Mystic High ✓

MH │26

In the previous chapter: Oriane found Uilliam and confessed what had occurred at the underground repository. 

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CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

They had been sitting in the office for half an hour.

Uilliam glared at her from his seat. His fists were clenched and his arms crossed across his chest. The look he gave her – pure frustration – told her not to say any more. She had made her point.

Because of her recklessness, she had to seek protection. And really, the only person who could possibly provide that was Uilliam, who shouldn't be responsible for her at all. But who else could she turn to? Right?

Though, it wouldn't do her any good that the person she was seeking help from didn't seem inclined to lend a hand.

Oriane fidgeted in her seat, her hands twisting the hem of her top.

Another minute passed in silence. Then two. Until she couldn't take the tension in the air any longer.

She took a deep breath and voiced her thoughts, "I am aware that all this could have been avoided had I not skipped class and gone off on my own..."

He put up a hand to cut her off. "I'm thinking," he said, voice strained and gruff-sounding.

Sighing, she slumped in the chair. The only sound came from the whirring of the vents and the loud ticking of a clock.

It was at that moment a knock resounded. Uilliam got up, stalked to the door, and opened it. He retrieved a few papers, in addition to the report he had previously handed over to someone, and Oriane could just about make out a whispering voice – a male voice, if her hearing was accurate. She couldn't make out the words, but Uilliam nodded, slammed the door shut, and returned to his seat to peruse the new documents.

As he read, he frowned ever deeper either in concentration or bafflement. Clearly, whatever was written on those pages were nothing good.

"Are you reading what the numbers on the report deciphered?" she asked. "What does it say?"

Uilliam looked up at her, brows drawn and clearly a bit upset with her. "Listen here, what you need to do is to not know more than you already do, keep your head down, and not cause trouble. As for what's in the document," he leaned forward, in an attempt at being menacing. "You don't need know." Anyone else would have been intimidated.

"I should know!" she argued back. After all, her life probably depended on knowing as much as she could about the enemy. What if that 'Master' called on her again and then asked her a few more questions? She didn't think she'd be able to bluff through it again. "Didn't I mention that the Rosicrucians are after me? They want me to work for them as an insider. I should at least know the facts. Like, what's happening? What is going on?"

"All the more reason for you not to know anything." He returned his gaze to the papers.

"But what if they come find me and ask me more questions? Like, if they sent someone a letter, as a 'confidante', wouldn't I at least know what the message was? Their leader said that most of your underlings go through your files."

"I can assure you, most things are kept confidentially by me," he said. "And only me."

"Then why would he say that? At the time, I... insinuated that I'm a spy," she said. "And a spy would know these things."

"Maybe once you told me about what happened, I terminated your employment."

"Or maybe, they won't believe that!" Why won't he see reason? She was already knee-deep in this mess and he still hadn't offered her a solution to the fact that they now believe she is working for them.