“Wait… That means those five people got taken during the lockdown.” I squinted, trying to work out the logic. There hadn’t been an announcement about it, which meant Victoria was keeping secrets. I guessed the Institute would be under intense scrutiny if the outside world found out about this, and she’d likely have done anything to avoid its reputation being tarnished. “Why hasn’t anything been said about them?”
Victoria straightened up, if that were even possible given her exemplary posture. “That is the best course of action for now, to avoid mass panic. If people attempt to flee, it will be impossible to know who has been taken and who has simply run away. Should this continue, however, I will be making other arrangements for the safety of the Institute and its residents.”
“So, not to be rude, but it wouldn’t have mattered if I was walking around the Institute or stuck in my room. Whoever is taking people is doing it regardless,” I said coolly. Her excuse balanced, just about. Even if it smarted of dishonesty. People deserved to know if the numbers were increasing, but she was the head of this place. To her mind, its longevity and position of respect was likely as important as people’s lives.
Victoria sighed. “We don’t know if the other abductees were also walking around against protocol, so that’s no certainty.” She pushed off the desk and walked a few paces. “Nevertheless, the Institute will be going into its code red scenario as of now. You will hear the announcement shortly.”
“What’s that?” I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. What security measures could possibly be higher than the lockdown already in place?
She turned slowly. “It’s regrettable, but pixies will now be considered lethal, and therefore we will use all force necessary to make sure they are stopped. I don’t like to give this kind of order, because I don’t believe in the killing of Purge beasts, but it’s the only choice I have left.”
I leapt from my chair. “You can’t do that! They haven’t done anything wrong. I don’t understand why you’re not looking into human culprits. How many in this place would know exactly where to hide seven people? You’ve seen the pixies with your own eyes, Victoria. They can’t have done this. You’re sentencing innocent creatures to death!”
My protective streak kicked in with a vengeance, and so did my certainty that my creations hadn’t hurt anyone. Seven people was unfathomable. Pixies liked milk and fruit, and a bit of destructive mischief. They weren’t coldhearted kidnappers. But I could see in Victoria’s stony eyes that I wasn’t going to get through to her. She’d already given the order; this was nothing more than a courtesy call to let me know that my Purge beasts had been sentenced.
“You are biased, Persie. You might not be able to see it, but magicals can often forge a connection to their Purge beasts. You aren’t immune to that, and ordinarily there’s no harm in it, but this is different.” Victoria kept her voice steady. “Xanthippe disappeared after you Purged. We know that because she was accounted for during the time you said your Purge occurred, and for a couple of hours after. Come morning, she was gone. That’s the sort of coincidence I can’t ignore. Had there been a longer gap, I might’ve had a different theory. Maybe I’d have agreed that it was a human act, and said human had used your Purge as a diversion. But nobody knew about it until after Xanthippe went missing. So, if it looks like a dog, and barks like a dog, it has to be a dog… Do you understand?”
I scrunched my hands into fists. “Not when the dog is six inches tall and hasn’t got any history to suggest it’s malicious!” I jabbed a raging finger at the door. “You posted hunters in the hallway, but somehow, they weren’t there after I Purged. What if they heard me? What if they saw the pixies and took their shot to kidnap Xanthippe? That’s more logical than blaming a bunch of tiny beasts for seven people vanishing into thin air!”
Victoria’s expression tightened. “The hunters were dismissed because you seemed to be faring better, and I thought you’d prefer not being under constant watch. I hoped the direct line to me would be enough. No one was in your hallway from five o’clock on that evening. They couldn’t have seen you Purge, or what you Purged.”
I fell silent, tears threatening. I had nothing left to convince her. It had been a hopeless endeavor from the get-go. She was hell-bent on making these pixies pay, and, maybe, if I were in her position, I’d think the same thing. And without a better explanation, I didn’t have a leg to stand on. She thought I’d gone soft on my Purges, and she was right. I did have an affection for them, but so what? Santana carried her Purge beast around on her shoulders most of the time, and nobody batted an eyelid. It wasn’t a weakness.
“I think it best that you stay here for the duration.” Victoria broke the tense silence. “I want to trust you, Persie, but your ability is still beyond your control. And you have clearly been compromised, which is nothing to be ashamed of—I’ve been fond of a few of my Purges. However, it does mean your involvement in the pixie hunt ends here. And I mean it this time.”
“Please, Victoria…” I had nothing left to say.
She smiled sadly. “Once this is over, we can continue our work in helping you control your ability. You’ve shown great promise by catching those five pixies tonight, and I do thank you for that, but it isn’t the right
