19

Dove

Enko and Kairos never returned to the dorm that night. With everything that had happened—without them—I couldn't sleep. If a demon had made it on campus, that meant none of us were safe.

In the wee hours of the morning, I couldn't stand it anymore, leaving the empty dorm. The sun had barely risen, and the chances of seeing a demon in daylight was near zero.

I looked in through the glass window of the emergency medical wing. Inside I could see Brynn hooked up to an IV, sleeping.

The main doors of the shrine were locked, so I headed around the back, the side entrance for Holy Foxes. I passed through the Weapons Hall, taking several twists and turns before ending up in the goddess' sacred white marble room.

I stood, watching her face. There was no movement to this statue, not like the goddess I'd grown up with. This one stared ahead passively, as though paralyzed in fear. Her long straight hair hung at her sides, and her katana was sheathed, her arm wrapped around her body as she grasped the hilt, as though she was about to draw the weapon, or decide if she needed to.

"You come often. More than other students." Elder Peter cleared his throat as he stepped up to my side. "She came to save the world. It is said that she killed more demons than could be counted. A thousand in a single battle. She is the first mention of a nine-tailed kitsune in history."

I nodded, familiar with the legend. Was he trying to make up for our earlier dissension?

The two of us remained silent in a comfortable moment of prayer before the Elder cleared his throat. "I was harsh on you before, Dove. You understand it has always been my job to protect our most fragile."

Elder Peter spun on his heel and left the room before I could respond.

I returned my eyes to hers, taking out a cloth and wiping away the dust from her. I'd spent all my life worshiping her, and after only a year of cursing her, I'd been granted my Fated.

"Thank you," I whispered to the statue, as if she'd played some part in it.

When I finished, I tucked the cloth into my pocket, admiring my handiwork, checking all the little crevices.

"Where is the Elder?" a man demanded from behind me.

My heart jumped through my chest as I flipped around to see who it was. He wore dark emerald slacks and a white dress shirt that had been pulled up past his elbows. He had dark bronze hair that appeared ruffled after a long day, stubble covered his jaw. Had he skipped sleeping?

His bottle green eyes watched me. I spent long enough staring that he repeated the question. "Did you hear me? Where is Elder Peter?"

"I don't know," I said, beginning to walk away. I shook my head, trying to shake the eerie feeling that had overcome me upon seeing him. Power. Danger.

"Get him for me, Holy Fox," the man demanded coldly. His eyes flicked over my black outfit. "And don your robes before you serve the goddess. She isn't to be disrespected by your laziness."

"Do I look like a Holy Fox?" I said, scoffing at his rudeness. "And who are you to speak of laziness, when I am the first to dust the goddess in weeks? Perhaps you find yourself more important than everyone else? The doors open an hour after sunrise. Come back later."

"If you're not a Holy Fox, what the hell are you doing in the shrine?" he snapped.

"I could ask you the same question." I walked past him with a glare. "What are you doing in the shrine? Besides acting like you own the place?"

He raised his eyebrows, amusement forming on his lips. "My apologies. I merely assumed…You must be a student at the academy. Why are you dusting if you aren't a Holy Fox?" When I kept walking, he continued, "I'm Rhys Varon. And what's your name?"

I halted, looking back and scanning over him again. "Are you a new teacher or something? Aren't you a little old to be hitting on students?"

His amusement evaporated in an instant. I scurried away before anything else could be said leaving the man with his jaw clenched in rage.