“How dare you come back here,” Tailor seethed.
“How dare I?” Gabriel copied lightly. “Such a dramatic turn of phrase. How dare I. Sounds like Shakespeare. I’m not sure we’re quite on that level yet.”
“We’re well past that level, old man.”
“Keep blaming me all you like, I don’t care,” Gabriel said calmly. “The reason I’m here has nothing to do with you. It didn’t before, and it doesn’t now.”
“And I suppose you’re just here for the excellent school system, now that you’re a responsible parent?” Tailor bit off. “What on earth are you doing with that poor girl? Rin Umino will eat her alive. Is that why you brought her here? You’re bored with her, and decided it was time to get rid of her?”
Camille’s blood pounded in her veins. She wanted to vault over the stairs and kick Tailor right in the face. Gabriel would never do that. He knew nothing.
“She has to get into the world sometime,” Gabriel stated. “Maybe I waited a little too long, but I’m selfish that way. You want to attack me, Tailor? Why are
A beat of silence. Camille assumed Tailor was faltering at the sudden turnaround. “That’s none of your business,” the English teacher said lowly.
“What did the Uminos promise you?” Gabriel asked. “What could possibly have kept you here?”
“Gabriel, please,” Charlotte intervened. “That’s enough.”
Silence again. Camille imagined Tailor glaring at her guardian. She anticipated Gabriel’s expression - infuriatingly pleasant and unruffled.
“You want to know what I’m up to,” Gabriel said coolly. “You came to ask me what it was, even though you assumed I wouldn’t tell you. If I was secretive, you would be justified in distrusting me. I have bad news for you, Tailor. Times have changed, and my plans are really very simple. I want Camille to graduate high school, grow up, and do whatever she wants until she’s quite old. That’s the plan. Camille is going to survive all of you, no matter what happens. Right now that means walking into that school and handling whatever you, or Rin Umino, or anyone else dishes out to her. That girl can outlast the gods if she puts her mind to it.”
Camille’s eyes widened. What on earth was he talking about? Outlast the gods?
“You’re really going to claim that all of this is about her? And expect me to believe it?”
“I won’t say I expect you to believe it, but yes.”
Guilt panged in Camille’s chest. She had been selfish. She hadn’t realized all the trouble Gabriel was going to, all for her.
“Fine,” Tailor said. “Then I only have one question. Where is the sword?”
“Hmm?”
“Don’t play stupid with me!” Tailor shouted. “My father’s sword vanished the night you did. What did you do with it?”
Gabriel sighed. “Some things really are just coincidence. I had nothing to do with that.”
More silence.
“You may be set on staying,” Tailor said lowly, “and I can’t stop you. But don’t expect to be welcomed. Everyone still remembers the county fair.”
“Oh, do they still hold that every year?” Gabriel asked lightly.
There was the scuffling sound of shoes on the tile. “John don’t!” Charlotte snapped.
Camille risked a peek around the corner. Charlotte stood between them, her hands on Tailor’s shoulders, keeping him at bay. “It’s time to leave,” she told him. Tailor glared at Gabriel, who just shrugged.
“Now,” Charlotte snapped.
“Didn’t you want to ask him something, Charlotte?” Tailor said bitterly, though he backed off some.
“No, I don’t,” Charlotte said firmly.
“You sure? You didn’t wonder why Simon went missing the day before
Gabriel was silent.
Tailor threw up his hands. “Fine, don’t answer. Deny it. Deny everything. I’m sure horrible things are just random, and you always being there is
He stormed out the front doors and Camille ducked back against the wall. As they shut behind him, it was almost like a pressure change in the air. Camille’s hearing improved immediately. The sound of Charlotte straightening her shirt was crisp.
“For the record,” the chemistry teacher said. “I don’t think you had anything to do with Simon. I’m sure he’s fine, wherever he is.”
“You don’t think he was kidnapped, like they say?”
A slow breath. Camille could hear her muscles moving. Shaking her head no, perhaps? “Not Simon.”
“That would mean he abandoned his daughter, then. I wonder what would make him do that?”
“Who can say,” Charlotte said softly. She sounded sad.
“Coincidence or not, the timing is suspicious. John’s instincts are not bad,” Gabriel admitted.
“You think someone is trying to frame you?” Charlotte asked.
“Possibly. Though that seems too easy,” he said wryly. “I’m more concerned about what Simon has gotten involved in over the last decade or so. I should have kept better tabs on him. Without John or Kyra to hold him back, I fear his lack of caution will cause problems for all of us. He’s almost as selfish as I am.” Camille could hear Gabriel smile. “Do you mind if I ask you something?”
“Um, sure.” She could hear Charlotte blush. Yes, her hearing was definitely back to normal. And her chemistry teacher was totally into her guardian. Gross.
Gabriel paused, like he was going to ask her one thing, and switched to something else. “There hasn’t been anything unusual going on at the school in the last week, has there?”
Charlotte laughed. “You mean more unusual than usual? Not really. I mean, there’s been a small rash of theft in lockers, but we’ll figure out who that is soon enough. It’s probably Hyde, anyway,” she sighed. “I’m not sure that boy is worth the trouble he causes.”
“Oh, alright.” Some papers shuffling. Gabriel was probably turning away to his inventory lists.
“What were you actually going to ask me?” Charlotte asked.
“No, it’s stupid, don’t worry about it.” He only said things like that to draw you in, and it worked on her like a charm.
“There are no stupid questions. I’m a teacher, I’ve heard just about everything,” she teased.
“I was going to ask if you’d heard from Simon at all recently. Like I said, a stupid question. Of course you haven’t.”
“No, of course not,” she laughed nervously. She was disappointed in his question. She was also lying. Camille was taken aback. What was really going on around here?
“If I knew where he was I’d feel better,” Gabriel said. “I suppose it’s up to the New York City police at this point.”
“I guess so,” Charlotte said awkwardly. “Well, I’d better go. I’ve got lesson plans to finish up before tomorrow and a cat that will tear up my drapes if I’m not home soon. I’m looking forward to when this place is done - it’ll be nice having a place close to school to get good tea. You will have good tea, right?”
“Promise.”
“You’d better.” She paused. “Why Benvolio?”
“Hmm?”
“The name of the cafe, why did you pick Benvolio? It’s kind of odd.”
“Is it? I just liked the sound of it.”
Charlotte shook her head. “Goodnight.”
And then she was gone, the door clicking lightly in her wake. Camille descended the stairs.
“I have bad news,” Gabriel said, bent over his inventory sheets. “This is going to be harder than I thought.”
