The Student Council Meeting

2

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"My loyalty lies with you, Athena."

Athena's eyebrows shot up, taken aback by Theo’s defensive reaction. "I never questioned your loyalty, did I?"

She paused, letting the silence stretch for a beat, then added, "Or perhaps I should have?"

The tension in the room thickened. Even Astra, usually absorbed in her own world, couldn't ignore the shift in atmosphere. She turned from the window, her expression cold and unreadable. It was difficult to believe that just moments ago, she had been flustered.

"Are we planning a mission, or am I third-wheeling on a lovers' quarrel?" she inquired dryly.

Athena glanced at Theo, who looked visibly hurt. A pang of guilt struck her, but she quickly suppressed it. She hadn't done anything wrong, had she? Theo had been keeping secrets, refusing to confide in her. Exhaustion washed over her as she stood, slipping her tablet into her leather bag.

"The Gala is next Saturday, Theo. Find a way." Her tone was clipped, final.

Theo appeared conflicted, his usual composure faltering. He clenched his jaw before letting out a long sigh. "Thena, I barely managed to hold my own against those creatures.” A tremor of vulnerability shook his words, a rare glimpse into the depths of his fear. "Protecting you, and... someone else, is beyond me right now. I'm..."

Inadequate. As if he was trying to convey that very sentiment without uttering it aloud. Athena's heart ached with a mixture of empathy and a pang of hurt.

Was she truly a burden to him? She frowned, observing as his gaze remained fixed on his coffee cup, as if avoiding her eyes.

"I'm more than capable of handling myself, Theo.” Athena squeezed her eyes shut, frustration welling up inside her. Before she could turn away, Theo's hand gently but firmly clasped her wrist, drawing her attention back to him.

"It wasn't a reflection on your capabilities, but rather my own," he said sincerely. "I don't want to see anyone get hurt, especially not you."

Athena's gaze lingered on his hand where it rested on her wrist. "I understand your concern, but you could always send your guest home before things get... complicated. They wouldn't need to be involved in the confrontation."

Theo's shoulders relaxed slightly. "That... could work. I wasn't thinking clearly, was I?" He ran a hand through his silver hair. "I suppose I let my emotions get the better of me. Give me some time to... sort this out."

Astra cleared her throat. "I need to go. Shopping," she mumbled, her excuse barely masking her eagerness to escape the awkward tension. "You two should talk."

"Actually,” Athena said, “I'll join you." Her own need for a distraction mirrored Astra's. As she followed Astra out, the image of Theo's troubled expression lingered in her mind, a puzzle she couldn't quite solve.

As soon as they were alone, the silver-haired girl turned to her, her eyes cool and assessing. "Don't do that again," she stated simply.

"Do what, exactly?" Athena bristled, her defences instinctively rising. "You know I would never intrude on your thoughts."

Astra stopped abruptly, her gaze piercing through Athena's facade. "That's not what I meant," she said. "Sometimes, people need space. Theo included. Don't be too hard..."

"On him?" Athena finished the sentence hesitantly.

"On yourself," Astra corrected. "His reaction wasn't because he feared your power, Athena. It was written all over your face how much you believe that.” She paused, then added, "Not everyone is as unflappable as they appear. Not him, and certainly not you."

"An unfounded assumption, Astra," Athena retorted, a touch too quickly. Weakness was not something she readily displayed.

Crimson eyes never left hers. "You snapped that pen in half. What did it ever do to you?”

Athena glanced down, startled to find the pen still clutched tightly, though miraculously unbroken. She looked back up to see a ghost of a smile playing on Astra's lips, as if she had won a small victory in their unspoken duel.

‘Was Astra always this… playful?’

As Astra continued down the hallway, her words lingered. Was that... a joke? A gesture of concern? Her unfiltered honesty, delivered with her signature bluntness, was a strangely comforting reality check.

Maybe Astra was right. Theo's reaction, and even Astra's own initial evasiveness, hadn't been rooted in fear of Athena's abilities. Perhaps… she wasn't as perceptive as she'd always believed.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The realisation that she could be wrong, surprisingly, brought a sense of comfort.

A small smile tugged at Athena’s lips as she turned to leave, but a sudden spark ignited in her eyes. She took long strides to match Astra's pace.

"We're going shopping, aren't we?"

Expecting a curt dismissal, Athena was surprised when Astra unexpectedly slowed her pace. She glanced at the President. "Are you skipping class?"

"Maybe," Athena replied. “I'm a regular in detention anyway."

A hint of amusement danced in Astra’s eyes at Athena's rare attempt at humour. "Fine," she conceded, "but you're paying."

"Actually," Athena corrected, waving a sleek black credit card in the air, "Adrian is our benefactor today. We can indulge in whatever frivolous delights our hearts desire."

Astra arched a brow. "Your ride or mine?"

"Maybe I'll pass on the motorcycle ride for now, Astra," Athena said with a chuckle. "I'm not really in the mood for a trip to the emergency room."

“Now, that’s absurd,” Astra scoffed playfully, “and a bit offensive.”

Their voices trailed off, engaged in a heated debate about Astra's alleged driving skills, as they disappeared down the hallway.

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Envy slithered back to the Library's staff room, its ethereal form nearly translucent in the harsh afternoon sun. It found Eydis perched atop a lopsided chalk pentagram, an ancient tome balanced precariously on her lap. This was less a magical ritual and more a desperate attempt at a DIY spa treatment that fell somewhere on the spectrum between ‘brilliant improvisation’ and ‘impending disaster.’

Eydis squinted at her creation, muttering under her breath, "This should absolutely, definitely, probably work... I think."

"With your immense talent, My Queen, success is a foregone conclusion," Envy purred, solidifying into its serpentine form and elegantly draping itself around Eydis's shoulders. Its majestic obsidian scales shimmered with violet iridescence as it coiled around her in a cool embrace.

"Less flattery, more facts, Envy," Eydis retorted, barely glancing up from her tome. "What's the latest on Theo?"

Envy hissed dramatically. "Your Majesty, as your most loyal, stylish, and devastatingly beautiful familiar, I must inform you that your roommate practically reigns over the student council. I narrowly escaped detection while gathering intel, risking my ethereal existence for your royal ears!"

Eydis rolled her eyes. "Skip the drama, Envy. Give me the goods, or you’ll be auditioning for a role as my new retractable whip."

Envy feigned a gasp. "Of course…but first, a teeny tiny favour, Your Majesty," it bargained, slithering closer to her ear. "Could you perhaps evict that overgrown puppy from your mind? He's cramping my regal aesthetic with his incessant drool and... unsophisticated odour."

Eydis finally turned her full attention to the serpent, a wicked glint in her eye. Before Envy could bask in its apparent victory, the Queen snatched it mid-hiss and deposited it unceremoniously in the centre of the pentagram. Standing tall, she launched into a spirited chant.

The pentagram flared to life, radiating a vibrant glow that enveloped Envy in a crackling wave of static electricity. The serpent let out a high-pitch squeal as its obsidian scales bleached to a blinding white.

"Oops," Eydis chirped, batting her eyelashes innocently. “Looks like someone's getting a free teeth whitening. Maybe I accidentally ordered ‘extra bleach' instead of 'extra healing'. My bad!"

She paused, tapping a finger to her chin thoughtfully. "Though, now that I think about it, this spell does seem a tad familiar... Did I maybe use it on those noisy ravens last week?"

The serpent hissed in outrage, thrashing around like a disgruntled grandma’s pearl necklace. "Your Majesty, ALBINO? Are you taking fashion tips from that pompous unicorn now? Or – the horror – that 'Charming-Lite' knight? Where's my luxurious lustre? Where's my seductive, black-violet shimmer?"

“I wouldn’t call Theo pompous,” she purred mischievously, "besides, look at the bright side, Envy, you're practically a limited-edition collectible now. Think of the exorbitant price you'll fetch on the black market if you continue to whine.”

Envy sputtered indignantly, "But... but my allure! My mystique! My—“

Eydis raised a hand, silencing the serpent. "Before we try again," she said, her voice taking on a more serious tone, "tell me what you overheard."

"Let's not even try again, Your Majesty! I heard they're…” It paused, its gaze flickering ever so slightly away before meeting Eydis's nonchalantly. “They’re analysing your blood, mentioning a possible match in some database.”

Eydis sighed. In her haste to escape, she hadn't cleaned up properly. At least Envy had managed to erase the traces of her sigil. Did these mortals possess some sort of blood archive? Eydis's mind raced, frantically conjuring up potential alibis, just in case.

But then again, the authorities seemed surprisingly relaxed about that giant eye in the sky, treating it like a mere gaudy decoration. Maybe she wasn't in immediate danger, for now.

Catching Envy's shifty eyes, Eydis's lips curled into a sly smirk. "You're holding out on me, aren't you, my slippery friend?"

Envy's forked tongue flicked nervously as it slithered. "Nothing but the truth, Your Majesty! I offer only the purest of information, as pure as..." It paused, frowning, then continued with barely concealed irritation, "...as pure as my scales are now, thanks to your... shall we say... creative beautification efforts."

"Is that so?" Eydis erased a few glyphs using a wet cloth before drawing new ones with her chalk. She plucked Envy from her shoulders and dropped it back into the pentagram, this time the serpent landing with an undignified squawk and a "oof!"

Before Envy could make a break for it, the sigil flared anew. "Your Majesty, what are you—?" Its words were cut short by an unexpected eruption from its belly: an uncontrollable fit of giggles.

"Purest information," Eydis echoed playfully. "You have a way with words, Envy, but perhaps you haven't shared all the information, have you?"

Envy let out a squeal, its tongue vibrating with each ‘tee-hee.’ "Y-Your tee-hee Majesty! Have you turned me into a tee-tee-tick-hee-lish schoolgirl?!"

Eydis knelt, resting her chin on her hand with a smirk. "My sincerest apologies, my dear serpent. It seems I may have overdone it with the 'stress-relief rejuvenation' spell." She spoke amidst Envy's escalating hysterics, clearly enjoying the serpent's predicament.

The familiar writhed helplessly, "Please... Stopp hahahahaha! I'll tee-tee-tell you absolutely everything!"

With a snap of her fingers, Eydis extinguished the sigil's glow. "Remember, Envy," she purred, "next time you withhold information, laughter might be the mildest form of persuasion I employ."

Envy gasped for air as it returned to normal, its voice a raspy wheeze. "Well, um, here's the thing... It appears I may have... inadvertently become a social media sensation." It paused, its eyes darting nervously. "And I may or may not have already achieved a level of... notoriety... that would make your black market comment somewhat... prophetic."

Eydis raised an eyebrow, her playful demeanour fading as Envy began to recall what it had overheard.