Chapter 15: Consultations and Plans

I changed seats and moved next to Ms. Day. After I sat, and after I'd adjusted my skirt and blouse, she smiled at me warmly.

"So Tyballa, do you understand attorney-client privilege?"

"No." I cast her brief glances.

"It means that everything you say to me is secret, and that I won't – in fact, I'm not allowed to – repeat any of this to anyone without your permission."

"Alright."

"So, what can you tell me about these girls: Madison and Amy Shelton?"

Her voice was soft and kind, but she seemed very business like, very official. She picked up her pen and fiddled with it.

I'd chosen to trust her. I didn't hold back.

"I cast a geas on Madison, because she'd messed with my friends – really bad."

"Oh?"

"And the demon that came said that if Madison didn't follow the command, that she would take her sister. Madison – um – didn't really believe it."

She opened her mouth, as if to speak, then closed it again. I went on, "So, we went to Lana – that's Chloe's mom, she's a witch –"

"We're aware of Lana Manning."

"Right. So, Lana helped me summon the demon, and she said that – well – she'd let Amy go, but only if Madison – uh –"

I grew strangely bashful, especially considering the things I liked to do to girls. She peered at me. I looked away, but when I glanced back, the briefest glance, a smile had crossed her face.

"The demon wants to have sex with Madison?" she asked, completing my unfinished thought. I decided that I liked her eyes.

"Yes – I guess at the same time as her sister."

Her face relaxed into a half smile. She rested her hand on my arm and sighed.

"Demons," she said, as if that alone said enough. I nodded. She went on, "So – what was the name of the entity?"

"She called herself Adrasteia."

"I'm not familiar with that one. I'll call my firm and have them do some research. Alright, Tyballa, I'm not going to let the police question you – or Chloe, if she agrees to work with me. They'll want to, but nothing you say could help them, and it could end up hurting you. Are you okay with that?"

"Yes, of course."

"Now, the dean will be a different problem. I can put off the police, but her authority over you is different."

"Oh?"

"The law gives you rights against the police, not against the dean. They can put you in jail, but they need warrants and trials. The dean can kick you out of school, and no trial is necessary."

This world was so different from mine. The queen didn't hold trials, and no one dared refuse her questions.

"I thought your firm had paid off the board of governors?"

"Indeed, Tyballa, and you do seem to have good information" – she smiled, and I thought she looked impressed – "but this thing with Amy gives her new ammunition, and we'll have to perhaps pay them more, or take more extreme actions."

"Oh."

"But I don't think I can refuse to let her talk to you. When you do, however, you must not mention anything about the magic. You have figured out that most people here, on Earth, don't believe in magic, right?"

"Yes. I don't understand, but yes."

"Good. So, I want you to tell me – in detail – about when you cast the geas spell, and we'll work out the story you give the dean. Sound good?"

"Yes." That indeed sounded good.

"After that, we must find a way to speak with Madison."

So I told her the story, in detail, of luring Madison out to the bleachers and casting the spell. After she considered it all, we decided to tell it mostly straight, but that Chloe and I were just fooling with her, trying to scare her, and that we hadn't said anything about her sister. Madison was just making that up. And if Madison told anyone about "another woman" with "red eyes", we'd just play dumb. She'd be the one to look crazy.

It seemed a good story.

"Good," she said, after I'd practiced it several times, "Let's talk to Chloe and make sure she is on the same page."

She smiled and brushed my arm. "It's going to be okay, Tyballa." She pushed her chair back, and I noticed that she wore a tight gray pencil skirt. Her legs were shapely and pale.

When she rose, and when she bent to get her jacket and case, her skirt slid up her legs. Beneath the taut gray fabric, her bottom was lovely and round. I reached and touched, sliding my hand down and pushing the fabric of her skirt into the crease of her bottom. She gasped and twisted away, but I swiveled in my chair and faced her. I smiled and pushed out my chest.

"I think you're very beautiful, Ms. Day."

"Oh Tyballa, that's very sweet – really." She backed away with a bemused expression. "But I'm afraid I'm not a lesbian."

A pity, I thought with a sigh. She reached behind and straightened out her skirt.

After we talked to her, Chloe agreed to everything. Then, Ms. Day went and told the detective that we would not answer any questions. We heard them arguing in the hall, and the detective said a very rude thing to Dean Gilbert. A bit later, after the detective left, we heard the dean call out in a tone of complete exasperation: "Why wouldn't that damn fool just arrest the girl!"

Her feet stomped as she came back to the room. After sweeping in, she slammed the door. She strutted to the end of the table, to the largest chair, motioning for Chloe and me to move aside. Then she sat back and pinched the narrow part of her nose.

"Oh god, my head," she muttered. Then she looked up at me with undisguised, seething hate. "You!" she said.

I didn't answer. I just looked and met her hard gaze. She didn't scare me, not at all. Sitting across from me, however, Chloe sat upright and glanced around nervously.

"Can I go?" Chloe asked.

Without taking her eyes from me, the dean muttered, "No. You stay."

Chloe slumped in her chair. When I looked at her, she shrugged and bit her swollen lip, then winced a little. "So much for standing together," I said, and her eyes got wide, her face full of feeling. I shot her a cold glance. I'd forgive her later.

"What happened with Madison? You two can refuse to talk to the police. Fine! If you refuse to talk to me, you'll be expelled."

I glanced back at Chloe, who sat quiet.

"We were just trying to scare her. She'd been really bad to Hannah while I was gone, so I thought I'd get her back."

"We were just punking her," Chloe added, whatever that meant.

"And her sister?" the dean asked. She pinched the bridge of her nose again.

"We didn't say anything about her sister. We don't know anything. I have no idea why she made that up. Really."

The dean dropped her arms and shot me a harsh glance. "Her sister is missing, you know."

"Yes, we know."

"So, why would she make up a story like that at a time like this? It just isn't – well – it wouldn't be human!"

"Madison is a very cruel girl," I answered, "We might be perverts – in your eyes – but she's a monster."

"Maybe she took her sister," Chloe said.

I shot her a warning glance. She mustn't go too far.

"Where were you guys this morning around 10:00 AM?"

I glanced at Chloe, then at the dean.

"Chloe was in the emergency room from the bus accident. I was with her. Is that when Amy disappeared?"

The dean blinked. "You can prove this?" she asked, her voice even more weary than before.

"Call the hospital," Chloe replied.

Ms. Day, Chloe, and I stood on the green beneath the rustling oak. Leaning against its trunk, Chloe leered and thrust out her chest. She squirmed and shifted her skirt around. With a bemused smile, Ms. Day stood several paces away.

I said to Chloe, "Ms. Day isn't a lesbian. I already tried."

"Oh."

Chloe's posture became more natural, and she let out a nervous laugh.

"Sorry."

"It's okay," Ms. Day responded with a genuine smile, "I'm growing accustomed to these little displays."

I looked at her and she dropped her eyes.

"I mean," she went on, "It is flattering, even if I must say 'no'."

"Must you?" I asked.

"I must."

But she sounded quite bashful when she said it. She laughed, a little laugh. "Okay, look girls, enough flirting, I have something serious to talk about."

"Oh?"

"It's about Renee. We aim to rescue her."

"Oh!"

"Yes. At first my firm was content to – well – allow things to play out, but we've decided that, to fulfill our contract with the queen, we really should do what we can to ensure she is conscious."

I watched her – and Chloe, who grew tense and quiet and stepped away from the tree.

"What will you do?" I asked.

"We have magicians on retainer. If I can get her body, I will bring her to one. However, getting into Mr. Woodhouse's house isn't something that I can do on my own."

"Which is where I come in, I suppose."

"Indeed."

She looked at me, and I got the sense that this conversation had been planned, and that my reactions had been predicted. But still, I would hardly refuse a chance to save Renee.

"Well, we have an ally," I said.

"Lana Manning?"

"Yes. Mr. Woodhouse is holding some of her friends hostage. I expect she'll want to go get them."

"And you could get Renee in the confusion."

"Yes."

Ms. Day turned to Chloe and asked, "Chloe, will you call your aunt?"

Chloe seemed to ponder for a bit, but she placed the call then handed the phone to Ms. Day. Ms. Day introduced herself. Then she explained her idea of raid and rescue. After that, they seemed to agree. We would meet at Lana's that evening, Ms. Day told me. There was no reason to wait.