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We walked over to a couch against the wall of the office, squeezed between huge cabinets, and plopped down on it.
A moment later, a glass of water appeared in front of my eyes, held out by a man’s hand.
Erchin. For a moment, I completely forgot about him. But he was still there, and he was so calm.
Taking the glass, I pushed away my friend, who had already come to her senses a little.
«Here, dear, have a drink, you’ll feel better.»
Sunny drained the glass in two large gulps, not caring how she looked in front of us. Setting it aside, she exhaled, straightened, folded her hands in her lap in her usual manner, and looked at me.
«I’m sorry, Zu! I must have scared you. Maybe I was too worried, but you know… Azuin… I can’t believe it!»
I narrowed my eyes. No, she had no doubt about what she was saying.
«Are you sure, Sunny?»
«Do you think anyone would dare to make a joke like that?!»
«No, I don’t. I have no idea. Probably not. But how do you know?»
«Roginis and Tahoni are there… I mean, in his office, at the Vice-Rector’s. Tahoni is shocked: I’ve never seen him so shocked. And John just tears his hair out and screams all over the west wing. A crowd had already gathered there. Soon the wave will come here too, it’s just that I was the first to run to you… as soon as I heard it.»
«I mean… Did someone remove the protection installed by Roginis? The Stamp of Rennes?» I shook my head in disbelief. «It’s crazy! I didn’t think it was even possible. To open it, and even to extinguish the recoil… It has to be someone very skilled.»
«Level five or even level four, not lower,» Sunny nodded in agreement.
«So, someone with that kind of power infiltrated the university and the Guards were silent? But how?»
She gave me a confused look, then averted her eyes, bit her lower lip, crumpled the fabric of her dress in her lap, as if hesitating to answer.
«Sunny? What? You know something?!»
«No! No, of cause. Just… just… What if no one infiltrated here, huh? That’s why the Guards… While I was running… anyway, that’s the thought, you know?»
I stared at her, beginning to guess what she was afraid to say.
A deep male voice interrupted our silent glances.
«If it’s not someone else, then it’s a local, from university, that’s obvious.»
As if on cue, we turned to Mavinus, who was relaxed in his chair, and he continued.
«This, by the way, is more likely: to steal, you need to know about the object of the theft, where it is, how it is protected, at least approximately. A lot of people in Azuin know this. A symbol, after all.
«But then,» I met Erchin’s gray eyes, blinked, clearing my disheveled thoughts, ran my hand through my hair, brushing back a strand of golden-brown hair that had fallen on my forehead, «then… if he’s one of our colleagues and he was able to break the stamp, then he’s definitely not a student. Really, not all teachers have a fifth level! Sunny and I got ours just recently and…»
«And I have a third, as you know,» added the professor.
«Took the time to brag,» I snorted, and strangely calmed down.
«Ours…» Sunny’s voice trembled, «I can’t believe… it would be terrible,» she threw up her hands, nearly knocking the books off a nearby open shelf. «But, Zu, we don’t care who did it, as long as Azuin is free.»
I shook my head.
«No, no, no. Hang on. It was stolen, but what makes you think they let it go?»
«But why, then…» she wondered. «It’s too much effort for a simple statuette if you don’t release it.»
«For emerald statuette,» Erchin interjected again.
He managed to pull the chair a little closer, and now our company looked almost intimate.
«Not at all,» I said, glad to see the change in his face: I liked to besiege him, even if it was in small ways. «It’s just the name, The Emerald Azuin. Well, yes, it’s green, but it’s just ceramic icing on a stone. Nothing special in terms of self-worth. And from the point of view of art, it is an ordinary craft without frills, to tell the truth.»
The professor raised an eyebrow and looked at Sunny as if he doubted my words. What a dumbass!
She nodded in acknowledgment. Well, after so many years here, it would be unforgivable not to know.
«I see,» Erchin drawled, «thank you for your explanations, dean. But this means that the figure is not going to be sold…»
«It would be better if they were going to,» I interrupted him, «it would be better if it was an order from some dim-witted collector, yes. It’s much worse if the kidnapper doesn’t want the vault, but the prisoner. The devil himself will not say what this may lead to, or what it threatens us, or all of Enthuaria.»
«So, you think all the legends about Azuin’s serpent are true?!» He leaned forward, his hand touching my shoulder.
Devil! Despite the problem that befell all of us, I could not ignore it. The skin that felt the warmth of his hand through the thin fabric of my blouse prickled, hot sparks running all over my body. I suddenly found myself staring at his lips. I wonder how they would feel. I shook his hand off my shoulder, forced a wry smile and responded, trying not to look him in the face.
«Of course. How can you think otherwise?»
«We grew up here,» Sunny said, «and we all know it’s not a legend, it’s a reality, just a very old one. You’re new here, that’s why you’re hesitating yet,» she smiled softly and gently.
Erchin smiled back at her, making me twitch in anger. Well, of course! Everyone is glad to see our blonde darling. Who wouldn’t fall in those turquoise, lagoon-like eyes?! Okay, wait. What’s that… jealousy?!
I even turned away from the couple across from me.
What nonsense! Did I just get mad at my best friend because of some male?! Ugh, idiot. Jinx, we need to listen to Adiree and go to the Dark World. Wait a minute… A Dark World?
I coughed and they both stared at me.
«What is it?» Sunny was worried about me now, and she got up and went to fetch water.
«No, don’t, sit down. Just a thought came,» I tapped my finger on my temple. «If it’s not ours, which I hope it is, it’s most obvious to look for a thief in the Dark World. I can’t imagine that anyone here would decide to contact the power of the Azuin serpent, but over there… There’s a lot of… There are a lot of powerful demons and idiots who want to climb something like that. And it’s easier for a demon to break the Stamp of Rennes: there’s less chance of getting burned. We have to check it out!»
I jumped up, about to continue my tirade, but I was interrupted again. The door opened once more.
The second commandant burst into the room, a short man with a remarkable physical strength that was so incongruous with his cute image of a chubby.
Pulling up the greenish uniform that stretched over his vast belly, he said:
«In connection with an unprecedented event – the alleged theft of the precious artifact The Emerald Azuin – by the will of the Rector Tahoni, the university is declared a temporarily closed territory. Teachers and students are not allowed to leave its walls, meaning the main buildings and the territory of the college’s settlements, until further notice. Each of those present will be called in for an additional interview when competent specialists arrive,» he looked around the three of us, making sure he had been heard, and chuckled. «Sit in your seats, in short, and don’t set foot in the city until the rector and the investigators allow it, okay?»
After waiting for our nods, he left, slamming the door, as always, not commensurate with the effort exerted. Even the glass in the window on the opposite wall rattled with the bang.
Outside, in keeping with our mood, gray clouds crept over the university from behind the Ney Ridge, reflecting like dark shadows in the turbulent waters of the Farinech.
Chapter 3
It was a lousy morning.
More precisely, it was unpleasant: firstly, it was still pouring outside, and since it was already December, it could not be called a warm rain; secondly, we will obviously be interrogated today.
Yesterday, despite the fact that we sat in our offices until late at night, the investigators did not have time to talk to everyone, as well as to inspect the countless premises of the university. So now this confusion threatened to continue, and it did not bode well.
In the evening, Adiree burst in, snorting and growling in annoyance. She was so angry that her scarlet hair, which was so bright beyond belief, was ablaze. Someone had definitely managed to infuriate the Demonology Professor, who was usually quite unflappable.
«How dare he!» She said as she flew into the office. "Who let this bloodhound think he was in charge, huh? As if he thinks I’m some kind of tramp!» She sat down on the couch, snorted again, and said, «I need a drink. Do you have anything?»
I shrugged my shoulders and grinned knowingly: not that I set up a bar here, but I did stash some supplies in case I was in a bad mood. Getting up from the table, I walked over to the book-filled bookcase by the window, pulled out a couple of tomes from the middle shelf, fumbled with my hand in the vacant space, and pulled out a small bottle. A liquid as green as young leaves splashed in the frosted glass.
«Whoa!» Adiree leaned forward at the sight of the bottle and licked her lips in anticipation. «May absinthe? Wow, girl, I didn’t know you were into that.»
I giggled.
«No, not really. It’s just that the whiskey has long since run out. Well, remember, back then, about three months ago, when your Oris had evaporated and we were going to… console ourselves…» I winked at her, and she burst out laughing, remembering her recent follies. «And one autumn I was in the Dark World, hmm…» She stopped laughing and raised an eyebrow in interest. «One word led to another and Saul gave me this as a gift.» I plopped down beside her and poured a few drops of the drink into the small coffee cups on the table: for some reason I didn’t have any glass for shots.
«Yeah, Saul» Adiree’s eyes, green as absinthe, flashed like eyes of a cat scenting a bird. «Of course. Our darling, longing for you incubus…»
«Not at all, I’ve told you a hundred times. Nothing more, just a good buddy… well, as far as a demon of his level can be a buddy.»
«I don’t believe that Saul was just friends with a woman from the Core World! Nope… he’s just waiting for a chance to drag you into bed,» she tipped the glowing liquid into herself in one gulp.
«Ugh… don’t be like that,» I took a sip of absinthe, tart and sweet, gently enveloping my mouth, not feeling strong at all. «He’s not dragging you or Sunny to bed by the way.»
«I’m not sure he even knows the word ’bed’,» she smiled again. «As for me, it’s not surprising: demons don’t like demonologists too much, to tell the truth, they barely tolerate them. As for Sunny…» Adiree shook her head, but didn’t elaborate. «Nice stuff,» she reached for the bottle and refilled her cup, but now she drank more slowly, savoring it.
«So, what’s the matter with the investigator,» I reminded. The alcohol ran through my veins, causing a pleasant tingling sensation throughout body. A relaxing mist enveloped my head.
«Oh, yes! Screw him!» She leaned back on the couch and stretched, shaking off her irritation. «There are three of them, plus a dozen assistants, but one is clearly in charge. Captain Wolfrock, as he introduced himself. A donkey with a conceit!»
«Well, why don’t you leave the animal to conceit?» We both puffed and coughed.
When she came to her senses, she continued:
«All right, let it be. But not so inflated. Suspect everyone? Suspect me?! Just because I’m a demonologist… Of course. What kind of bias, tell me? He stared at me with those blue eyes and thought we would all go soft at once, huh.»
«So, they think it’s a demon too,» I muttered.
«Yes, yes… reasonably. But what made him think that I would help such a demon or, worse, summon him?»
«Summon? Did he say that?! " I was surprised. «Why did you summon a thief?»
«No, of course not,» Adiree grimaced, «he didn’t do anything like that directly. But how he formulated the questions! Hinted, bastard!»
«Come on, you just misunderstood. That’s their job.»
«His job is to piss everyone off.»
«In a way,» I agreed, «to throw people off balance, yes, to understand better, to make the criminal make a mistake. We had a couple of lectures on this topic in psychology.»
«Phew! You never know… lecture. I had them too, so what?»
«Well, you piss off both humans and demons professionally, there would be someone to complain about.»
«That’s always how you are. I’m me,» she shook her hair. «But some kind of policeman… not even a mage. How dare he?»
«You’ve taken it too personally.»
«You’ll get to him yourself, you’ll find out how he’s trying to turn you inside out, to dig out all the little things, all the dirty things.»
«I don’t think there’s any need to worry too much: our personal affairs are not in his competence, only theft.»
«And how do you manage to stay so calm?»
«It’s all absinthe,» I nodded at the half-empty flask, «we’re getting carried away, huh?»
Laughing again, we forgot for a while about the abductions and the investigators.
And today I had to go for interrogation.
It’s a piece of cake, if only my head didn’t spin like that. Yes, Saul’s gift does not let go for a long time. However, I slept like a baby. And the skin just glows now.
It’s okay, I can handle anyone with a big ego.
After breakfast, I quickly got dressed: a wool pantsuit the color of milk chocolate and a turtleneck the color of cream that looked austere and were practical and warm enough to get to the main building in the incessant rain.
Throwing on my favorite dark cherry coat, I grabbed my purse and umbrella and walked outside from my small cottage near the east wall of campus. Standing on a magnetic platform hidden under a canopy, I flew to work. An investigation is an investigation, but no one has canceled ordinary educational cases, especially for the dean.
Chapter 4
To be honest, the wait was infuriating.
From the beginning of the day, I managed to review and correct some of the documents for the upcoming inter-semester certification, hold a short but intense meeting with the heads of the graduation and pre-graduation groups, finish my presentation on crop production for the first year, and even fly to an experimental greenhouse to check the first results of using a new nutrient solution for agmarates. There, looking at the dark green of the curly bushes, I forgot the folder with the papers, so I had to go all the way from the university and back again. And all this under the rain that shrouded the entire town in a gray shroud.
I waited and waited again. The first to be interviewed today were all the teachers of my faculty. Apparently, they decided to leave the dean for dessert.
So, I didn’t even have time to take a bite of my little afternoon dessert, a chocolate cupcake the size of a ping-pong ball: just as I was putting it to my mouth, there was a knock at the door, and the assistant investigator came in to say that Captain Wolfrock was waiting for me in Vice-Rector Roginis’s office in ten minutes, and left. I shook the sugar powder off my fingers, looked regretfully at the cake, got up and walked over to the mirror. Satisfied with what I had seen – in the reflection I seemed quite confident and business-like serious – I went out, closed my office, and slowly made my way to the fourth floor.
Walking down the main gallery, I turned into a long gut corridor that led to the service staircase, narrow and old, and therefore ignored by many. I just didn’t like to make an extra detour to the central front door.
