For a moment, Irene wondered if she shouldn’t be trying to learn her classmates’ names. On one hand, this class felt like the sort of thing anonymity might be good for. On the other, it was kind of rude not to.
“Something that a few experts will have to come look at. For now, we need to ensure it doesn’t get loose. The shackles stopped it for a moment, something I find fairly interesting. I’ll find and drag Eva over here to have her set up some real shackles.”
“You can’t do it yourself?”
“I could.” She glanced up to the clock. “But class is over,” she said with a shrug. “Not really my responsibility now. Though I guess I should do
Catherine stepped away from the ball of ice as one girl stepped up to it with her wand drawn.
The succubus started towards the door.
For a moment, Irene was sure that she had been forgotten. Catherine tossed on a bathrobe before she walked straight up to the door. As she placed her hand on the handle, she started turning back to her human form, ridding herself of her horns and tail as part of the process.
She stopped just short of turning the handle with a glance over her shoulder.
“I suppose you need to be taken to a nurse?”
Irene nodded eagerly. She tried to get to her feet on her own and wound up bumping her shoulder against the leg of a desk. Clamping down on the cry of pain that wanted to escape, Irene grit her teeth.
She didn’t want to give the rest of the class any more reason to think less of her.
A gentle hand gripped Irene’s shoulder–the one that wasn’t dislocated–and helped her to her feet.
Keeping her hand in place, Catherine looked out over the six remaining students in their class. “Anyone else need an escort to the nurse?”
She didn’t even wait for a response before directing Irene to the door.
“In that case, water mages stick around until someone from security shows up. Everyone else do whatever.”
Getting to the infirmary wasn’t much trouble. After stumbling once and bumping her arm against that desk, Irene was extremely grateful that Catherine had come back for her. Having some support helped a lot.
Along the way, they passed by one of the security guards–the elf.
For having been injured enough to require critical attention, he wasn’t looking too bad. Two full months had passed, plenty of time to recover.
Still, his lustrous hair hadn’t quite grown back all the way.
“Daenir,” Catherine snapped.
The elf started at her harsh voice. He blinked once before realizing who was addressing him. “Yes, ma’am?”
“I’ve told you before not to call me that.” Catherine didn’t even attempt to disguise her irritation.
“Of course. Sorry ma’am.”
“Call up one of the specialists and get them to room A-43. If they haven’t dropped everything and arrived in five minutes, Zagan will have words. And get out of my sight,” she added almost as an afterthought.
He complied with her first request immediately, pulling out a small cellphone and making the call.
Catherine started walking again before he could leave. She kept Irene in a firm grip as they moved away.
“Excellent,” Catherine said with a grin. “I was worried I would have to hunt one of them down. That’s one task complete. Now to finish up with you and then find Eva.” Mumbling under her breath, she said, “stupid girl needs a cellphone.”
Irene kept silent, though she agreed on that. Jordan and Catherine both had one, so it wasn’t like demons were allergic to the things.
The infirmary was only a quick walk from where they left the security guard. Some students, Irene knew, visited the place every month or so with various injuries. Irene was quite glad that she had avoided childish hallway fights. She didn’t find the idea of catching a lightning bolt in the back very pleasing, even one that tickled no more than a nine-volt battery.
She had only been to the infirmary twice. Once with an injured wrist, thanks to that idiot Drew, and again thanks to her own idiocy in running aimlessly while the Academy was swarming with fake demons.
The second time she had been brought in unconscious.
So when she walked in and the nurse on duty, Nurse Post, turned to her with a knowing smile, Irene was slightly surprised.
“Irene Coggins,” Nurse Post said, “what seems to be the trouble?”
“Her arm,” Catherine said before Irene could open her mouth. “She slipped down a set of stairs.”
“And you brought her in yourself? Why Catherine, you had better watch yourself. It sends the wrong impression. One might think you cared about someone other than yourself.”
“You could say that I’ve taken a special interest in this one.”
Nurse Post blinked. A somewhat odd look with one of her eyes hidden behind a cross-taped gauze patch. Her face blanked for a moment as her single red eye wandered to Irene, looking her up and down.
