A Practical Guide to Sorcery (Book 3)

Chapter 95 - Prose and Points (Part 1)

Sebastien

Month 1, Day 28, Thursday 9:40 a.m.

Professor Ilma didn't make a fuss when Sebastien slipped back into the room halfway through her lecture, despite the distraction she caused to the gossip-hungry students.

After the period was over, Sebastien hurried through the halls to Pecanty's Sympathetic Science classroom, not because she was eager for his class, but because she wanted to speak with both Damien and Ana.

Sebastien had apparently hurried too quickly, because neither was there when she arrived.

Some of the other students began working up the gumption to approach her as soon as she entered the room. She was unguarded, like a baby lamb separated from the flock.

Waverly Ascott, quiet as ever, moved her bag out of the seat next to her and waved Sebastien over with barely a glance.

Sebastien placed the plate of cookies pillaged from Kiernan on her desk.

Ascott kept her eyes trained on a thick book about witchcraft, but took one of the cookies and started nibbling.

Brinn Setterlund came up on Sebastien's other side, leaning against the desk and crossing his arms. He sent a weak glare out at nothing in particular, which Sebastien found supremely unthreatening, but was apparently enough to keep the other students from approaching.

'They're protecting me,' she realized with an uncomfortable moment of inner warmth.

Rhett Moncrieffe took a seat behind her with a cool nod. "Welcome back."

Alec Gervin also took a guard position, though he had to kick another student out of their place to do so, which reduced Sebastien's warm feelings.

Damien and Ana arrived shortly after and took the seats in front of her before immediately turning to face her. "Stars above, Sebastien, I'm so glad you're back. Things have been rather unpleasant here," Damien said.

She leaned forward. "I wanted to ask you two about that. What's happened while I was gone? What rumors have been circulating? Everyone seems to know I was involved." Damien might have information from his brother, since they seemed to communicate frequently and the elder Westbay wasn't particularly circumspect with what he revealed to his little brother. And Ana always seemed to know the latest gossip.

"It's been all anyone's talking about," Ana said. "What actually happened is still rather vague, but, as always, there are rumors that range from plausible to outrageous."

Damien nodded. "The coppers haven't come out with a statement, but everyone knows Newton is dead, and there was an Aberrant that got the Red Guard called in."

Ana, like Waverly, took one of the cookies from Sebastien's desk without even bothering to ask. "Delicious. Where did you get these, Sebastien?"

"Grandmaster Kiernan from the History department gave them to me when he called me to his office this morning," she said pointedly.

Damien's eyes widened before he controlled his expression, but the tension leaked through in his voice. "He's the department Chair, right? What could he want with you? Why did he give you cookies?"

Sebastien grimaced. "Kiernan gave me contribution points, but they were just an excuse to question me about what happened."

Ana nodded sagely. "He's probably worried about the University's reputation and what rumors you might spread. Canelo has been stripped of her student liaison position, you know. She was absent for a few days, perhaps being questioned by the coppers, but she's back now. It's bad press to have two of your student aides implicated in an incident like this. Especially when one turns up an Aberrant." Ana plucked at her clothes, smoothing imaginary wrinkles. "And on that note...what actually happened?"