Guardians: The Last Elder

Chapter 11:...but not a very good one

"Those who know, do. Those that understand, teach."
~ Aristotle

                                                                        ________________________

I hurtled down, screaming like a banshee. I was sure in the next two seconds I would be nothing but a flattened and bloodied meat sack.

I braced for impact...but it never came. It took me a second to realise I was no longer plunging downwards but instead, I was hovering in the air, millimeters away from the marble floor. I was so close that I could see my haggard breath fogging the floor. I breathed a sigh of relief when I gently slumped down on the ground, all my body parts intact and functioning. But my heart escalated again when I realised the numerous pairs of eyes trained on me, one of the stares particularly heavy. I scrambled up on my feet, spotting Mr Blackwell standing just a few inches away from me. Somehow, I knew that he was the one who had saved us.

Vanessa, Josh and Kace – all three were up on their feet, their heads hung low and eyes downcast. I swallowed and stood a little closer to Josh than necessary. But I was much too afraid. I felt my palms sweating as the weight of everyone's gaze burdened me down. When the silence seemed to stretch on for forever, I dared to chance a peek to Mr Blackwell's face. I instantly wished I hadn't. It wasn't anger that I saw. It was the immense disappointment in his kind grey eyes and the subtle downwards tilt of his lips that made me feel worse.

Finally, Mr Blackwell spoke, "All four of you, come with me. The meeting has been adjourned for now."

As the four of us shuffled behind Mr Blackwell, all sorts of scenario ran through my mind. What if he exiled me from here? What if I was never allowed to return to Morlea? Would he do that? He couldn't, right? He couldn't just send me away from snooping a little? Oh god, but what if-

I was snapped out of my thoughts when I realised we had reached Mr Blackwell's office. It oddly felt like going to the principal's office. Mr Blackwell went and leaned against his oak desk, after hanging his deep burgundy cape along with his formal jacket on the peg right beside the doorway. He adjusted his square glasses and sighed, scrutinizing us from behind his flashing spectacles, his expression unreadable.

"Well, I am honestly not even surprised," Mr Blackwell started. "You three, Kace, Josh and Vanessa have always been quite the troublemakers. But what did surprise me was you, young lady." His gaze turned to me. I swallowed audibly.

"It wasn't her fault", Josh said quickly, making me stare at him in surprise. He was defending me?

"We convinced her to come with us," he continued.

"That's right," Vanessa chimed in readily. "We just wanted to know what was going on. Really, she didn't even want to come..."

Mr Blackwell silenced them with a look. But my heart was swelling with gratitude. I blinked the moisture in my eyes.

"But she agreed, didn't she?" Mr Blackwell said. "Which means she is at as much fault as you all are." After a pause, when no one argued, he continued, "I warned you three, didn't I? Don't you remember last time? I can't believe after barely escaping punishment last time, you still decided to break yet another rule and disgrace your parents. Three of my brightest students and yet here you all are, wasting your time..." Mr Blackwell shook his head. "Snooping around is one thing, but spying on a highly classified meeting is plain outrageous. I don't even know what sort of punishment would be adequate, not that it would deter you. It never does, does it?"

My skin prickled at the word 'punishment' but I didn't dare open my mouth.

"We're sorry, Mr Blackwell," Kace mumbled.