the families, late yesterday. The paper you wrote on.' He rushed his words. 'It was a pink, thick kind of paper.' 

'What's your point?' I asked impatiently. 

He held up a crumpled piece of pink paper which was burnt on one edge. 'This is the anonymous note Katherine received, she burnt it but half the paper didn't burn so she just put it in her coat pocket. I found it a couple of weeks ago whilst cleaning.' 

I stared at it. 'I don't understand.' 

'I thought the paper your letter came on, seemed a bit familiar, and I realised it's the exact same paper as the note Katherine received! Call it a coincidence, other places may use this paper too, but it has the same faint swirly embossing in it!' He explained. 'The note didn't get teleported to Katherine, it came from within the Schools.' 

I gasped. 'That is letter writing paper we use in the Good School. So someone was able to slip the note to Katherine in person?' 

'It can't be a coincidence.' He shook his head. 'We were all wrong, the person after Katherine has been here the whole time.' 

'We need to find her, and warn her!' I nodded. 'Come on Hort.' 

We headed towards the Evil school, heading up to Katherine's classroom. It didn't take us long, and the first thing I noticed was that the door was slightly ajar. Katherine usually liked to keep her door shut to avoid any disturbances while she was working. Hort seemed to have the same line of thoughts, because he silently drew his axe. 

We cautiously entered the room, which was empty. 'Where is she?' I said anxiously. 

'Professor Dovey- look.' Hort pointed at the floor, near Katherine's desk. 

Her coffee cup was lying on its side, with coffee splashed all over the floor. My blood ran cold. 

'They've got her.' Hort said, confirming my worst fears. 'Right, someone's going to die.' He swung his axe in his hand. 

I turned, heading out of the classroom, and headed towards the entrance hall. Hort followed me. 

'Clarissa? What are you doing over here?' Lesso walked over. 'Hort? What the hell are you doing here?' 

'Lesso, when was the last time you saw Katherine?' I asked immediately. 

'Earlier, before she went back to her classroom, why?' She looked perplexed. 

'We need to find her, now!' Her mysterious assassin has gotten to her!' Hort said, frustrated. 

'What?' 

'We need all members of staff looking for her! She's in danger!' I nodded. 

'I'll go and alert Helena and the others here.' She told me. 'You go and alert all your staff. Hort, you're with me.' 

I quickly agreed with that plan, and headed back over the Good school. I quickly found Anemone, Yuba and everyone and briefly explained what was going on. They quickly understood and headed off to search for Katherine.