Twilit Mage

Chapter 55: Comeback

When Mercury opened the door of the infirmary, it was like she was waking up from a dream.

Pausing in her steps, she looked around, disoriented. She had no idea what time it was or even what day, how long she had been out, what had happened in the meantime. For all she knew it might have been a few hours or a few weeks. All sense of time had disappeared.

Only on second glance did two figures meet her eye, sitting on a bench outside the infirmary, one of them awake, the other one curled up and sleeping. The sleeping figure was resting his head on a bag, lightly covered with what looked like a navy blue blazer while the waking one rose to her feet, dark eyes meeting with Mercury's own.

"Georgiana," Mercury said, looking from one to the other. "And...Raoul?"

Raoul didn't stir. Georgiana stared at her with wide eyes, walking a few steps towards her, then starting to run until she came to a stop right in front of Mercury.

"You survived," she said.

Mercury smiled. "Looks like it," she said. "How long was I out?"

"Close to three days." Georgiana's voice sounded choked up, and she cleared her throat. "Bonnie and Ms. Solstice worked night and day to bring you back. Especially Ms. Solstice." She glanced at the infirmary door behind Mercury. "Yesterday evening she even kicked Bonnie out and continued on her own until now."

Mercury nodded slowly. So this was why Bonnie hadn't been there, she thought. That explained something...but not everything. She wondered if she should tell Georgiana about the fall, the memories...

No. Ms. Solstice had told her not to. And even if she hadn't, the things she had seen had felt so personal that she could never bring herself to tell anyone else.

For now there were other questions she should focus on, she thought. Explanations. After all, a lot could happen in three days. And a lot had.

"What happened after I passed out?" she asked. "I mean, um...did they get rid of the gorgon? Is Riley okay? And the lockdown, um..."

"The gorgon is gone." Georgiana gave a light smile. "So is the lockdown. Riley is safe, although they have seemed...out of it since the incident. But the school has been facing a lot of criticism."

Mercury frowned. "Criticism?"

"Criticism and a large debate. The gorgon was made from a substance that, when reacting with air, creates artificial monsters. You must have set it free during your break-in." Georgiana peered at the sleeping Raoul, and the image of the shattered bottle on the ground flashed through Mercury's head. "It was still not fully stable, which is why it materialized and dematerialized at random and it took so long to find it. By the time we did, it had stabilized."

Mercury nodded slowly. She didn't understand the details, but right now wasn't the time to ask.

"So of course," Georgiana continued, "parents are furious, the press picked it up, and everyone is debating about safety requirements for dangerous substances in schools. Some parents have already withdrawn their children from school. Others are demanding we get rid of the alchemy lab. Ms. Solstice herself would be in trouble too if it wasn't for a crucial piece of evidence."

"Evidence?"

Georgiana nodded. "Apparently, before the two of you entered, someone else made a forceful entry and misplaced certain substances. Which explains the gorgon liquid on the edge of the desk, and the reason why Raoul mistakenly gave you the hypnotic instead of the perfume. And..." She narrowed her eyes. "That person must have used Twilit Magic."