Chapter 4 Caesar

"Kai, you've done it again," I whispered to myself as I marveled at the simulated snow falling from the ceiling of the Great Hall. It was obviously a trick: the "snow" didn't stick, nor did it melt. The flakes merely disappeared before getting halfway to the floor.

Being here felt oddly surreal, and not just because of the illusory weather phenomenon. It had only been a week ago that Shea had been attacked—and ultimately told both Julian and I to fuck off. I hadn't spoken to either of them since, and every day that passed seemed to be stretching out some invisible spring to its breaking point, the tension threatening to make me snap.

But I couldn't reach out to her. Or rather, I didn't quite know how. She'd told us to stay away until we figured out whatever this was. Ironically, I seemed to be the only one if this fucked up triangle that did know what they wanted. I wanted Shea. She wanted both Julian and me, and Julian couldn't decide if he wanted Shea more than his long-dead wife.

Did she actually expect me to share her? With someone who wasn't even sure he wanted her at all? Was it wrong of me to wish she'd resurrect Alice just so Julian wasn't an obstacle?

I turned my mental focus away from my troubles and looked out over the crowd. Students were smiling, mingling, and singing along to the music. Some were dancing. Even a few of the teachers had decided to join in the fun—Kai was currently performing a breakdance move he'd labeled "The Real Electric Slide," complete with energy manipulation and rapid phasing from side to side.

I shook my head.

"Poor fool sometimes forgets he's not a teenager anymore," Celeste said, startling me.

I hadn't heard the mermaid approach. She was wearing a form-fitting forest-green dress that matched her jade eyes, accentuating her red hair beautifully.

It was a good thing Kai was too busy showing off his dance moves; otherwise, he'd be ogling Celeste.

I couldn't help but chuckle. "I don't think Kai will ever truly grow up."

Celeste laughed softly, shaking her head as she watched the kitsune dancing away. "Still, the school wouldn't be where it's at today without Kai Inari."

"Very true," I agreed.

I shifted my eyes from Kai back to Celeste. Her smile slowly faded into a hard expression, and her eyes looked on distantly.

"Celeste, is something the matter?"

She bit her lip before she returned my gaze. In a whisper, she said, "I've had another vision."

My brow raised. "About Arya?"

She shook her head ever so slightly. "It was about—"

"Caesar!"

A firm hand clapped me between my shoulder blades, nearly causing me to lose my balance. I whirled to find Arthur Dracul standing next to me, grinning broadly in his military uniform. Behind the general was his lovely wife, Octavia, who wore a dark purple dress, holding a glass with both of her hands and looking quite out of place.

"Another successful year at the Dome," Arthur said, reaching a hand out. I took it, feeling the strength of the military leader's hand. "The school has always thrived under your direction, my friend."

Seeing the general so jolly was somewhat disconcerting. The way he wore his emotions looked contrived and unnatural.

I forced myself to smile. "Thank you, Arthur. Although we've met some difficult moments this year, no doubt the school will continue to thrive as we bring more and more shifters here to guide them in mastering their abilities." Looking past the general, I said, "It's good to see you again, Octavia."

A warm smile formed on her lips, and she nodded. "Thank you, Caesar." Octavia glanced at the mermaid next to me. "And Celeste, I swear you never age. How are you doing?"

Celeste laughed, swatting the air in front of her. "Oh, Octavia, you're always so pleasant with your words, even when they're untrue. I'm doing well. Thanks for asking."

Arthur cleared his throat loudly, a flash of annoyance flitting across his face. "Octavia, dear, why don't you locate Tobias. He seems to have slipped away. Perhaps he needs the gentle touch of his mother?"

I looked down at my dark shoes out of pure awkwardness. The belittlement that seemed to come so easily to Arthur mocked the relationship he had with his wife and child. It irked me to witness.

"And Miss Celeste," Arthur continued, "if you don't mind, I have a few matters I need to discuss with the director. Alone."

I didn't even have to look at Celeste to know how she was feeling.

"Actually," I said, "why don't we go for a walk through the greenhouses? It's a bit loud in here, and I could use the fresh air the plants provide."

"A wonderful idea," Arthur replied. "Very well."

I nodded at both women. "Celeste, Octavia. We'll return shortly. Shall we, Arthur?"

Side-by-side, we made our way toward the doors that led to the lawn.

"Arthur, this better be important," I said as we came out onto the grass. "My place is with the students and faculty of the school."

Lord Dracul waved his hand rapidly in front of himself. "I will be quick and straight to the point, Caesar. After all, I value the importance of time much more than most."

And there it was. I didn't even need to hear what Arthur had to say. The general had come to speak with me about Arya. Again .

"It's about the girl," Arthur specified as we headed toward the greenhouses in the southern part of the Dome.

I stopped dead in my tracks, and Arthur took one more step before coming to a halt, too.

"Every time you come to the Dome, it's always about Arya," I said, raising a finger in the air.

A few voices could be heard across the lawn, along with the sound of sprinting feet moving away from us. I didn't even want to think what a couple of students were doing out here while everyone else was in the Great Hall, but I wasn't about to go after them, either.

Arthur narrowed his eyes toward where the noises dissipated. Through clenched teeth, the general said, "Perhaps we should wait until we reach the greenhouse before we continue this conversation."

I agreed but didn't say as much. Instead, I speed-walked down the hallway again.

Although the greenhouses were close to the main building, it seemed as if an age had passed before the long, white structures came into view.

Stopping at the first one, I pressed my hand to the panel by the wide door. Upon scanning my palm, the mechanism controlling the door started, and on small, thin wheels, it opened from the side as if hands were pulling it right to left.

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "A little secure for a place full of plants, don't you think?"

I stepped aside. "The structure is anti-flammable, but all it takes is one stray fireball within a greenhouse to burn everything to ashes. We lock them up as an after-hours policy."

The warm air in the structure was potently fragranced and seemed to clear my head almost immediately. The scent of the youthful greenery was clean and therapeutic.

Lord Dracul entered behind me. "I suppose this was a lesson learned the hard way?"

"Years ago," I said with a nod. "But I'd hate to bore you with such details. Let's move on to more pressing matters since time seems to be of the essence."

Dim ultraviolet lamps hung low from the ceiling, an elaborately timed system designed to encourage the best growth from the plants they nurtured.

Arthur snorted. "You are quite snippety this evening, Caesar. More so than usual. But yes, I've come back to the Dome to discuss the siren."

"Was your last visit not telling enough, Arthur?" I asked as civilly as I could. "You saw with your own eyes that Arya is not ready for military training."

The dragon shifter walked to the nearest plant, raised a hand to it, and felt at one of its leaves. After a few moments, he lifted his thumb and finger to his nose and sniffed. "Basil?"

I sighed and looked away in exasperation. The air that had helped me before was doing little to subdue my building agitation.

He cleared his throat. "Hear me out, my friend. This basil plant sits in a climate-controlled environment, receiving the appropriate amounts of water and UV light to grow and thrive. At this very moment, the young plant could handle losing multiple leaves without any real harm done to it."

"That's very intuitive and educational," I said, rubbing my forehead. "How does this apply to Arya?"

A smirk crawled across the general's face. "I'm glad you asked. You see, Arya is like this basil plant—full of promise and potential. But unlike this particular plant, she is in an environment that is stunting her growth."

A fiery fury kindled within me, and I felt my face turning red. "Her environment is stunting her growth?"

He stood tall and lifted his chin but did not reply.

"How dare you!" I shouted, also straightening my back. I would not be daunted by Arthur Dracul. "For years, this school has prepared hundreds of students. Many of them are your own soldiers. Your own children have thrived here. Tobias is an exemplary student."

The general shook his head slightly. "Come on, Caesar. I'm not attacking your school. But you saw Arya's pitiful performance. Your siren couldn't conjure a voice to save her life."

"Her siren abilities are much harder to master," I countered. "Celeste is doing her best to instruct her, but she's no siren herself. And besides, her water and light manipulation abilities are admirable. Even you can't deny that."

Arthur held up a hand. "The prophecy states that it will be her siren abilities that bring down Hadrian, not her other abilities."

"So, what would you have us do? Focus her studies purely on increasing her abilities as a siren?"

"Caesar, my friend, it is not within Arya's best interests to remain here at the school."

I snorted, resisting the urge to clench my fists. "And who's going to train her in her siren abilities? You?"

"She needs military supervision. She needs my supervision."

"She's seventeen years old, Arthur," I argued. "She belongs here in the school with other students her age."

"Arya is an orphan," the general refuted. "As such, there are no legal issues with her joining the military at her age."

I wanted to explode with the revelation that Arya was not entirely an orphan—that her father still existed, and that he was the very being she was prophesied to destroy. But I held my tongue, not wanting to give General Dracul another reason to pull Arya away from the Dome.

I pointed my finger under Arthur's nose. "Stop looking at Arya as a tool for the military. Your complete disregard and disrespect for the girl as a person is disgusting. The prophecy says nothing about her and military involvement."

He smirked. "On the other hand, the prophecy says nothing about Arya attending school."

I slammed my hand on one of the wooden tables, causing dozens of flats of plants to shake.

"Arya is a ward of the school, and she will never — I repeat, never— be in military custody as long as I am director of this school. Is that understood, General?" Chest rising and falling, every muscle in my body went taut.

His features clouded in the dim light of the UV lamps. "You'll regret those words, my friend," he hissed.

Lord Dracul studied me for a few moments, then moved past me, brushing me out of the way in the process with one of his sturdy arms. The door of the greenhouse opened as he approached, the sensors within triggered to let him out.

As the general disappeared onto the grounds, I turned and looked at the nearby basil plant. Lord Dracul had been wrong: Arya wasn't like the plant. She was the lamp shining above, the light protecting the life beneath it from being swallowed in darkness.

I nearly failed to protect Shea from danger, but I was determined not to fail in protecting her best friend from the monsters on both sides of this war.