Twilit Mage

Chapter 46: Lockdown, Unlocked

"No."

"Bonnie, I'm begging you." Hecate pressed her hand to the doorframe, staring down at the nurse with increasing desperation. "I'm not asking anything personal. Only if you know anything about...all this. Anything that could help us." She was met with a cold stare and sighed. "I know you hate me, but this could save lives, do you realize that?"

"Save lives, huh?"

Bonnie gave a snort, swiveling around in her chair to face the desk once more. "Stop exaggerating, Hecate. Whatever I know isn't going to save anyone's life."

"I don't care!" Hecate marched into the room, slamming the door behind her and striding up to the desk, towering over the school nurse. "Even if it's only a hint, an observation, anything. Everything helps here!"

"And I'm telling you, I know nothing!" Bonnie replied, her eyes darting up to meet Hecate's in a furious glare. "What makes you think I might know anything in the first place, huh? That's so typical." She scoffed. "You always suspect people you don't like."

Hecate sucked in a sharp breath. Bonnie's words hurt, and not only for the obvious reason. She was right, of course. Back when she had blindly suspected Mercury Day...and that couldn't have been the first time either. Hecate knew that, but it was painful to hear it from someone else.

But most importantly, her words hurt because she was wrong. Incredibly wrong. Not just about one thing, but two.

"...Don't be stupid."

Bonnie blinked, surprised at her tone, then she raised an eyebrow as her mouth distorted into a cocky smirk. "I'm not being stupid. I'm right," she said, "and you know it. Or are you trying to tell me you suspected Mercury for a good and valid reason?"

"No– but–"

"So stop suspecting me. I have nothing to do with this." Bonnie turned back to the papers she had been working on. "Any questions? Get out."

"I'm not suspecting you."

Bonnie only rolled her eyes and sighed.

"I'm only trying to get your second opinion on something," Hecate continued pointedly, "which you would realize if you just let me finish."

Bonnie blinked. The look of hostility and annoyance slightly faded from her face to turn into quiet surprise. "I'm honored," she said sarcastically. "What ever possessed you to do that?"

"You're knowledgeable." Hecate sighed, closing her eyes. "You're good enough to be an alchemist. And you're good with the students. Are those not enough reasons to trust you?"

Even the sarcasm faded from Bonnie's face this time. For a second she looked surprised. Moved, somehow...but slightly guilty.

"Being nice doesn't suit you," she said at last. "I didn't know you were so good at flattery though. I thought the only thing you were good at was insulting people."

Hecate didn't comment on that, even if the remark felt like a stab. "I've come to you," she said instead, "because I think that mystery creature has something to do with the destroyed lab and I wondered if you know anything. Have you seen any hints? Have the students told you anything?"

"Not a thing." Bonnie adjusted her glasses and disappeared behind her paperwork once more. "I haven't even talked to them since that mess. If you think it came from the alchemy lab, do an inventory check and see if anything disappeared. I'm not doing your job for you."

"But–"

"And," Bonnie added with a piercing sideways glare, "even if I knew anything, I wouldn't rat the kids out to you. Now get out, I'm busy."