Chapter 29

Tikaye, Rakai and I all looked to Anton, who looked like he’d just seen a ghost. He had a grave look in his eye when he requested Chase. Obediently, with a knowing look in his eye, Chase walked out of room one to talk to Anton in private, although, Anton should have known that nothing within about one hundred meters of any lycan was a private conversation.

"Chase, I really need your help with Ekaterina. I wouldn’t usually ask a student to help me but this is urgent." They continued the conversation in Russian and I was a little mad that I didn’t know Russian. I felt like I was the only werewolf in this entire school that didn’t know Russian, but when I saw Rakai and Tikaye just shrug and then continue with their conversations, I didn’t think I was the only one anymore. Blaze stayed silent the whole time, drawing her cartoons. This time, the robots had flames around them and they were impressive. I noticed that Chase had left his journal and I resisted the urge to just open it and read it. Eventually, the urge got the better of me and I picked it up. I opened it carefully.

April Eighth

Tyler, Avril and Tikaye were stuck in room one - the detention room. When they had first come across the room, it was old and full of cobwebs. It looked like it had not been used in centuries. The desks were mouldy and the chalkboard was, well, it was chalkboard. The three hated the room and because they were going to be stuck there for two years, Tikaye thought to at least make it a little more bearable for them. She redecorated the entire room, including the carpet, furnishings and even the wallpaper. Tyler had learnt new things about Avril today; her taste in music and even what her favourite things were - little things like pizza and lemonade.

Tyler had let Avril read his journal today. He was finally letting someone else in; finally letting somebody else see the pain that he had kept hidden from the world. He thought that Avril was worthy of his trust. There was something about her that Tyler could just trust unconditionally and it was not just because of her last name, like she would have presumed.

Quickly, I closed the journal so that Rakai and Tikaye didn’t catch sight of it. Blaze was minding her own business, as she usually did. Rakai caught sight of the journal in my hands.

"Avril, should you really be reading that?" he said it good-naturedly and I just shrugged pretending to be completely innocent.

"Well, he said I could," I murmured and he just laughed. "And anyways, he read mine." I told him and then he held his hands up in surrender. Tikaye laughed at my response.

When Chase returned, it was almost dinner time. He looked absolutely jaded by the time he got back. I didn’t question what Anton asked him to do because knowing Anton, it was probably some random strategy simulation because he loves his simulations.

"You read my journal while I was gone, didn’t you?" I felt kind of sheepish for doing that because it seemed like an invasion of privacy. When I didn’t say anything, he probably noticed my expression and just laughed, "It’s okay, y’know? I said you could read it." Feeling relieved. I smiled awkwardly and we all walked to dinner.

The dinner hall was slightly less crowded when we got there and so we took the liberty of getting in before the rush. Dinner was steak, but I wasn’t hungry - which wasn’t like me at all. Instead of eating or even talking, I sat there and thought about everything. What could Anton possibly have needed mostly all of Chase’s strength for? What was my lycanthrope ability? When would I be able to get it? All sorts of questions were making my brain throb.

Ash came to the table and so did Jake and Charlie. Much to my surprise, Jake and Ash were pretty much like best friends by the time they sat down and Charlie was so ecstatic about that fact. Smiling to herself, she sat down and then Scarlett came to join us for once,

"Anton told me to say these exact words to you, Chase," she cleared her throat and changed her voice and when she said the next thing, she sounded exactly like Anton and so that must have been her lycanthrope ability, "Thank you, so much, Mr. Ross. I am forever in your debt." Chase nodded to thank Scarlett for the message and then scanned the room for Anton and when their eyes met, Chase shrugged awkwardly, a kind of don’t worry about it gesture. Weird. I had to get to the bottom of this. I would confront Chase about it tonight in the dormitory five minutes before lights out.

"April Mavra," My head snapped up to see who was addressing me in such an inappropriate manner - a.k.a. calling me by the wrong name. The voice was coming from Nikolai Adrik. I instantly wanted to ignore him but I couldn’t help myself and I just had to correct him,

"It’s Avril, Nick, please get it right." I called him Nick because I knew how much he hated the Americanised nickname. Jake and I called him that once. He went all freaky doctor on us and said, ‘if you ever call me that again then I will personally put you through the sweater’. He looked at me resentfully and continued, "Please meet me in my exam room after desert." I stared at him dumbfounded and then he just frowned. "That is not a request." The last time he said that to me was when I wouldn’t come down from a tree. I was so freaked out that I wouldn’t come down. Not for him or anyone. After he had said that, right in that moment, Sister Bernadette was definitely onto me.

I glared evilly at Adrik. Chase looked at me with a look of warning be careful. Adrik is an evil mastermind. I didn’t want to eat because I needed to think some more. But this time, it was about what Adrik wanted me for.

Tikaye looked at me concerned,

"Get some food into you, girl! You’re too skinny." I smiled at her comment, but still remained contemplative. When it came to desert, Chase and Tikaye actually made me eat and usually, no-one would have to force me to eat desert. They got up from their seats and Chase whispered in my ear,

"Avril, you have to eat at some stage; come on. You can’t beat up Adrik on an empty stomach." I smiled at that but I still needed time to think. They both pulled me out of my chair and I glared at them both,
"Fine," I muttered grimly. I got up and I went to get some desert. Passion fruit cheesecake; another favourite of mine. I didn’t hold back on it and by the end of it, I was pretty happy. It’s amazing what food can do. Chase smiled at me and said, "That’s more like it, Avril." I stuck my tongue out at him like a five-year old and then I stood up and trudged to Adrik’s exam room.

It was a typical doctor’s room. It was a room made up only big white walls and grey carpet and a big, grey rectangular desk, which he was sitting at in a big leather chair.

"You’re probably wondering why I called you here today," he murmured, not looking up from his paperwork.

"Yeah, no s**t," I muttered in a low voice and regretting it instantly. He put his paperwork down and stood up to look me in the eye. His white coat was long and he was wearing ugly grey pants and a white v-neck shirt. His eyes, as black as night, behind his half-moon spectacles studied me with much interest.

"My sources tell me it was you that led Mr. Ross and Tikaye Rani on this vigilante mission of yours to save Tegan Braithwaite and Emilee Valeska." I nodded,

"Yeah, so?" I really wanted him to get to the point because I had something I really wanted to ask Chase about. Also, I wanted to know who told Adrik about this because I would have a quiet word with them.

"You knew exactly where she was," he told me, complacently pacing in a circle around me,

"Is this meeting going anywhere? I kind of have a life." I told him, not taking any regard for his authority here at the academy.

"Yes. I told Master Colvin of a concern of mine. You, April Mavra, are a spy for the vampires!" He actually sounded crazy when he said that because he almost cackled like an old hag. I looked at him incredulously. I really wanted to tell him to f**k off and just leave the meeting, but that would not help my case at all.

"Yeah because I’m the Mavra you’ve all been waiting for and now, I’m a spy for the vampires. Hardcore."

"Just because you are a Mavra, it does not mean that you are instantly an ally to the werewolves." He murmured.

"I’m not Serenity. Give that some thought."

"We can never be sure of where your loyalties lie."

"I think I’ve proved myself enough. I did not come to Saint Rurik’s Academy just so that I could be judged and walk in the shadow of some vampire-lycan from years ago!" I argued, my voiced raised slightly. To him, I probably sounded defensive.

"You put four students here at risk, all so that you could ease your guilty conscience." I looked at him, my expression growing more and more incredulous.

"That is a very heavy accusation! I went out to save two students because all you guys were doing was sitting on your a*s doing nothing!"

"That is rich, Avril. That was all you did back at Little Sister’s when Patrick Braithwaite was losing his sister to a Siberian lycanthrope back on the field trip!" That was none of his business! I hadn’t actually been sitting on my a*s, I just wasn’t allowed to leave my group and if I did, then Sister Meredith threatened to throw me out of the orphanage. I would have done it if I had a back-up plan. But I didn’t and so it was out of the question.

"That is a different matter completely!" I exclaimed, feeling the need to defend my honour. He told me that I should be ashamed of myself and that I should be dealt with. Really, he only called me here so he could have a b***h at me. I didn’t let it get me down and I walked back to the dormitory. It was time that we had to go back to the dormitory anyway because it was nearly eleven o’clock. Chase was writing in his journal and I said a quick hi to him and then went to have a shower.

"Oh, Avril, I need to talk to you." He told me after my shower. I sat down at the end of his bed. It sounded important.

"Before you say anything, it was about our renegade mission that we went on the other day to save Tegan Braithwaite." I added that last bit matter-of-factly and he just laughed,

"Did he have a good b***h at you, did he?" I nodded,

"Oh, yes. He definitely had a good ol’ rant." he just laughed at me and then he moved closer to me,

"I wanted to talk to you about what Anton wanted me for today,"

"How did you know that I wanted..."

"I just know you, Avril," he shrugged and smiled, "He needed me for a simulation thing. He wanted me to trial it before his advanced strategists gave it a go." I smiled happily.