Titans of Chaos

A tiny wisp of wet hair had put a tail to the corner of my mouth. I dared not raise either hand tobrush the hair away. Boreas idly reached down, touched my cheek, and put the hair out of mymouth.

It was almost shocking, how casually he did that, as if I were his daughter. Or a pet. Someone hehad the right to touch.

I said, "Aren't you going to say anything?"

He said, "Miss Windrose, you must have known that your promise to me could lead me back toyou. Surely you have had, in that space of time, composed some sort of speech or manifesto todeliver to me. You must have imagined a scene or confrontation something like this, perhapspracticing in front of a mirror what you would say to me. I assume you invented more than, 'Whatdo you want, Headmaster,' or "turn around.'"

"Okay," I said, "how about this: I want to know what the real reason is for all this. Tell me whyyou were keeping the talismans on the school grounds. Where we could find them. Keys to wakeour powers back up. Did you want us to escape, for some reason?"

He leaned back slightly and crossed his arms. "Where are the others?"

I said, "You first."

"Are we going to trade question for question?" he said, raising his eyebrows. "You promise toanswer one of mine for each of yours I answer?"

I shook my head. "No promises. You can ask, and, if it suits me, I'll answer. But you answer first.

Why were the talismans kept where we could get them?"

He said, "My dear Miss Windrose, what did you think I intended? Surely the matter is obvious."

I said, "What is this, a gypsy fortune-teller reading? I tell you what my expectations are, so youcan repeat them back to me? Just give me the answer."