Page 35 of Suspicions on the Stage
Plus, it’s likely someone filmed that nonsense and I will have to deal with that bullshit, eventually.
Stopping the attention-grabbing psychos before they have time to humiliate or defy me is key if I want to get the university back on an even keel. I hate to do it this way, but I’ll tie compliance to funding and support if I have to. Channing cleaned my house at the main office for me, but I need to pressure the other leaders to do the same before I do it for them. Shaking my head at the fuckingmessMagnus left, I stride through the campus ‘village’until I hit the small park where I entered. The atmosphere is very peaceful, and I think about how it will be nice to work outside when the weather changes. This is a tiny haven, and I can definitely make use of it later on.
When I get to the edge, I look around, then unfurl my wings and take off into the sky. I don’t have a high push-off point, so I’m gliding lower until I catch some updrafts, but I’ll get back faster this way. Also, it’s much less likely that I’ll meet anyone else in the sky, and I’ve definitely had enough ambushes to last me for the week. It’s a wee bit cowardly, but I don’t care. Self-care is more important than being seen as brave and if people want to yap about me, they will whether I give them permission or not.
My flight doesn’t take long once I get the right wind, and I land in front of the building my office is in with a sigh of relief. According to my smartwatch, I have about ten minutes to go upstairs and freshen up before the next heads arrive. I walk quickly, taking the stairs two at a time, so I get to my floor faster. When I walk into the waiting room, Channing cuts her eyes to the people sitting on the couch. Obviously, unlike previous departments, the education folks areseriousabout this. They’re all here early, sitting on the chairs and couch that I had Channing transfer from another part of the building.
“Hello, all,” I say as I paste a warm smile on my face. “It'll be a few minutes while I get my things ready, but we will begin on time. I’m just back from lunch, but please feel free to have Channing grab you drinks while you wait.”
The four supes study me quietly, not responding, so I head into my office. I don’t know if they said nothing because they have a prejudice I’m unaware of, or if they’re all just introverted or neurodivergent. Regardless, I’m going to err on the side of the latter, so I’m not in here fuming about how this day sucks until Icall them in. I don’t see the point in getting riled up until I know there’s a good reason; it’s just a waste of energy.
“Good choice, Morgana,” I murmur to myself. “Very adult. Ten out of ten.”
Chuckling as I sit at my desk, I open my computer, wrinkling my nose at the amount of emails and various requests that have cropped up since I left for lunch. It’s a never-ending deluge, and I’ll let Channing sort through it before I even address the onslaught. She’ll make certain the ‘non-essentials’ are handled and leave only the shit I actually need to see remains. I couldn’t be happier that I plucked her out of the PR office and brought her into my sphere, and things like this continually remind me of my excellent judgement.
A soft knock precedes my assistant as she comes in, closing the door behind her. Channing has a fresh cup of coffee for me and though it won’t be as good as the one I got from Slade’s shop, I accept it gratefully. “They’re not being abrasive, you know.”
I arch a brow. “Are you reading my mind now? I swear, it’s like open season on that lately.”
“Nope. I just sensed the change in the room's temperature when you spoke and they didn’t respond. It’s my job to keep control of the situation in this place, and I want to make sure you realize that the education department is definitelynotone of your issues. They’re just introverted nerds and have no idea how to take you yet. Be warm and receptive, but firm, and make sure you let them know you’re not looking to screw them over like the last administration. That will buy you time and a little goodwill, so you can root out their bad seeds with no opposition.”
Damn, she’s good.
“That’s exactly what I was thinking. I’m glad we’re on the same side.” I wink at her and she laughs as she hands me the cup. “There was an incident at the coffee shop and it reminded me how badly I need to dig into staffing all across this place. By the way, Leilani Bergstrom needs to be gone by the end of the week. She’s aggressively confronted me in public twice in the past three weeks, and I’m absolutelynotgoing to allow that shit. I don’t care if she was Magnus’s ex—push her out without causing a legal issue.”
Channing snorts. “I’ll run it past Jax and the boys, but I’m sure we can come up with something that won’t get the school in trouble. Once I have that in hand, I’ll go to HR and Legal to run it up the pole there. We shouldn’t have a problem, but if we do, I’ll loop you in. Sound good?”
“Why use Thorne?” I ask with a tiny grin. “You could just go to our departments without the detour.”
“Because you want her gone soon and without fuss. If I have Eli gather the intel and Jax give me the right script, I should be able to shove it through our people much faster. And when it happens, we’ll make a big enough spectacle that it gets all over campus. That will calm some of the middle of the road folks down and make your enemies question whether they’d prefer to resign or be terminated with cause.”
Hot damn. We’re on a roll now, and it’s all because I didn’t write off the nervous woman at a murder scene.
“We’ve been concernedfor quite some time that our department is integral in training educators for supernaturalsandlost ones in various enclaves, but funding and staff have been reduced consistently. When I started teaching long ago, this would have been cause for a scandal. Yet now, it’s shrugged at while money flows like water to programs that are not nearly as important as making sure young supes can function in this realm without revealing us.”
I look at the tanuki shifter, assessing her as I pretend to consider her statement. Obviously, I agree with her completely, but in my current position, I have to make certain I’m not promising things I can’t be sure I can provide. When enough time has passed, I nod and say, “My adoptive parents are educators. I grew up at Swallowtail, and there are similar issues there, though not to the extent it happens in the US. I want to partner with you and your colleagues on this, Shiori.”
“You’ll be able to guarantee more resources and additional funding?” Vasielios interrupts, his white hair shaking as he huffs in his chair. He’s been the picture of a grumpy, ancient academic throughout the meeting, and it’s wearing thin. I don’t believe he’s trying to be difficult, but I definitely need him to give me breathing room.
“Professor, I’d love to guarantee that, but you know as well as I do that the Board and the Society both expect me to revamp this university’s budget and eligibility for Division 1 sports as fast as possible. That means I have to focus on finding the problems left behind, eliminating them, trimming the fat in places, and getting things on their feet. I cannot commit to expansion until I do that. If I promised you what you asked prior to hitting those goal posts, I’d be a liar.”
The other professors look at one another, tiny smiles creeping over their faces. Beatriz Farbrand, the secondary educationhead, tilts her head and narrows her feline gaze on me. “But you support expanding our department when that is possible?”
“I believe that education, the arts, law, and most of the humanities have been woefully underdeveloped. My goal, once I’ve completed the mission I was sentenced to, is to fix that problem. There are huge donors pouring money into sports, business, science, and law, but the rest of this university is being ignored. That’s not what I want, and certainly not the way to be a premier destination for our young supernaturals.” I look at her directly, hoping she can read the honesty in my expression. “Swallowtail and the other Society schools are not this lop-sided. It’s a travesty that State U has become the exception to the rule of excellence.”
“I like the sound of that,” Maxime Mistcrest says as she sips the tea she allowed Channing to bring her. “But it is just words for the moment. What can we do to get to a place where it can be put into action?”
I like people who want steps—asking for direction means they’re open to working towards a goal.
“I’m glad you asked,” I reply with a smile. “Channing and I have been reviewing each department slowly. What we need to do is make certain they are staffed with people eager to roll up their sleeves and work together for that future. State U will not be run as it was in the past, and if there are people that will not want to come on the journey with us, it would help to have any documentation you have on them. It will help us rebalance and replace those who will not be of use as we move forward.”
Vasielios narrows his eyes on me. “You heard us say we are understaffed. If we provide what you’re asking, we will losebodies. How can we be certain you won’t leave us even more overwhelmed by not replacing those you do away with?”
I sigh, shaking my head. “I can only offer my word. That may not feel like enough, especially if you’ve been lied to in the past, but I can assure you that when I say I’m going to do something? I do it. In fact, being bluntly honest in that fashion is why I’m here. Warnings were ignored, and I did exactly what I said I would.”
Beatriz actually laughs at my reference, and I know she understands what I meant. “I find your bluntness refreshing, actually. And I don’t know that I believe the situation you’re in is fair. But we are leery, as you said. This university was ruled for many years through fear and deception, so it’s hard to give so much trust to someone we’ve only just met.”
“I understand. However, I’d like you to consider that we’re going through every file we have—both digital and informal written—in every room in the building. I have no idea how factualanyof the reports we have access to are, but if it’s the only information we have to review? It will be the only information we review. So if you have valuable assets who weren’t on the good side of the previous admin, that could end up hurting them. I have to justify everything we’re doing with what HR and legal ask. How can I do that fairly if I only have one side of the story?”
