The walk back felt longer than it should've. When they finally reached Professor Sunderland's office, the group hovered awkwardly outside the door as she began calling them in one at a time.
"Quentin, you're first," she said crisply.
As Quentin disappeared inside, Kai leaned against the wall, crossing his arms, already tuning his vamp hearing to eavesdrop.
Inside, Sunderland's voice was steady. "Tell me, Quentin. What exactly did you do with the book?"
Quentin's nervous voice floated out. "We… didn't go near the mirror. I swear."
Kai smirked. 'Oh, look at that. Lies 101 lesson one, Quentin Coldwater edition.'
Then Quentin's voice wavered. "Okay, yes. I mean… sure, I touched it."
Kai nearly chuckled out loud. 'And there it is. Crash and burn.'
Quentin kept digging deeper. "We all touched it."
Kai shook his head. 'Oh wow, there he goes. Just confess to a bank robbery while you're at it, buddy.'
Next up, Alice went in. Her voice was calm but tight. "We were studying. That's all."
Kady followed, her tone edged with irritation. "What language even is this?"
Finally, Sunderland called, "Kai."
Kai sauntered in, dropping into the chair across from her. "I have to say, Professor… your skin is *flawless.* Do you have some secret witch skincare regime you'd like to share?"
Sunderland didn't even blink. "What did you do with the book, Kai?"
Kai leaned back, crossing one ankle over his knee. "Ah, this book, huh? I used it as a coaster for my drink. Held up great, really. Top-notch craftsmanship."
Then his grin faded slightly. "Seriously, though? I was there that night to stretch my legs, enjoy a bit of a read. Not exactly out summoning moth monsters for kicks."
He added with a smirk, "Besides, if I *had* summoned anything, I'd have aimed for something cuter."
Sunderland sighed, clearly exasperated. "Look, I'm just trying to make sense of this. There's summoning residue all over that book."
Kai raised a brow. "Huh. You don't say. Shocking, truly."
She gave him a flat look. "This act of yours? It's not as charming as you think."
"Oh, I *doubt* that," Kai said, flashing a grin as she called, "Penny."
Kai stepped out, rejoining the others in the hall as Penny went in. They all stared at him expectantly.
"Well?" Quentin asked, his nerves fraying.
Kai shrugged. "Told her I'm secretly a demigod. Asked if she wanted an autograph."
Alice groaned.
Kai added, deadpan, "Also confessed to being the true heir of Narnia. You should've seen her face."
Quentin rubbed his temples. "Would you just be serious for once?"
Kai sighed, his grin faltering for a moment. "Fine. I didn't say anything. Not really. Just dodged like usual."
They sat in tense silence for a few seconds, Kai's foot tapping against the floor. Finally, he muttered under his breath, "Oh, that stupid rat…"
Before they could ask, the door opened. Penny emerged, looking at kady.
"It's fine. Let's go," Penny said to Kady, steering her toward the exit. He glanced at Alice, adding, "You're welcome, by the way."
He looked at Kai. "Nothing personal."
But Kai's smirk had vanished. He stepped forward, standing right in Penny's path. His eyes, for once, were deadly serious.
"I wonder… did it tell you to lie about my involvement too?"
Penny froze visibly shaken. Because there was only one it Kai could be referring to: the Beast. The one voice Penny heard in his mind when he least wanted to.
Before anyone could react, Sunderland's voice called out again. "Quentin. Kai. Let's finish this."
Kai turned, but not before seeing Penny's face pale further, realizing Kai knew more than he should.
As Kai and Quentin headed in, Quentin muttered, "There's nothing I can do in this moment to stop a comet from crashing into Earth, is there?"
Without even glancing at him, Kai said dryly, "With the right spell, you can erase it out of existence."
'And maybe erase the snitches while you're at it,' Kai thought, sighing as they stepped into Sunderland's office together.
Kai and Quentin left Sunderland's office, the weight of their fate pressing down with every step.
"Return the study materials," Sunderland had said. "A specialist will be here soon to… tidy up your memories."
Kai rolled his eyes internally. 'Lovely. About to get expelled without actually doing anything wrong. A+ job, Kai. Truly, you outdid yourself this time.'
Out loud, he muttered, "Well, at least I didn't get blamed for the moon falling out of the sky. Yet."
Quentin shot him a look, exasperated. "How can you even joke right now?"
Kai smirked. "Because stressing about things you can't control? Kinda pointless, don't you think?"
But inside, his mind was ticking. 'Alright… how would this resolve? The specialist comes, wipes memories, life moves on. Humph yeah right. Unless, of course… I give it a little spice.'
He clapped Quentin lightly on the back. "Relax, Coldwater. It's not over till it's over." Then he peeled off, heading to collect the materials for return.
Halfway down the hall and out of the building, Kai spotted Margo and Eliot. Eliot veered toward Quentin, no doubt to soothe the poor guy with charm and liquor.
Margo, of course, made a beeline for Kai, her grin sharp as ever.
"Sooooo," she drawled, eyes sparkling, "I heard a little gossip about you and a certain squirrel jumping off the tree."
Kai arched a brow, mouth quirking. "Oh, is that what they're calling the rat infestation these days?"
Margo laughed. "Touché. But seriously, it sucks. I don't think there's much to do in situations like this."
Kai's expression softened slightly, his sarcasm dropping for a moment. "You know… it's funny. I actually want to be here. Probably more than I show it at first."
He paused, then added, almost thoughtful, "When you find something you love, it stops being just a place or a thing. It becomes a literal extension of your existence. You lose it… and it's like losing a part of yourself."
Margo blinked. "Wow. Okay, I thought you were all bite and no depth, but damn. That's… that's kind of beautiful."
Kai grinned, his usual edge returning. "Don't get used to it. Sarcasm is cheaper."
He gave her a playful wink. "Excuse me, lady of the glam. I have a book to drop off before the memory police get here."
As he turned to leave, he spotted Quentin up ahead, just finishing dropping off his materials and ending a phone call. Penny was nearby, and Quentin, looking determined, started walking toward him.
Kai's eyes gleamed, and a grin tugged at his lips. "Oh, this is going to be interesting.Time for the next episode of Coldwater and The Traveler Secrets and Snitches."
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