All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund [283]
The high-backed chair was hard, squeaky, and uncomfortable. Eliot sat two spots away from her.
Miss Westin examined them and steepled her hands on her desk. “Miss Lane has embraced the Fire of Humanity. It is a great responsibility. A great burden as well. She needs good friends at a time like this.”
That’s all Fiona needed was another “friend” who hated her (although that wasn’t completely accurate, because right now, she didn’t have any friends).
“And where is Mr. Farmington?” the Headmistress inquired.
Eliot and Fiona looked at each other.
“Was he supposed to be with us?” Fiona asked.
Miss Westin made a note in her little black book and didn’t answer.
Funny how she asked after Robert, but not Mitch. How much did she know?
“Down to business, then,” Miss Westin said. She tapped the large computer touch screen that doubled as the surface of her desk, and their official Paxington school records popped open. “I have here a list of regulations you have broken, and a few new rules that have been created to cover your uniquely reckless behavior.”
With her long bony index finger, she traced down this list. “Unauthorized departure from campus during school hours . . . missing weeks of class and gym practice without prior written approval . . . destruction of school property—”
“We didn’t break anything,” Eliot said, annoyed.
“Your uniforms,” Miss Westin told him. “You have paid for them, but technically that is only a lease. All things bearing the Paxington insignia are school property in perpetuity.”
She glared at him. Eliot met her eyes without flinching.
“And,” she continued, “there is still a matter of you missing your final exams in Mythology 101, Force of Arms, and the Power of Music class—not to mention the final match in gym.”
She looked at Fiona as if expecting her to say something in her defense.
What could she say? They had missed everything.
Fiona had heard about the final in gym: all the teams at once on the obstacle course—and for once, no time limit. Mr. Ma had only eliminated the slowest two people from the roster. There’d been a broken finger and one dislocated arm.
Some final. What a joke.
Meanwhile she, Eliot, and Robert had been in a real war.
She wanted to tell Miss Westin what she could do with her list of infractions, but she kept her mouth shut. Nothing was going to save them now. And being rude to an adult who is technically correct? Fiona had been brought up better than that.
Miss Westin continued to stare at her . . . the silence stretching on and on.
Eliot cleared his throat. “Was there something else, ma’am?”
“There most certainly is,” Miss Westin replied.
The Headmistress opened a drawer and pulled out two legal-sized parchments.
Fiona held her breath. This was it. They were going to officially flunk out—Miss Westin was going to sign some papers and they’d be told to leave.
Fiona stared at the documents. They smelled of brimstone and there were wax seals and gilt inscriptions and blood spatters. Fiona tried to read the upside-down lettering, but it was mostly little triangles and arcs and dots.
“I have here,” Miss Westin explained, “signed and notarized affidavits from Sealiah, Infernal Queen of the Poppy Lands, and Lucifer, Prince of Darkness and Lord of the Mirrored City. They describe how you two were instrumental to their victory in the recent civil war in the Lower Realms against Mephistopheles.”
Miss Westin paused and arched an eyebrow. “Quite impressive.”
Fiona blinked, not entirely understanding.
“They have petitioned the School Board,” Miss Westin continued, “that in lieu of your classes and final examinations that your actions be considered . . . ‘off-campus work experience.’ ” She brushed the pages aside. “After consultation, the Board has ruled in your favor.”
Fiona couldn’t believe it. Was she hearing, right?
“So . . . ,” Fiona whispered softly (because she thought if she said this too loud, it might pop her fragile hope). “We’re still in school?”
“Provisionally,” Miss Westin said, and gave that single word the weight of