Knight of the Black Rose (28 page)

Lucy put her hand up. "Sir, it looks as though they were also trying to tell them that we're not alone,"

"Yes." Hunter said even more annoyed. "I know this has only been basically covered in your classes. But you're not alone, there are other beings out there in the galaxy, and some of them go to school here. Everyone has the same right to be kept safe. There are groups and organizations out there that actually hunt down and kill supernatural beings. This means that any information that you give away, may in fact end up helping them; costing many innocent lives. What we're asking is that you properly think about your actions, as it isn't just your own life that you're putting in danger, but thousands, millions of others. We're not going to point any fingers at anyone, and we're not asking that you spy on each other, only that whoever did send this, think very carefully before he or she does it again."

"Wait a minute...you lot have those...err...terrorist groups as well?" Duncan asked surprised.

"The galaxy is a big place," Lucy said.

"That it is," Hunter said. "Like I said, this wasn't meant to point fingers at anyone, but to make you all understand that there is a much larger picture going on here. And you should properly think your actions through,"

"I wouldn't sell my story, no matter how cool all of this is; because I wouldn't want to lose it," Libby said.

"Yes, Miss Wordsworth is correct," Hunter told them. "If this gets anymore serious, the person involved will end up losing his or her place at the school. We can not risk the lives of others on the whims of someone like this. Also, with their growing knowledge of magic. You might not think it now, but in time magic can be used for so many different things; good and bad. If they're willing to do this now, then who knows what else they'll be willing to risk."

"You're saying that some of us may turn out evil?" Alex asked as though he wasn't convinced.

"Evil is a general term, which basically means bad," Hunter explained. "But yes, some might, depending on countless events; no one can tell how anyone will turn out in the end. Now, as I've already said, this wasn't about pointing fingers, and we don't want you to do that either at each other. Hopefully this was just a one time incident..."

"How come it was just the first years that were all called together?" Duncan asked.

"Why would any of the older students risk losing their place here?" Lucy asked him.

"Miss Shepherd has a point, but they will be told about what's going on also," Hunter told them. "I want you all to be mindful of your actions, as they don't just involve yourself, but others around you,"

"You know you sound like my dad," Methos told him.

Hunter smiled at him. "He's a good man, thank you for the compliment. And I'd like to thank you all, for understanding the situation that we're all in. I hope that you'll all enjoy what's left of your weekend," He inclined his head slightly to them before he turned and left; leaving them to talk.

"I can't believe that someone would sell us all out like that," Troy said.

"Yeah, but whoever it is, doesn't really know us all," Will pointed out.

"That isn't point," Lucy said annoyed. "Whoever it is, really is putting us all in danger,"

"You honestly think that?" Duncan asked.

"Yes," Most of the room echoed.

"Take the witch hunts all those years ago," Lucy told him. "Thousands of people were killed,"

"Most of them were innocent people, non-magic's I mean," Selena told him. "People pointing fingers. That's probably why Professor Hunter didn't want any of us, doing it,"

"Well, it can't be anyone here, right?" Will asked, as everyone looked around at each other; though no one looked guilty just a little uncomfortable with the idea. "Fine, we're all alright,"

"Do you think my mum will be alright?" Alex asked.

"You said that you were going to write," Lucy pointed out.

Alex nodded, he really did want to make sure that she was alright, and he didn't care if anyone here thought he was being soft, he understood why she had kept her secret for so long.

"I could get dad to keep an eye," Troy suggested.

"Me too," Will agreed.

"Thanks," Alex said smiling slightly at them both.

Chapter Thirteen

It was Thursday just before lunch, which they were taking as a free period instead of flying lessons, which had in fact disappointed a lot of people. Lucy though had taken the chance to drag them all along to the library, mainly because they had a lot of work already to do, and she didn't want to go on her own. Jess had been easy to convince, mainly because she was just pleased to be spending some time with her, instead of going off with Will and the others. They were also there, but in a different part of the library, doing research of their own. Lucy was pleased that they were doing something, even if it had nothing to do with homework.

Lucy still couldn't get over the size of this place, and how many different sections there; row after row of books and scrolls, thousands of them, probably millions, from all over the galaxy. Everyone’s take on magic, creatures, beings and history. It was actually kind of overwhelming, and even more so, when they actually thought that this was what they were studying.

Lucy had left the others at their table, while she walked about looking for a good book for history, because she hadn't decided yet what race to do her first project on. She had considered writing about Lycanthropes, since she already knew so much about them, but she also didn't want to draw too much attention to herself with how much she knew about them. Especially now, considering that one or more of the students were selling them all out to the human newspapers; and she so didn't want to get into trouble for saying something that she wasn't supposed to.

She walked along the aisle’s looking at the titles of the books, nothing at all jumping out at her. She had just reached the section on Tal'lan, wondering if she should write about her own kind; though even that she wondered about considering she hadn't really told any of her friends what she was. She was just reaching slowly out wondering what to do for the best, when she heard voices, or rather one voice, a male voice.

"Do you believe this! Look at it!" the man practically shouted, then there was a pause while the other man spoke. "No, I will not be quiet...I don't care that it's a library. This...this is ridicules..."

Lucy looked about her, wondering what she should do for the best; she didn't really like spying on people, but she did kind of want to know who they were. So she made sure that she was out of sight as she moved closer, wanting to know who the man was because she didn't recognise his voice, which meant that he wasn't one of her teachers, and she also wanted to know who he was talking to.

"...they've increased again, since the summer." he went on angrily, but now Lucy could see that he was waving a newspaper at someone. "It isn't just plants anymore, every other week. It's moved onto animals, and it’s every other day...more and more of them are being found dead," He paused while whoever he was spoken to; Lucy though couldn't focus on whoever it was, which she thought was kind of strange, as though they had put up some kind of spell to block anyone from seeing or sensing them. "I don't care that they're calling it 'The Black Sleep', cause we all know that it isn't sleep. It's death, and yes they're all black...just husks of what they used to be after having the life drained out of them..." He shook his head as he stepped back, and Lucy was able to see who it was finally; and was actually quite surprised. It was Professor Loring; she had heard quite a bit about him from her sister and her cousin, both of them had a crush on him. She didn't fully understand why, though he was kind of handsome; but he was teacher. "I don't think I can do this...it's too dangerous...think about the students...and don't forget the humans, if they found out about all of this." He seemed shocked by the other person’s response as he took another step back into the bookshelves behind him. "They could be killed...and then the humans would declare war on us..." Loring started suddenly, but Lucy hadn't heard anything.

She watched him as he quickly looked around and then walked off without another word to the person that he had been talking to, but she still couldn't figure out who it was. She looked around herself, wondering if she should risk getting closer to see who it was before they too disappeared, because she could feel them walking away. She was just working up her resolve when a hand touched her shoulder; she screamed and almost jumped out of her skin stumbling away from whoever the hand belonged to. Lucy heard laughter next to her in-between hyperventilating from shock.

"Oh, my, god," Alex managed to say in-between fits of laughter.

"I can't believe we actually got you," Troy said smiling at her while she just glared up at him.

Will smiled at her as well. "So...Lu...that's not like you..."

"What?" Lucy said distractedly, as she remembered that whoever had been hiding from view had still been close enough to hear all of that; she quickly twirled around but there wasn't anyone there and the presence that she had sensed was also gone.

"Lucy?" Will said questioningly. "Are you alright?"

Alex leant against the bookshelves grinning broadly, quite pleased with himself. "She's fine...she's probably just annoyed that we actually got her...finally,"

Lucy turned back around rubbing her chest, still trying to get her breathing under control, and wondering if she should tell them what she had heard. It wasn't as though she had heard about anything like that going on back home, but after all her dad didn't tell her everything, and they might know something.

"Lucy?" Will prompted again.

Lucy looked at the three of them, and decided that she might as well tell them. "I...err...kind of over heard a couple of teachers talking,"

"Again? What are you doing, taking up spying as a hobby?" Alex teased.

"Alex..." Lucy said shaking her head, knowing how stupid this all sounded, but she had to tell someone. "It was Professor Loring."

"Who's that?" Alex asked; Will shrugged next to him.

"He's a potions teacher," Troy told them. "My sisters like him, and from what they've said, so do half the girls in the school,"

They all looked at her, as though waiting for her to explain this to them, but she didn't. "Anyway, I have no idea who he was talking to because I couldn't hear him. But I'm sure that there was someone here,"

"Maybe he was on the phone," Troy suggested.

Lucy considered this, but then dismissed it. "That's stupid...if he was going to use a phone for this sort of private call, he would have used his quarters or office,"

"What was they talking about?" Will asked intrigued. "Were they talking about this mystery person like Validus and Domnus, the other day?"

"Actually no, Loring was talking about strange deaths in the city's," Lucy told them, which seemed to get their attention.

"Dad would have said something." Will told her, but he didn't sound that convinced.

"You know as well as I do, that they had an awful lot of work over the summer, and they didn't tell us about it," Lucy told him, and she could see that she was right. "He called it 'The Black Sleep'. Plants and animals having the life sucked out of them,"

They all stared at her as though wondering if she was telling them the truth, and then Alex burst out laughing before he walked off, obviously he hadn't believed her. Will and Troy stared after him and then looked back at Lucy, who was still stood there looking deadly serious; they had known her long enough to know that she didn’t really lie about this sort of stuff.

Lucy flung her arms up annoyed with them as she stormed past them, that was fine with her, if they didn't believe her, they didn't have to, she wasn't going to force them to, especially considering that she didn't have any proof.

They followed her back to the desk where her other friends were, still trying to get her to talk to them, but she wouldn't, instead she was giving them the silent treatment and she didn't care how childish she was being.

Lucy gathered up her things. "Do you want to get something to eat?"

"Lucy, come on," Troy said as he put his arm around her shoulder. "You can try again, but maybe something a little bit more believable,"

Lucy was furious with him and the others, wondering why they didn't believe her, she really could think of better things to lie about. She grabbed his arm and twisted her foot around his as she bent forward slightly, then threw him over her shoulder. A couple of the girls screamed, while Troy grumbled on the floor rubbing his side.

"Wow, you're one scary girl," Travis teased stood with his two friends on the other side of the table.

"Wow Lucy, don't you think..." Alex started, but she cut him off.

"No, obviously I didn't, but it felt good," Lucy shouted at him.

"Excuse me...but what about me?" Troy said still on the floor.