The Shadowsong Conspiracy

Chapter 5

When Sawyer, Maddox and Piper arrived at the Dining Hall for breakfast on Sunday morning, the room was swarming with Paras.

"Why couldn't they eat while we were in Chapel?" Maddox said acidly. "None of them were even at the service! Probably worship Shadow, the lot of them."

"Shadowed my day for sure." Piper tossed his Book of Anthems on the table, which was laden with plates and bowls full of strawberry pancakes, maple syrup, omelettes, butter gravy, croissants, smoked ham, and fresh cherries, strawberries, and raspberries from the greenhouses.

"Where's Caspar?" Maddox asked. "I've hardly had a glimpse of the copper top in days. Is he sick?"

"Found himself a girl?" Piper cut a large square from a fluffy pancake. "He's been kind of warm with a girl in the Crocheting Club, but she's a Para. She can't crochet at all, but the pumpkins, wow." He cupped his hands in the air.

"There you go," Sawyer said grimly. "He's gone to the other side. He told me yesterday that he believes in Paramagi rights, whatever those are."

Both Maddox and Piper stopped eating.

"What?" Maddox said. "He's supporting the liberals now?"

"Yep. Friendship or the rights of our kind don't matter to him any more. He isn't coming tonight either."

"Who isn't coming tonight?" a soft voice asked, and Mia sat down beside Sawyer. "Do you mind? It's so crowded here."

"We were kind of having a private discussion," Maddox said irritably.

"Sorry. I can try to find another seat..." Mia turned around with difficulty and winced as she lifted her bad leg over the bench.

"No, it's fine," Sawyer said quickly and pulled Mia back. "Come on, guys, she's one of ours."

"Thanks," Mia said happily. "I knew there was a sensitive side behind that rough exterior of yours." And she devoured her omelette.

Piper let out a squeal, and even Maddox's mouth stretched into a smile.

"So, Mr. Sensitive," Piper said. "Where's Kairos?"

"Don't ever call me that again, midget, or I'll chant you."

"I'll take the risk, Mr. Sensitive. Where's your current queen?"

"No idea, she's not glued to her Squilli like Prue."

"It was not very nice of you to dump Prue like that, you know," Mia said, her hazy eyes observing Sawyer thoughtfully. "She's been doing a fair bit of crying these days. She has no idea what she has done and how you could prefer someone like Kairos Barclay-Dumas to her."

Maddox and Piper raised their eyebrows.

"You know that how exactly?" Sawyer asked.

"I've heard her and her friends in the library. I study there a lot, and they use one of the corners for heart-to-hearts."

"I have no time for drama queens," Sawyer said coldly.

"Agreed," Maddox said. "If you let a woman spin you with her mood swings, you'll end up in a marriage where she takes the lead."

"Wish I could find a drama queen," Piper said wistfully. "Wouldn't mind one myself."

"Well, I for one would like a man who is sensitive to my thoughts and feelings," Mia said. "Of course, I have no hope in that area, but you do. You're fair-looking boys, all of you." She pointed at each of them in turn with her fork, which bore a crisp slice of bacon.