Page 101 of Magdalene Nox

He had the good grace to look sheepish.

“I said many things back then. I was hurt, Magdalene.”

“Humor me. Do you still think so?” He took a little too long to shake his head, and she smiled at him sadly.

“No… Magdalene…” He shuffled his feet and looked away. She patiently waited for him to continue. The chill of the stone at her back was an unexpected comfort. “I just always felt that no matter how deeply I knew you, I never quite spoke your language.”

He shrugged and stuffed his hands in his pockets, obviously expecting to be upbraided.

Magdalene pushed off the wall and took a few steps away from him along the little path through the debris that the laborers had cleared to allow them to easily leave the dilapidated structure in the direction of the new faculty quarters. Halfway towards the gap in the bricks that now served as an exit, she turned to him, and they stared at each other.

Magdalene knew that, no matter how many times they had said goodbye to each other before, this was their actual farewell.

“Sam…” His eyes narrowed in anger or curiosity. She didn’t know, nor did she care anymore. It was freeing to be totally absolved of guilt and worry about other people’s feelings. This one person’s feelings in particular. “Sam speaks that language, Timothy. She always did. And it’s as simple as that.”

She left him among the rubble and the destruction and made her way towards the one who understood her.

* * *

As she climbedto the third floor of the makeshift dormitory, she felt the weariness of the day lift. In the aftermath of the fire, only the seniors in their majority had decided to remain and graduate Dragons. All of them, along with the faculty required to ensure said graduation, were now squeezed into the former science building, where there were just enough rooms to accommodate everyone. The rest of the students, they’d said goodbye to.

Magdalene could feel her heart squeeze painfully in her chest from when she’d helped the middle-schoolers to the ferry. She’d tried to speak to every one of them, shake all the hands, wish them well. And then at the very end, as the ferry signaled its imminent departure, a slim figure broke away from the gaggle on the deck and ran ashore, only to give Magdalene a massive hug which was much stronger than the willowy arms appeared to be able to bestow.

“I’ll never forget you, Headmistress!” The girl whispered with such vehemence, it made Magdalene’s lips quirk. Shouts of “Audrey! Audrey! The ferry is leaving!” made the girl jump back on deck. She was beet-red, and yet the eyes were resolute and unrepentant. Magdalene waved and covered her laughter with a cough.

“In about fifteen years, some woman will have a troublemaker on her hands, Maggie.” George’s voice only made Magdalene laugh harder.

“it will be an older woman at that. I’ll bet my last dollar. Hurricane Audrey Avens will do some damage, mark my words.”

However, despite the hugs and the sweet farewells, Magdalene’s heart had been heavy.

Except as her steps led her to the door of what she now thought of as her and Sam’s apartment, the smile that returned to her face was fond and a little dreamy. How had it happened, that amidst all the danger and near-death experiences, here they were, together at last, alone to enjoy each other?

As she cracked open the door, she realized that their alone time would have to wait a bit. Sam’s self-appointed entertainer—since the title of protector was taken by Willoughby, who did not leave her side—Lily Easterly was indeed doing her absolute best to lift Sam’s rather bored, and thus drowning in self-pity, spirits.

Magdalene entered quietly and leaned against the doorjamb, observing the scene in front of her. Sam, dispirited and frustrated at her laid out state, but smiling affectionately at Lily, was in bed with Willoughby on her chest, as Lily sat in the chair next to her, The Light Princess opened in her hands.

“…teach, this fairytale stuff is kinda cool. Like, I can totally see you being the prince. ‘Cause you’re a klutz and nerdy, but you got the full-on heroic vibe going. Charge into burning buildings to save the princess.”

Magdalene bit her lip to stop herself from making a sound of affection that was trying to escape her chest, so full of love and joy.

“Lils, with all due respect, you and Amanda are totally princesses, but you are so not my princesses.”

“Well, duh! Cause Hottie McHot—”

Well, she would never have a better moment than this one. Leaning on the doorframe, she let her presence be known.

“That’s Headmistress McHot to you, Ms. Easterly.” Magdalene deliberately softened her voice so as to not scare either of them, but both Lily and Sam jumped about a foot in the air at the interruption.

“Ah, what are you doing here, Headmistress?” Magdalene was tempted to bang her head against the wall at Sam trying to act like she had no idea what was happening.

They’d had this conversation every day since the fire. Magdalene was tired of pretending, tired of hiding, and thoroughly done with the opinions of other people. With Alden threatening to go to open war with Tullinger and Rolffe over the plans for the school and her continued role as Headmistress, her position was more secure than ever. And if it weren’t… Magdalene didn’t much care. If the choice was between being with Sam or being Headmistress, she’d resign first thing in the morning.

It was that simple to her. It was, however, not simple to Sam at all, whose big heart ached for everything and everyone except herself, and Magdalene, while admiring her selfless quality, at times wanted to smother her lover with kisses. Which, she realized, would not be punishment enough. It was rather endearing, yet infuriating how stubborn Sam was being in her altruism.

“I’m here to retire for the night, darling. Any objections?” She deliberately lowered her voice to the most sultry register she could muster in front of people without sounding lewd and winked at Sam.

Lily watched with wide eyes, then rose to extend a high five to Sam, who obviously answered it mostly on instinct.

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