Page 70 of Architecti
Midnight
Two Hundred and Forty-Three Days To Go
Classes are relentless.
Bastien, Lex and I sink into a routine.We eat breakfast together.Some of our classes cross, but most do not.We meet in the refectory for lunches, and most often dinner in the apartment with our books spread out on the communal table.Each of us brings class problems to the others.We share knowledge generously, and all of us benefit from it.
Aurelia keeps to herself.I think she’s found a group of friends, annoyingly Darwin, one of my old reaper pals, is in that group.
“I heard a conspiracy today.Architecti wasn’t the bad guy—her sister was,” Bastien says, shovelling chicken into his mouth.
“Nope, I heard it was the elder angel, and she was in love with him and took the fall.Proper age-gap romance style,” Lex adds, pinching the chicken Bastien just picked up and gobbling it before he has a chance to protest.
I pull the demonic runes dictionary towards me and continue flicking through it.
“Why do you keep reading those when you don’t take any Eytomancy classes?”Lex says.
“I find them interesting,” I say.Which is a total lie.I want to find the symbol that appeared twice on Lucy’s neck.I’ve spent weeks hunting and failed to find anything useful.I’ve managed to sketch a couple of lines for Lucy, and she’s convinced it’s something to do with her contract.Given our deal and my promise to help her, I’ll continue searching and reading.
I catch Lex glancing at my wrist and the brand, so I pull my sleeve down.
“Sorry,” she says, sheepish.
“How long?”Bastien asks.
“Two hundred and forty-three days.”
Bastien raises an eyebrow.“Not that you’re counting.”
I give him a sad smile.“The only certainty I have is the relentlessness of the ticking clock.Anyway, Architecti—for or against resurrection?”I say, changing the subject.
“Ooh, a debate, love them.For,” Lex says.
Bastien’s mouth drops.“You’re kidding?”
Lex shrugs.“It’s not like I’m a Societas member or anything extreme.I just think if she was resurrected, maybe the angels would return.”
“Yeah, and all-out war, I imagine,” Bastien says between mouthfuls of eggs.How he can eat a full-blown protein pile this early in the morning, I don’t know.
“Maybe.Or maybe things would go back to the way they were, when we had access to all kinds of magic.Covenants benefit mortals much more than contracts, and we don’t have those anymore,” I add.
Lex claps and points at me.“See?Midnight’s got it.”
“I don’t know, none of the demons have tried to overthrow mortals or restructure our government,” Bastien says and gets up to make coffee.
“They don’t have to.”I close my textbook and pack my bag for the day.
“How so?”Bastien asks.
“They steal our future, what else do they need?”
That makes Bastien falter, a flicker of comprehension sliding into his features.“I never thought about it like that.”
“No.And the demons don’t want you to either.That’s the problem with authority, and why healthy debate matters.It opens your mind,” Lex says, packing her books.
Bastien hands out three coffees in to-go cups, and we head out for class.
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