The houses zipped past Eli as he ran down the empty street. His heavy but even breath, and the music pounding in his ears the only sounds cutting through the silence. This early in the morning no one was out, making it seem as if Eli was the only person around for miles. It was calm, peaceful. Even with the burning in his legs and aching in his lungs from the cold air. He loved it.

Every part of Eli hurt, his body one giant bruise, the gashes from the Bewley’s claws stinging from his sweat. The run was helping to loosen him up, but the only reason Eli wasn’t huddled in bed unable to move was due to the Void. His connection to the Void rested at the core of his being, where his spark of magic used to reside. While magic invigorated, gave sorcerers life and warmth, the Void endured, it gave Eli the strength to take hits and keep going. It was an aspect of his powers that Eli found himself incredibly grateful for this morning as his breath puffed out white clouds in front of him.

This had been part of his morning routine for years now, and he had found that it helped settle him, get him ready for the day. It was meditation for him, allowing him to release some steam in a healthy way for a change. He had tried lifting weights, yoga, hiking, he had even tried CrossFit, although that only lasted a few days. Eli could only take so much cult-like douchiness. Nothing soothed him like running.

He had received Benjamin’s email last night after his talk with Amon, a brusque message repeating the details of their agreement and instructions to arrive at Westmore by 7:30. Eli was an early riser and that gave him plenty of time to go through his morning routine, something he was grateful for. After the intensity of last night, waking up and falling into a familiar pattern helped calm him down. A not small part of him had hoped that last night had just been a horrible nightmare, something his subconscious had whipped up with sadistic glee. Unfortunately, Eli was not that lucky.

He had come to a decision this morning. He was going to go into this job acting like it was the same as any other. He had admittedly never done bodyguard duty before, but it seemed simple enough. Protect your charge and hurt anyone who tries anything. He could do that.

A hot shower and several cups of coffee later and Eli felt ready for the day. There had been some indecision when getting dressed, trying to figure out what to wear. He felt oddly nervous, this was going to be his only chance to make a first impression, but what the fuck did an assistant teacher wear? After deliberating for far too long, Eli shrugged and went with his normal attire: jeans, a dark t-shirt, and his hoodie. Not the most professional outfit but it was comfortable, he could move in it, and he wasn’t being paid to dress up. If Benjamin wanted him to do this then Eli was going to do it his way.

Checking the time Eli swore, he was running a little late. Pausing only to grab a Poptart, he rushed out to his car and pulled up directions to the academy. It would be close but as long as the traffic gods were on his side he would make it. This early in the morning the only people on the road would be the unlucky bastards heading into work, hoping to impress their bosses with their work ethic. Eli shivered as he thought about having to head into the same dull office every day, doing the same boring shit. There was no way he could do that.

Which begged the question, what was he going to do when this was over? That pulled him up short, a car honked behind him, pulling him back to the moment and he saw that the light had turned green. It was a good question though. Eli had never given any thought to what would come after if he left Benjamin’s employ, he hadn’t even given any real thought to leaving until a couple months ago. Eli’s entire life had been planned out for him from the moment he had been born. His father had had a plan, a path that he had forced him down from such a young age that he had never questioned it. Knowing what your future is, knowing exactly where you are going to be five, ten, fifteen years down the road. It's comforting.

Eli had fucked up those plans though. Burned them to the ground and pissed on the ashes. Not on purpose, but the results were still the same, and afterwards he had been left floundering. Working for Benjamin gave him something to latch onto and he had with the desperation of a drowning man. Never questioning. It allowed him to survive, but now he had no idea where to take his life after this. His knuckles turned white on the steering wheel, a raw panic stirring in his gut. His future stretched out before him, endless possibilities and paths and he had no idea where to start. Fuck.

Deep breathe in, slow exhale. Eli forced his body to relax, pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind. Those were concerns he would have to deal with later, after he was off the job. There wouldn’t be a future to worry about if he messed this up, Benjamin would make sure of that. All his focus needed to be in the moment. Westmore Academy, Maddie Wright, and the supposedly missing students. He had read over Benjamin’s email three times last night before bed, making sure all the details were memorized. Not that there was any new information, it had been nothing more than a rehash of what Benjamin had gone over with him.

He had also researched Westmore but there was scarce information on the internet. That wasn’t surprising, the Sages worked hard to tamp down on any information leaking about their training facilities, making it harder for espionage and attacks, but it was still a disappointment. All he had been able to find was the generic message all academies had about being the school for the future protectors of humanity, and how proud they were to take on this responsibility, and blah blah blah. Just a bunch of bullshit. He hadn’t been able to find any information on teachers or students that went there, which had been his main goal. Benjamin was right, the chances of him running into anyone from his old life who would recognize him at a place like Westmore was practically zero. That didn’t stop the cold knot of worry from twisting around in his gut.

Before Eli was ready, he arrived at the academy. He had expected to see the campus far before he got there. Even with all his research the night before into Westmore, he was still basing this expectation off his own time in school. In Eli’s mind academy campuses took up several city blocks, spread out with plenty of wide-open spaces and tall elegant buildings. They were supposed to summon feelings of awe and hope in the human public, and serve as a bit of intimidation to the vamps, weirs, and Fae. Westmore shattered these expectations and ground them into dust.

Westmore campus barely took up a city block, the tall rusted gate surrounding the exterior of the grounds, more to show the boundaries than any real attempt to keep people out. The real protection would be the wards. There were a handful of buildings, squat and in desperate need of a paint job, spread out across the grounds. Grounds that were more dirt and weeds then the well-trimmed grass and plants they should have been.

Eli parked his car in an open spot and took a deep breath, trying to expel his nervousness. It didn’t work. Not wanting to be any later than he already was, Eli strode across the campus grounds, looking for the building that he was supposed to head to according to Benjamin’s instructions. He had been worried about finding it, but the small grounds made locating it simple. There were dozens of students already on campus, huddled up into their little cliques, gossiping about whatever it was kids gossiped about, and they all took immediate notice of Eli. They were a mix of all ages, from small enough that they had to have just awoken their magical talents, to those older with the impatient, arrogant looks of those about to graduate and eager to lord their sorcerous position over normal humans. They all wore a uniform of yellow and white, a big gaudy in Eli’s opinion, but he would never accuse sorcerers of being tasteful. In his jeans and ratty hoodie Eli stood out like a fart at a funeral.

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Ignoring the questioning glances and whispers, Eli walked along a winding path towards the squat building that held Maddie’s classroom. He already hated this. Even when he was a student Eli barely knew how to act around his peers. Probably because back then he didn’t view them as peers. He had been better than them, something his father had made sure to reinforce. Now, Eli didn’t even have that sense of superiority to fall back on. Instead he just felt awkward as the dozens of eyes followed his every movement. Was he swinging his arms weirdly?

“Hey, only students and staff are allowed on campus.”

Eli paused as the nasally voice called out to him, turning around with what he hoped was a friendly smile. He saw a group of three male students, all in their late teens, uniforms unbuttoned in a purposefully casual manner. The leader was a stocky boy with a condescending sneer who somehow managed to look down his nose at Eli despite being a head shorter.

“Well, that’s good because I’m the new assistant to Mr. Harris. I was just heading to his class now.” Eli said.

“You’re a sorcerer?” the student asked loudly, disbelief heavy in his voice as he looked Eli up and down. He was clearly enjoying the attention from everyone present.

Eli resisted the urge to punch the kid in his annoying face. Amon would be proud of that progress. “Yup. Now if you’re done with the show I’m going to walk away.”

He turned to leave, frustration beginning to simmer in his gut. He hadn’t even been here for five minutes and already he was wondering if a life on the run would be so bad. The only thing worse than a sorcerer was a teenage sorcerer. Even at a school like Westmore they were nothing more than entitled little shits.

“Hang on, you could just be lying. There’s been students going missing, I can’t let you roam the grounds.” The sneering student jumped forward and grabbed Eli’s arm, pulling him to a stop. “I’ll need to see some identification.”

“You should let go of my arm.” Eli said, turning to face the student. Whatever the kid saw on Eli’s face made him blanch, his arm dropping down to his side. He glanced around at all of the students hanging onto every piece of this interaction, and his jaw clenched. Eli knew that look. Pure stubbornness and a refusal to look stupid in front of others. The kid was about to do something very stupid and Eli just hoped he would be able to hold himself back.

“Chad, what do you think you are doing?” A voice called out from behind Eli, old and worn like well cared for leather. “Everyone, find somewhere else to loiter and gossip. Better yet, go study.”

The students grumbled but listened, splitting off in their cliches. Chad glared at Eli before motioning for his lackeys to follow, shoulder checking him on his way past.

Eli barely noticed. He stood rooted to the spot, unable to move or even breathe. He knew that voice. Knew it better than almost anyone else's. He had heard it everyday for years growing up. Memories flashed through Eli’s mind. The musty scent of massive old tomes, the sharp pain as he cut himself carving his first construct, the grin as he correctly answered a difficult question, and always that voice. Teaching him how amazing magic was.

Slowly, hoping that he was mistaken but knowing that he wasn’t, Eli turned around.

“Francis?”

“Eli? Wha-you. You shouldn’t be here?”

Francis Cowl. It had been five years since Eli had seen his former tutor and time had not been kind to the man. His hair had gone gray and was slowly receding from his forehead, wrinkles on his face were more pronounced, and he looked smaller, as if he’d shrunken in on himself. He stared at Eli, mouth opening and closing.

He shouldn’t be here.

That thought stuck in Eli’s head, replaying itself over and over. Francis Cowl was a brilliant sorcerer, a genius who had patented dozens of medical constructs that were still heavily in use today. His enchantments were some of the most sought after in the world. Even Eli’s father had had to pay him a ridiculous amount to get him to tutor his son, and it had been worth every cent. Almost everything Eli had learned about magic had come from the man standing in front of him gaping like a fish.

“I’m the new pretend assistant teacher. I don’t understand. What are you doing here? You shouldn’t be here.” Eli said, his mouth gone rogue while his brain was still rebooting.

“You’re the one that Mr. Waters sent?” Francis asked, his expression turning dark.

“You know Benjamin?”

“Only by reputation. But as the Dean of Westmore I had to give my permission for this idiotic stunt. Something I only did because he donated a substantial amount to the school and swore he was sending someone qualified. He seemed genuinely concerned about these baseless rumors. But if I had known you were who he was going to send!” Francis yelled, his voice getting louder and angrier. He stopped, and shut his eyes, the red slowly draining from his face as he forced himself to calm down.

Eli stood there stunned.

Francis opened his eyes, the anger replaced by a blank mask. “I apologize. I clearly was not expecting you. Either way, you’re here now and we will just have to move forward. You are here ostensibly as an assistant teacher, but we both know that, for whatever reason, Mr. Waters wants you to protect the students. I will allay any concerns you have, nothing has been taking students. There have been runaways, as can happen at any academy, much less one like Westmore. I have personally evaluated the wards surrounding the grounds and found nothing out of place. You will be here for as long as it takes Mr. Waters to realize that these rumors are just that.”

“It’s because of my father you’re here isn’t it?” That was not what Eli had meant to say, but the words tumbled out of his mouth.

“Yes,” Francis said without emotion. “He blamed me for what happened that night. Said it was my fault for not properly guiding you and letting you manage your own studies too freely. He ensured that my reputation was destroyed. Even me getting my position of Dean at such a lackluster place as this is something I consider fortunate.”

“Francis, I am so sorry. I…”

“Stop.” Francis interrupted, a flash of anger breaking through his calm exterior. “What’s done is done. I do not want to discuss the past. You are here to do a job, even if it is one that is unnecessary. I propose that you simply do it and we stay away from one another. No offense Eli, but I never thought I would see you again, and that is something that I was quite content with.”

The words gouged out Eli’s chest. He nodded mechanically, barely noticing as Francis strode away. Guilt threatened to drown him, his vision growing blurry from tears. He just stood there for several moments, thinking about what he could have said better, ways he could have made Francis understand how truly sorry he was. Pointless. He had ruined Francis’s life, his mistake all those years ago had cost the man his renown and his livelihood. If the positions were reversed Eli wouldn’t have wanted to see himself either, he probably would have skipped talking and gone straight to punching in fact.

Shaking himself, Eli forced his wooden feet to move. The best he could do was what Francis asked. Do his job and try to avoid crossing paths.

“I’m sorry.” Eli said, glancing at the retreating back of Francis before heading off to his class.