The Opelux and Other Monsters || Book One

CHAPTER 18 - UNKNOWN

Tritteon led the way to another small purple door, not unlike the one I'd followed Pharro through to get to the Hawks Nest. He muttered to it something that sounded like Whitfore Tower, before opening it, and ushering Rilyin and I through first. We stepped into a wide foyer with one set of towering, double doors at the end. Tritteon waved a Veehm at them and the doors opened into a small sitting room with a small grouping of furniture gathered around a fireplace. Directly across was a wide doorway and what looked like an office beyond. A desk sat in the middle of the office, the entire wall behind it made of glass that overlooked the dark, choppy lake. Overflowing bookshelves covered two walls and the floor was made of a blackish wood covered in black rugs instead of marble or stone like most other rooms I'd seen.

Tritteon motioned toward one of the couches. "Sit."

I didn't. "Prospective Guardian?"

Rilyin took a seat in his chair. "Yes."

"Is Theena Aveeve my real name?"

Rilyin shook his head. "No. Entirely made up. It is the name Pharro fabricated on your Poeir Test form."

Something in me sank at that.

I returned to the other information. "Fine. Back to the Prospective Guardian thing then." I glanced at Tritteon who's gaze kept travelling the length of me. It both exhilarated and creeped me out. I jabbed a finger at him. "Firstly, gross. Knock it off. Secondly, yes. I'm magnificent now. Get over it."

The barest smile twitched at the corner of his mouth before he looked away.

I rolled my eyes and looked at Rilyin. "Prospective Guardian?" I urged.

Rilyin sat back in his chair. "Tritteon retires his position a little over a year from now. This is the time we would normally be bringing in someone with the potential to replace him."

I narrowed my eyes. "And that's why I'm really here?"

There was the slightest hesitation. So slight I wouldn't have noticed had the door not opened right then and he didn't try to resume answering.

Pharro entered, looking like someone should call Colleena to come get him.

"I don't remember discussing introducing her today?" Rilyin snarled.

Pharro didn't respond right away. He walked a bit unsteadily to a tea service set on a small table near the back corner of the room and began to prepare something he pulled from his pocket. "It wasn't my idea," he said hoarsely. "When I left her beside that door, I never thought she'd be insane enough to jump."

I looked at all of them. "What did you expect me to do? Sit there and let them die? Everyone up in that Hawk Nest was entirely useless. You should be embarrassed for them."

Pharro scowled. "The doors were stuck and the security team couldn't get in touch with the Kovei to order them up there. We were—"

I took a seat, waving away his excuses. "The very definition of useless."

"What was she doing up there?" Tritteon demanded.

"I saw him in the library, and I followed him up there," I said easily. "I had questions."

"Does Colleena know you followed him?" Rilyin asked.

I bit my lips together. "No."

He rubbed his forehead. "She's going to chew my head off."

"How did you do what you did?" Tritteon asked, the question more accusatory than inquisitive, like he believed I couldn't have done what I did without ill-intentions.